Sunbringer
Synopsis
Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen (POV character) sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth and save her friends, but gods cannot be destroyed so easily—and neither can godkillers.
Reeling from the loss of Kissen, young noble Inara (POV character) and her little god of white lies, Skedi (POV character), seek answers to the true nature of their bond. The secrets they uncover could determine the outcome of the war.
Meanwhile, Elogast (POV character), no longer a loyal knight of King Arren (POV character), has been charged with destoying the man he once called friend. The king vowed to eradicate all gods, but now has entered into an unholy pact with the most dangerous of them all.
The kingdom is on the brink of destruction. What will they each sacrifice to save it?
*Blurb taken from publisher cover-copy
Review
In Godkiller, our four main protagonists went on a journey that brought them together in a found family dynamic, and which twined their fates. Sunbringer does the opposite. Kissen, Inara, Skediceth, and Elogast set out upon forked paths in this second installment of the Fallen Gods series, each pursuing a different road as they seek to save Middren. While it took me a moment to get on board with this (I hated to see them growing apart!), it was a brilliant move on behalf of Kaner. These characters all want to bring down the tyrant king who plays at being a god. Rather than being constrained by the morals of one another, they begin to fracture and grow apart because they are, in fact, different people with different motivations and different ways problem-solving. The cracks that cut between the cadre of the first book makes this text feel all the more real.
There wasn’t a single POV that I did not attune to, and that can be hard in a multi-POV text. Each character’s storyline is imperative—even the excerpts from Arren’s perspective—and the plot drives forward at an efficient pace where it could have so easily lagged. The world expands as a planned invasion gets explored from Kissen’s perspective beyond Middren, and even more lore pertaining to the gods comes forth in the inclusion of Scian, the god of Lesscia, and others. Kaner has a masterful grasp on her craft and manages to build a detailed, immersive, realistic world without me ever feeling as though the pacing flagged, or that an info-dump was utilized just to give readers necessary information.
While I adore Kissen’s crass and blunt mannerisms, as well as Elogast’s struggles to be both a leader worth following and a protector willing to kill, it is Inara and Skedi who took my heart. The strains that the bond between them underwent in this storyline was heartbreaking and hopeful. After being intertwined so thoroughly in book one, watching them struggle against their binds and grow to question the trust they have in one another in book two was so human that I gobbled up their chapters. Especially Skedi, who doesn’t know who he is beyond Inara, and who loves her, even though loving her is new to his nature as a god.
Truly a wonderful book 2 in the Fallen Gods series. Kaner executes flawlessly in her world-build, plot, pacing, prose, character development, and political intrigue. I cannot wait to see what book three has in store!
Critiques
Gosh. I’m wracking my brain, but to be honest I can’t think of anything that stands out.
I can say this: what worked for me may not work for others. Godkiller had a lot of action in it, as well as the beautiful convergence of our four protagonists. When Sunbringer flipped the script by delving into political undermining and character-driven stories that pushed our protagonists away from one another, it took me a moment to let go of what I thought this book would entail, and allow myself to enjoy the ride that Kaner set up. Once I did that, it was smooth sailing.
So, I suppose this is less critique and more mindset-prep: Sunbringer is a dive into politics and leans upon a plot that puts character stories before action. That might be jarring for some readers after the framework of Godkiller, but I thought it was exactly what this tale needed!
Content Note
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