I found this book very intriguing. It starts off building the world and characters, and then drops more plot that develops pretty quickly (in a good way). Learning about the gods and their human forms, while also learning about their past lives as humans, creates a nice way to add depth to the current forms of the gods. I am eagerly awaiting book 2 - I think this is a good world and setting for the book that just adds characters and enough realism to lose yourself in the setting and experiences with the gods.

4.5 stars. As a huge fan of H.E. Edgmon's The Witch King duology, I was ecstatic to read the first of their new Ouroboros duology. Godly Heathens carries with it a similar anger as the The Witch King, but within a wholly new story.

Godly Heathens follows Gem Echols, a nonbinary teen in Gracie, Georgia. Gem's life would be completely normal — an overbearing mom, some major daddy issues, the pressure of looming college admissions — if it weren't for their increasingly vivid, and often gruesome, dreams. At least, Gem's life seemed mostly normal... up until a new face shows up in school and seems to know exactly the type of magic and violence Gem has been dreaming up.

This book was absolutely wild. I buddy-read this with Naomi (@the.naomi.chronicles) and although we guessed some of the plot twists before they were revealed, these twists were the wackiest and cleverest I've read in awhile. I loved the build-up and the way everything pieced together with little details.

I feel conflicted about Gem's character — although I am certain that was intentional. I loved being inside the head of someone who feels all these strong emotions and such intense anger at a world that seems to hate them in every way they exist. I relate so strongly to being frightened and angry and indignant about the injustice you are forced to take. It's a very queer feeling, from what I can tell. Probably my favorite part of this book was watching these feelings evolve.

That being said, there were a couple moments where I felt like we were cheated of a moment of growth for the sake of proving Gem's moral ambiguity. Though, of course, who is to say what is the "right" type of growth? If you are the type of person who gets frustrated easily by complex and often unethical characters, you may not enjoy this book. But for anyone like me, who is fascinated by a character who does the "wrong" things and understands them as wrong and right at the same time, this is a captivating read.

Almost every character was queer in some form, and they each had generations of history that they brought to story (literally). I loved exploring each character's relationship with Gem, as well as with each other. Unpacking their memories and the complexities to all their relationships was fascinating, and definitely has me intrigued for the upcoming sequel, Merciless Saviors.

I had a rough time getting into this book at first. I was unsure of what I was reading; the magic in this world was completely new to me, at times horrifying, and much more complex than I have seen in most YA fantasy books. I had to put it down for a couple days, but I am so glad I came back to it (and that I had the accountability of a friend to read it with). If you're anything like me, you'll feel like you're flailing in bottomless space for a good portion of the book, but when you right yourself, you'll find an intricate story that has you completely enraptured.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of Godly Heathens in exchange for my honest review!

This first entry in H.E. Edgmon's YA contemporary fantasy duology kept me gripped throughout the whole journey. Right from its very first line, it vividly paints a supernatural world that draws me into the quests and conflicts of its reincarnated gods. These mighty and flawed beings make for interesting characters to follow, characters who flesh out the narrative with morally gray layers that make you wonder who, if anybody, you should be rooting for. I appreciate how this weaves in the queer and trans rep with such authentic life (granted, I'm a cishet guy, so I can't look at this from a personal lens, but still, I love it). And all of this moves through a fast-paced plot that reaches an incredibly climactic ending and leaves me on the edge of my seat for the second book.

Overall, I'm officially rating Godly Heathens four out of five stars. It's definitely worth picking up, and I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel.

I could not get enought of this book it was a fantastic queer read. Im so excited to have a new book YA. Book with queer and indigouus representain to read. Now TW there is violance, abuse and death in this book so if that is somthing that will bother avoid this read. I really enjoyed the world buliding in this book

I received a copy of this text for free, but all opinions are my own!

Having read the second book of this duology, I have changed my rating. I will post a full review on the sequel. I would say not to read this book as a standalone as the ending feels so incomplete and frustrating, but paired with the sequel, I think it's remarkable. My single missing star is to reflect how incomplete I feel this book is without the other.

Thank you so much, St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

TW: gore, violence, abuse, death (please, do check all the TWs at the beginning of the book)

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen, living in a small town called Gracie and they are always struggling to hide their insecuriosities, only allowing themselves to be who they are with another trans kid, Enzo, who lives far away in Brooklyn. But not even Enzo knows about their dreams, filled with gore and magic and violence. And now there's a new girl in town, Willa Mae Hardy, who seems to know everything and more about Gem, revealing them they are a reincarnated god. And some of the others are looking to kill them, like the goddess of Death.
As Gem struggles to understand what's happening, to remember their past lives, their present and pasts collide, pushing them to decide who they want to be to protect themselves and those they love.

Godly Heathens is the first book of the new duology called The Ouroboros, about this young teen, whose life is turned upside down when they discover they are not human.
I've found this book absolutely amazing! It's deeply original and filled with complex morally gray characters, ready to do anything in their powers to protect themselves and their loved ones and Gem is a magnificent MC. H.E. Edgmon wrote absolutely complex and fascinating characters, with their struggles, fears and difficult choices to make in order to save themselves and their loved ones.
They don't shy from writing cruel or morally gray or selfish characters in all their glory, showing how the world isn't a binary between black and white and how complex can everything be.
I loved how magnificent, cruel and original is the Ether, how complex its gods and goddesses and their lives, how difficult the clashing of Gem's two worlds and their pasts and present.
I can't wait to read more!



When Gem is attacked by a stranger claiming to be the Goddess of Death, Willa Mae saves their life and finally offers some answers. She and Gem are reincarnated gods who’ve known and loved each other across lifetimes. But Gem – or at least who Gem used to be - hasn’t always been the most benevolent deity. They’ve made a lot of enemies in the pantheon—enemies who, like the Goddess of Death, will keep coming.

It’s a good thing they’ve still got Enzo. But as worlds collide and the past catches up with the present, Gem will discover that everyone has something to hide.

Thank you for the advanced copy. I ended up waiting for the audio from my library because it’s the only way I get any reading done these days. I really loved this one. I thought the gods were fascinating and the way they integrated into the modern world was a new way to tell a story that’s been told so many times. I thought the conflict between their current life and their godly life was the best part of the story. Also, there was a love triangle turned throuple and it was perfect.

Note: I was provided with a copy from the publisher via Netgallery to review. All opinions are my own.

Within the first three chapters I know it was a book I need to reside on my bookshelf so I could reread and share with others! It was an epic read

There was action, romance, mythology, fantasy, friendship, reincarnation, alternate realities, and lots of twist and turns.

The diverse group of characters were at times annoying, anxious, and frustrating which made them relatable despite being reincarnated gods.

I await the next part of the series with eager enthusiasm!

This took me way longer to read than I wanted to but better late than never! I really liked the synopsis and that’s what pulled me in from the beginning. The author knows how to write and that is something I enjoy about H.E. Edgmon their books will always be well written.

To me the plot was unique and I did like some of the surprise elements that occurred. I did guess a plot twist but there were still some surprises so I didn’t feel like it was all predictable.

My biggest problem was the characters. I didn’t like any of them. Okay, that is a lie I didn’t mind Indy he didn’t do much. He didn’t appear too much but when he did I wasn’t upset. Everyone else I struggled with. The main characters I just couldn’t get into in any shape or form. I did like how they were morally grey and weren’t intended to be seen as perfect. I just couldn’t find any characteristics that were likable.

Overall, the plot kept me going and I did want to see the end for reasons other than it being the end of the book. I don’t think I’ll read the sequel but I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading this series. I think others will find it enjoyable, they may enjoy the parts I couldn’t. I will always try to share my support for books I think others will like even if I didn’t like it.

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!

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!