I went into Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon knowing two things , Queer and reincarnated gods. Since I loved the author's debut duology I knew I had would enjoy this one. I beyond enjoyed this one, I LOVED it so much.

The story is told through the POV of Gem Echols. A nonbinary Seminole highschool student just trying to get out of their small town and make it to New York to be with their best friend. Gem has been having strange dreams that feel real and questions their own sanity. But when strangers appear in town that seem to know them, their whole world is turned upside down. Turns out Gem is a reincarnated god and they aren't the only one. They have a lot of enemies after them and while trying to stay alive has to deal with the discovery that two very different people own her heart, and they have to make some difficult decisions.

Since I have zero complaints, I am just going to gush about my favorite aspects of the book. I loved that every character is complex. There's no cookie cutter heroes and villains. Heroes can be just as selfish and the villains. The main villain is only a villains because they have been forced to become one by the actions of those around them. Because of this, I ended up caring very deeply for all the main players and was as conflicted over what would happen as much as they were.

Gem, as a reincarnated god, slowly regains their memories of their past lives and of the other gods they come in contact with. Some of these flashbacks gave me literal chills. Ahh #nospoilers, but if you've read it or when you do there is a flashback to when certain characters are young that will hurt your heart.

The Trans for Trans for Trans love triangle. Ya'll I do not enjoy love triangles like I did when I was young but this one, THIS ONE ! Don't make me choose, I'm seriously hoping for the three of them to end up in a complicated poly situation because I think they are ment to be and would balance each other perfectly.

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon is a wonderfully written Queer Fantasy. A story that is filled with reincarnated gods, plots twists left and right, complicated relationship, soul mates , unconditional love, and a cliffhanger that will leave you in dire need of book two!

Rating: 2.5

I liked the premise of this book, but I didn't care about any of the characters. I think it's weird that Gods are a bunch of melodramatic teenagers. Maybe I would have liked it more if I was a teenager. The pacing felt all over the place, it felt like I was reading a trilogy in one book.

A pantheon of gods, reincarnation, lost memories, betrayals, and queer relationships. Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the small town of Gracie, Georgie. Gem is plagued by dreams filled with murder, a different version of themself, and a lover that haunts them.... and one day when a bunch of new people come to the small town of Gracie, Gem's entire life is turned upside down. Gem learns that they are a reincarnated god and that there are other gods in town as well, all gunning for them. Gem has no memories of all their past lives but will have to get them back before it's too late. All the while they are dealing with their complicated feelings for Willa Mae Hardy, the mysterious girl in town who claims that they know each other and do have a past relationship... yet there is Gem's feelings for Enzo, a friend who lives thousands of miles away... but might be hiding an identity that is much closer to Gem than Gem could ever realize. While the other gods are getting ready to attack Gem, Gem has to find a way to get back their memories, work out their powers, and figure out who they can trust. This is the first book in a duology and honestly, it was a rough one. This book has so so much dialogue with so little actual cohesive plot/ character movements. The amnesia/reincarnated gods is a fun storyline to work with but the actual arc of the story felt scattered and all over the place. I honestly could have done with more "show don't tell" method when it came to this book. I did love the representation in the book but I kind of wish it felt more natural. I guess I was expecting for something a bit more and was let down by what I actually got when it came to this book. I will read the finale to see how it all wraps up but this book just was a bit of a miss for me unfortunately.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I feel really bad for giving this book a low review but it honestly just wasn't for me. The world was something I wasn't interested in which was disappointing because the synopsis sounded amazing! Like how could I not love a queer indigenous teenager who was secretly a god?? Unfortunately, I found the plot boring and I won't be continuing this series.

What a fun, refreshing fantasy! First, the author's writing was phenomenal. The way they brought sass onto the page and developed characters was unlike anything I've read before.
The one thing that did not work for me was the magic world system and the overall plot. This might be more of a "me" thing because generally fantasy about Gods is not my thing. I was confused more often than I care to admit, but for me, the dialogue carried the whole story and the journey was absolutely satisfying, If you love fantasy about Gods and reincarnation, this will be a hit for you.

I was super excited about this title and absolutely enjoyed every bit that I read until the mention of Harry Potter. Unfortunately due to personal reasons I had to put down this book. I will definitely recommend it at work for YA readers looking for queer books by trans authors.

Thanks for letting me have early access!

I absolutely loved H.E. Edgmon’s debut duology, and while in many ways this book is wildly different, it feels like it fits into the piece of me reading it right now. I’ve been anticipating this book ever since I first heard about it, and yet I’m not sure what I expected going in, although I can definitely now say I was sufficiently surprised. It’s a little bit hard to talk about this book because all my thoughts are thoroughly wrapped up in the experience of reading it, it truly took me out of what I was doing for a day and into Gem’s world. The twists and turns kept me on my toes and on the edge of my seat, to the point that I stayed up just so I could finish the book (and then lament that I didn’t have the sequel already in hand). Something that Edgmon did so well in THE WITCH KING duology and dives even deeper into in this series is queer love and rage, and the ways in which they intertwine. The morally grey character is often lauded in fantasy, but what Edgmon captures is something indescribable about queerness in a society that doesn’t always want it, and makes it that much more satisfying to see these characters burn the world down.

In a lot of ways, I can’t directly relate to this book. Gem and I are so unlike one another (and frankly I can’t relate much to the other characters in the book anyway), and yet something about this book feels like it understands me. Maybe it’s that dream of escaping your Southern town to go to a city and live with your queer online friends, except I’m not a reincarnated god. I think what makes this book so good and so queer (besides the blatant queer stuff happening) is this feeling I can’t describe, the way Gem’s attraction works and feelings about themself, as well as all the others characterization just hits in a way that works. Sometimes that means the characters have elements of stereotype, but they become so much more because they’re not a character born from a stereotype, but a person (character) who is sometimes stereotypical because that’s how life works.

I could talk about the plot and the characters of this book all day. Death is a trans girl, War is a butch lesbian, and so on. When I tell you I almost threw my book across the room at one point after a particularly big plot twist, I am not exaggerating in the slightest. It’s a little hard to tell where the book is going at first, but then it absolutely explodes, making this more intricate fantasy than I often expect in YA without being confusing. Between the characters and the overall plotline, the story never slows down and ended up keeping me up just so I could find out what happened next.

Lastly, I can’t talk about this book without talking about queer love and rage. No matter how many times it happens, there’s something that’s always so special about seeing queer characters being loved (even if I can’t talk about it much without spoiling the contents of this book). Furthermore, the relationship dynamics, even outside of Gem, are so fascinating and so enmeshed in the characters in the story in such a stunning way. On the flip side, the queer rage is even more potent in parts than Edgmon’s debut. It is deeply satisfying to see a queer character be loved and appreciated and also take the world in hand and not always pick the right or ‘good’ decision. These characters aren’t role models, and it’s so much more compelling that way.

No matter how much I write about this book, it’s impossible to truly capture all my thoughts and feelings. It surpassed my expectations and I will be not so patiently waiting for the sequel to come out next year! If it’s not already on your TBR, I highly recommend picking this one up.

Book Summary:

Gem Echols works very hard to present a certain image to the world. Most people see what they want – Gem Echols, a nonbinary Seminole teen with a boatload of charm (but not too many friends). The real Gem Echols is more than that, naturally. They have a complicated history, some mental health concerns, and a deep-seated need to be accepted and loved.

Thankfully, Gem has Enzo, their best friend. Unfortunately, said best friend lives in NY, so...not exactly close enough to help all the time. For example, it feels like Enzo is a whole world away when Gem's life crashes and changes in ways they never could have anticipated.

My Review:

Holy cow. I loved Godly Heathens. This book is amazing. Frankly, everything I've read by H.E. Edgmon has been amazing, so I'm not surprised. But I am thrilled – to say the least. Godly Heathens is dark, brilliant, and incredibly intense.

It all starts with a dream. That is to say, Gem's dreams. That's the first time readers see that something potentially supernatural is happening in Gem's life. From there, everything unfolds rather quickly.

Godly Heathens is a tale of two worlds, multiple lifetimes, and the grudges that gods carry (and how long they'll hold onto them). It is also a story of one teenager struggling to find balance and happiness, even while grappling with mental health struggles. It's supernatural and human, merging the two into this delightful and compelling mixture. I couldn't get enough of it.

Most of Godly Heathens sped by in a whirlwind. It felt like one minute I was picking it up; the next minute, I was turning the last page. I'm already really looking forward to the conclusion (Merciless Saviors) and am lucky enough to have it waiting in my NetGalley queue. I need to know what happens next.

Highlights:
YA Fantasy
Urban Fantasy
Strong World-Building Elements
Mythological Characters
LGBT+

Trigger Warnings:
Graphic Deaths/Injuries
Controlling/Grooming Behavior

“Godly Heathens” is one of the strangest books I have read. It is not a bad story; it is actually quite creative. But it is really weird. And considering how strange the story is from the beginning, I did not expect to be really surprised by anything. However, there was a very unexpected plot twist.

The book is unique in having most of the major characters be people of color (especially, indigenous/Native Americans, an underrepresented group in young adult fiction) and LGBTQ (with multiple trans characters).

Godly Heathens was cool, weird and awesome. I loved the story telling from the very first chapter, having no idea what kind of world and characters I’d be introduced to.

Gem has very vivid magical dreams about gods and demons that add to their anxiety, struggling with their non-binary identity and a mother that doesn’t quite understand. The only person they confide in lives in a different state, so when a new student shows up knowing more about Gem’s secrets and strange events begin to happen, maybe Gem really is a reincarnated god?

It’s been a hot minute since a book made me gasp out loud and the surprise was so welcome! I absolutely love the concept of reincarnation, soulmates and the characters living through multiple timelines, plus the conflict that keeps happening between them. Well written with likable but messy characters, a layered story that combines real world with fantasy in a binge-able way.

While the pacing faltered a bit in the second half, the intrigue never really went away for me, and I’m looking forward to the second book - I can’t get enough of the little heathens!!

Thanks to the publisher for an early copy to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read an early copy of this book.

My feelings about this book are conflicted. The story is definitely unique. The pantheon of gods, how their powers work, and their stories of traveling from the Ether to our world with living through multiple reincarnations is intriguing, but I also found the whole system and method of storytelling a bit confusing. A table of the gods human names, godly names, and powers would be helpful in keeping everything straight, especially when names switch throughout the novel. Much of the descriptive writing felt plan, but the dialogue moves the narrative along nicely. There is a LOT of dialogue, which is a bonus, and that component is done well. I appreciated the way text message conversations are aligned differently on the page to differentiate those sections from regular dialogue or other parts of the book. Some sensual and sexual scenes exist, but those are not very obscene and seem acceptable for the intended audience of teens. The romance is conflicted because of Gem's torn feelings, but her sentiments feel genuine.

Representation is extremely diverse among the characters, but to a point that it does not feel natural. Gender, sexual, racial, ethnic, political, religious, and disability identities are all touched on, often with multiple of those identities explored with the same characters. I am all for reading about diverse peoples, especially those different than me, but this felt like the author was checking boxes, whether forcibly or not. I read the entire book through to the end, curious how certain events would transpire, but I do not feel inclined to pick up the sequel. The unnatural variety of diversity with the same left a sour taste with me.

I really wanted to like this book. The non-binary and queer representation in this book was amazing and it hooked me in with its raw and gritty take on what’s it’s like to be trans and non-binary while also battling mental illness. But where it lost me was about the halfway point and then was a dumpster fire from there.

All Gem wants to do is leave the little town they grew up in and move to the New York to start their future with the boy (also trans and a flamboyant theater kid) that they’ve been in love with for years. But when Willa Mae shows up and says Gem’s a reincarnated God and their soulmate? Shit hits the fan. What happens after is the biggest bunch of bullshit I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading.

::spoilers ahead::
I loved Enzo up until the point where I started to get suspicious. He’s got absolutely everything going for him and gets jealous easily and not in a cute way. So when it’s revealed Enzo is the big bad they locked away in the ether I wasn’t exactly surprised. What I was surprised about was Gem’s absolute devotion to this creature. And they had absolutely no redeeming qualities. And yet Gem made excuses and refused to let anyone kill Enzo or “reset the scales” that Enzo so obviously messed up by killing the other gods. I was screaming at Gem like they were a real person and I was their mother. Because the relationship between Gem and Enzo was TOXIC AF. And still is. Because the book ended on a cliffhanger and no one is redeemed. You could say that Gem learned nothing in their lifetimes because at the end of the day, why should Gem be the one to change? I’m not continuing the series.

I really enjoyed H.E. Edgmon's Witch King duology and so I think originally I added this book to a want to read shelf immediately with no knowledge of what it was about. Then the synopsis appeared and I was all in. Then, of course, as is natural, I proceeded to not read the book I was very excited about. This really starts off with a bang and hooked me immediately. I really loved Gem's process of discovering their godly identity and grappling with how that affects the human dreams they had for their life. The side character's were a lot of fun and I liked how other godly characters embodied their powers. I think one of my favorite bits in the book was one character's desperate quest to embody camp. I also really enjoyed the discussion on who's side of the conflict was right or wrong and just how morally grey all these characters were.

I will say the ending lost me a bit. We go from one big battle scene pretty much straight into another and yes battle scenes are exciting but it's also the most likely place in a book for my eyes to start to glaze over. They get complex so fast and my brain starts to eventually give up on what's happening with everyone. The ultimate conclusion of this book was interesting though and I'm regretting not get the sequel on NetGalley when it was available as a read now so I guess I'll be waiting until April to find out what happens next like everyone else.

(I debated on if I wanted to add this or not because it is a bit of a spoiler but seeing it in reviews of other books has made me pick up the books so I will add there is a polyamorous romance in here.)

To me, as someone who absolutely loves the English language in all its diversity and complexity, there is nothing more satisfying than when you are put in the path of a book that contains writing so linguistically beautiful, that you can’t help but feel modern speech is inadequate. Godly Heathens is just such a book.
Practically speaking, I know from a reader standpoint that the type of language used to beautify or embellish prose can often feel tedious when placed in a modern setting because it can weigh down the pacing. Admittedly, I am usually the first to complain about needless exposition. However, the fact that Edgmon avoided this pitfall, but Godly Heathens still manages to evoke an empyreal quality about its narrative while still being firmly rooted in the psyche of a modern day teen—be they a reincarnation or not— is impressive. It shows a mastery of language and knowledge of restraint to write like that and not go overboard.
To then combine that talent with a story as imaginative and unique as this one, in which past lives and wrongs come back to erode and complicate an identity already ill-structured? To be frank, it all just takes my breath away. I absolutely loved this, and I am excited to dive into H.E. Edgmon’s backlog and future work.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

The blurb for the book sounded interesting but I couldn't get into the book. I did not finish the book. I think the book was set for a younger readership, which is fine, I still enjoy reading such books, but I think I was expecting something a bit different. What I read, was good - the author is a good writer, the subject/plot of the book was interesting enough that I wanted to read it. The basic plot was about high school kids who were outsiders coming of age and finding that they were more than just normal kids. Obviously, something was going to happen in which these kids were needed to save the world.

Godly Heathens had a premise I was utterly primed for. I really wanted to like this one. Reincarnation? Gods? Romance??? All the things I love!! I LOVE when a YA can take me on a ride. It started out so strong for me, sucking me in to its modern world immediately. I grew attached to Gem & Enzo, enjoyed meeting the new additions along the way like Willa Mae, Poppy, etc. Gem was a burdened character, one I wanted to protect. Enzo had an intrigue to me that I couldn’t shake. Willa Mae was a promising character that played a vital role in helping Gem learn about themselves. I admire everything this book was trying to do. All in all, it was a fun story at the baseline and I applaud how inclusive the author was.

However, towards the middle of the book, it took a turn for me. For a book about all powerful Gods, not much was shown that made me believe these Gods were that powerful? I felt like I was often told, without the descriptive action to follow up. It made for a lack of depth I was searching for. Additional characters started being introduced far too late, when Gem began realizing who everyone was—I started to get so confused and overwhelmed by the constant listing.

Alternatively, I understand this is YA, so some miscommunication was definitely going to happen, however I would have thought reincarnated Gods that have lived so much life, and had so much history together, that they’d be better at communicating with each other. Additionally, there was a bit of inconsistency with Willa Mae’s character that I wasn’t sure was done on purpose or not, even after discussing with another ARC reader. I also found some of the characteristics and descriptions over done. Poppy’s giggling as an example was consistently pointed out; there are other ways to show that a person is mentally unstable than constantly giggling. And while all of this could be my own qualms with the book, I still found it took away from the depth of the story.

I adored Enzo as a character, though. He was my favorite part of the entire book. He added a special flare the entire group of teens needed. Godly Heathens was inclusive and diverse, the trauma and difficult conversations what a younger teen needs to see in the books they read. But this one hit the mark for me. It had potential, given its premise, had it been tightened up more.

3 stars for me!

I genuinely have no words. I have not read ya in some time, but goddamn!! I need to reread this immediately,

This was probably one of the more unique YA books I’ve read in a while. Reincarnated gods in the bodies of teenagers in a small Georgia town? Sign me up! I really enjoyed the mythology system of this book. I thought it was really interesting. I loved the topics of gender identity, mental illness and also ethical polyamory this story brought up. I thought they were handled with care and also in a very nuanced way. I also really enjoyed the characters and the way they were written, Gem and Enzo especially. There were times the story was a bit slower paced, but there’s a lot of information to know and understand. The thing that REALLY got me excited though was that ending. The only reason I’m not mad about that cliffhanger is that I got approved for an ARC of the sequel and can read it right away. My god, those last few chapters were INTENSE. I’d say this is definitely on the older side of YA, but it’s not horribly graphic or explicit. I had a great time reading this one and definitely recommend it.
PS. The dog doesn’t die, but there is other animal death.
TW: mental illness, transphobia, violence, mentions of sexual assault and child abuse, racism

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so unique, it was refreshing. Everything in fiction has become very homogeneous lately, and this was so different.