“They wonder if you are their god or their monster? Let us show them you have always been both.”

Gem Echols has dreams so dark and terrifying and real that they can’t tell anyone, not even their best friend. That’s why Gem finds it so surprising when Willa Mae, the new girl in town, knows all about these recurring not-quite-nightmares. As Gem’s dreams start to bleed into reality, Willa Mae reveals the truth about who Gem really is — for better or worse.

Y’all…this BOOK. When I say Godly Heathens had me in a chokehold, I need you to understand that you are grossly underestimating just how hooked that I was to this story. The characters in this book are layered and messy and genuinely messed up. Like morally gray does not even begin to cover what is going on here. And that ending? I’m left starving for the sequel before Godly Heathens is even released.

This was an easy five stars for me — I was invested, I was laughing, I was angry af at these characters while also rooting for them. Godly Heathens is out on November 28th and you def need to go preorder your copy!!

This was all over the place (but in a fun way) I loved the role that gender was explained as in reference to them being gods and only wish for more depth and story for the gods. I’m hoping in the sequel we’ll get more answers. I loved Enzo and Gem a lot (they were both so funny and messy - I love people who are unapologetically themself) . The writing was easy to get into and the dialogue was great. It’s a quick read and I found myself I wishing the book was longer! I look forward to the sequel

Do you like chaotic disaster gays who have never made a good decision once in their life? Because buckle up buttercup, have I got the book for you.

Gem has never met a bad decision they can’t make worse. And I love this for them. And for me, because Gem’s trainwreck of bad decisions was amazing and this book was a ride.

Gem’s got a plan. That plan’s name is Enzo. Or rather, getting out of the small town and making it to Brooklyn to meet up with their bff/crush Enzo is the plan.

Unfortunately for Gem (and fortunately for us readers waiting for disaster to strike), that plan has a major flaw. Namely that Gem’s a reincarnated god and a bunch of other reincarnated gods would very much like to kill them. Permanently.

Turns out their past self did a whole bunch of murder and the other gods are pretty miffed about it. Or so Willa Mae, the cute new girl in town, says. Also she’s his soulmate. Probably.

Godly Heathens had me laughing, crying, cringing, and biting my nails as I raced to the last page.

In case it wasn’t obvious, I had an amazing time with this and I’m so excited to see where things go in the sequel because holy cliffhanger, Batman!

I really enjoyed The Witch King duology so I was excited to read more of Edgmon’s work. Godly Heathens contains a predominantly queer cast, polyamory, and indigenous rep.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC, all thoughts are my own.

Thank you for this free ARC, the opinions that follow are my own.

Really enjoyable YA! I loved the rep in this book and the premise kept me interested during the times where my focus drifted a little.

I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book, but I think had I read it when I was younger I would have felt deeply seen.

🩶🖤 Godly Heathens ARC Review 🖤🩶

Thank you so much to HE Edgmon and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Godly Heathens is a queer fantasy novel and book one in The Ouroboros series. Gem is a nonbinary trans teen who has been struggling with nightmares for weeks. Dreams of demons and gods that leave Gem feeling restless and out of control. When a mysteriously beautiful stranger shows up knowing all the details of their dreams, Gem realizes that something bigger is going on.

This book was a fantastic read! I really enjoyed Hem and their relationship with Willa Mae. I loved the mythology and world building in this story. It was an engaging world of magic across timelines. The only thing I struggled with was the age of the characters - their history and mannerisms implied they were older, so I had to keep reminding myself that they were in high school

Overall this was a solid four star read for me! Fun story, great characters - will absolutely read the next in the series! This book does have some darker themes including homophobia, and mentions of self harm, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book does have some romantic stories, and a few on page make out scenes, so overall one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of fantasy reads with strong queer characters, great banter and beautiful mythology, then absolutely pick this one up!

Please note: review will be posted on Amazon upon publication

Excellent book. Definitely will be re reading this book on audio once it’s released I think I will enjoy it more in that format. I’m a big fan of H.E. Edgmon’s work!

This was really fantastic! "Godly Heathens" kind of reminds me of Percy Jackson meets X-Men--but make it darker, queerer, and set in the smalltown American south. You'll love this book if antiheroes and morally grey characters are your thing!

Gem, our protagonist, is a nonbinary teen struggling with mental health in the tiny town of Gracie, Georgia. When they discover they're the reincarnation of the Magician, god of magic, soon other gods begin to awaken in the form of other students at their high school--gods who want Gem dead... for good reasons.

"Godly Heathens" stays on point with its themes (mental health, colonization, agency, and facing the worst of yourself) and builds up to an incredible cliffhanger. This is probably one of my best YA reads this year--I'll definitely be yelling excitedly about this one and waiting eagerly for the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Non-binary Seminole teen Gem Echols dreams of a beautiful demon that seduces them into performing atrocities at night, and being the self-aware vehicle of queer sexual discovery for other teens in their quiet Georgia town by day. That is, until a pair of teens show up in town; one claims they and Gem are reincarnated soulbound deities, and the other immediately tries to kill them both. Gem soon discovers not only is it all true, but their closest friends and companions are also reincarnated deities, whose lives seem to get more out of balance with each iteration.

Edgmon serves up some solidly delicious teen angst here, even before the main characters discover they are the reincarnated human forms of gods from another world, stranded on Earth. Gem's mental health has always been precarious, and Edgmon threads the needle in the first part of the book of Gem's own skepticism about the very real magic in their life deftly.

It all sounds a bit like it could take a page from Rick Riordan, if the characters weren't so thoroughly morally grey and traumatized by lifetimes of violence and fury. No easy endings or quick moral platitudes here, the book ends on a cliffhanger where Gem chooses between a series of what seem like only-bad-choices (and probably chooses absolutely the worst option) making for some absolutely delicious drama.
(Viewpoints are my own and do not reflect my institution.)

It's a no for me.

I loved the representation in this book. But the actual plot of the story and the characters just didn't grab my attention and I cannot get myself to enjoy the writing of it, The plot needed more buildup earlier on for me, the characters felt very two dimensional. I wish the publishers/NetGalley would post trigger warnings before you receive the ARC because I probably wouldn't have requested this one based on the triggers.

Sadly, a DNF at 25%.

I loved the world building of this book and the chaos brought about by reincarnating Gods into teens. My only issue was the middle of the book dragged a bit, but not for too long. All the characters were unique and the representation presented was great to see.

A great read overall.

Definitely a twisting tale, this was a wild ride from start to finish. Reincarnation was a fascinating aspect of this story. A unique take and fun to boot.

I've read Edgmon's other books, and I was fascinated to see what he would do with a Wicked and the Divine scenario (gods reincarnating across years) set in rural Appalachia. The cast is trans majority and wild as hell in the best way possible, everyone is a messy bitch, and guess what, our protag/POV is the villain (/Taylor Swift song). This was just a fun read, and with that cliffhanger, I can't wait to see where he goes next. Pick it up when you have the chance!

I received this ARC from St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books, and H.E. Edgmon through NetGalley.

First and foremost, the ending:
HOLY SHIT.

This was such a wild and enjoyable ride! The worldbuilding was so intriguing and the characters so captivatingly lush!

Having the story be told from Gem's pov just made everything so much more emotional and intense! It made everything seem so vivid in your mind as you read and visualised what was happening.

The pacing was just right with the battle scenes and "recovery" scenes were well balanced.

The way H.E. Edgmon developed each characters' personalities and relationships was so well written I could feel the jealousy, love, frustration, and hurt just as the characters did. I could understand where the characters were coming from when they expressed their grievances and motivations.

To me, overall, this story was very cinematic and such a thrill to read and I loved it!

This dark fantasy is a light with a full cast with amazing depth and a long winding story that draws you in.

I thought that the premise and the writing itself were great. The plot keeps you hooked and you take the journey with Gem. The representation is great, and the found family is wonderful.

The only drawback for me is that the memory and dream jumps you have to pay a lot of attention to our you can get a little lost. I wish there was more clear separation.

I expect this duologywill be absolutely wonderful, but there is a cliffhanger to draw you to the second book.

4.5 stars

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in a small town in Georgia. They lean hard into their charm, known for being the queer awakening for their peers. No one really knows the anxious mess they actually are, except for a trans boy named Enzo living in Brooklyn.

But not even Enzo knows about the dreams Gem has, dreams that felt too real. Except the new girl, Willa Mae, who seems to know everything. And act like she and Gem are old friends. When Gem is attacked by the Goddess of Death, they learn that Gem and Willa are gods, reincarnated across lifetimes. And they’ve made a lot of enemies.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Godly Heathens by HE Edgmon to review! Though Edgmon has been on my radar for a while, I finally picked up his first series this year. And there’s just something about their writing style that has me hooked!

Though The Witch King is dark, I almost think this new duology is a bit darker. Gem is not always the most likable character, nor do they do the most likable things. As we get flashes of their past lives as a reader, our perception of them changes. Kind of like their perception of themselves changes. The way the book is written adds to this mythical world Edmon has created, and it just works really well for the way the story unfolds.

The story itself is wonderfully chaotic, with a cast of characters who have been hurt and traumatized but they’ve found each other. Sure, they’re all set up for more hurt and trauma, but you still know that they have each other. That idea of found family permeates through the core of the story, and even though it’s a bit dark, there’s still that element of hope.

The cast of characters themselves are wonderfully diverse, and it’s great for teens to be able to identify with that. I think my only complaint about this book is that at times, the jumping between memories is a little confusing, but it feels purposeful. We’re just as confused as Gem is for a lot of the book. Overall, it works to create an engaging story by the end.

Be warned, though, it does end on a pretty big cliffhanger. Luckily, you won’t have to wait too long for the second book to come out next spring! If you’re looking for a dark fantasy with morally gray characters, Edgmon is definitely worth checking out.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press’s Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this eARC of Godly Heathens by H. E. Edgmon. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Godly Heathens by H. E. Edgmon is about Gem Echols, a nonbinary Seminole teen who discovers that not only are they a god who has been reincarnated as different members of their family for generations, they are also being hunted by the Goddess of Death and other gods, and if that wasn't bad enough, they also find out that the horrifying dreams they have been having are true. All this information is naturally dropped on Gem within less than 24 hours.
What a ride! This was one of the most exciting books I’ve read in a while! The world-building was nicely done. I really enjoyed following along with Gem as their memories from their past selves came back to them! Also, the pacing was really good. It was a steady balance of fast and slow moments which really lets readers take in all the information without getting overloaded.

This was so good and I was on the edge of my seat right up until that heartstopping ending! This is a duology readers are going to be talking about for a long time!

Godly Heathens is scheduled to hit shelves on November 28, 2023! I highly recommend buying it or checking it out from your local library when it does!

5 out of 5 stars

Godly heathens is a YA fantasy with queer representation that deals with character trauma. The main character, Gem, is a reincarnated god. Although the book was a really interesting concept, it wasn't for me. I found the main character dislikable, and the beginning chapters were hard to follow.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its exploration of identity and self-acceptance. This novel was a spellbinding and emotionally resonant tale that delves deep into themes of identity, love, and destiny. I will absolutely recommend this book to others.

that was a great book. Im going to come back to edit my review while i wrap my mind around it. Im excited to read more from Edgmon

This is a great book for anyone who loves messy, destructive, imperfect characters with messy drama with fantasy elements, and action but unfortunately, this book isn't for me.

I went into this book blind. I really liked the gender humour, the personality of the main character and how grounded the story felt in the beginning, it really hooked me in and I found it very compelling. The first chapter had me really excited for a fun fantasy action story.

But as the book went on, it got really hard for me to read. I found the basis of the romantic relationships which seemed to be the major motivational factor of the story to be really hard for me to be invested in. I do not like either love interest for the protagonist and it was really hard to read through the story especially since it was such a romance heavy book.

Another frustration that I had was that stuff sort of happens and there's no real feeling of loss or consequences for a certain character death that should've held more weight especially since the main character was friends before their awakening as a god. I felt like more drama could've been extracted from that conflict of a friend that turned into an enemy but he was killed too quickly.

The final thing was that there were a lot of characters and I had a hard time remembering who was who. It might've been just me but it wasn't easy to keep track of the story because of the large cast.

I can see other people loving this book and people being excited to have a whole new take on fantasy gods on a modern world but unfortunately it just didn't hit well with me.