Godly Heathens
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Description
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.
Book Information
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[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.] CN: mental illness, trauma, (internalized) ableism, references to self-harm and suicide, graphic gore, body horror, violence (including murder and torture), off-page sexual violence (including experiences that involve children), abuse (including child abuse and off-page domestic violence), mentions of transphobia and racism (including references to slavery and genocide), animal death, vomit “For anyone worried you might be the villain in your own story. Maybe you are. I think you deserve a happy ending, anyway.” Oh. My. Gods. This. Book. I knew from the first page that this was going to be a five star read, but I never expected that I would love it this much. “The Witch King” used to be my all-time favorite book, and I still absolutely adore it, but “Godly Heathens” is on another level. I already know I’m going to reread this book at least once before it comes out in November, and many, many times after that. If you’re looking for a book with… • villainous main characters • reincarnated old gods • a t4t4t non-monogamous love triangle • a trans- and Native-majority cast • amazing mental illness representation … then “Godly Heathens” might be the perfect book for you. It’s definitely the perfect book for me, and I will probably try to force everyone I know to read it as soon as it comes out. I’m trying so hard to write a review that does this book justice, but I literally have no coherent thoughts right now, so please just trust me when I say that this book is absolutely incredible. Please pre-order “Godly Heathens” or request it at your local library if you can!
I really tried to like this book. The blurb sounded promising, and I loved the design, but I just couldn’t get into the story. In my opinion, an urban fantasy thrives on the idea that it feels like it could actually be real, but I never got that feeling from this book. It took quite a long time for anything significant to happen, and when it finally did, it felt overly complicated. Like the author wanted to write a complex fantasy story but it turned out more confusing than deep and complex.
Description
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.
Book Information
Posts
[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.] CN: mental illness, trauma, (internalized) ableism, references to self-harm and suicide, graphic gore, body horror, violence (including murder and torture), off-page sexual violence (including experiences that involve children), abuse (including child abuse and off-page domestic violence), mentions of transphobia and racism (including references to slavery and genocide), animal death, vomit “For anyone worried you might be the villain in your own story. Maybe you are. I think you deserve a happy ending, anyway.” Oh. My. Gods. This. Book. I knew from the first page that this was going to be a five star read, but I never expected that I would love it this much. “The Witch King” used to be my all-time favorite book, and I still absolutely adore it, but “Godly Heathens” is on another level. I already know I’m going to reread this book at least once before it comes out in November, and many, many times after that. If you’re looking for a book with… • villainous main characters • reincarnated old gods • a t4t4t non-monogamous love triangle • a trans- and Native-majority cast • amazing mental illness representation … then “Godly Heathens” might be the perfect book for you. It’s definitely the perfect book for me, and I will probably try to force everyone I know to read it as soon as it comes out. I’m trying so hard to write a review that does this book justice, but I literally have no coherent thoughts right now, so please just trust me when I say that this book is absolutely incredible. Please pre-order “Godly Heathens” or request it at your local library if you can!
I really tried to like this book. The blurb sounded promising, and I loved the design, but I just couldn’t get into the story. In my opinion, an urban fantasy thrives on the idea that it feels like it could actually be real, but I never got that feeling from this book. It took quite a long time for anything significant to happen, and when it finally did, it felt overly complicated. Like the author wanted to write a complex fantasy story but it turned out more confusing than deep and complex.