This dark fantasy duology's take on reincarnated gods offers a fascinating insight into the life of Gem Echols, our residential queer who is about to learn they are a God. We learn about their home life, their strange dreams, and their on-going mental health crisis (that might partially be explained by the new, fantastical revelation).
The narration by Avi Roque is also top-tier.

It’s a story I had a hard time putting down, the concept is engaging, and I loved how it opens up this entirely new world for Gem to explore and find a home in. It reshapes how they think about their absent father, their Native identity, their disconnect with living, and more. Those elements are interesting, and even fun at times, in it’s darker atmosphere.

As this is Young Adult, much of our cast still in high school. So while Gem – and us readers – are learning about the war the Gods have been fighting and how many of them want to kill Gem, they are also navigating school hours and homework. It’s makes for an awkward reading experience. Those scenes are at odds with the rest of plot, especially the further we get into the story. There is an imbalance in how the story tries to have Gem (and the other reincarnations) be both teenagers and Gods at the same time.

I keep going back and forth between enjoying the plot and feeling dissatisfied by it. A lot of the reveals and important plot points are delivered in dialogue, dropping the relevant parts whenever it’s convenient. But I also loved how the pantheon was set up and the reveals as to which of the cast was which God.
And I adored how it portrayed Gem’s demiromantic pansexual identity but due to how the story is set up, the romance was not the hit I wanted it to be. It’s not bad but I could not get invested into the destined love story.


At its best, the book offers an insight into queerness, Indigeneity, and disability that manifests both in realistic and fantastical ways through the lens of a marginalized teenager. Their identities are explored on-page and in detail, bringing nuance and understanding
At its worst, it’s a book that tries to portray a morally gray character yet still wants it both ways and throws everything at the wall to see what sticks.

One of my favorite themes in Godly Heathens is the ways Edgmon examines immortality and grievances. If we live forever, do the betrayals, the loves we have, fade to nothing? Are we doomed to keep repeating the cycles we find ourselves in? How much can we really change if we have forever? If we keep finding each other again? Godly Heathens explores this juxtaposition between immortality and pettiness. This conflict between revenge for mistakes and betrayals centuries ago with wondering if we can ever truly amend.

I love a good deities book. love it even more when it's queer and H.E. Edgmon was able to deliver on it!

I enjoyed this story with its LGBTQ rep and why choose romance. There were moments where I felt confused, mostly when it leaned more into its fantasy elements. I was excited to see how the duology finished after that conclusion.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with an arc.

Dnf 15% in.

I really wanted to enjoy this one as I am always looking to diversify my reading and this features a nonbinary main character. But sadly it didn't work for me, it struggled to keep my attention. I will say if you want a very diverse queer ya fantasy pick this one but I am just struggling to stay focused on most YA book currently so it didn't work for me. I still recommend giving it a try if it sounds interesting to you.

Dnfed at 20%. I wanted to like this one since I didn't like the authors other book, however this one did NOT connect with me. I didn't connect with the main character which is why I mainly didn't finish this. I'm not sure this author is for me. Ive given them so many tries but their books just don't click with me.

This was a really interesting story. I definitely forgot what it was about between the time of requesting it and reading it, but I ended up being delighted by the premise and the way the story played out. I really liked the main character. It was very well-written.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was one of my favorite books of 2023! This book follows Gem as they find out that they are the reincarnation of a god after two other gods try to kill them. They are saved by another reincarnated Goddess, who they were lovers with in previous lives. But as Gem's life before and the life that they are thrust into are colliding, and they soon realize that everyone has secrets.

I really liked the writing style. I also really liked the concept and execution of the concept. I liked how the characters were morally grey, even the narrator of the story. This book really kept you in suspense as to what happened and what was going to happen. All in all, amazing book.

I think there are a lot of very cool elements here, including the reincarnation, the pantheon, and the willingness that Edgmon has to go there with violence. No one is really all that likable in this book, and you have to be okay with that.

This book was not my cup of tea. I felt a deep disconnect to all the characters and didn't really find any of them likable.

Sooooo I don't know how I feel about this book. Like, I enjoyed the representation but I felt the plot was a bit lacking. It was a bit too slow-paced in the world-building. I felt confused at times. Just needed a little more clarification and a steady pacing.

This was an okay read for me. There were times where I was completely hooked on what was happening and times I found it went on and on. It was missing that balance of action and information and instead drowned out the best parts by following up with word vomit. Overall, I did enjoy it but I will not be continuing on with the second book.

I honestly really wanted to love this. The concept is cool and the relationships have some of interesting potential. Unfortunately, the writing, pacing, character development, etc. really don't bring this book to where it could have gone.

Godly Heathens was INCREDIBLE!!! While reading it, I kept describing the story it as one part The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas and one part Wildefire by Karsten Knight, but add in a much more honest look at queer sexuality and how that would look to a pantheon of Gods.

How do I even begin to express my emotions? This was filled with so much action from the very beginning and I was gooped and gagged the entire time!

The story centers around Gem: your regular every day non-binary indigenous teen living in rural Georgia who after being attacked by one of the school’s new girls and saved by another, finds out that they’re the reincarnation of an otherworldly God. 🤯

There has been a fight going on between all powerful Gods stuck in the bodies of mortals that has spanned millennia with each of them killing each other and coming back in the body of their descendants. And all of this is because of something that happened over a thousand years ago… can we talk about holding a grudge?!?

I loved The Witch King by HE Edgmon, so I knew I’d be reading this ASAP! I just didn’t know how much I’d love it.

And did I mention how INCREDIBLE the audiobook is?? Avi Roque was amazing and I immediately recognized their voice from so many of my favorite books, including Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas and The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. 😭 SO GOOOOOOOD!!!

I’m sure I’ve peaked your interest, but I hope I’ve don’t enough to make you want to buy it as soon as it comes out on November 28th. I need to talk to people about this book and I need to do it IMMEDIATELY!!!! 😭🤯

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of the book!

I loved the concept of this story so much. No one was more confused by my lack of enjoyment in it than me.

I wonder if I would have liked it better if Gem didn’t constantly annoy me? Maybe it’s the YA part of this story that didn’t work for me.

Sorry to say I put this one down and didn’t pick it back up.

That cover though! Gorgeous.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for review!

"Godly Heathens" by H.E. Edgmon presents an intriguing premise, blending contemporary fantasy with themes of reincarnation and queer identity. The protagonist, Gem Echols, a nonbinary Seminole teen in rural Georgia, discovers they are a reincarnated deity entangled in ancient conflicts.

The novel's strengths lie in its diverse representation and exploration of complex themes such as identity, mental health, and the search for belonging. Edgmon's portrayal of Gem's internal struggles and the dynamics of their relationships, particularly with Willa Mae and Enzo, adds depth to the narrative.

However, the execution occasionally falters. Some readers may find the pacing uneven, with certain plot developments feeling rushed or lacking sufficient buildup. Additionally, while the incorporation of past life memories enriches the story, the transitions between timelines can be confusing, potentially disrupting the narrative flow.

Overall, "Godly Heathens" offers a fresh perspective within the young adult fantasy genre, commendable for its representation and thematic ambition. Yet, inconsistencies in pacing and narrative clarity may affect reader engagement. It's a promising start to The Ouroboros duology, leaving room for further development in the sequel.

I forgot to leave a review for this when I first read it. When I first finished this book I had to lie face down on the floor for several minutes to recover.

H.E. Edgmon books are feral and they make me feel feral. I really appreciate that both the world and the characters are chaotic, grimy, raw, and really REAL feeling. This isn't some clean shiny fantasy world, nor is it grimdark for the sake of being dark. This is such a unique worldbuilding and it was so compelling to discover and read on. Absolutely love the characters, I can't think of any comparisons and that's a great thing: they felt like real people, unique and varied and complicated. I LOVE how queer everything was, utterly soaked in queer everywhere you looked. The diversity rep was a delight and honestly totally makes sense for gods. Can't wait for the next installment of the series, I want to learn more about the world and keep watching the journey of these characters!

This book was absolutely sick as fuck I'm so excited for the sequel. Probably going to read everything HE Edgmon writes. The story was so rich and while it had elements of things I've read before I think this is a whole new take on awakened gods.

I loved this book! It has great trans and non-binary representation and is full of teenage angst that so many can relate to. The world building was done superbly and I didn't want to put this book down! The mythology aspect was so fun, and I could see teens who read Percy Jackson in their younger years gravitate toward this as they get older. I would highly recommend!