Gem Echols is non-binary teen thrust from the mundane into the extraordinary in Godly Heathens, battling not only teenage woes, but dreams of death and destruction. Until one day, they are attacked by stranger claiming to be a God seeking revenge. Spinning their world into chaos, Gem must learn to trust themselves as well as new friends. Everyone has a secret and a story, but will they be able to unravel all the answers in time?

Another incredible win for H.E. Edgmon. Godly Heathens is filled with a dynamic cast of characters that so many will be able to relate to and see themselves represented in. I really enjoyed this book and am very excited to see where the story continues to go!

Godly Heathens is one of the few books I struggled to complete this year; where I truly loved the fantasy aspects of the novel and the magic system was refreshing after a never ending stream of worlds based on medieval Europe. But to me this novel fell short when it came to segments that took place in our world. Where I do understand that this is a convention of the genre it none the less pulled me out of the fantasy world that I fell in love with. For readers who are not bothered by the two world contrast; I think that Godly Heathens will be a great read.

HUGE thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC! because this book was absolutely amazing. It grabbed my attention immediately and did not let go until the final page had been turned. I don't know how I'm going to survive waiting for the book in this series.

The world building was so thorough and well thought out, including so much rich lore. The further I got into the story the twister it got. The characters were overall well developed and I loved getting to see their many sides. Honestly, there are few books I've enjoyed as much as this one. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a diverse upper-YA story with fantasy elements.

*** SLIGHT SPOILER***

The only thing that didn't really grab me was the character of Willa Mae/Rory. I just didn't really feel any connection to them and couldn't care less about what happens to them. Their portion of the romance subplot felt a bit weak to me and I felt overall "eh" about them. But other than that one tiny detail, this book was perfection.

Wow. I just. I mean. Wow. This book drew me in from the very first sentence, and kept me hooked until that crazy (cliffhanger!!! 😩😩) ending.

I was already a fan of H.E. Edgmon from their Witch King duology. But, Godly Heathens? Well, this book has proven to me that I will read anything H.E. Edgmon writes.

Gem is a trans teen, living in small town Georgia. They have vivid dreams that feel way too real, while never feeling they fit in with, well, human existence. And that’s because they are a god reincarnated in human form, a process that’s repeated over the course of the last thousand years. The moment Gem learns the truth their existence, is the moment the adventure truly begins. And, wow, was it a wild ride.

I loved the richly diverse characters. I loved their queerness. I looooved how morally grey they all were.

I’m a fan of H.E. Edgmon’s writing, and how relatable they make every character, and even every crazy situation. I found the dialogue both funny and whip smart, laughing out loud on more than a few occasions. I really liked the discussion on what makes a villain - and if there’s really a bit of evil in all of us.

There were great depictions and explanations of the godly world, without being all ‘info dumpy.’ And there was lots of action, twists and turns. I was entertained the entire time.

I highly recommend Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon to lovers of the queer fantasy genre.

I happily received this ARC from NetGalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Godly Heathens is written in an engaging and lyrical style, and Edgmon's characters are realistically portrayed and sympathetic. The dialogue is natural and the pacing is excellent while being so thought-provoking and timely, and it encourages readers to think about their own decisions and how it shapes not only their own lives but others around them.
Full review to come on YouTube

Thank you for accepting me for this ARC! Godly Heathens is everything I'd want out of a book about young reincarnated gods. Their flaws make them feel very humans yet also very much like the gods of the various mythologies that have come before them. The way the novel interweaves everyone's past lives and past relationships with each other is not an easy accomplishment and H. E. Edgmon has done it in such a flawless, comprehensive way. I also feel like all stories featuring gods should be more queer and polyamorous and this book does not disappoint in the slightest on that note. I loved this author's work in The Witch King and I've fallen in love all over again with Godly Heathens and already need a sequel so bad!

DRC provided by St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will always love books with non-binary, trans and genderqueer representation. We are in dire need of these books, now more than ever and H.E. Edgmon is a literary force to be reckoned with.

I have been procrastinating this review for a while now because I knew that my original thoughts were too angry to be objective. Whether or not you'll enjoy this book hinges on whether or not you'll stand the main character, Gem.

It's very obvious what the author wants to do with them, what they want them to be, but even knowing that it did not make me appreciate Gem's storyline. I was loving this book until the last third, up until that point I enjoyed Gem's complex character, the world and the extended cast of characters.

For example Marian was my favourite character. Since this is from Gem's (and the villain team's) POV I have no doubt Marian would have been the protagonist had the story been told from the other team's POV. But I also love gnc lesbians so much.

The worldbuilding was intriguing and I will probably pick up the next one to know what happens next.

The ending "twist" felt... i don't know, Gem is shown to be selfish throughout the book always preserving their interests first so it wasn't much of a twist but it just made them more annoying. I think that's my problem with them, they feel volatile in a way?

I'll end this review on something controversial but a certain main ship is very Darklina with a darker Alina (and i known some people enjoy that) if you know what i mean

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon. Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC! This book is like a fucked up Percy Jackson (compliment). We love a true disaster of an antihero. A fun read that centers around the mess of queer identity and being a teenager. I liked how it handled the inherent chaos of figuring out your identity while being surrounded by people that want you dead and feeling like every decision you make will mean the end of your world/the world of the people you love. Angst…gotta love it. Though, some parts of the book felt like Chat GPT was asked to describe queer people. The dialogue was extremely realistic. Overall, very interested to know what happens next. 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, H.E. Edgmon, and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review of Godly Heathens (coming out November 28th!)

This book was a JOURNEY. I just wish I hadn’t read it so early because now I have to wait for the sequel, which I need ASAP!!!

If you like morally gray MCs, are open to polyamorous love, and are looking for a diverse cast, look no further. Just pick up this story and get lost in the fantastic world building and fascinating duality of every single character.

Godly Heathens is book one in the The Ouroboros series by H.E. Edgmon.
And it’s an enthralling debut.
I’m so happy to see this is going to be a series.
Everything inside this book was simply outstanding.
The world building was nicely done and very descriptive, which I loved.
The setting of the story was really intriguing
The phenomenal diverse cast of characters.
And the writing was just atmospheric Edgmon pulled me in with its stunning cover and kept me enthralled throughout its entirety.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is not written in a "mature" young adult style. It feels geared toward late middle school/early high school. I don't see it going over well in our libraries. Stopped at 3%.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this ebook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

H.E. Edgmon is one of the most talented authors I have ever read. Godly Heathens had me hooked with the best first line ever written. Gem is neither a hero nor villian in this gripping tale of quite literally escapng the Goddess of Death, a gaggle of Gods stuck in a different world, and your not so average love triangle. I loved that the book was full of representation of trans and non-binary individuals as well as a very diverse cast of Indigenous and Black characters. I need every book Edgmon has ever written.

I received an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To start, I have to say I am absolutely floored by the beauty of this book. The writing was the perfect style for a story like this. There were flowery quotes that chilled me to my bones and will be stuck in my brain forever.
Additionally, I loved the development of the LGBTQIA+ characters, and there were a lot of them, including all of the reincarnated gods we meet. Gem is described as an androgynous sex god and uses they/them pronouns. Shortly after being introduced to Willa Mae/Rory, this character is wearing a She/They pronoun pin. Willa Mae/Rory even tells Gem "There are no cis gods," which I found beautiful. It made me think of the quote from Melanie Martinez's K-12 film on YouTube, "We are more than our bodies."
Furthermore, I will sell my entire soul for a thruple between Rory, Gem, and Enzo. They all have chemistry that exists within the story but is not the main motivator for the plot. I hate love stories that are the plot motivator, however, the love Gem/The Magician feels for Enzo/The Shade is what caused the events of the plot to transpire but Gem being reincarnated into their current body lessens the blow of a love driven plot. Gem is grappling with human emotion and having the memories and powers of the most powerful god among the reincarnated group.
The biggest theme I noticed within these pages was duality. Human Gem and The Magician (the god that Gem began life as) battle constantly. The Magician wants to keep the Ouroboros from being destroyed by the chain that could finally end the only weapon that can kill a god and give the killer the powers of the god they killed. The Magician created this weapon for The Shade to carve the powers out of the gods so that they could become all powerful and rule alongside The Magician. Several of the gods were killed by the Shade and the Magician and their powers were given to the Shade, including the Sun, Moon and the Caretaker, who was the twin sister of the Reaper (Death) and served as Life. Human Gem comes extremely close to wrapping the disarming chain around the Ouroboros to render it useless, before realizing that they were never meant to live past the final altercation of the reincarnated gods. The Magician and Gem dive off the deep end, playing with the future on the palm of their hand, and the readers are left on the best cliff hanger I have ever been exposed to.
I am absolutely screaming inside in the best way possible and will do anything to get my hands on the sequel as soon as possible..

Thank you NETGALLEY for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I requested this because the synopsis sounded so cool and I thought it would be a perfect read for the Transrightsreadathon. The cover just draws you right in its so beautiful. In a nutshell, we follow Gem, a non binary Seminole with mental illness finds out they’re a reincarnated god along with other teens in their rural southern town. This had a lot of teen drama that mirrors the struggles of gods. Gem is also in love with two other native trans people. Everyone is queer and morally gray, if you love reading about villains, this is perfect for you.

I enjoyed with book alot, the imagery was rich and I felt like I was in a rural southern swamp town. This author is great at world building without saying too much. I do think this book would have benefited it it would have been in multiple POV, even if the other character’s chapters were shorter. I loved all the characters even the ones I was supposed to hate. Sometimes there would be this build up for a major blow up in the scene and I was left underwhelmed in the middle of the book. I think the best part was the ending and it does leave on a cliffhanger btw.

I can’t wait to buy this book because I NEED it on my shelf and I’m looking forward to the sequel!

Godly heathens is a book I'm so deeply conflicted by. I loved it initially! I was salivating over the writing, the style, the characters, the potential. I was stricken with a love so fierce and so large that I'd already started proclaiming it a 'favorite' to anyone who would listen.

After adoring 'The Witch King' this book was proving to be just another story to fall in love with. I mean it has all the elements I love!:

- A snarky MC
- So much trans rep!!
- A nonbinary main character
- Polyamory
- Mental health rep
- Way too many shenanigans etc etc.

But it was the half way mark that I started having issues, one of our central characters Willa Mae uses she/they pronouns, once this is figured out - the MC refers to them only with they/them pronouns without interchanging with she/her. I understand this might be easier for the author - but as someone who uses multiple sets of pronouns this felt awfully invalidating. 15% later they'd be switched to exclusively she/her and so on... with little indication as to why this change happened. If she was genderfluid and her gender identity changed frequently this might have explained it or even just some indication of them wanting to use the other set of pronouns but... unless I missed something, there wasn't.

This was what took the rose tinted glasses off. Due to an event, the main characters personalities also completely shift - which is fine but... I preferred the old ones. It's just the second half of this book progressed in a way that felt so out of touch with the first half. I'm CONFLICTED. I wanted to love this - I did love this. But unfortunately, the love was short-lived. Oh well. I'm still intrigued to see what the next book has in store - but disappointed with how some of the MC's have been treated thus far.

4/5 stars
Recommended if you like: mythology, reincarnation, villain stories, morally gray characters, LGBTQ+ stories, characters of color

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 3/4 and my book blog as of 3/29 and will be posted to Instagram on 3/30.

Right off the bat I have to say that Edgmon did a good job capturing the exact reaction(s) and behaviors that would happen if a teenager was suddenly woken up to the fact that they are a god that's been reincarnated for thousands of years. That is to say, Gem does not have it together at all. They are not your smooth, suave MC but very much acts like a 17/18-year-old teenager who's trying to figure out their life and the life they were just dropped into. It was actually kind of refreshing and I appreciated that Gem still wanted to have their life as they knew it rather than just jumping into godhood.

In that same vein, I liked how morally gray and villainous everyone was. Gem as a human seems to be a good person, but Gem as a god has done things in the past that are morally gray or even straight up villainous (though more on villainy and morals later). Likewise, Willa Mae in this lifetime is fine but in previous lifetimes definitely committed murder. This same sort of thing plays out with each of the god characters. Beyond that, the book deals a lot with ideas of morality and villainy and balance, and whether someone is villainous for doing what they can to survive or for biting back after being belittled and abused. Questions of perception and forgiveness come in more at the end as well and the question of whether it's worth it to try and be good and just if you're only ever going to be seen as the villain.

Speaking of perceptions, I found the framing of the story to be very interesting. As mentioned, Gem comes into this as an almost-adult who is only just now finding out that they're a god, and not one who's been particularly benevolent. We see things from their perspective and so the book is framed as being on their side. But it also offers room for us to see things from some of the other gods' perspectives. It's easy to see some things from Marian and Poppy's side (okay, mostly Marian's, but still) and understand if the book were framed only slightly differently, we would be rooting for them and against Gem and Willa Mae.

Because of the framing and the morally gray/villainous thing, there are so many places where the characters almost make the right decision and then don't. That being said, there are some things that get in the way of Gem's decision making at times, largely due to the meddling of other gods, most of whom are very, very interested in smiting Gem.

Something I didn't like as much was the sheer amount of modern language and slang that was present (bestie? Really??). This is mostly an issue at the beginning of the book but becomes more manageable somewhere between 25-50% of the way through. Around that point in the book the language feels more natural when the characters are talking and when Gem is thinking and the slang/modern terms flow much more smoothly. At the beginning, however, it definitely feels a bit like we're being hit over the head linguistically with the fact that this book takes place In Modern Times.

I've already kind of talked about Gem, but they start off as being your average high schooler desperate to get out of their dead-end southern town. Despite their life not always being the best, Gem is working toward something better, and so when godhood is dropped in their lap, Gem isn't exactly pleased about it and instead clings very hard to that future they were striving to create for themselves. Eventually they figure the only way out of the whole 'other gods gunning for their ass' situation is through, and so bit by bit they begin experimenting with and embracing their magic. It's an interesting juxtaposition because over the course of the book you can see where the Magician starts overriding Gem because they do behave differently. Even when they seemed perfectly merged there's a while where Gem-as-a-human seems to be fairly subsumed. But then there are points when the balance is more even (and balance is a big theme of the book) and that's when they're at their most stable and some of their best decisions get made.

Willa Mae is one of the few people overtly on Gem's side from the get-go. She saves Gem's ass and then deals with Gem still wanting to be human and have the life they'd been dreaming of. Willa Mae has some secrets of their own though. What's interesting to me about her character is that she's fully on Gem's side, but also seems to be in denial for a lot of the story about who Gem is as a god. This is really one of the sticking points with the two of them and it's interesting to see how Willa Mae comes to resolve it within herself.

Indy and Buck were two characters I liked and wish we got more of. Perhaps it's because they seem to be the most neutral of all the characters and genuinely want peace. Or, at least Indy does, I'm not totally sure what Buck wants. I also want to give kudos to the author for portraying an all-knowing character whose 'all-knowing' and timeless nature actually has consequences for them and how they perceive time.

That being said, I think...I actually liked all the gods. Or most of them at least. Even Poppy wasn't wholly bad, though Cyclone was and the Librarian was kind of an ass. For the most part though, they all have something likeable about them.

I will say there was one pretty big twist that I guessed almost immediately. Like...literally, immediately. I'm not sure if that was the intention or not, but I know I was just waiting for Gem and Willa Mae to catch on for the first 50% of the book. That being said, I was insanely curious about how it was going to be revealed, so I suppose it doesn't really matter if I knew or not, I was just kind of wondering why it wasn't more obvious to them.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK

I needed to give myself just a bit of time before I sat down to review it. I need to minute to process it. It was absolutely amazing.

The writing, the story, the characters, and the world building are all amazing.

I really enjoyed the writing of the story. I found it hard to put down once I started reading it. The pacing of the story was done really well the story was always moving along and there wasn’t any slow moments.

As someone who has always had fascination, ok obsession, with gods and mythology I loved that this book had reincarnated gods. I always enjoy when authors give the characters a believable journey. In this book I really liked seeing Gem’s journey. So many times with fantasy books when the MC learns who they are they are magically powerful or super gifted and they don’t have learn anything or catch up they are just powerful. I think because the readers see Gem processing all of it and still having to learn so much along the way it makes the journey feel genuine.

The world build was also fantastic. I could picture the small town so well in my mind. Along with how the reincarnated gods existed an were woven into this world was so good.

The ending left me stunned. I couldn’t believe it as it was starting to unfold. I can’t wait for the second book. I will absolutely read it. I also plan on reading Edgmon’s other books.

I absolutely recommend this book. If you like mythology and reincarnated gods. If you like like queer books or books with transgender characters. If you like fantasy.

Please check all CW/TW before reading.

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon is a stunning debut novel that explores themes of gender, identity, and spirituality. The story follows Gem Echols, a nonbinary Seminole teen living in Gracie, Georgia. Gem's life is turned upside down when they encounter a strange new girl in town, Willa Mae Hardy, who claims that they are reincarnated gods with a complicated past. Gem is thrown into a world of magic and violence, and they must navigate the complex relationships between the gods while trying to stay alive.

The writing in Godly Heathens is breathtakingly beautiful, with vivid descriptions that transport the reader into Gem's world. The characters are all complex and well-developed, with realistic flaws and motivations that make them feel like real people. The themes of gender and identity are woven seamlessly into the narrative, and the book's exploration of spirituality is refreshing and thought-provoking.

Overall, Godly Heathens is a captivating and compelling read that will leave readers thinking long after they've turned the final page. It's a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy, mythology, or stories that push the boundaries of traditional storytelling. H.E. Edgmon is definitely an author to watch, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Godly Heathens is packed with explosive action from beginning to end, morally tangled, and surprisingly funny. I particularly loved the ensemble cast of disastrous & messy queer teenagers playing out a godly war of epic proportions in a small, rural town in Georgia, alternating between fighting to the death in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot and working on their Prom Queen campaign. This would have made a fantastic multi-POV book; every member of Edgmon’s pantheon feels so REAL, crafted with care, nuance, and a finger on the pulse of gen z culture. At times it feels like a shame that we only get to glimpse them in Gem’s encounters with them (which are often, as I mentioned, explosive.)

It bothered me that there was a moment around the midpoint that was built up to be massive and unprecedented which just sort of fizzles in an unsatisfying way, with a very underwhelming impact on the main character. I also struggled sometimes with the magic system, if you can even really call it that - I’m not opposed to soft worldbuilding, but it really felt like there were just no rules whatsoever and the gods’ abilities, particularly Gem’s, were not defined at all. There are also some moments where I felt like there were holes in the plot and/or story logic, or just obvious questions that the characters should clearly ask, but just…. conveniently don’t. You can see the major plot twists coming from a mile away, but that’s not always a bad thing, because it means they were set up well.

Altogether, I loved this book. It’s so fun in a sort of manically paced, adrenaline-inducing way that took me back to the how I felt tearing through a Percy Jackson book as a kid. When I couldn’t pick this up, I was distracted wanting to get back to it.

WARNING: Godly Heathens ends on a major cliffhanger! I don’t mind this but I know it’s a pet peeve for others.