2.80!

Not for me!
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This was whimsical in a way don't get me wrong but it still fell plot wise I didn't really enjoy it. The characters were one dimensional and the world building wasn't that good.
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I feel like the thing that I did like was the cover and the writing style a bit.
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These are my thoughts and yours might be different so you can always give this one a try

Gem is a rough-around-the-edges, transmasc, pansexual, Seminole teen that lives in Gracie--a small town in Georgia where nothing exciting happens. Like any queer teen trapped in a town where people wear MAGA caps and Thin Blue Line shirts, Gem wants to escape and live with their closest friend, Enzo, a trans guy in Brooklyn who lives with a supportive community (and parents that can afford an apartment that faces Prospect Park). All of this changes when a mysterious classmate transfers into Gem's high school, claiming that Gem is a reincarnated god and that she is their soulmate, who has found them in every life. Suddenly, Gem's weirdly vivid dreams are making sense, and unfortunately for them, some other gods from the same pantheon are waking up...

I know I'm not the target audience for this book. I fit under the queer umbrella, but I'm still cis, white, and what might be the most terrifying for Gem, a millennial. But I -did- grow up in a small, podunk town like Gracie, and I can sympathize with the complicated feelings of needing to leave a suffocatingly straight town for a city where you can more freely express your identity and be yourself. Hell, my closest friends when I was in high school were my online friends, and I'm still good friends with them today! Yet, even with these things in common... I really hated Gem as a protagonist. I know that they're supposed to be morally grey and going through a lot of traumatic events, but they spend so much time whining about not being a good friend to Enzo rather than putting in any attempts to actually... be a better friend.

I'll admit, I was expecting this story to go a more Final Fantasy House route, with Willa Mae essentially gaslighting Gem into buying into this god fantasy and purposefully isolating them from their friends and family. This was not the case, but I kind of wish that it was--Willa Mae rubbed me the wrong way as a character, but I'm not a fan of how they basically pushed themself onto Gem after revealing they were soulmates (also, really not a fan of Gem's demiromanticism boiling down to 'I can't fall in love with someone because my heart belongs to the two people I was in god cahoots with in a different universe' feels... a bit gross, honestly? I don't hate soulmates as a trope, but the way it played out here just rubbed me the wrong way... probably because even if Gem ends up in a polyamorous relationship, it's with the two people more toxic and volatile than they are. Maybe they deserve each other, but I can't say I'm rooting for any of them.

Most of the god and reincarnation information is told and not shown, which makes a lot of it a slog to read through. A lot of the Magician (Gem's former god self) sacrificing other gods for the Shade or enjoying bucolic past lives with the Mountain (Willa Mae's former god self). As a side note, I really didn't like how fated to their roles every character seemed. Sure, they were partially the same immortal being every incarnation, but we didn't see much of a struggle to fight against their godhood? Some characters like Gem didn't change much at all after awakening, but Zeke and the Shade flip so completely from their original personalities that I wish we got some more identity struggling there! Not to mention how repetitive the past lives seemed... reincarnation follows family lines rather than being random, and as far as we know everyone has the same gender presentation in each reincarnation. Even if they're morally grey as characters, Gem and the Mountain are always on the right side of history in every incarnation so you know they're not -really- bad (which... I'm not saying I want them to participate in genocide or anything like that, but it's weird how it's always pointed out, especially when they have little control of who they are before 'awakening').

I'm saddened by how much I didn't like 'Godly Heathens', but I think its worst trait is that it's boring. With a cast where all of the characters are diverse in race, sexuality, gender, body type and disability, you'd expect the story to be equally colorful. Instead, it feels like a confusing mess of half-baked characters firing elemental beams at each other until the strongest beam wins. While having more queer books and more books from an indigenous perspective is a net good for literature, this title won't be particularly high on my recommendations list.

Good worldbuilding, good representation and good storytelling make this a good read even if you like me aren't a fantasy fan. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This will be a big one for the YA crowd.

Perhaps my expectations were too high. The premise isn’t groundbreaking stuff, but it’s a plot line I can enjoy any time, love the identity and morality issues born of something inhuman put into a human life and body. And, as a trans person myself, I like to see trans characters that get to be messy and bastardous, adds a little spice to my life.
(Plus that cover is beautiful, I can’t deny that played a part in getting my expectations up.)
Unfortunately, I got tired of Gem. They are meant to be, or become, unlikable— they’re a villain protagonist after all— but they became more annoying than anything else. Their hypocrisy wasn’t addressed in an interesting way. Their shift from being more “Gem,” modern-day human teen with their own goals and beliefs on top of their latent godliness to being more “the Magician,” an ancient deity with twisted morals and a battle to win had potential. It’s a tragedy and a seductive power fantasy rolled into one, great corruption arc material, but it ended up kind of confused, kind of dull, in my opinion.
Same deal with the romance. Or maybe just the other characters and relationships in general. There were some fucked up undertones to those relationships, as you would expect from a pack of immortals that torture and kill and betray each other, that could have made them interesting, but the book didn’t capitalize on it much. Also, I was hoping a demiromantic protagonist (I have been starved for that alloaro rep) would spare me the obligatory YA instalove, but alas, no.

Really it's more like 4.5 stars overall.

I'll start off by saying that I loved Gem as a whole. I related to them in a lot of ways, more so than I care to admit.

The first half of the book really drew me in, and I loved getting to learn who Gem was as a character almost at the same time that they were; like, imagine being told you're a reincarnated god! What?!

But while I liked the second half of the book, it was a little bit more... anticlimatic, for lack of a better word? Until near the end. It wasn't bad by any sense of the imagination, don't get me wrong. But I felt like I was waiting for something to happen and for everyone to just bring it on, and it took a little while for that to happen.

While I did see some of the twists coming, I really wasn't expecting that ending, and I'm excited to start the sequel (which I was also able to snag an ARC of.) But if you're debating reading this, I absolutely recommend it. It makes for a fun, binge-worthy read.

ARC thanks to Netgalley.

"Godly Heathens is the first book in H.E. Edgmon's YA contemporary fantasy duology The Ouroboros, in which a teen, Gem, finds out they're a reincarnated god from another world.

Maybe I have always just been bad at being human because I'm not one.

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the tiny town of Gracie, Georgia. Known for being their peers' queer awakening, Gem leans hard on charm to disguise the anxious mess they are beneath. The only person privy to their authentic self is another trans kid, Enzo, who's a thousand long, painful miles away in Brooklyn.

But even Enzo doesn't know about Gem's dreams, haunting visions of magic and violence that have always felt too real. So how the hell does Willa Mae Hardy? The strange new girl in town acts like she and Gem are old companions, and seems to know things about them they've never told anyone else.

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."

It's never a good thing when your past life you can't remember comes calling.

Folx, the way I kept SCREAMING in this book! Put this one on your preorder list immediately.

What I loved (there's so much):

🗡️ Y'all, almost this entire cast is queer or trans. To have this and Indigenous representation from a queer, Indigenous author is so very special. Their writing is incredible and handles trauma and mental illness in these communities so well.
🗡️ Holy mother of morally grey characters. Our MC is the greyest of morally grey. Are they a savior or a mass murderer? Only time will tell. I'm not usually a big morally grey hero girly, but Gem really got to me. Almost all of the side characters are grey as well.
🗡️ Speaking of side characters, what an absolutely stellar cast. Each god is so vividly described and developed that I gained such an appreciation and let's be real, fear, of each one. No spoilers, but the god of time will always be one of my favorites.
🗡️ The coolest melding of alternate realities (and yes, Gem / the Magician is morally grey in both roles). This is Greek mythology style Olympus with all different gods, meets deep Florida small town. I am obsessed with the melding of memories, and timelines. It was not confusing and really enhanced the storytelling, leaving me on my toes and providing lots of twists.
🗡️ Speaking of twists, that ending is going to keep me up at night. I will be screaming about it until the sequel is physically in my hands. (There's a sequel right? Please Edgmon, for me??)
🗡️ If you are a love triangle human, this is YOUR book. The love story between our soul mates, and our fated to destroy the world mates is so riveting, toxic, passionate, sexy, horrifying, and simultaneously gorgeous.

Godly Heathens is a story following Gem and teenager who finds out they are a reborn god. There are gods looking for them who are less than pleased with Gem’s actions in their previous lives. Gem has one staunch supporter who claims to be their soulmate. I found the world and history of the reborn to be the most interesting part of this story. It felt unique and fresh.

Intertwined with this are Gem’s own struggle to cope with who they are as a human and as a reborn god. There is a focus on relationships, so this definitely comes with a quite a bit of teenage angst which was not unexpected. There are threads related to mental health woven into the story.

If a story featuring warring gods reborn across lifetimes that are facing off in their current lives as teenagers in small town Georgia interests you, pick this up.

This contemporary, dark urban fantasy (first of a duology) addresses many things. Perfect for lovers of paranormal, urban with demons, gore, and magic. I confess that I don't mind the triggers but I was hoping for something more mystic and fantasy. The cover is gorgeous though.
The feeling I had reading this story was unique, almost overwhelming, which is how teens must feel so the author did a great job.

A nonbinary indigenous teen who has a very bad relationship with the adults/parent figures is a high school student, living in a small town. They discover that they're a reincarnation of a God from a parallel Earth. It's inclusive and diverse and starts with a disclaimer and a list of triggers.

The book is slow (for me) and I didn't connect with the characters. We delay too much time first of all accepting the idea that Gem are a God. The repetition of concepts and ideas sounds like a reaffirmation that only the character needs to hear or say. Then takes it's time trying to figure out what to do or how to survive the danger of being such a God (without magic or memories). At the same time, Gem struggles a lot with their existence, sexuality, whom to love, where to go, what to do and when to do it, if school is really important, and who are their real friends. Some humor bits help some interactions, but at the same time seem silly.

It's very teen-focused and I started seeing the "fantasy" side of this story as a metaphor. This is what life looks like to a teen who feels lost and alone. A God at the center of his life/story but confused and powerless taking everyone's advice whenever they can but without knowing what to do. It's told in the first person and we get small scenes/ memories of flashbacks from the past to help us understand the God Gem but the human Gem is holding on to his humanity a lot and both flashbacks and their doubts slow the narrative even more.

Teens and some New Adult readers may find a lot of relatable issues, pop culture, and references that will keep them interested.

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this e-ARC.

“Godly Heathens” is the story of Gem, a nonbinary Indigenous teenager in a small Georgia town. Gem has a complicated relationship with their mother and many of their classmates, but has a very deep virtual friendship with Enzo, another trans Native teen located in Brooklyn. Gem is trying to muddle through as best they can until they can graduate and go to New York for college to be with Enzo. However, for their entire life Gem has been haunted by frighteningly realistic dreams that they cannot make sense of. When a new person arrives in town, Willa Mae, and tells Gem that the two of them are divine soulmates from a pocket realm next to Earth, and that the other gods from their pantheon are nearby trying to kill them, Gem doesn’t quite believe it - until one of those gods attacks. So much of this book happens in gray spaces - Gem’s relationship with the many aspects of their identity, their conflicting feelings for Enzo and Willa Mae. There are so many people who will read this book and see themselves reflected in Gem and that is so important - massive props for Edgmon for all the work they’ve done in crafting the different characters and all they represent in this story. It was the writing itself and the plot that didn’t really work for me - the dialogue and inner narration felt choppy, and the gods-trapped-on-Earth idea has been done a lot. There’s definitely a lot of good things going on in this story so I really hope others will enjoy the reading experience more than I did.

This is my first read by HE Edgmon, and I’m kind of mad at myself! Like, why did I deprive myself to this incredible storytelling for so long?!

I had so much fun reading about these morally grey characters in this contemporary YA fantasy. Gem, our nonbinary main character, finds out they’re a reincarnated god (nbd). Ultimately, this is a story about exploring identity, friendships, power and hope! I highly recommend it.

CW: mental health struggles, violence, death, self-harm, animal death, toxic relationship, child abuse, genocide

This was a wildly cool book. This was well written and dark, strange in the best way. My YA patrons will love this one - it's definitely a contender for the teen book club pick.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover alone sucked me in and the description was intriguing. The concept for the book was nicely done. The gods escaped from their own world a thousand years ago and are re-incarnated again and again in ours, mostly through family lines. The why and the how of it are well thought out, but there are a lot of questions that are left unanswered and WOW can they hold a grudge! Some of the characters were built extremely well, others not so much. Death? Wonderfully weird and creepy. The Librarian? Ugh, the god of knowledge sounds like a 5th generation inbred hill-billy that legit says "I ain't know he was gon' grab her.' which is extra notable because nobody else in this Podunk town speaks with a lick of accent.

I was not a fan of Gem. They start off the book coming off pretty bad-ass, I don't care what anyone thinks, I'm going to be myself. They then morph through phases of whiny, needy, and wishy-washy, with some strong willed thrown in. Overall, for a supposedly strong MC they are rather dependent on everyone else around them.

Things start getting muddy around mid-way through the book when all these extra characters start getting thrown in as the sleeping gods wake up. Enough so that one of the other gods sends Gem a text listing who all the players are and what they can all do. You also start getting random weird things thrown in that make absolutely no sense, but probably will in the second book? Inconsistencies start showing up now, too, like "There are no cis-gods" then later "The most heterosexual boy in the world..." Finally, I know that cliff-hangers are a big thing from one book to the next, but don't even get me started on the ending!

I struggled with what to rate this book. There are parts that I liked and thought were well done and there are parts that I obviously hated. I want the second book in the series to tie everything together and make it all make sense, so I am rounding up rather than rounding down. 2.5 stars from me.

This was a pretty good book! It wasn't really for me but the writing was very good and I could see the audience for it.

First and foremost what got me interested was that cover. It feels artistic and powerful.
One of the main things I love about this book is the character development and dialogue. I find myself cracking up all the time and falling in love with these characters as they develop. Especially the main character Gem with their snarky responses and relatability. He’s such a charming character but has that raw vulnerability and messiness that we can all relate to as we stumble through this cycle called, Life.
And to find out they are a god in a new cycle in life for sure reminds me so much of ‘The Arcana Chronicles’ by Kresley Cole is an absolute plus.
I for sure loved how unique this book was. It was an experience. The representation of the LGBTQUIA+ community was absolutely glorious. Especially with the main character being Trans and dealing with polyamorous relationships. I’ve never read book with these topics being front and center. It was eye opening and refreshing to get to know these character. And the dialogue! Perfection. I cracked up a bunch of times and was biting my nails to the beds with seeing how this book was going to wrap up. And I’m thirsty! For the sequel.
Would I recommend this book?
Absolutely! Character driven, LGBTQUIA+ representation and Gods fighting. Who can ask for more?
5 stars.

Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a ARC of this book. My review is honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

This was such a cool and unique read! Not only do we get a reincarnated gods storyline, but also a morally gray and somewhat villainous main character that you can’t help but find yourself relating to and rooting for.

I loved the indigenous and POC representation as well as the queer representation. Not only is our main character the town’s queer awakening, they’re also trans and the story features multiple trans characters as well. I loved the dynamic between everyone and how Gem fueled their anxiety and anger into becoming a better reincarnation than their previous selves. I loved the romance with Willa Mae and the longing for Enzo and how despite how at odds everyone was with each other, there is always a common enemy. I loved the full cast of characters, the banter, and the story itself. I mean, come on. A cast of young adults in high school who don’t fit in who happen to be gods in their latest reincarnations after settling on Earth after leaving their previous home? How does that not sound like the coolest story ever?

There were a few times I did find myself trudging along and itching to get back into the action and it felt a little slow, but overall I really enjoyed the story itself. It leaves you on a bit of a cliffhanger after taking you on a wild ride and I found the concept to be unique and captivating. I can’t wait to see what direction this story continues in.

For all of those who were (or still are) angry at the world and at the inability to figure out their place in the world, this book is for you.

I adore books with the secret identity trope, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of GODLY HEATHENS by H.E. Edgmon. The book follows Gem, a nonbinary teen who discovers they’re really the god of another world. But this discovery comes with a not-so-good revelation: all the other gods in the pantheon hate them and are determined to get rid of them. Gem has to regain their lost memories, find a hidden weapon, and decide how to solve their problems, all while dealing with being a teenager and the family issues, mental health challenges, and young love they’re faced with, too.

The book had a lot of amazing representation, which made me super happy! The author and main character are indigenous; nearly every character in the book is queer; and the mental health issues depicted in the book are more than accurate. The plot was intricate and intense & I loved seeing how the characters worked together. Gem’s memories alongside their current life were fascinating to consider and the author managed to bring a sense of omniscience to the character while also keeping them a true teenager.

I did feel that the plot itself got a little muddied and confusing once I hit the halfway mark, which is why it's not a full five stars for me.

This book has such an interesting story, gods living in the bodies of teenagers. It was great! It started out slow but really picked up towards the middle and by the end I could not put it down. I love Gem and all of their messy horrible decisions. I cant wait for the next book to see how that final scene plays out!

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Godly Heathens is a unique fusion of myth and modernity that takes readers on a wild ride through the lives of gods in a small town in Georgia. The book introduces us to a morally grey, Native and trans main character, offering a fresh perspective in the world of fantasy fiction.

The story's backdrop is captivating as it explores the age-old battles of these divine beings within the seemingly mundane setting of a small town. The clash of myth and reality is both thought-provoking and imaginative, making it an intriguing read for a younger audience who enjoy reimagined myths.

"Godly Heathens" is an ambitious and imaginative tale that opens the door to an exciting world of possibilities, and while I may be sitting with my feelings on this one for now, it undoubtedly has the potential to grow into a series worth following.

I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for this eArc

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Godly Heathens is a queer fantasy following Gem, a high school student who soon comes to find they're actually a reincarnated God. But Gem isn't the only one, and they soon come to understand they haven't always been a benevolent God in their past lives. Everyone and everything comes into question when the other gods start coming after them.

This story is overflowing with amazing representation that I think we need in YA literature. Gem is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the South, so there's tons of themes surrounding race, religion, belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, mental illness, and more. I think a lot of readers would love to see themselves represented in this story.

The writing style and dialogue weren't something I vibed with the whole time. But it didn't stop me from generally enjoying my read of this book. I was a tad worried at the start that it wouldn't be for me, but I was wrong. The final twist and the ending truly hooked me, and I will probably pick up book two because I'd love to see where this insane story is going. I really enjoyed the talk of feeling pushed to be the bad guy even when you want to do better and all that came with that. It was my favorite part.