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inlibrisveritas's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to love this. It has a poly-ship, messy gods/immortals with grey morality, non-binary/trans rep, etc. BI'm no stranger to main characters who screw up, make bad choices, or take detours into villainy but there were times when the tone sort of became disjointed?
As it is, I'm interested in the sequel but I'll probably wait a bit after it's release to try it.
As it is, I'm interested in the sequel but I'll probably wait a bit after it's release to try it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Toxic relationship, and Death
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
ofbooksandechos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Ableism, Transphobia, Racism, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Genocide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Self harm, and Child abuse
CONTENT WARNING provided by the author. This story features a candid depiction of mental illness that, although based on my lived experiences, may make some readers uncomfortable. The main character grapples with managing their symptoms, accepting their own and a family member’s illness, some internalized ableism, and some ableism from others. There are references to self-harm and suicide. Other potentially upsetting content includes: • Graphic gore and 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 deathmythian's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book stands out for its overwhelming queer themes and morally gray characters. Nearly every character is unapologetically queer ("there are no cis gods"), and the lines between right and wrong fade in and out throughout the story. The main character Gem has a punchy, likable inner monologue, but also deals with very serious family dynamics and mental health problems. I appreciated this book for not attributing Gem's mental health to his divine powers, but as an unalienable part of their humanity. The polyamorous dynamic was also unexpected, but very much appreciated. Edgmon's writing is beautiful in its imagery and captivating; I got through most of the book in one sitting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
guybrushtmp's review against another edition
This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Daphne Press (Illumicrate's Press arm), NOT Wednesday (St Martin's Press). I support the boycott of St. Martin’s Press.
DNF: 75%. I choose to DNF this book as I found it mentally much more challenging than I am currently able to handle and felt it wasn't suited for me. I am giving this a 3.5 stars, but I think many will rate this higher for them.
This book is a lot. I tend to stick to happy even when labelled as a dark book, but this is wearing some scars that feel familiar and painful. And likely because it is very raw about mental health and the people are messy and mean at times (not the mean girl mean, but the other I say hurtful things mean). Some of those things (a lot of the first) I found myself slightly relating to but more being overwhelmed by empathy to the point it hurts.
For its intended young adults, I think this book holds something precious, something more unique than many of the generic fantasy YA books out there. There is a lot of angst and these character hurt each other with words like knives. But it is wonderfully written, queer af, and an interesting plot. Read your trigger warnings going in.
DNF: 75%. I choose to DNF this book as I found it mentally much more challenging than I am currently able to handle and felt it wasn't suited for me. I am giving this a 3.5 stars, but I think many will rate this higher for them.
This book is a lot. I tend to stick to happy even when labelled as a dark book, but this is wearing some scars that feel familiar and painful. And likely because it is very raw about mental health and the people are messy and mean at times (not the mean girl mean, but the other I say hurtful things mean). Some of those things (a lot of the first) I found myself slightly relating to but more being overwhelmed by empathy to the point it hurts.
For its intended young adults, I think this book holds something precious, something more unique than many of the generic fantasy YA books out there. There is a lot of angst and these character hurt each other with words like knives. But it is wonderfully written, queer af, and an interesting plot. Read your trigger warnings going in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, and Self harm
caseythereader's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free copy of this book.
- Wow, this book. GODLY HEATHENS is H.E. Edgmon leaning into his full talent as a writer of angry, messy, queer af kids desperate to find their place in the world.
- The mythology here is so cool, and so detailed and tangled I could believe it was real. And the "real world" people and plot threads felt messily real, too.
- This book mashes together queerness and small towns and mental illness and thousand year old gods and it works beautifully. I can't wait to see what happens next.
- Wow, this book. GODLY HEATHENS is H.E. Edgmon leaning into his full talent as a writer of angry, messy, queer af kids desperate to find their place in the world.
- The mythology here is so cool, and so detailed and tangled I could believe it was real. And the "real world" people and plot threads felt messily real, too.
- This book mashes together queerness and small towns and mental illness and thousand year old gods and it works beautifully. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Sexual content, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
elizajaquays's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Do you like chaotic disaster gays who have never made a good decision once in their life? Because buckle up buttercup, have I got the book for you.
Gem has never met a bad decision they can’t make worse. And I love this for them. And for me, because Gem’s trainwreck of bad decisions was amazing and this book was a ride.
Gem’s got a plan. That plan’s name is Enzo. Or rather, getting out of the small town and making it to Brooklyn to meet up with their bff/crush Enzo is the plan.
Unfortunately for Gem (and fortunately for us readers waiting for disaster to strike), that plan has a major flaw. Namely that Gem’s a reincarnated god and a bunch of other reincarnated gods would very much like to kill them. Permanently.
Turns out their past self did a whole bunch of murder and the other gods are pretty miffed about it. Or so Willa Mae, the cute new girl in town, says. Also she’s his soulmate. Probably.
Godly Heathens had me laughing, crying, cringing, and biting my nails as I raced to the last page.
In case it wasn’t obvious, I had an amazing time with this and I’m so excited to see where things go in the sequel because holy cliffhanger, Batman!
I really enjoyed The Witch King duology so I was excited to read more of Edgmon’s work. Godly Heathens contains a predominantly queer cast, polyamory, and indigenous rep.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC, all thoughts are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Blood
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in a small town in Georgia. They lean hard into their charm, known for being the queer awakening for their peers. No one really knows the anxious mess they actually are, except for a trans boy named Enzo living in Brooklyn.
But not even Enzo knows about the dreams Gem has, dreams that felt too real. Except the new girl, Willa Mae, who seems to know everything. And act like she and Gem are old friends. When Gem is attacked by the Goddess of Death, they learn that Gem and Willa are gods, reincarnated across lifetimes. And they’ve made a lot of enemies.
Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Godly Heathens by HE Edgmon to review! Though Edgmon has been on my radar for a while, I finally picked up his first series this year. And there’s just something about their writing style that has me hooked!
Though The Witch King is dark, I almost think this new duology is a bit darker. Gem is not always the most likable character, nor do they do the most likable things. As we get flashes of their past lives as a reader, our perception of them changes. Kind of like their perception of themselves changes. The way the book is written adds to this mythical world Edmon has created, and it just works really well for the way the story unfolds.
The story itself is wonderfully chaotic, with a cast of characters who have been hurt and traumatized but they’ve found each other. Sure, they’re all set up for more hurt and trauma, but you still know that they have each other. That idea of found family permeates through the core of the story, and even though it’s a bit dark, there’s still that element of hope.
The cast of characters themselves are wonderfully diverse, and it’s great for teens to be able to identify with that. I think my only complaint about this book is that at times, the jumping between memories is a little confusing, but it feels purposeful. We’re just as confused as Gem is for a lot of the book. Overall, it works to create an engaging story by the end.
Be warned, though, it does end on a pretty big cliffhanger. Luckily, you won’t have to wait too long for the second book to come out next spring! If you’re looking for a dark fantasy with morally gray characters, Edgmon is definitely worth checking out.
But not even Enzo knows about the dreams Gem has, dreams that felt too real. Except the new girl, Willa Mae, who seems to know everything. And act like she and Gem are old friends. When Gem is attacked by the Goddess of Death, they learn that Gem and Willa are gods, reincarnated across lifetimes. And they’ve made a lot of enemies.
Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Godly Heathens by HE Edgmon to review! Though Edgmon has been on my radar for a while, I finally picked up his first series this year. And there’s just something about their writing style that has me hooked!
Though The Witch King is dark, I almost think this new duology is a bit darker. Gem is not always the most likable character, nor do they do the most likable things. As we get flashes of their past lives as a reader, our perception of them changes. Kind of like their perception of themselves changes. The way the book is written adds to this mythical world Edmon has created, and it just works really well for the way the story unfolds.
The story itself is wonderfully chaotic, with a cast of characters who have been hurt and traumatized but they’ve found each other. Sure, they’re all set up for more hurt and trauma, but you still know that they have each other. That idea of found family permeates through the core of the story, and even though it’s a bit dark, there’s still that element of hope.
The cast of characters themselves are wonderfully diverse, and it’s great for teens to be able to identify with that. I think my only complaint about this book is that at times, the jumping between memories is a little confusing, but it feels purposeful. We’re just as confused as Gem is for a lot of the book. Overall, it works to create an engaging story by the end.
Be warned, though, it does end on a pretty big cliffhanger. Luckily, you won’t have to wait too long for the second book to come out next spring! If you’re looking for a dark fantasy with morally gray characters, Edgmon is definitely worth checking out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Toxic relationship, and Self harm
Minor: Genocide, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse
itsapaxycab's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book was given to me as an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley. This does not change or influence my opinion of the book.
I don't know where to start with this book. I read so few books with nonbinary mc's, and nonbinary mc's written so damn well. There is not a single instance of misgendering or deadnaming in this entire book, which is a beautiful thing sometimes. You can tell me it's not realistic, but it is fantasy, and anything can be true when you put your mind to it.
Morally grey characters are another big thing to me, and this book has done it so well I'm still conflicted on how I feel about every goddamn character in these 400 pages. It is usually easy to find who is the hero in a story, but there is not a single one in this book.
So many of the main plot points are spoilers so I will discuss them more below.
Because so many of these characters are eternal beings who have lived a whole millennium on earth in so many different bodies, along with their previous life in another world, it is so deeply hard to name any single one as right or wrong, and I think that is a beautiful thing. I want to be challenged when I read, and this has certainly done so.
My only big critique is the action. I struggled with this in H.E. Edgmon's other duology as well. While there are a few action-packed scenes that drive the story forward, I get lost in it very easily. The details and so many characters at once get hard to distinguish, especially when each character uses 2-3 names, as they did in this one. I am not great with names as it is, and this made it harder.
This story will continue to sit with me as I wait for its release and eagerly anticipate the sequel coming in April 2024.
I don't know where to start with this book. I read so few books with nonbinary mc's, and nonbinary mc's written so damn well. There is not a single instance of misgendering or deadnaming in this entire book, which is a beautiful thing sometimes. You can tell me it's not realistic, but it is fantasy, and anything can be true when you put your mind to it.
Morally grey characters are another big thing to me, and this book has done it so well I'm still conflicted on how I feel about every goddamn character in these 400 pages. It is usually easy to find who is the hero in a story, but there is not a single one in this book.
So many of the main plot points are spoilers so I will discuss them more below.
My only big critique is the action. I struggled with this in H.E. Edgmon's other duology as well. While there are a few action-packed scenes that drive the story forward, I get lost in it very easily. The details and so many characters at once get hard to distinguish, especially when each character uses 2-3 names, as they did in this one. I am not great with names as it is, and this made it harder.
This story will continue to sit with me as I wait for its release and eagerly anticipate the sequel coming in April 2024.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, and Mental illness
Moderate: Self harm and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Addiction