Title: Sunbringer (Fallen Gods #2)
Author: Hannah Kaner
Source: DRC via NetGalley (Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Other books in this series: Godkiller (Fallen Gods #1)

Why did I choose to read this book?

Godkiller (Fallen Gods #1) was so compelling that I lined up immediately to get the sequel. Hannah Kaner is an excellent writer.

What is this book about?

When his plan to ally with the fire god backfires (LOL) at the end of Godkiller, King Arren decides to take another path to world domination. Kissen is alive and trying to bring the sea, river, and wind gods messages back to Middren – that there is a looming threat that will take everyone to counter. Elogast, Arren’s former right hand man, and Inara, the guard of the god of white lies (Skediceth), are making efforts of their own in order to aid the resistance against Arren and what he’s up to.

Long story short, this book is about doing your best in the face of the inevitable, and holding on to what you can when it happens.

What is notable about this story?

I liked that Kaner pivoted away from god killing to god appreciation. I said in my review of Godkiller that I wondered about whether any god could be good in this universe, and this question was answered in Sunbringer. I like that the line between appreciation and cultist is clearly drawn at blood sacrifice, so the smaller gods or gods that find strength in other things like learning or trade might just be a part of the fabric of the world without necessitating removal. The use and recruitment of gods into the fight for the world made it feel like the world was fighting for its own survival – it felt like that moment in Avengers: Endgame where EVERYONE shows up, but without all the corny, flashy stuff.

Was anything not so great?

Godkiller left me with unanswered questions about the world building. Sunbringer left me with questions about how a god is born. Without spoiling too much about what’s going on, Arren seems to be trying to make himself into a god, and it’s unclear to me why this is either working or not working – it’s left unclear who is holding the reins in the situation. I’m not the biggest fan of shouldering the weight of belief and trust as the reader, especially in a fantasy series and even more so in a new world with new mechanics. ‘Arren’s just becoming a god, trust me’ didn’t land quite right with me.

The events taking place in Middren didn’t have a lot of depth for me because (1) I don’t understand the politics of the region and (2) I don’t understand what Arren’s role is in the region. The best I could come up with is that it’s like the United Kingdom in that the king shows up once in awhile and is technically the head of state, but all the cities and towns kind of govern themselves? I mean, the characters were interesting and what they were fighting for was obvious but who’s in charge here? What’s the hierarchy? It made for a slight bit of confusion.

What’s the verdict?

A strong 4 stars on Goodreads and I’ll be stalking NetGalley for book 3. This is an amazing series so far and if you are a fan of mythology based fantasy, you should definitely check out this series asap.

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