Week 18 Review: Godly Heathens

From Goodreads:

Infatuation. Reincarnation. Damnation.

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.

My Review:
I had such a fantastic time reading this book! I really enjoyed his other duology, and this one sounded really fantastic, and oh, it was! I loved this world and these characters, they were so vivid and original, and I had such a great time reading this book!

One thing that I'm pretty sure at this point is a staple of H.E. Edgmon's writing is the representation, both of LGBT+ and of indigenous people, which I'm glad to see, and is just so well done. Plus they have the great writing ability to make you care for these characters! 

This world was just so interesting to read! With the gods and the reincarnations, yeah, it was pretty interesting, and added a layer to these characters and their pasts that, like Gem, they might not know it at first, and that means some threats are unknown, which I loved, and that Gem is kinda a villain which was really interesting! 

I felt for Gem, between their past love and their current love, and grappling with this world and who they used to be and what they used to do. They weren't perfect and they messed up, but I really enjoyed their story, and I'm so excited to read the sequel! 

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to continue the series!  

Author: H.E. Edgmon
Series: The Ouroboros #1
Read:  May 3rd, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Loved H.E. Edgmon's other books, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Published: November 28th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars