Faithbreaker

The Fallen Gods trilogy (Godkiller, 2023, Sunbringer, 2024) comes to a climactic conclusion in Faithbreaker. Destructive fire god Hseth is coming with her followers, determined to burn everything in her way. In Middren, half-god Inara sets out to find help with the young god of white lies, Skediceth, at her side. Kissen, godkiller, tries to figure out her place in the unfolding conflict. And despite Arren's quest for ultimate power, namely his desire to be not just a king but a god, Elo is determined to make peace with him, if for nothing else than to try and take Hseth down. All of these stories culminate in a final battle of hearth and home against wildfire and death. Kaner's characters continue to be compelling, and readers of the series will find that loose ends are tied up in satisfying ways. Better than her intriguing characters and their relationships are the twists, betrayals, turns of battle, and unexpected deaths. Fans of high fantasy, particularly ones who prefer their epics under 400 pages, will enjoy this now-concluded fantasy story of humans and gods.

Kaner expertly sticks the landing in her page-turning conclusion to the Fallen Gods trilogy (after Sunbringer), which sees gods and humans collide in an epic struggle for control over the land of Middren. To combat the fire god Hseth's reign of violence, seafaring Lady Lessa Craier has reluctantly allied with volatile King Arren. Now she; her demigod daughter, Inara; and Inara's companion Skediceth, the god of white lies, sail in search of others who will support their cause. Warily joining them is godkiller Kissen, who's determined to keep a protective eye over Inara. Meanwhile, knight Elogast comes out of retirement to serve as a commander in Arren's army, despite his lingering hurt over Arren's past betrayals. As Hseth's followers burn through countless cities in worship of their god, the scattered friends must find courage within themselves and inspire it in their allies before Middren is lost for good. Kaner masterfully manipulates the plot's many moving pieces, braiding pulse-pounding action, unpredictable twists, and quiet character beats into a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and hope. It's an impressive feat. Agent: Ginger Clark, Ginger Clark Literary. (Apr.)