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instalovewithbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NG for an e-arc and St. Martins Press for a gifted finished copy. All opinions are my own.
God, I adored this book.
Godly Heathens is one of my most anticipated releases this year - and it did not disappoint.
I received this e-arc version, but surprisingly I was gifted a finished copy and honestly lost my fucking mind.
H.E. Edgmon is a brilliant author,
I have to do this in point form to even bring across all the points for this book:
- The trans and queer joy.
- "Gods are not cis" ugh god this was so good but makes so much sense like why would a god be cis when they are above our gender norms?
- All the characters. They were so fucking good. Even the ones you're suppose to "hate" you end up loving them.
- Plot twists. There was a good portion of them but they didn't make the story seem silly or that Edgmon was just doing it for the "wow" factor.
I do not know when book 2 is coming out but I need it immediately.
God, I adored this book.
Godly Heathens is one of my most anticipated releases this year - and it did not disappoint.
I received this e-arc version, but surprisingly I was gifted a finished copy and honestly lost my fucking mind.
H.E. Edgmon is a brilliant author,
I have to do this in point form to even bring across all the points for this book:
- The trans and queer joy.
- "Gods are not cis" ugh god this was so good but makes so much sense like why would a god be cis when they are above our gender norms?
- All the characters. They were so fucking good. Even the ones you're suppose to "hate" you end up loving them.
- Plot twists. There was a good portion of them but they didn't make the story seem silly or that Edgmon was just doing it for the "wow" factor.
I do not know when book 2 is coming out but I need it immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Gun violence
the_b00kreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
In this book we follow Gem Echols as they realise their life is not as it seems. Gem is the reincarnated God of magic...this may seem pretty cool until they also find out that the other gods have a few deep-rooted grudges against them.
I was vividly entertained throughout the entirety of this book and found it to be a pretty swift read.
The plot in itself was really well drawn up and executed with plenty of thought going into it. The characters were really well developed and had dimension.
The only character that fell a little flat for me at first was Enzo, he was a little predictable.
I loved H.E. Edgmon's depiction of the gods and their home world, the Ether, although I will admit I'd love to know more about it and feel as though, in the next books, I might be able to do just that.
Being inside Gem's mind was certainly an experience. They had so many conflicting emotions when it came to making some of the greater decisions and I feel everything was portrayed splendidly. I cannot wait to see what comes next for Gem and the others but I can only guess it is not going to be an easy journey.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book!
I was vividly entertained throughout the entirety of this book and found it to be a pretty swift read.
The plot in itself was really well drawn up and executed with plenty of thought going into it. The characters were really well developed and had dimension.
The only character that fell a little flat for me at first was Enzo, he was a little predictable.
I loved H.E. Edgmon's depiction of the gods and their home world, the Ether, although I will admit I'd love to know more about it and feel as though, in the next books, I might be able to do just that.
Being inside Gem's mind was certainly an experience. They had so many conflicting emotions when it came to making some of the greater decisions and I feel everything was portrayed splendidly. I cannot wait to see what comes next for Gem and the others but I can only guess it is not going to be an easy journey.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Violence, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Death, War, Bullying, Torture, Genocide, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
fromthefoxhole's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
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.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Self harm, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Death
Moderate: War, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault
ladykyuuketsuki's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Torture, Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Animal death, Body horror, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Ableism, Colonisation, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
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