A rare treat for the YA genre. This novel is chalk full of representation I haven't even seen in adult novels. I absolutely loved Gem with all their flaws and feelings. My major gripes with the novel is that it is going break neck speed trying to fill you in on this multi-generational war between Gods. A lot of the characters outside of the main three (Gem, Enzo, and Willa Mae) are given a paragraphs worth of info that is centuries long. Despite having an enemy, this force is put on the back burner near the end for a rather unsatisfying antagonist. Despite it's fast pace, the three main characters and their dynamic are awesome. Also I will immediately be picking up the second book after that crazy whirlwind of an ending.

Godly Heathens follows Gem, a trans high schooler just trying to coast through life until they can get out their southern small town. Only they aren't just a high schooler, they're also an immortal god destined to reincarnate over the centuries. More and more gods come to the small town and Gem must face their past and reckon with their future.

I love the reincarnation trope, especially when the author shows the flashbacks of Gem's previous lives including their godly life back in the Ether where the gods have come from. I especially enjoyed how they interacted with the Shade and the Mountain across the years too.

I didn't so much care for the fight scenes in this story, mainly because everything went really fast and I actually missed a lot of things because it would be mentioned briefly one time and then never again until chapters later (legit missed when one character was killed off).

This is definitely an older YA novel mainly because while there is no on screen sex scenes, there are many allusions to it and this reads more for older teens up to college aged kids. Overall very enjoyable and the ending!!!

I’m not sure how to brief readers on this book. Godly Heathens is about a group of high school students that are actually gods of another universe reborn without their memories. But they remember at different times and not necessarily all at once. Most are at war with the main character because of things they did long, long ago. I’m not going to say anything else because there are a lot of reveals throughout the story.

This book is a little difficult to review. While I did enjoy it, I also encountered a lot of roadblocks that gradually wore me down in my reading. Let’s start with the good: There’s a varied cast, and each character does have a personality of their own to help separate them. There are several scenes of action. There’s magic. There’s a wicked love triangle. There’s the promise of more chaos and drama to come in future installments in the series. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger with possibly wild consequences. And, of course, there’s a lot of great trans, queer, and disabled representation going on here!

Now, for my roadblocks: Other than the main characters, I didn’t really like anyone else, including their lovers (especially the Shade, who came off as an ass more often than not – I did not understand the appeal there). A lot of the story revolves around stuff from the past that we haven’t seen and are only given scattered glimpses of; this made it difficult for me to believe the authenticity of feelings and motivations, including the love triangle. The pacing is a little off; I would go from wanting to read chapter after chapter to being bored for a while and wanting to read something else. All of the gods have multiple names, which was confusing at times. I get that they did magic, namely the main character, but I wanted more explanation on how that all worked. The Oroborous, for example, seemed lacking. Maybe it was explained better during one of the slow stretches where I was losing interest, but I generally don’t like when stories give us a weapon that is all powerful and needs to be destroyed for alternative solutions to be discovered. I also had trouble understanding some of the personal content; a little explanation in these areas would have helped.

I’m torn on whether or not I will read book two in this series. Like I’ve stated, I liked Godly Heathens but I also struggled with it. I may just wait and see what people are saying when the next entry is made available (which I’m guessing may be soon for reviewers since it already has a Goodreads page).

2/5

I really wanted to love this one - the cover is beautiful and there’s a lot of great representation. Unfortunately, this one fell pretty flat for me due to 1) the plot and 2) the characters. The plot seemed promising at the beginning of the book, but then the entire book turned into an introduction for all the other characters/gods and not much actually happened. I did like the characters at first (I love a morally gray MC) and I’m sure there will be more character development for Jem in future books. However, Jem just got increasingly more whiny throughout the book and the constant focus on the unnecessary love triangle really brought this one down for me.

This book was something I feel many YA readers would enjoy; the LGBTQIA+ rep was done tastefully as well as mental health rep. There was a few times where I tilted my head with things but besides those I enjoyed the book. It was a great way to modernize mythology in a different ascent than most do.

Reincarnated gods from another world collide in a story of love, betrayal, choice, revenge, and deciding on who they are and what that means.

This book is so compulsively readable. It's about making mistakes and righting them, and fighting for yourself and what you want even if that's selfish. It's so many things wrapped up in a contemporary fantasy bow that is delicious on every page.

DNF at Chapter 6/19(ish)%

received this arc and, while i won't be giving a proper review because i didn't finish the book, i do want to say that my reason for dnf-ing isn't the story itself, but the writing style. i've dnf-ed other books by this author for the writing style, but the plot of this one seemed interesting so i wanted to give it a chance. that chance didn't last very long. i am giving it 3 stars for this review despite dnf-ing it because it seemed interesting as a book, the writing style just isn't for me and won't ever be for me.

the plot, from the bit i did read, seemed very interesting. gem seemed to be an interesting character, and the other characters that had begun being introduced seemed like they had potential as well. if it weren't written in a first person pov, i'm positive i would have finished the book and enjoyed it, but first person pov is always so hit or miss for me personally and this one was a miss.

if you like first person pov writing, then i'm sure you'd like this book. it truly does seem to have potential to be good, i just won't force myself to read a book that i can't get interested in and dislike the writing style for because that would leave it with a less than positive review no matter how i felt about the book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC copy they provided.

What’s the best way to describe Godly Heathens?

OH MY F@#$ING GODS!!!

Like literally, that is going to be your reaction to SO many parts of this book as you read it. If you’re not prepared to scream at your screen (or actual, physical book, if you’re lucky enough to have one of those), you are not prepared for this book.

Where to start with this book… From beginning to end, Godly Heathens feels like a rollercoaster, the highs just setting you up for the sudden drops that make you want to scream. (And potentially throw your phone or physical book.) Everyone is mildly feral, has something to hide, and plays both hero and villain.

Rather like life, if you think about it.

To make things simpler, I’ll say the main character, Gem Echols, happens to be a god.

They just also happen to be a god everyone hates, and to be stuck in the body of a human teenager. The ultimate in existential horror…

The games begin early in the book with Gem plagued by intense dreams of an alluring demon and the bloody crimes they committed together. While still processing THAT, the goddesses of Death and War show up at Gem’s school with scores to settle and zero trust for the god they blame for destroying their world and their places in the pantheon.

Luckily for Gem, the goddess of Earth and the god of Things Forbidden just happen to love them for who they are, bloody hands and all.

And that is one of the points of this book I am extremely happy with. Almost every book that features a love triangle forces the characters to choose. Someone has to win and someone else has to lose. Godly Heathens has as little thought of choosing as Gem Echols does. Gem Echols loves both their god and their goddess, and they have no intention of picking just one of them.

The sweet and accepting polyamory is one of my favorite pieces of this wonderfully queer, and utterly undomesticated book where “there are no cis gods.” I was fully able to see myself in many of these characters, especially Gem, and that is a gift for any queer reader who has ever felt they were “bad at being human.” Too often when reading books by cis authors, queer readers can feel non-existent and unseen. Godly Heathens has none of that. Queerness permeates the pages, and I was so there for it.

In addition to the queer identities and sexualities being everywhere, Godly Heathens doesn’t fall into the trap of making every single one of its queer characters a saint. They are as real and multi-layered as any person on the street. No one is all “good” or all “bad.” They just are, and they play the villain in other people’s lives as much as they play the hero on their own.

That’s life, and that’s one of the major themes of Godly Heathens. “Sometimes evil is just a person whose needs are at odds with yours.”

When that “evil” is coming at you with every intention of destroying you and making you suffer for what you’ve done, it’s hard to remember the fact, but the fact is no less true. And if we’re not careful, we become “evil” to other people.

Gem figures this paradox out as Godly Heathens unfolds, and at the penultimate moment they make a choice that spirals the end of Godly Heathens off into the second book in the Ouroboros Duology, Merciless Saviors. I’m not going to say too much about what that choice IS, but you can bet it’s one poor choice and they’re going to be dealing with the consequences all through the upcoming book.

I very rarely pick up a first novel and find myself interested enough to read a sequel, but for Godly Heathens I’ll make an exception. I am SO looking forward to book two, and all the OH MY F@#$ING GODS!!! moments it’s sure to have.

One hundred percent recommend this book for anyone who loves queer dark fantasy.

This is an unbelievably rich and nuanced story that might be intense to read in parts but definitely worth it by the end. The queer representative is embedded deeply within the story and within the god characters themselves. This made it a really unique read. The duality of the characters as both gods and teens was expertly presented and well written. The plot might be seen as convoluted but it fit the characters and the way they experience the world.

ARC review

HOLY SHIT. This was great.

This was violent and funny and uncomfortable and sad and powerful and validating. A great representation of everyone’s teenage years - only we were all constantly reincarnating, grudge-holding, intensely powerful and dramatic gods.

I loved metaphors and parallels between gender, sexuality, and colonization, and coming to terms with being both yourself and an ageless powerful deity. I loved the stark descriptors and harsh truths. I loved seeing Gem battle with death gods and their curfew.

Dying to give this a second read in audio, and so looking forward to reading the next installment.

This was absolutely phenomenal and I am so happy I found this author! I wish they had been around when I was younger but this is top tier YA Fantasy. Gem is a trans, nonbinary, Seminole teen. Oh, and a reincarnated god from another realm who is slowly remembering their past lives. As the discover the truth through dreams and flashbacks they meet several other gods, some friendly others not.

-loved how fast-paced this was, I was fully engaged from start to finish
-the characters felt messy, realistic, and full of emotions
-this book was super queer and I loved every second
-Gems character arc, trying to figure out if they are the hero or the villain was gold
-morally grey characters for the win
-Edgmon's world building and engrossing writing style made this so fun to read

I just loved this so much, go read it!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
Godly Heathens is everything I love most about young adult fiction. The quirky characters, the story that creates its own mythology, the humor that made me laugh out loud a few times. It's the kind of book that I wish had existed when I was in high school. Although I am long out of the YA age bracket, I feel this could be a life changing or affirming book for queer young people. Strong 5 stars.

Dear whoever approves Netgalley requests for St. Martin's Press, I hope you get a raise and both sides of your pillow are cool for the rest of your life. you're my hero. Thank you SO much to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and H.E. Edgemon for the ARC. All opinions are my own of course.

4.5, rounded up!

Out of the gate, this book is FAST. The pace set from the jump was enough for me to regularly flip back and make sure I hadn't missed any crucial details. The good thing here is that it matches with the emotions of Gem, our 17 year old nonbinary protag.

You see, Gem is struggling with vivid and violent dreams and hallucinations, just like their father. They've never felt quite at home being a person, wrestling being queer and mentally ill in their swampy, backwoods small town. Their dad went fully off the deep end some time ago, leaving Gem with a well intentioned but ultimately clueless mother. Luckily, their bff Enzo is also trans and has been monumental in keeping Gem off the ledge. Unfortunately, he lives in Brooklyn, some thousand plus miles away, and Gem has to graduate high school before they'll be able to create a future together.

After another terrible dream, Gem feels like their grip on reality is shifting, waiting just beyond a fog for Gem to catch it. This is made significantly worse when they are accosted by a new student, Willa Mae, who claims that they are soulmates. Oh, and gods from another world.

Things snowball from here, building towards something Gem cannot remember or name - something that places everything and everyone they love in danger.

The pace, while honestly breakneck, really helped me slip into Gem's shoes as they tried to navigate through their new reality. I was trying to connect the dots right alongside Gem (if you know the Always Sunny whiteboard meme, you have a sense of the complexity lol). I do think that the language was almost painfully gen z at times, but also I don't know that I love the idea that all books have to exist in this timeless vacuum either, so I'm tabling that complaint.

The characterization here is what really sold Godly Heathens for me. Gem oscillates between "good" and "bad", often landing in the morally grey camp, which is understandable. All of their intentions and insights make sense, especially for a 17 year old going through what I can only describe as a uniquely traumatic situation, who also has pretty severe trauma from their past. Edgemon doesn't shy away from frank conversations about Gem and their father's struggles with mental illness, or the coping mechanisms Gem has adopted along the way. It all feels very genuine and believable. I am a little sad that it's single POV, though. I look forward to book two, and hopefully seeing more of the pantheon as Gem reveals more about the other gods and their reasoning.

For all that I initially balked at Willa Mae's character, by the end I was cheering her on and hopeful for the romance between them and Gem. I had no reservations doing the same with Enzo, and could honestly probably make the case for an entire harem, lol. Gem talks a lot about keeping parts of themself hidden and being a sort of chameleon, so seeing them truly vulnerable and open made my Grinch heart grow.

Also, I have never felt as seen by a character as I do by Gem. I can't tell you how much of this ARC is annotated by my "relatable" highlighter.

The plot is revealed in halves - the past in the Ether told through hazy memories and dreams, and the present, racing toward some unknown destiny. I'm not usually a fan of that kind of storytelling, but it works here, for some reason.

I really, REALLY enjoyed this book. I laughed, I cried, I gasped so loudly my boyfriend had to check on me. I am also foaming at the mouth for book two, this cliffhanger felt like I had been punched. Phenomenal.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin Press!
I enjoyed The Witch King and ended up liking this one even more. Gem is a non-binary teen living in a small town. Throughout the book, we see their struggle and journey with mental health and family. It combines personal journies and fantastical stories. Packed full of reincarnation and goddesses as well as personal strength and identity. I love books that can combine deep and personal issues with a sense of fantastical elements.
The ending was such h a cliff hanger, and I literally need the second book!

An interesting premise and emotional story populated by complex, morally ambiguous characters - usually an instant hit for me. However, characters using internet-speak in books is an instant and powerful turn-off for me. Phrases such as "living rent free in my head" and "big-brained" feel incredibly culturally bound to specific moments in time, such that by the time this book is published, I'm sure they are already going to feel outdated and inevitably cringe. I had this problem with Red, White, and Royal Blue, and the issue persists in Godly Heathans. As a queer person myself, I understand the close-knit relationship between online dialect and queerness that is heavily present in this novel. While I can appreciate the notion, it makes the story feel trapped in the past in a way that takes me out of the story. An over-reliance on Gen-z idioms does not comedy make, and I feel like this distinction is utterly lost in Godly Heathans.

I enjoyed previous H. E. Edgmon's books and was excited to dive into this one. What makes this book the most special is that it is raw and real and holds no punches with the reader. I also love that trans, non-binary, and indigenous teens will see themselves in this book.

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.

I'm having difficulty reviewing this book, and providing a synopsis because there is just SO MUCH to say. Gem is the main character, who is a non-binary teen living in a small town outside of Atlanta, with Seminole blood and ancestors, who also discovers they are a God reincarnated...But at the same time Gem has trauma and their own personal fights, stemming from their father's struggle with mental health, their mom's difficulty to understand them, and their own mental health battle, and an overwhelming sense of not belonging/being wanted.

Overall, the fantastical story is catching and entertaining, to the point I feel like I need the second book ASAP following the ending cliff-hanger. But underlying the main story there is a deep discussion of more pressing issues, which in some ways left me feeling overwhelmed, and unsure of how to react. And to top it off Gem flips back and forth between "good" and "bad" and becomes a morally "grey" main character. The book was certainly worth the read and will stick with me for awhile, but the depth of some of the scenes and descriptions caused me to take a little longer to read versus other novels (in no way is this a negative, just caused me to use my brain more than I was expecting).

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys YA/fantasy, and who has an open mind.

I personally didn’t connect with the story which is why I’m not posting the review.
It was a bit confusing and personally not for me. Thanks so much.

this novel is definitely something to keep an eye out for! this follows reincarnated god, Gem. it’s hard to get into it without spoiling but this has a rich plot and I loved the parallels between godly and teenage struggles and drama. I loved the casual queerness of this book as well.

The first time I tried to read this it could not hold my attention. The second time I tried to read this I got just far enough to decide it is Bad and put it away.

The writing is INCREDIBLY gen-z. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it was very annoying and honestly kind of distracting. There was a particular part of a phrase that made me put it down definitively "... if his crazy hadn't ruined their marriage..." the accusatory tone related to mental health rubbed me the wrong way and since I wasn't vibing with the book to begin with, I decided to put it away.