I will, unfortunately, be abstaining from sharing my thoughts about this title until St. Martin's Press adequately addresses the current boycott and its claims and questions.

Love all the trans, non-binary and indigenous representation in this book!! At its core, this is a coming of age story. If I read this as a teenager, I would have enjoyed it more. I think because of this gap, I found it very hard to connect with the characters. And also probably why I found our main character, Gem, increasingly difficult to follow. Their young and sometime naive mindset had them come across as selfish, vein and sometimes, down-right agitating. It got to me a few times and I had to put the book down for fear of ripping the pages out in protest.

That being said, I loved how raw and open all of these characters were. We witnessed their trauma unfolding and watched as they collectively tried to piece themselves back together. Despite not enjoying Gem sometimes, I loved meeting all the different side characters and how they interacted with Gem. (Maybe not how Gem interacted with everyone else. But I digress)

I really enjoyed Edgmons writing and look forward to picking up some of their backlog books.

Overall I thought it was a good story, I liked the very diverse set of characters and more than once I was genuinely surprised, which I loved. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more as they seemed a bit one dimensional for most of the book. The ending seemed kind of thrown together and the complete abandonment of that singular priority they held through the whole book at the last second with zero reason or explanation took it from what would have been a 4 to a 3.

Godly Heathens starts out intense and only gets more interesting from there. I read most of this book within a day as I just found it hard to put down. There are some great plot twists, some I saw coming but others that took me by complete surprise. This book does end on a cliffhanger, however, so readers be aware if that’s an ick for you!

The author does a great job of creating lively and lovable characters with great chemistry. Even the antagonists had some sweet elements to them that made me second guess which side I was rooting for. As a central theme of the plot, almost everyone in the book is morally grey, not really fulfilling the role of “good” or “bad” guy, which made the story all the more compelling.

The book is set in a small town in Georgia but flashbacks also show the reader brief glimpses of another world, called Ether. The magic system is well developed and unique for this genre. I was impressed that the author veered away from some obvious tropes for this setting and genre. I did expect the small town aspect to come more into play for the plot or to influence the character’s decisions more, but it wasn’t as notable as it could have been.

Godly Heathens is the first book in The Ouroboros duology. This was an awesome book for me to start 2024 with as it scratched a lot of itches I’d been craving. The story heavily features LGBTQIA+ characters and the main character’s identity plays a pivotal role in the story. I recommend this for readers who love nontraditional romance, exciting plot twists, and don’t mind having to wait a few more months for the conclusion of the series. Personally, I already have the sequel Merciless Saviors queued up and can’t wait to read what happens next.

Please be aware of the trigger warnings before reading as the book opens with an intense nightmare.

Gem, our main character, discovers that they are a reincarnated from an alternate version of Earth and if that's not complicated enough, they're also grappling with their own place in this world and their family.

This book is so queer and so wonderful. The fantasy world Edgmon has built is *chef's kiss*. The characters are almost painfully relatable at points, and this may not be intentional, but Gem is a brilliant unreliable narrator throughout much of the book. Both because they are just as lost as the reader in many places and because they refuse to reveal certain information to the reader until later.

Overall, I'm having a hard time sorting out my thoughts about this book. All I know is that you should read it right now, thanks <3

I adored the morally gray, chaotic characters in this book! The found family dynamic was amazing, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

This book had a decently written first person. I enjoyed that it had minority representation and that there was variation in gender identity.

Another absolute banger from Edgmon! This is the kind of novel that I can't stop thinking about - well plotted with amazing world building and wonderfully terrible characters. I think this is my favorite YA of 2023!

I had very high hopes for this and it definitely delivered! I have been a fan of the author for a while and I am excited for this new adventure!

Incredible. Mind-blowing. Stay up all night to read the book in one sitting good! A fantastic story filled with adventure, horrors, and so much more.

dnf’d at 26% i don’t know, i just could not get into the characters and the mc is kinda annoying to me

i just rather not waste my time listening to this one if i’m not enjoying it

This book was queer and feral and I adored it. Gem's voice was so good throughout and it was strong. I loved and cared about every character in the book and read this all in one sitting. This is definitely a can't miss book that queer readers will feel seen in.

This was good! I don't know if it is weird to say, but one of the things I kept thinking as I read it, was "This would make a great anime series." Gods reincarnated as teenagers with complicated past lives, fanart-worthy character designs, epic elemental magic fights on off-school days, humor and sarcasm running on high. Just way more queer than any anime I know (It's Queer AF, btw).

Gem, the main character, is flawed with insecurities and mental health issues. They are painfully relatable as a human to the point where I even took a break for a little while.

This may also be weird to say, considering I do read YA, but this is a very Gen Z vibe book. Not just the pop culture and easy queerness that isn't that hard to find lately, but a way of thinking and vibe that I can't quite put my finger on, that made me clearly think - this isn't my generation.

And that's completely cool and didn't stop me from enjoying the writing despite a little disconnect. It's action-packed, emotional, and has a hell of an ending.

It took me longer than I thought to read this, but it was a very good book! There was a lot of information in this book, to include who the characters were at present, who they were in the past, and who they were in between... I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. Since they were gods, I expected more mature behaviors, and yet the typical teen stuff came out too and that made for an interesting dynamic in each of the characters and how they related to one another. The ending was NOT expected, and that made me very happy. I can not wait to find out what happens in the next book.

This book was a phenomenal story, and I really enjoyed it for the most part. However, I don't believe the characters ages were appropriate for it. In my opinion, this should have been a New Adult or Adult fantasy. The YA of it all lent some angst and conflict but it was honestly wholly unnecessary given the conflict throughout the story. I did enjoy the Buffy vibes throughout, and that will appeal to a certain crowd- but again I think that crowd is older than the target audience here. If the characters had been aged up just a handful of years I think we're dealing with a different story that could've focused more on the plot than the YA of it all. That being said- the plot was amazing! An original, well executed foray into a new magical reality in which <spoiler the Gods are constantly reincarnated and struggle through their innate humanity in the bodies they are housed within to find their true identities, cope with them, and pick up the mantle of their age old conflict. > I look very forward to the next book in this series, and will follow this author closely.

I was really drawn to this book because I found the premise so interesting. Godly Heathens is dark and violent, yet the characters feel very YA. But I really enjoyed this book.

4.5 Stars

This book is so unique! It brings together a lot of different things, from reincarnation to alternate dimensions to gods and I was completely along for the ride. I had so much fun learning who was each god and learning about the world, as well as getting to know all the characters. Even the ones that we weren't meant to like were written with so much depth and all felt like fully formed individuals. I enjoyed getting to know them all! I liked being in Gem's mind and watching them learn about the world and who they really are, and watching them figure out what they want. I like how morally grey Gem is as well.

I also appreciated all the diversity in this book, because I just know that it's going to be a book that makes people feel seen, accepted and less alone. To that point, I liked all the discussion about whether Gem (and all of the others, including Willa Mae and Enzo) were separate from the gods that they hosted, and whether who they were as individual humans versus their thousands of years as that god mattered. It opened a great discussion about individuality and being accepted for who we are, and prioritizing our needs, and I really enjoyed that element a lot. I'm also super invested in that world and where the plot goes from here!

All that said, I do feel like some of Gem's decision, especially towards the end, did not mesh with who we were learning to expect them to be. For example, if Gem Echols matters just as much as the Magician, then I think it's hypocritical not to realize that Poppy matters as much as the Reaper does, etc. But, I know this the first book in a series so I am excited to see how Gem progresses as an MC.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

What a striking story. This book delves deep and it almost feels like you yourself are the main character and are experiencing every moment with them. Beautifully written!

Really loved this one. I think Edgmon is a fresh voice and I look forward to following his career. Definitely recommend.

I did not finish this book, sadly. (Got to 20%) But it's not the book's fault! I'm aromantic and asexual, and the main character of this book was just mega lusty, which I couldn't get into. I love deeply emotional romances, but when it's just sex for the sake of sex, I can't get into it.
I ADORED the concept, the world, the history, and everything about the premise. It was enthralling. So for the people this book is for, they will love it, I'm sure. Take my review with a grain of salt--I'm rating it three stars due to the quality of writing and intrigue of plot, but again I did not finish it! For the readers out there who love the spice and action and intrigue, you'll love this, so give it a go!