Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner is such an exciting conclusion to the trilogy! I’ve loved the entire series, and this final book wraps everything up with a bang. The world-building is still on point, and Kaner really nails the atmosphere of this magical world. The plot is packed with twists, and I couldn’t stop reading—there’s so much action and emotional depth in the story. The main character’s journey is definitely the highlight, as she faces tough choices that kept me hooked. That said, I do wish some of the secondary characters had gotten a bit more focus, and there were moments where the pacing slowed down a little. But overall, it’s an epic ending to a trilogy that I highly recommend if you love fantasy filled with magic, betrayal, and moral dilemmas. If you've followed the series, you won’t be disappointed! 4 stars.

The conclusion to this trilogy was nothing short of brilliant. I fell in love with the characters throughout the first two books, and I knew it was inevitable, but this book ripped my heart out and danced on it (but in a good way).

The political intrigue, the morally grey characters with chances at redemption, and the detailed fight scenes-- I'm not sure what else I could want in a fantasy trilogy. I feel like this is a series I will revisit again in the future, I'm still so encompassed in this world!

*** ARC provided via NetGalley ***

Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner is nothing short of a whirlwind, an emotional and fantastical ride that blends heart-wrenching drama with sharp wit and high-stakes adventure. As the third and final installment in the Fallen Gods series, it’s a book that ties up loose ends while simultaneously leaving a lasting impact, one that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. If you’re a fan of beautifully flawed characters and epic world-building, Faithbreaker is a must-read that will leave you swooning and thinking deeply about its themes of power, faith, and the sacrifices made in the name of love.

The characters are truly what make this book shine. From the very first page, you’re drawn into the complexity of their emotions, their inner battles, and their relationships. Kaner doesn’t just write characters; she crafts living, breathing souls who make you feel everything they’re going through. The tension between loyalty and self-preservation, the struggles between hope and despair, is palpable in every page. Watching these characters face their own personal demons, and their literal demons, is both thrilling and devastating. The romance that blossoms amidst the chaos feels raw and authentic, never forced. You’ll root for the characters you love and find yourself hoping for their redemption, even when they’re at their lowest.

The world-building in Faithbreaker is just as rich and vivid as in the previous books. Kaner has created a sprawling universe filled with gods, magic, and politics that feel as intricate as they are expansive. The landscapes are painted in bold strokes—lush forests, towering cities, and dangerous, otherworldly realms. And the lore! Oh, the lore is so deliciously layered. Each myth, each divine being, and each twist of fate adds to the tapestry of this world, giving it a depth that’s rarely seen in fantasy. Kaner doesn’t just build a world for her characters to inhabit; she creates a universe that feels alive, breathing, and ever-changing.

The pacing of the novel is one of its few stumbles, but it doesn’t detract from the experience too much. There are moments where the story lulls, where the action slows down in favor of introspection or character development. For some, these slower moments may feel like a drag, but for others, it’s where the book truly shines. These quieter scenes allow Kaner to really dig deep into the heart of her characters, and it’s in these moments that you truly understand the stakes of what’s happening. That said, the action-packed, pulse-pounding sequences more than make up for any slower beats. The tension is high, the stakes are monumental, and Kaner delivers some shocking twists that will leave you gasping.

The ending? A masterpiece of emotional payoff. It’s a rare thing to read a conclusion that feels both earned and emotionally satisfying, and Faithbreaker delivers in spades. There are moments of joy, sorrow, and everything in between, but what stands out the most is how Kaner stays true to the themes of the series—faith, hope, and redemption. Even though the characters face impossible odds and heartbreaking decisions, they never lose the spark that makes them who they are. That, above all, is what makes this series so special.

In conclusion, Faithbreaker is a solid 4 stars for me. There are minor pacing hiccups, but they’re easily overlooked in light of the emotional depth, breathtaking world-building, and unforgettable characters. Kaner has wrapped up her trilogy in a way that is both satisfying and thought-provoking, and I couldn’t have asked for a more fitting conclusion. If you haven’t already dived into this world, what are you waiting for? It’s an adventure you won’t soon forget.

I would give this book 10 stars if I could! The whole series was amazing, start to finish. I was captivated by the storyline, and the characters were unique and well rounded. Great world-building throughout the book so the reader didn't feel overwhelmed in the first few chapters. I think I actually fell in love with a couple of the MCs. What a great ending to a phenomenal series. I will be recommending this to everyone!

Thank you to Hannah Kaner, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, & Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Ya’ll I knew this trilogy would eventually hurt my soul, I just didn’t think it would be like that 😭 A beautiful conclusion to a fabulous trilogy.

We are thrown right back into everything where Sunbringer left off. The crew is off doing what they do best, attempting to save their world and being the most human about it. New countries, new politics, new gods. This has been some of my favorite parts of this trilogy - there’s so much depth to the world without it feeling overwhelming.

I felt like this one truly had some great character growth among the crew. We see Kissen not just being overly sarcastic but much funnier in a lighthearted way. Elo is making realizations and accepting things. Inara is growing, seeing the world through more adult eyes. Then little Skedi, the god of white lies who has become more and more human as things went on.

I had some criticisms on the first two books, but this one… I have none. Sure, if you asked me to nitpick I could probably dig in & find something. I just don’t want to 🤷🏼‍♀️

Where to start first, I'm going to need 3 to 5 business days for mourning. I'm heartbroken in the best way. This conclusion was done amazingly. I don't know how kaner was able to put so much into these books when they're some of the shortest fantasy books I've read but still having such great world building and characters. Ahh I wish I had more time with these books 😭

Oh my god the ending to this book was absolutely PERFECT. I'm always wary of the ends of trilogies (or series in general) but the way that this one ended was so perfect for what every character and the world as a whole needed. From the start of the final battle to last page of the epilogue, I couldn't put the book down and shed a good few tears.

First things first, this is a war book. While the other two books in the trilogy could have been marketed as leaning towards "questing" and "adventure" this one was *heavily* intrenched in politics, war, and political intrigue.

The first part of the book, I'll be honest, was really hard to get into. You're thrown a lot of names of people and places, and it's hard to care about what's happening when you don't know to who or what it's happening to. Then, once you acclimate to the world and it's people it was much easier to get invested.

Happily, while there were multiple povs that we bounced between, I never felt like one was more interesting or more favored than the other and so was always excited to see what this or that character was up to.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and this trilogy as a whole! Thank you Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc of this book!

I’m honestly at a loss for words. This final book was just so well done! I really got attached to some of the characters, and there were moments when I felt frustrated because I wanted them to go in a different direction. The character development throughout the series was spot on, and the author definitely has a talent for writing; their skills really shine through. Even though the themes of war, death, and politics are pretty heavy, I liked how the book tackled them. I enjoyed the ending, but it felt a little abrupt; like when you’re running and about to cross the finish line, but then you trip a bit and lose your flow.
I can't wait for this book to come out, and I’m definitely hoping to grab a physical copy when it’s released!

An amazing conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. The lore, characters, and story was as close to perfect as you could get. I'm sobbing from that finale and this is definitely become one of my favor series of all time. Can't wait to see what comes next from Hannah Kaner!

The perfect conclusion to a wonderful trilogy. I absolutely devoured all three books! The character development and growth were wonderfully done. I was emotionally invested in all the MCs and the ending devastated me in the best way.

Faithbreaker was difficult for me to get into. It's not one of the books that sucked me in from the beginning. That being said, once I allowed myself to become immersed in the story, the book really is well written and has a great plot.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me.

I really tried to get over the slow pacing of the whole series and was maybe hoping that this book wouldn't drag as much as book 1&2 did. I made it to around 20% of the book before I couldn't force myself to go farther. The only characters I wanted to see through to the end was Inara and Skedi for obvious reasons, but not much was happening in their story to really push me through this book. I am resigned to say that this series just wasn't for me looking back on my reviews and ratings of book 1&2. I hope this series reaches its intended audience for many readers to enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
The final book of a series can be challenging, but this book maintains the consistency of the first two while mixing in humor to address heavy topics like war, loss, and trauma. While the pacing was uneven in the beginning and the romantic tension fell flat for me, this did not greatly affect my overall enjoyment. Faithbreaker offers a fantastic and heartbreaking conclusion and I highly recommend this trilogy.

This book did not disappoint!!
The finale of this book was hopeful, magical, satisfying & absolutely devastating.
I truly felt like I had been on this journey aalongside the characters - is it weird to care so much about fictional characters? Asking for a friend.
I sobbed so hard so bring your tissues.
The character development was excellent with plenty of growth. The overall pacing of the book was good & everyone’s story wrapped up nicely but I felt the ending to be a little abrupt & a little more time could have went into the epilogue. I do wish the book was a little longer because boy am I going to miss these characters. I look forward to seeing what Hannah Kaner does next.

I’m not gonna lie, the ending of this trilogy slaps. (Is that what the kids are saying these days? How out of touch am I? Oh god, moving on.) Seriously, I think this is the best book in the trilogy.

And holy hell, that cover. Drool. Tom Roberts has done a stunning job with this entire trilogy, I think these are some of the most lush and ornately gorgeous fantasy covers in the last few years. Even if I didn’t like the series I’d feel compelled to own them just because of this artwork. Publishers, keep hiring this guy. For real.

I don’t want to give too much away for fear of spoilers, but I will say that if you enjoyed the first two, you won’t be disappointed. The action has ramped up, war has come to the shores of Middren, and all of our characters are going to have to set aside their conflicts and work together, or lose everything. I genuinely teared up at the end, and y’all, I am not a huge crier when I’m reading. You seriously have to move me, and it did.

If I had to come up with any criticism at all, it would just be that I wish we had a slightly longer epilogue. I’ve spent enough time with these characters, and watched them work through some incredibly difficult, traumatic, and growth-inspiring events. I’d like a little bit more time to say goodbye to them.

It really was a very satisfying conclusion to a very unique trilogy, and I’m sad to see it go.

This is the finale of the trilogy long in the making. The book picks up not far from where we left off in the previous book, but some time has passed. Each of our characters has a different focus with some of our main characters leaving and others joining back together. Other smaller characters we have known from previous books are mentioned and we get to see and hear what they have been up to lately.

The entirety of the book is focused on war. War has come with the fire god Hseth more powerful than ever. Overall the majority is pretty bleak with some bright parts. Kissen is as spicy as ever and the highlight of the book for me. Arren and Elo were not very interesting at this point. Ultimately the book wraps up in a satisfying manner and I was ultimately happy with how the characters end.

I really love this series. It's slow, and it's meandering, but it's so full of FEELINGS and MEANING and everything I love. Skedi is, as always, my fav (not only because hes a little bunny god and I love him), but Inara and Kissen in particular had such amazing growth in this. The last page of this book was so heavy knowing I won't be able to come back to my family again, and they truly did feel like family through the series, which is incredible. Thank you for this.

Faithbreaker is the conclusion of the Fallen Gods trilogy. The book brings together all of the storylines we’ve been following from the first 2 books, giving readers a finale in the current god war.

Final books are always tricky because they need to provide closure while balancing the expectations of readers from the other books. There are things that worked or didn’t work for me that might not be the same for others, so keep that in mind in my reflections.

I loved the first 2 books and I think this series is captivating and unique, and by the end of Faithbreaker I felt mostly satisfied with how things resolved. I would definitely recommend reviewing the first 2 books though if you haven’t read them in awhile (it had been over a year for me) and there isn’t much recap in Faithbreaker.

Personally I was disappointed that compared to the other 2 books I felt like we got very little time on Inara’s perspective or on her relationship with Skedi, Elo, and Kissen. Maybe because so much happened in the last book most of that felt resolved, but I feel like they are the heart of this whole trilogy and I wanted more time with them. This book is much more focused on the tactical aspects of the war, which makes sense, but for me that isnt what drew me to the books in the first place. There was a lot of time spent with some new characters and new dynamics that felt underdeveloped to me.

Overall I did enjoy reading it, and I love the world Kaner has created. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the sake of the whole series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and HarperVoyager for providing me with this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and HarperVoyager for providing me with this ARC.

Faithbreaker is the poignant final installment to one of the most memorable series I’ve ever read, Fallen Gods. I am always nervous when reading the conclusion to a trilogy, as an inadequate ending can easily ruin the appeal of the rest of the series, but I needn't have worried with Faithbreaker. The novel provides a satisfying ending for not only the characters, but also the series itself. 

“Faith brings fervour, he whispered into her mind. Or fury.”

Though it was an emotional conclusion and I cried multiple times while reading Faithbreaker, it felt like everything in the series and the characters’ development was truly leading to this heart wrenching moment. I don’t want to give anything specific away, but I will say that I think the lack of a wholly happy ending fits a series this dark and that displays so many of its characters navigating morally gray areas. The ending, like the rest of the series, offers a spectacular commentary on the very nature of faith, its power, and its responsibility.

Every single main character’s arc culminates in a gratifying way. Some of these resolutions were certainly easier to swallow than others, but even the difficult outcomes felt appropriate and like the foreshadowing was there for them. Perhaps my favorite thing in Faithbreaker was that Kissen and Skedi came to care for one another through their shared love of Inara. Through their new bond, it really felt like the novel came full circle from Godkiller.

“I am a god of people,’ said Sekdi. ‘Of little lies, little hopes, little stories. Middren has not been kind to me, but its people have. A godkiller has helped me, a child has saved me, a knight has cared for me.’”

 I truly felt like I had been on this journey right alongside Inara and Skedi, Kissen, Elo, and Arren every step of the way, so it would have been hard for me to say goodbye to these characters no matter what. That being said, I can't think about the events of the novel for too long without wanting to cry, so bring your tissues, folks. Thankfully, Faithbreaker leaves readers with a little extra hope at the end for a happier future. I can only hope that the author chooses to revisit this world in the future.

Another high point of the story for me was the pages devoted to getting to know Inara’s mother, Lessa Craier. Though initially I wasn’t thrilled that the woman was revealed to still be alive and leading a rebellion in Sunbringer, I came to really appreciate her character. I think that Faithbreaker does a fantastic job of portraying not only Inara’s slow acceptance of her, but Kissen’s as well. It was also entertaining seeing Kissen dealing with another incredibly competent woman with not only a very different worldview, but also a different skill set.

I honestly never wanted to put Faithbreaker down, but real life kept getting in the way. I was desperate to know what was going to happen throughout the entire novel, but I will say that the pacing left a little something to be desired, but not to the extent of its predecessor, Sunbringer. I definitely wanted more at the end. I was shocked to find myself at the very short epilogue so soon. I would have gladly given up plenty of the traveling/sailing/requesting aid parts of Faithbreaker for even a few more pages at the very abrupt conclusion. 

“Gods were made to fit the world: the world didn’t change to fit them.”

I was disappointed that there wasn’t more time devoted to wrapping up the future of the characters. There was only a mere sentence or two stating Elo's plans and an equally paltry amount dedicated to Kissen too. With the rest of Faithbreaker sharing the alternating perspectives of Elo, Arren, Skedi, and Inara, it was jarring not to have this opportunity to read from their point-of-view at the end. I guess this only demonstrates how connected I was to the characters that I was so disappointed to have to say goodbye in such a brisk manner.

The only other thing that missed the mark for me a bit was the romance. I had trouble wrapping my head around the new romantic direction for both Kissen and Elo, as I felt so much of the series was spent establishing trust and mutual affection between these two. So I had trouble adjusting course and viewing their tryst as a casual thing when I stupidly viewed them as endgame. However, I do think that Faithbreaker does a great job at establishing their romantic relationships with other characters in a way that feels natural.

I am not only going to have a massive book hangover after reading Faithbreaker, but a hole in my heart now that it’s over. Ever since picking up Godkiller in 2023, I’ve looked forward to each newest entry in the series and I will miss being able to anticipate the newest release. However, I will definitely be on the watch for any future works of author Hannah Kanner, as this series will remain one of my all time favorites. I recommend Fallen Gods to fans of The Drowning Empire series by Andrea Stewart and The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden.

8/10

*ARC Provided by NetGalley in exchange for feedback. Big thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for letting me get my hands on this one early!*

The Fallen Gods series quickly caught my attention when I first heard abfout it. The idea of a land ruled by gods that receive their power from offerings and the faith placed in them was immediately enticing. Add in a woman wronged by a certain god who then has it out for all gods and becomes a Veiga or Godkiller and you've got a hook in me!

From that early hook the series goes on to keep reeling you in with its great and nuanced story, interesting and diverse cast of characters, and the constant question of what is going to happen next.

To avoid spoilers for the first two books I will keep the review of this one rather general. I will say that Faithbreaker starts out a little bit confusing. It jumps right in with no recap or hints at how the last book ended. This obviously wouldn't be an issue if you were reading them all in a row but I had a about a year and 175 other books between the two so a bit of a refresher would have been nice. I also felt like there was a small time jump forward that worked narratively, but also added to some of the initial confusion I had. Once I got my bearings however I was drawn back in by the unique world presented and the constant development of the whole cast of characters. Some portions of the mid book did feel a bit too drawn out and off pace. This led me to slow down a bit in my reading and start to have my interest wain. That being said in the final act the pace picks back up substantially, leading to a final crescendo. At about 87% through the book I started to worry that there was no way to wrap everything up sufficiently in the last 13% or so. I expected a rushed ending to hurriedly tie up all the loose ends. I am very pleased to say that this was definitely NOT the case. I really liked the ending of this book and think that it was a great way to wrap up the series. Even if (or because of) it is a real roller coaster of emotions.
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