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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
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
taratearex's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
This was great and I can't say enough how much I wish I had H.E. Edgmon's books as a teen.
A teenage Indigenous trans God who doesn't know they're a God living in a small town, slowly has to remember their past life to unravel the mess they're in and through uncovering lost memories reckon with if they're the hero or the villain in this story. This book is messy and heavy at times, everyone has a past and everyone has secrets and no one really knows what the "right" thing to do is. I really enjoyed Gem and Willa Mae as a morally grey characters, I loved how queer and trans this book is, and I loved how messy and terrible everyone is.
I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the many characters with multiple names and flashbacks, but I do think the author did a great job of continuing to remind you who people were, I think I should have done some annotating to help me as this is generally a thing I have a hard time keeping up with. The plot got a bit winding with some leaps in logic, but I don't think I would have thought twice about that as a teen and for the most part just had to shut my adult brain off a few times.
Overall, I loved this and look forward to book two! Especially after that major cliffhanger of an ending! Can't wait to reread when the next book comes out.
CW: death, mental illness, gore, violence, torture, self harm, animal cruelty (mild) it's hinted at that something may happen to the dog, but the dog doesn't die, child abuse, racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexual content (mild)
Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the advanced reader copy.
A teenage Indigenous trans God who doesn't know they're a God living in a small town, slowly has to remember their past life to unravel the mess they're in and through uncovering lost memories reckon with if they're the hero or the villain in this story. This book is messy and heavy at times, everyone has a past and everyone has secrets and no one really knows what the "right" thing to do is. I really enjoyed Gem and Willa Mae as a morally grey characters, I loved how queer and trans this book is, and I loved how messy and terrible everyone is.
I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the many characters with multiple names and flashbacks, but I do think the author did a great job of continuing to remind you who people were, I think I should have done some annotating to help me as this is generally a thing I have a hard time keeping up with. The plot got a bit winding with some leaps in logic, but I don't think I would have thought twice about that as a teen and for the most part just had to shut my adult brain off a few times.
Overall, I loved this and look forward to book two! Especially after that major cliffhanger of an ending! Can't wait to reread when the next book comes out.
CW: death, mental illness, gore, violence, torture, self harm, animal cruelty (mild) it's hinted at that something may happen to the dog, but the dog doesn't die, child abuse, racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexual content (mild)
Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the advanced reader copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Gore, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Self harm, and Racism
Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual content
readingwithkaitlyn's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Body horror, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Blood
Moderate: Self harm, Grief, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Animal death, Ableism, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Transphobia
Minor: Slavery, Racism, Genocide, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Infertility, and Child abuse
kharlan3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
Gem is a nonbinary teen living in small town Georgia, and things have never felt quite right- especially that their best friend lives all the way in New York City. This not-right-ness comes to a head as disconcerting things start to happen and Gem learns that they're a reincarnation of a god from another universe, in the midst of a generation-spanning war for the lives of their fellow gods and the world they left behind.
I completely adored this book. Gem is complex- I rooted for them, but they make bad, messy, heartfelt decisions left and right. The thing that this book did the best was Gem's inner life- the combination of their mental health issues and the memories of their past lives flowing together, the all-consuming yearning that can't be contained to a single object of affection, the coping skills they try to use but aren't quite enough. I haven't seen quite this point of view on trans-ness, gender, mental illness, and growing up in the rural south anywhere else.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for the next one- H.E. Edgmon hasn't disappointed me yet!
I completely adored this book. Gem is complex- I rooted for them, but they make bad, messy, heartfelt decisions left and right. The thing that this book did the best was Gem's inner life- the combination of their mental health issues and the memories of their past lives flowing together, the all-consuming yearning that can't be contained to a single object of affection, the coping skills they try to use but aren't quite enough. I haven't seen quite this point of view on trans-ness, gender, mental illness, and growing up in the rural south anywhere else.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for the next one- H.E. Edgmon hasn't disappointed me yet!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Transphobia, Mental illness, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Torture, Infidelity, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Self harm, War, and Suicidal thoughts
krisalexcole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Mental illness, Death, Gore, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Animal death, and Body horror
Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, War, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Racism, Transphobia, and Cursing
thedragonqueen's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this ebook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
H.E. Edgmon is one of the most talented authors I have ever read. Godly Heathens had me hooked with the best first line ever written. Gem is neither a hero nor villian in this gripping tale of quite literally escapng the Goddess of Death, a gaggle of Gods stuck in a different world, and your not so average love triangle. I loved that the book was full of representation of trans and non-binary individuals as well as a very diverse cast of Indigenous and Black characters. I need every book Edgmon has ever written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Torture, Vomit, Mental illness, Death, Transphobia, and Violence
ezwolf's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
Gem Echols is a trans high school student just trying to make it out of their small town to be with their maybe love interest in college. That all changes when they meet Willa Mae who reveals that the dreams Gem has had are actually memories of a previous life and they are the reincarnation of a god.
I thought that Gem was pretty funny at the start of the book and I was on my way to being endeared to them. But somewhere along the way I realized that I didn’t really like them. Or Willa Mae. Or Enzo. I love morally grey characters and they don’t have to do good things but I do need to like them on some level.
But there are a lot of good things about this book and I think a lot of other people will like it. It's got good trans representation, Native representation, discussions of colonization as well as mental illness.
I still look forward to reading the author’s other books and would recommend this to people, it was just missing ~something~ for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
I thought that Gem was pretty funny at the start of the book and I was on my way to being endeared to them. But somewhere along the way I realized that I didn’t really like them. Or Willa Mae. Or Enzo. I love morally grey characters and they don’t have to do good things but I do need to like them on some level.
But there are a lot of good things about this book and I think a lot of other people will like it. It's got good trans representation, Native representation, discussions of colonization as well as mental illness.
I still look forward to reading the author’s other books and would recommend this to people, it was just missing ~something~ for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, Murder, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Grief, Gun violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Self harm, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Transphobia