Godly Heathens is the story of reincarnated gods who have a bone (or 12) to pick with one another. I suppose meeting in lifetime after lifetime will do that. This is book is wild and chaotic in the best way and I cannot wait to read the sequel! I loved all the various identities held by the characters (great representation all around) and really enjoyed the development of the three main characters--very much looking forward to their arcs in the second book. The writing is beautifully descriptive and the dialogue is funny, both of which made for an enjoyable reading experience! I think my students will enjoy this one!

The premise of this book got me super excited. The execution and delivery disappointed me. I loved the characters, but there was something about the writing that bummed me out and took me out of the story.

Gem Echols is a queer Seminole person living in rural Georgia. They’ve never fit in, but they’ve always chalked that up to their anxiety and lack of close friends. However, gem begins to question everything when a new person in town insists that they are a reincarnated god from a different world.

In godly heathens, H.E. Edgmon does what they do best: create queer Indigenous characters that are a little bit feral but are so loveable.

I enjoyed Gem’s character so thoroughly. They are a bit mysterious, very deeply funny, and good, although they aren’t kind. I was rooting for Gem all the way, even when I questioned some of their decisions. The other characters, especially Willa Mae and Enzo, also have distinct personalities which I found very developed.

I found this book immensely easy to get into and read. The writing is easily digestible, which is impressive especially for a fantastical novel containing characters with thousands of years of history. I was definitely hooked.

There were some aspects I found frustrating, like impulsive decisions, and some parts I found confusing, like the backstory. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

I loved the plot. But I will say that I needed more. It didn’t feel like enough for me. So good. But I totally need more

The first in a new series (at least according to Goodreads) about a nonbinary teen who learns they are a reincarnated god.

It took me a while to get into this. I feel like the first bit had no idea what exactly I was reading plot wise. Readers are just thrown in. It definitely picks up once Gem learns they are a god, but the writing style still wasn’t my favorite.

This book is A LOT. I think it's so unique and full of passion, but for me a lot of the depictions of mental health were a lot to read. This story does not shy away from the pain of being a teenager. These kids are mean and hurt and confused. I think this is a story that really understands teenagers, which is ironically something that needs to be worked on for a lot of YA authors. This story knows its audience, and it doesn't shy away from the very real parts of their lives.
I do think, and this is mostly just a me thing because I'm not an avid fantasy reader, that this book is a little hard to follow. There were a lot of characters introduced in the middle of the story, and it made it really confusing. It is still such a unique plot though, and really interesting. I just had trouble following it.
I mean it when I say these kids are mean. They say a lot of hurtful things to each other and they do a lot of questionable things. But I think that makes them really real to a lot of teenage experiences. Teenagers are mean. I was mean as a teenager. Because being a teenager is confusing and painful and life is kind of horrible sometimes. So I really do get it. And I think it makes for a convincing attempt at morally grey characters. Lots of books try that and they end up with either a) just plain awful characters or b) characters who talk a lot but can't back it up. These characters, especially Gem, are people you root for and also people you really disagree with sometimes.
I think for fans of YA fantasy, this will be a smash hit. I think for teenagers who love fantasy (which is the target audience of this book- sometimes I think we forget that when we read YA), they are going to love this.

I really enjoyed the start to a new queer fantasy series! This world and fantasy was buoy and developed so well and was easy to understand. I really like the idea of reincarnated gods from another universe. I also really liked the characters and having Gem as our main character. Having the villain as the main character is always fun but Gem’s conflict between wanting to do the right thing but also making the wrong choices sometimes makes them so much more complex that you can’t help but root for them. I couldn’t believe that it was over by the last page and can’t wait for more. This story and world building sets us up for what I’m hoping will be another magical book and a more villainous Gem along with Rory and Enzo.

Overall, this was a good start to a magical queer ya fantasy and can’t wait for the next one!

Read if you like…
•villain mc
•queer fantasy
•gods

Thank you to NetGalley and the to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this title.

4.5

This book was so good. I really enjoyed the story and how it was told. It was so cool to get pieces of the main character's history through dreams. I enjoyed the way this story kind of went back and forth between other timelines until it was revealed what was really going on. I thought this book was very fast paced. There is a lot of action. I just really loved the idea of these characters living multiple lives and finding each other in each one. Then adding in the fact that they are literal gods makes it so exciting. This book has some content warnings at the beginning, and I would definitely recommend reading those before starting the book. I thought that the author handled all of those things really well though. This book was wild and crazy in all the best ways. I really loved it.

Godly Heathens is a ya fantasy to follows gods from another realm that are reincarnated into teenagers. And not at all of them are nice.

This book was wild. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot of the story. There was a lot of diversity which I enjoyed as well. This book deals with a lot of trauma and mental health and I think the author did a great job with how it was handled. The ending left off with a cliffhanger which made me want the second book NOW!

Check trigger warnings before picking this one up. Release date is November 28th! If you’re looking for a wild ride with demigods then I highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the arc!

This book stands out for its overwhelming queer themes and morally gray characters, Nearly every character is unapologetically queer ("there are no cis gods"), and the lines between right and wrong fade in and out throughout the story. The main character Gem has a punchy, likable inner monologue, but also deals with very serious family dynamics and mental health problems. I appreciated this book for not attributing Gem's mental health to his divine powers, but as an unalienable part of his humanity. The polyamorous dynamic was also unexpected, but very much appreciated. Edgmon's writing is beautiful in its imagery and captivating,

Wow wow wow. I read H.E. Edgmon's other duology but wasn't a huge fan. Yet I was completely obsessed with this and could not put it down! I'm going to be recommending this to all my friends to read. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. Also can we talk about how stunning this cover is?

The dedication in Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon is what solidified it as my next read. It releases on November 28th and you should definitely give it a read.

It’s the first of a planned duology and I walked in knowing nothing more than it was a fantasy with queer trans indigenous and morally grey characters. This story did not disappoint. Weaving together a pantheon of gods, mental illness, recognize of colonialism Edgmon writes a wonderful story with unreliable narrators and grappling with many forms of love, hate, survival, and the balance of dualities. Truly enjoyed this one and I can’t wait for the second book!

There is a list of full content warnings provided in the front but a few include: Mental Illness, Internalized Ableism, references to self harm, mentions of transphobia and racism.

First off, the cover to this book.. frigging gorgeous! Which is very fitting because this book is a gorgeous mess.

And I mean that in the best way possible.

Godly Heathens is a book about traumatized teens who are actually reincarnated Gods from another world who are even more messed up in their godly forms than their human ones. Each character is terrible and selfish and passionate. Gem is the worst of all and I absolutely love them for it.

The world building and overall story is fantastic. The representation in this book is superb; I think many will feel seen in this story. Also the ending had me oh so grateful that the sequel was already in my hands (lol halfway through it as we speak).

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Thank you so, so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

When I tell you guys that I was so excited to read a novel with nonbinary and queer rep with the concept of reincarnated gods, I was pretty giddy.

This novel has absolutely lived up to my expectations and then some.

H.E. Edgmon's writing style is straight to the point, and yet so charming in the way you get to read what goes on in Gem's mind, what their thought process is. Gem was a great character to read about, likable and yet relatable despite everything. Plus, the other characters have their own ways of being enjoyable to read about - Willa Mae and Enzo especially. Setting helped made the story interesting too.

Overall, I look forward to picking up the published copy of this novel, and well done to H.E. Edgmon!

I'm withholding my review, in support of the St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books boycott that is currently taking place now.

H.E. Edgmon is a fantastic writer. Godly Heathens is well-written and a very engaging story.
I loved the story of gods and goddesses sharing bodies with humans. I loved the rep of mental health, the trans community, and LGBTQIA+ relationships.
The author is fantastic at weaving a complicated web of tales and merging this web into a wonderful story full of mystery, intriguing characters, and magic.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

This book was EVERYTHING I've ever wanted in a book. Fantasy (without being too complicated), snark for days, LGBTQ+ rep. I'll definitely be getting a physical copy of this when it comes out!

gem echols, a nonbinary seminole teen living in a small southern town, doesn’t have many people who can relate to them. their best friend, enzo, is thousands of miles away, and gem plans on joining him in new york after graduation. but even enzo doesn’t know about gem’s dreams. no one does—or at least gem thinks, before meeting willa mae hardy. willa mae is strange, especially with the way she seems to already know gem. then she reveals that they’re reincarnated gods, and gem’s world quickly changes.

i really didn’t know what to expect from this book starting out. the cover is beautiful and the premise sounded promising, so i was eager to dive in. i don’t often read about reincarnated gods, so this aspect is one that drew me to this book. i really liked how this was explored and elaborated upon. another aspect i loved was the various relationships, be it romantic, familial, or platonic. i can’t wait to see where everything goes in book two!

Gem Echols is a Seminole nonbinary teen living in Georgia. They're charming to hide how anxious they feel, and the only one who knows that side of them is Enzo, a trans kid in Brooklyn. Even so, Gem hasn't discussed their visions of magic and violence, yet the new girl in town Willa Mae Hardy seems to know all about them. When Gem is attacked by a stranger claiming to be the Goddess of Death, Willa Mae reveals that the two of them are reincarnated gods. Gem once made a lot of enemies, and like the Goddess of Death, will keep coming.

This is book one of the Ouroboros duology, with book two out next April. This book's tagline is "Infatuation. Reincarnation. Damnation." That pretty much covers the premise of the story. We open with a vision, where Dream Gem is working with a horrible demon, then see what Gem's real world is like. There are some poignant parts, where Gem doesn't feel comfortable in their body or the disconnect from their Seminole heritage, as well as the teen angst and horrors of high school. Then Death arrives in chapter three, and it's all weirdness from there as far as Gem is concerned. They want to keep their human life and this Godhood life separate, though it keeps crashing together at intervals.

It's understandable that Gem is stressed and freaking out, pushing away people that are supposed to love and care for them. Most of their past lives weren't exactly nice people, either, and have often made questionable decisions about not only their own lives but that of others. Having gods reincarnate into teens is a questionable idea, given how hormonal and impulsive they are. Gem isn't exactly a role model in this life, and the people in their life include several of the reincarnated gods. It's a wild ride, and Gem wants to reduce the death toll as much as possible. You'll have to read this to see if that works out.

holy fucking almighty. there be better a book two because that was one hell of a cliffhanger.

the one thing that really stuck with me was that being god WASN'T the reason gem was mentally ill - they just were. i think too often authors lean into this idea that the reason that a character is different because they're supposed to be someone else, in this case, gem is mentally ill and that's okay.

thanks to netgalley and wednesday books for the egalley!