Merciless Saviors

January 31, 2024
Grades 9-12 This sequel to Godly Heathens (2023) will hurt your heart, but in the exact right way. Gem Echols, a nonbinary Seminole teenager, now has the power of the God of Air. Their position as The Magician creates imbalance among other gods, whose powers are now thrown out of whack. Poppy and Marian are closing in on Gem, Rory, and Enzo, and they must figure out how to restore the necessary balance without sacrificing themselves in the process. This book is emotionally dazzling, offering a deeper look into Gem's internal conflicts and deftly exploring mental health, trauma, and rage. While the sequel struggles with pacing at times, the stunning writing--some of Edgmon's all-time best--genuinely carries this story and adds to the weight of the plot and its impact on the characters. This book allows even further insight and nuance into these layered, complex characters, and readers will adore getting to spend more time with them. Everything you loved about Godly Heathens is turned up to an eleven in this conclusion.

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March 1, 2024
Gem's adventures continue in the second book in the Ouroboros series. Picking up where Godly Heathens (2023) left off, Gem upsets the balance of the universe by killing the Cyclone. They inherit the ability to practice magic without sacrifice, and they use that power to seek revenge against Rory's abusive grandparents. Gem then goes missing, only to wake up in the Wheeler family's barn two weeks later. Gem returns home with a new awareness of their own past trauma, and they're devastated to discover that their loyal dog, Hank, needs to be put down. A police officer is also seeking to question Gem about Zephyr's death. Gem stabs themself with the Ouroboros, which sends all the gods back to the Ether, while their human bodies lie comatose on Earth. Now Gem must simultaneously piece together the fragments of their traumatic past and restore the magical balance of the universe by fighting their nemeses, all while dealing with the annoying humans who worship them. Less polished than the previous entry but more action packed, this is a chaotic adventure in which the gore of the gods is interrupted by human flashbacks from many lifetimes. Though confusing at times and disturbing at others, the novel features complex queer Indigenous characters and portrays the persistence and resilience of survivors of abuse. An engaging, albeit messy, sequel. (content warning, map, list of characters) (Fantasy. 15-18)

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April 1, 2024

Gr 10 Up-Picking up right where Godly Heathens ends, Indigenous, nonbinary, and-apparently-literally divine Gem Echols has used another god's powers, throwing off the balance they, the Magician, are responsible for maintaining. As the state of the world continues to deteriorate at the hands of gods who have powers they shouldn't have, it falls on Gem, Enzo, and Rory, Gem's soulmate through lifetimes who is also completely infuriating, to restore things to the way they should be and save all of humankind. As things converge on Gem, they realize that self-sacrifice may be the only way out, if they even have enough humanity left to be worth anything. Though this book is a bit more muddled and disjointed than its predecessor, many of readers' burning questions will finally be answered, the action is plentiful (and sometimes rather gory), and the characters are unique. The violent, difficult external chaos of Gem's life continues to keep pace with their internal chaos, showcasing the stabilizing power of found family and places of belonging. Some revelations are glossed over that could use more exploration while other sections are overlong, but the characters are compelling, rawly emotional, and tenaciously devoted to one another. VERDICT A satisfactory sequel; purchase where the original is popular.-Allie Stevens

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