There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. It was a unique idea and started off strong.
A pantheon of gods, forced out of their own world into ours by the machinations of some of their own, and now just wanting to live their lives (over and over and over apparently). The cast of characters was interesting and diverse. I would have liked some POV from some of the other gods, I think it would have given more depth to the storyline.

But some it just left me confused. Apparently Gem was meant to be a morally grey character. Were they though? Yes, they were conflicted, holding their teenage self and their (mostly unaware) god self inside them... but mostly they were, at least in my mind, a confused and angry teenager. Angry at their mom for taking them away from their father after his psychotic break and for trying to get them help when they are self harming and engaging in risky sexual behavior (yes, she made mistakes, but she was trying) angry at a small, southern town for not understanding them... feeling like they didn't fit in... but none of this is morally grey so much as pretty average teenage coming of age, figuring ones self out feelings. When Gem discovers they are really a reincarnated god, they still don't become twisty and dark, but have more an "aha I knew I wasn't like you" moment, but still want to carry on with teenage Gem's life plan.

And yet, the more Gem remembers about being a god, the more ridiculous and teenager-ey they seem to become and act. Like okay.. you have powers now... cool... but also more memories and knowledge? Shouldn't you be acting more mature and less conflicted and random? Though to be fair, all the teenage gods, even with past life memories restored, acted like this, so maybe this is just how gods from the ether are, no matter how long they live. Sorry, teenage angst and bad decisions, no matter how cleverly written and visceral, doesn't not equal morally grey, it's just angst.

But the ending did see a bit of a twist and maybe it's in the second book where we see that actual cleverness and darkness emerge!

And also, how do they always wind up the same age at the same time? Does no one get reincarnated until the last god's earthly body dies so they can always be the same age together (Definitely overthinking this one, but it started to bug me)

Gods in the bodies of queer teens! As fun and convoluted as it sounds. I wish we got to spend more time with the teens-as-teens rather than just teens-as-gods and I found myself ahead of some of the plot twists, but the end left me in a place where I truly don’t know how the second book is going to go, and I look forward to its release to find out what will happen to Gem + friends/foes/loves etc!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC!

{3.5 stars}

"I've studied them, catalogued the way they behave, tried to mold myself to the kind of person normal people want."

-----------------------------

This is the story of some teens who are not what they seem. They are reincarnated gods who are drawn back into each other's lives over and over with all the strife and drama that brings. So teen drama plus centuries of power struggle drama makes this one an intense read. On top of that, our main character Gem is non-binary, queer and indigenous.

As the quote above says, I am not who this book is for. I'm glad that books like this exist for the people who need them to feel "normal" or accepted. But it's also important for people like me to read to understand or empathize. That said, there were definitely times where I was confused or overwhelmed by the emphasis on sex and gender roles. I thought the immortal fickle gods analogy was a good one to help explain some of the complexity. But I definitely wanted more time in the gods' pasts than in the present. It does end with a bit of a cliffhanger so beware of that.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

DNF - though I adored the representation of queer people and POC, something felt missing and I couldn't generate enough interest in the god-war plotline to want to continue

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book early.

Fans of stories rife with tension caused by reincarnation, star-crossed lovers, and missed opportunities will love this new duology. Set in contemporary society, teenagers discover they are reincarnated gods from other worlds. While facing everyday challenges that many teens face, they must also face their past lives' histories and present calamities.

Wonderfully queer and beautifully complex, this is a story I already cannot wait to continue.

The first chapter of Godly Heathens drops in to some pretty intense (dark) action and I wasn’t sure initially if I would be the right reader for the story. I’m really glad I came back to it, because I very quickly got sucked in.

The characters aren’t “likeable” in the traditional sense, but they are so dynamic and engaging that I kind of love them all (most especially the unholy trinity at the center of it all).

It won’t be everyone’s jam, but if you’re interested in questions of morality and survival, so much magical queerness, and a liberal dusting of horniness, you should give Godly Heathens a try.

Despite having all the elements I love, this book fell flat for me. I was really interested in the beginning, getting to know Gem and their town. I'm from Georgia, so I appreciated the authentic small town rural vibes. I also liked that even though Gem is rightfully critical of some things about their town, they also seem to genuinely love it. Once all the gods started popping up I began to lose interest and struggled to keep up with the story. I like Gem but I didn't like anyone else and couldn't bring myself to care about their plight and the ongoing war among the gods. My favorite thing about the book is that it has tons of trans and queer characters, many who are people of color. In the end, this didn't land for me but I think that may be down to my current state of mind/circumstances. I'll be sure to give book 2 a shot when it comes out.

4.25 stars This story made me care about the characters and what they are going through. Gem starts as a kid who is dealing with mental issues and body issues while living in a little town from nowhere. Gem's story gets complicated as they find themselves dealing with love, loss, and most of all being a reincarnated god. They deal with other gods who want to kill them and other gods who want to love them, but in the end, Gem may just be the monster of their story.

Wow. I was expecting this book to be good, but I wasn't prepared for HOW good.
The characters were absolutely brilliant, and the plot was captivating. I was absolutely hooked from start to finish- and THAT ENDING. THAT. ENDING.
Highly recommend checking this one out, and I look forward to reading more by H.E Edgmon.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC.

"Godly Heathens" by H.E. Edgmon is a riveting debut in The Ouroboros series, earning well-deserved acclaim for its compelling plotline, diverse cast of characters, and tantalizing setup for the forthcoming second installment. The novel stands out for its fearless exploration of mental health, particularly focusing on the struggles of an indigenous trans & non-binary individual, adding profound depth to the narrative. Although it was not my favorite, I do appreciate the various strong points this book offers that I had not seen in others.

One of the book's strengths lies in its portrayal of morally gray characters, making it a must-read for those who relish stories where right and wrong aren't black and white. The intensity and passion embedded in the narrative create a relentless pace, drawing readers into a gripping experience likened to a runaway train that refuses to be halted.

In essence, this captivating and intense novel successfully navigates the intricate terrain of mental health, morality, and character development. It not only stands on its own as a compelling read but also sets the stage for an eagerly awaited sequel. Highly recommended for enthusiasts of morally ambiguous characters and narratives that provoke contemplation.

Will Review when Wednesday Books and St Martin's Press apologizes for their racist employees actions.


DNF'd at 6%. Was struggling to focus on the book. going to attempt to read a physical or audiobook version.

After a slow and confusing start, the story became so mesmerizing. I couldn't put the book down. I had to put the book in jail time for a while after chapter 18. I was shocked by the reveal. I knew something like that was coming but I wasn't entirely expecting that.

This book was incredible but the jumps between memories from another life in the middle of a conversation with another character was extremely confusing. I had to reread those paragraphs a couple of time to understand they were no longer in present tense but in past tense and speaking of another life. It was present, past, present without any kind of clear line between any. Like they were having a vision.

But if you can get through this, you're gonna love the story overall!

I requested this title in error. I thought it was releasing in December, so I could review it on the All the Books podcast I cohosted on December 2nd, but this releases on a week I don't cohost.

The premise of this is very interesting and I liked the various gods and their abilities. It also made sense to me that if you were a god who lived hundreds of lifetimes, you might be queer. I enjoyed the contemporary setting and how magic was incorporated, it made the world easier to follow.

The characters got a bit bogged down in personal dramas which wasn't my favorite, but I guess they're still teenagers even with everything else. The love triangle was kind of meh, so we'll see how the sequel plays out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

I have never loved a debut book more. It did a lot and was just wonderful. I need more in the world.

Godly Heathens is one of those books where the writing is quite good, the premise is really fun, but somehow it didn't work for me.

I loved the queerness of the book and the idea of telling a story from a villain's perspective, but I couldn't get into Gem's mind in the way I wanted. I'm also not generally a fan of dream sequences, which factored heavily in this one.

I wound up deciding not to finish after reading the first third, but I would still suggest this book to other people who might love it.

Godly Heathens is one of my most anticipated releases this year - and it did not disappoint.

I received this e-arc version, but surprisingly I was gifted a finished copy and honestly lost my fucking mind.

H.E. Edgmon is a brilliant author,

I have to do this in point form to even bring across all the points for this book:
- The trans and queer joy.
- "Gods are not cis" ugh god this was so good but makes so much sense like why would a god be cis when they are above our gender norms?
- All the characters. They were so fucking good. Even the ones you're suppose to "hate" you end up loving them.
- Plot twists. There was a good portion of them but they didn't make the story seem silly or that Edgmon was just doing it for the "wow" factor.

I do not know when book 2 is coming out but I need it immediately.

This premise was very alluring however the ancient, immortal gods acting like high schoolers was unappealing. I didn’t expect the high school experience to be as big part of the story as it was. In theory, I should’ve loved this dark fantasy with diverse characters but it just wasn’t for me. I’m sure it’ll be a favorite for others because I can see the potential.

4*

I was very intrigued by this premise from the get-go. I love enby and LGBTQ+ rep in books and I will always go out of my way to read them when they're playing with gods and magic.

As this is a YA book, I think that if this had fallen into my lap when I was younger, I would have become immediately obsessed and fallen down the rabbit hole of multiple re-reads.

As an adult, I appreciate the story for what it brings younger readers, as well as the world building and the rich cast of characters Edgmon brings to life.

This book was definitely not my favorite but had a lot of elements I loved. The abundance of queer joy, identity and otherworldliness, I loved. The plot felt a bit silly at times and I think it needed a bit of editing though, which really really took away from the story. I did love the ending and would definitely read the next book even with my mixed feelings. I enjoyed the author's passion and description of the main characters partners as well.