Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This was such a fun, high-stakes read. Think The Hunger Games meets The Sunbearer Trials. The story is full of action, mythology, and rebellion, with a world that feels dangerous and alive. I especially loved the trans masc rep. It was authentic, powerful, and woven seamlessly into the narrative. Fast-paced, emotional, and empowering. I couldn’t put it down.

Oh man. This book was so good. And it feels so timely. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I will be reading more for sure.
Crow was an amazing character. I loved Chaos, Maddox and Lark as well.
This was heartbreaking and inspiring. I cannot wait for the sequel.

5 stars

I ate this book up. It is loud, proud and exactly what I was looking for. I loved our trans male main character, and how they used magic not to just cure a medical condition they have, but to help. It has a bit of enemies to lovers action for you folks that like that sort of thing (I can usually do without, they felt like more siblings to me) I was actually pumping my fists towards the end. There's some good one liners, a deadly competition, rioting, and Gods; what more could you want? Everyone should be talking about this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opions from.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Gabe Cole Novoa is one of my favorite YA authors. I have loved all of their books and I loved this one! I'm a sucker for found family trope. The systemic class disparities Novoa addresses in this book were fantastic and so well done.

The characters were the best part. Crow, Lark, Chaos, and Maddox were all so different but seeing their relationships develop was a great part of the book. There was a nice call out to queer platonic relationships which I don't think I've read in a YA book before so that was cool!

Even though this is a standalone, I would definitely be happy of the author decided to come back to this world in the future!

Years ago the descendants of Death were murdered after an order from the gods themselves. Being a Deathchild is illegal and punishable by death. But Crow survived the genocide as a child, fleeing to live with their uncles in the lowest part of the city: The Shallows.

Crow doesn't mind his life in the Shallows. People are poor, it's constantly flooded, and the Enforcers are always a problem, but it beats being dead. Plus Crow's uncles are always there for him, and his gig as a underground ring fighter isn't so bad- autoimmune disorder aside.

But then Crow's uncles are arrested for harboring Deathchildren, arrested, and whisked away to Midlevel. The only chance Crow has at saving them is to enter the Tournament of the Gods, a gladiator-style competition where the winner is granted an audience with the gods themselves. With the help of the minor god Chaos, Crow thinks they can win the tournament. But no one from the Shallows has ever survived past the first round. And if Crow wants to win, they'll have to conceal the fact they can use deathmagic, even if he is pushed to the brink.

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AHHHHHH. I love Gabe Cole Novoa, and this YA dystopian is no different. I have so much love for this universe... where to start?

The characters? So queer. We have a trans masc disabled MC, being nonbinary or queer is the norm for the gods, there's Achillean romance, a polycule, queerplatonic polycules, and more.

The dystopian themes? So damn good. Sometimes the parallels felt a little in your face, however not annoyingly so, and I believe it works well for a YA setting/audience. We have parallels of how the rich keep the poor poor to benefit, genocide, masking, healthcare system inequality, police brutality, and probably more.

The world? I love. So well layed out to show the system of inequality. The Shallows could be real in our world. The Shallows ARE real. The extreme lengths taken to ensure inequality mirror our society in such a way that I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

I really hope there will be more books in this universe. And I definitely will be buying the book and rereading.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC!

These Vengeful Gods was absolutely captivating. I felt like I was holding my breath from start to finish. I've read Novoa's previous books and loved them, but this one cements him as favorite must-read author.

This story follows Crow, one of the last few descendants of the god of Death, who has to live in hiding since the genocide that killed so many other deathchildren. Crow fights in the Shallows, which is a part of the city where only the poorest people in society live. When their uncles are arrested for helping deathchildren, Crow decides it's time to take action. He signs up to fight in the biggest televised competition - a fight that could very well end in death - in order to win the favor of the gods and save his uncles from execution.

I love a ragtag group of underdogs, and that's what this book delivers. Crow, Chaos, Lark, and Maddox have barriers against them at every turn, but they join together so that someone from the lowest rungs of society has as chance to make a lasting change in the world. The Shallows where they come from lacks so many resources, and therefore the people who reside there are up against the incessant rains that drown residents day in and day out, and wash whole houses into the sea. On the higher levels, though, people have the money and infrastructure to prevent the flooding that the Shallows deals with daily. It's a stark reminder of how the poorest communities in our own world are the ones first (and most) affected by climate change, while the wealthier people (and nations) can turn a blind eye and pretend that everything is fine, rather than deigning to lift a finger to help.

There is so much in this book that I resonated with. Crow and their friends are used to wearing face masks every day because of the diseases that run rampant and the lack of medical care. But once they are in the high levels of the city, the residents there don't bother, even though Crow is immunocompromised and more susceptible to infections. Because it's inconvenient and people want to ignore what's going on around them, they risk not only their own health but the health of others around them. The magic in this world was intriguing and I loved how Crow used it as needed to help with their flare-ups, but it wasn't a cure and he still had to deal with his illness daily.

I will say that this took a much darker turn than I was expecting, but in a way that worked perfectly for the story. I think the things that happen in this society and to the characters are going to haunt me for a very long time. I'm not super into books involving trials or competitions, but it did not deter me in the slightest with this book. The stakes are so high, and I was rooting so hard for Crow the whole time. Things never go how you expect them to, whether for better or worse.

I love a good queer YA found family story, and this hit all of that. Lark, especially, was a stand out character. She is my favorite kind of bossy, mouthy badass who is going to follow you to hell if need be, even if she's pissed about it the entire time. On a final note, I think it's always a good idea to include a cat companion. Mouse was the star of the show, hands down.

Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book to review!
Initial Reaction: 9
Characters: 10
Setting: 9
Plot: 8
Pace: 7
Style: 8
Ending: 8
Enjoyment: 9
68 / 16 = 4.25

This book is a journey of self-discovery, survival, despair, family, love, and hope. It’s a deeply honest look at the way our society punishes the most vulnerable among us and rewards those who only have their own self-interests at heart. It’s a statement of hope that it’s not too late to fight back, demand action and consequences, and build the world we want to live in.

I loved getting to know Crow and their motley crew of friends, frenemies, family. The trauma Crow has lived with his whole life, from the death of his father and their entire people to the emotional abuse and abandonment by his mother, is overwhelming to even contemplate, and the only way he has survived is shear force of will and a refusal to do anything other than survive. I love his tenacity, how much he loves his family and friends, his determination to do the right thing. I also love how clueless he was about why Lark has been antagonistically teasing him their whole lives.

Crow and Lark have so many great moments together, but some of the top ones for me include whenever Lark is able to talk Crow out of an anxiety attack, providing the exact tactile physical pressure needed to help calm their nerves and brain. I also loved when they finally talked about they make one another feel (the “I don’t think I’m better than you, I know you’re better than me” line killllllled me), and why exactly Lark joined the tournament. And of course all the kissing and cuddling was quite cute as well.

The magic system in this world is really well built and explained, both the history of the gods and their children and why the deathchildren were vilified and destroyed. It’s interesting that these gods aren’t gods like we’d see in a traditional religion - they don’t seem to be worshipped so much as obeyed and followed, more like political leaders. The abilities of each of the gods and their direct children was fascinating to learn, especially relating to how they are named, with Death begetting Medic, Destruction begetting Chaos, Fauna begetting Hunt, etc. I don’t want to go into it too much, because there are some parts of this that play out better when you don’t know what’s coming, but the irony, of course, of the gods plans to kill at the deathchildren is that the gods who feared death ended up bringing death upon themselves. Had they not intervened, who knows how long they would have maintained their control.

As for the Tournament of the Gods, it served as a useful avenue for getting Crow and the others access to the midlevel and beyond, a world they would have been unable to access otherwise, even with Chaos help. Crow ends up serving as a Mockingjay of sorts for the Shallows, a symbol of someone from their neighborhood who is living proof that they are just as worthy as the rich, a spark to set aflame a revolution that has long been smoldering under the surface. Sometimes it can seem difficult to read dystopian stories when it feels like we are living in a dystopian world, but the power in these stories is the hope they provide: that it’s worthwhile to fight back, that all is not lost. That people of color and of every sexuality and gender identity and those who are disabled are worthy of a world where they can live in ease, comfort, and love.

I have to also mention, as dark as this book can be, there are also big moments of joy, humor, and human connection. I want to give Crow, Lark, Chaos, and Maddox all big hugs and pats on the head, and Crow’s kitten Mouse is just the cutest, most perfect companion they could ever ask for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an advance copy of this book for review purposes. I’m happy to report it was released YESTERDAY so you can pick it up from your local library or favorite bookstore today!

Gabe Cole Novoa has quickly become an autobuy/auto read author for me, and this was another banger! I loved the magic system, and the aspect of the gods and minor gods. The representation was so nice to see as well, as usual from Novoa.

I absolutely loved this book. Once again, Gabe Cole Novoa does not miss. A world that is a mix of queer inclusive, deep deep classism, and the world’s variety of racism (godism?) against the God Death and his children provides a fascinating setting for this novel. Crow, our cynical trans protagonist, is a child of Death who must keep their identity a secret or risk meeting Death themselves. But when circumstances force them to enter a gladiator style competition, they put everything on the line for the ones they love. In the process, they discover love and friendship, and some deeply held secrets, and who they really are. The ending is one of the best I’ve read. It leaves open the possibility of a sequel but also provides a great closure on its own. This is a top read of 2025, and I highly recommend it.

My first book by this author, and I deeply enjoyed it! An exciting, thought-provoking journey with plenty of twists, turns, some tears and heartfelt moments that gets at some timely commentary, These Vengeful Gods was a captivating read.

I think what was strongest about this novel was the sophisticated worldbuilding. Especially in fantasy, I am always appreciative of a book that shows instead of tells, and Novoa crafts a world that was immediately, and unfortunately, recognisable with its rigid class system. Here, the poorest live in squalor, are overly policed and subjected to a wide variety of injustice and discrimination. And this is where we meet our protagonist, Crow, a descendant of the god, Death and technically, not supposed to exist since the genocide of all Death’s descendants several years ago. When his uncles and guardians are arrested for harbouring Deathchildren, Crow makes an impulsive decision to take part in the Tournament of the Gods, in the hopes of winning and gaining an audience with the gods, to plead on behalf of his uncles.

The gritty tone of the novel was another of its strengths. This story never shied away from the hardships of a merciless society in which the rich and powerful reap all the benefits, and those without are consistently pushed further into poverty because of systematic inequality. It was particularly powerful to witness this through Crow’s eyes, especially as they venture into the rest of the city for the Tournament and see the basic comforts that seem like sheer luxuries to them and their fellow Shallows competitors. I also appreciated how the magic system in this novel was constructed in ways that allowed Crow to live as their authentic self in some ways, but also was not portrayed as a magical cure-all in other respects. What gets Crow through to the end of a very hard and gruelling, and at times, severely dangerous tournament is their determination, resourcefulness and stubbornness, all traits they have had to cultivate to survive. But also, equally importantly, is the motley crew of family he finds along the way who support him and give him tough love when he needs it.

Perhaps my one quibble with the novel was that, at times, the tension was built up and up, only for the resulting situation or scene to end fairly abruptly or quickly in ways that felt disproportionate to the preceding set-up. So much of dystopian fantasies hinge on the suspense and the stakes, and on occasion, there were instances where the buildup to the stakes felt higher than the stakes themselves. However, despite this, there is much to love and enjoy in These Vengeful Gods, and I was quite thoroughly gripped by the story from start to finish. Its many strengths and the explosive ending have me hopeful for a sequel to see what might happen next with Crow and their crew.

CWs: classism; intense poverty; overpolicing of marginalised communities; chronic pain; death, murder and genocide; death of family members; grief; misgendering and deadnaming (deadname not used in the novel); transphobia; blood and injuries.

CNs: This is a YA dystopian fantasy featuring gods and magic systems and with a disabled, transmasc protagonist. Themes include found family, rage against injustice and a Hunger Games-style tournament. I received an ARC, and this is my voluntary review.

What an absolute banger! These Vengeful Gods is a YA novel for anyone who is angry about all of the injustices in the world.

Murder of Crows (or Crow for short) is a survivor of a recent and ongoing genocide in a fictional universe where Gods form the ruling government, and Death's children have been deemed illegal. Living in the poorest part of the city, he and other Deathchildren have to hide their heritage and identities in order to survive. His top priority is to survive and keep a low profile. All that changes when his uncles, his closest family, are arrested and scheduled to be executed for harboring Deathchildren. In a desperate bid to save them, Crow enters the Tournament of the Gods, a gladiator style competition promising the winner unbelievable wealth - and a chance to meet the Gods themselves and ask them for a "boon."

Novoa doesn't pull any punches with this one! Set in a dystopian universe, this book features a lot of familiar themes, including pandemics, extreme wealth inequality, police brutality, and ethnic cleansing. The result is an unapologetically angry lead who is taking on the establishment and everything it stands for. This is rounded out with an extremely sweet polyromantic/platonic found family, an intense and high stakes fighting competition, and a very adorable cat!

Crow's continuous disgust and absolute rage as he uncovers more and more systemic injustices in how his world operates make him an extremely relatable main character. Crow is transmasculine, an ethnic minority, and has autoimmune disease (similar to rheumatoid arthritis). I absolutely loved seeing a main character dealing with chronic pain while still being an absolute badass. I also loved how developed the culture and traditions of Deathchildren is. The genocide that goes on under everyone's noses feels incredibly relevant.

At 430 some pages, this is a pretty decently sized book, but I honestly could've kept reading it for a whole series. It is very fast paced with a large cast of characters and each play a unique role, I do wish the book had the extra room for us to get to know them a bit better but it didn't feel like there was space for anything beyond broad strokes. Similarly the trials went by in an absolute flash. Extremely enjoyable fast paced action, with just a bit of romance, and a strong strong social message.

Big thank you to Random House Children's for the gifted eARC! Thoughts are my own.

3/5

I loved the main character, concept, and queernormative world. The rune magic made for some really fun, creative fight scenes and everyday uses. Crow reminded me of Vi from Arcane if she had a better support system. I adored the cat appreciation and the story taking the time to show the power of a pet giving us comfort. I love that the plot tried to tackle systemic oppression. A few things didn’t land for me, them being: Crow’s romance had an explosive confession without tension leading up to it, the conflict of systemic oppression was clear but not strongly explored, certain worldbuilding choices (What do the rich want that money can’t buy that they will compete in a deadly tournament for a boon from the gods? This is a televised event in a world with social media but we don’t know the other contestants’ motivations, personalities, or duels. How is Crow’s mom transphobic in a queernormative world with trans gods?), I was supposed to like a character who had the power to stop a genocide and didn’t, and it’s a standalone that feels like a book one. This was an entertaining story with a lively and comforting group of friends/romances, magic I would love to see more of, and a really satisfying turning point for Crow at the end. I loved the focus on the importance of community - at the beginning through the family Crow grew up with, in the middle through the family he creates during the tournament, and at the end when he is inspired into action by the people who were first inspired by him. However, I felt like the story oversimplified the big topics it brought up, and didn’t give them the nuance they deserved. I wish it was going to be a series because the world had been radically changed, and there were questions I wanted answers to.

Thank you Gabe Cole Novoa and Random House Children’s for the review copy! I leave my review honestly and voluntarily.

4.5/5 ⭐️ This book. THIS BOOK!!! I knew going into it I was going to love it (the synopsis alone was intriguing and within the first chapter I was hooked), but this book blew me away.

An action packed, politically motivated, found family filled ya dystopian is exactly what I needed right now. Let me tell you, this book doesn’t shy away from the real topics, while also making a fun story you don’t want to put down.

The commentaries on class, corrupt governments, and genocide and wars were all sooooo relevant and blunt— if anyone says reading isn’t political, I dare them to read this book because if you can’t see the commentary on OUR world from this book, you’re willfully ignorant. An entire population being killed off because of the decisions of a powerful few… the brainwashing of an entire population… poverty and lower classes being villainized/abused… HELLO EARTH?!

Crow as a character was so damn badass. Flawed, yes, but always doing things for the right reasons. Disabled/chronically ill, transmasc, part of an illegal bloodline— again, THIS BOOK IS POLITICAL! And so so good.

The diversity in characters was great! Different genders, sexualities, races, backgrounds, classes, etc. it was really refreshing!

I’ve talked a lot about the political commentaries (again, so good and blunt!!) but I need to talk about the writing. The last 20% had me GAGGED!!! Like, seriously shook. I had a blast through the whole book, but the END?! Floored. Also I saw one plot twist coming but the others??? Totally blindsided!!!

The characters were all unique, the found family was heartwarming, the trials/battles/whatever you call them were so fun and each one was different yet fit the story. I throughly enjoyed the story! Everything was believable (in terms of a magic-filled dystopian) and fit the plot well. I never felt like something came absolutely out of nowhere.

I will say… I don’t think this author has ever met a cat. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a fine feline sidekick. But Mouse did not act like any cat I’ve ever known, and I may or may not have 8 cats in my house right now (babysitting 4 temporarily, don’t panic I’m not crazy or cruel). Even the most affectionate cat wouldn’t put up with half the things Mouse did while purring. Still, I liked Mouse breaking up the tension, but maybe a bit more realistic for the animal chosen?

There were a few slow moments, but nothing that took me completely out of the story.

Overall, I really loved this story! Especially the ending. It’s hard to put all my thoughts into a succinct review, but all in all I highly recommend!!!

Thank you to Random House Books and NetGalley for gifting me an early copy for an honest review in return. All opinions are my own.

Crow must never let his true identity as a Deathchild be known, and has spent their lives amongst the shadows of the Shallows. But when their uncles are arrested and face execution, Crow will risk the spotlight and discovery for the chance to save them, by entering the Tournament of the Gods.
As Crow leaves the Shallows for the first time, he begins to realize just big the class divide truly is, and how far the upper class will go to keep their way of life. And maybe it is time something was done about that.

A dark and impactful dystopian novel, that takes a stark look at classism and power dynamics in a fantastical way.

A ragtag crew team up to compete in a life or death competition in a queer, magical, riff on the Hunger Games. I really enjoyed this book, following the four main characters: Crow, Lark, Chaos, and Maddox on their adventure. The writing is beautiful and it makes the world incredibly immersive. The main character has a strong POV which is fun to read. 4.5 stars.

This is what happens if you take the Hunger games but add gods and magic. While I absolutely enjoyed this, it may have been a little more well rounded as a duology because there’s a lot packed in there. Overall I was always engaged and it was easily digestible; I just wanted a bit more.

As always Novoa is gonna give us excellent LGBTQ+ rep. This is YA and all the love stays appropriate for YA. I really enjoyed the comfortability the core four characters got in this story. There were moments that made me go “that’s totally how I’d talk to them to.” I almost wish we got a little more insight into Lark, Maddox, and Chaos because they seem awesome and I love their interactions, but I feel I only truly understand Crow.

I also loved the discussions of classism and poverty that were presented in an easily digestible way. I think this area could have had a little more time spent on it as some of the conflicts occurred off page. But I like that this was an area of dystopia that was explored.

I think the trials were well done but results were a bit predictable… until we added the last 50 pages or so.

Thank you Gave Cole Novoa, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

These Vengeful Gods sounded like something I would love, but unfortunately this just did not work for me.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK and had so much fun reading it!

Thank you to @gabecolenovoa @netgalley and Random House Kids for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Crow is a Deathchild who is not supposed to exist. They expend a lot of energy hiding this aspect of their identity to survive. When the Enforcers arrest Crow’s uncles and guardians, Crow decides to enter the Tournament of the Gods, where the winner is granted one wish.

All the characters feel well-developed, and I adored Crow and Lark, and their dynamic. Crow’s struggles with their identity, disability, and the marginalization of their community are very relatable. I thought that Chaos’s journey of examining their privilege, learning to use his power for good, and providing adamant support to those from the Shallows was super important and well-written.

The themes of genocide and inequality are addressed thoroughly and respectfully. I can’t get enough of books where the MCs are scrappy, anti-fascist kids!

Engaging and delightful characters in this YA fantasy. Crow is an underground fighter in the poorest neighbourhood. He also is a deathchild - The literal descendent of the God of Death. After a genocide years ago being a deathchild is illegal so Crow must keep his identity and his powers a secret. But when his uncles are arrested he must enter the most high profile and dangerous fight in hopes of saving them.

Overall this is an interesting book. There are some gaps in worldbuilding that had me questioning things about the tournament specifically and the details of why it’s set up the way it is but they were generally minor curiosity. I hope there are more books to tell us more about the world.

Ending was a bit rushed but satisfying and left it open for a sequel without a cliffhanger which is my preference when I have to wait an undisclosed amount of time for the next book.

The characters are engaging and delightful. I loved the themes of found family and fighting oppression. Overall I enjoyed the book and think it’s a great YA.