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balina_elah's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Dysphoria
sammymilfort's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
hobbithopeful's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Let me be clear, there are books you enjoy because they are fun to read and have amazing writing and books you really have to force yourself not to focus on the plot holes and the writing in order to enjoy them. This was the later, but I did end up having a fairly good time until the second half.
I really did love the inclusion of a genderfluid character like Ramsay. I have never read a book that describes gender so beautifully, and the concept of binary. It really touched my soul and made me feel happy, just like how every scene with Ash and his binder felt relatable to me. The romance between the three mc did end up feeling sweet, if not a bit rushed and flat.
"'Energy is infinite, and love is energy, so love has the potential to be infinite, too.'"
We had so much build up towards the end, I was ready for a big dramatic showdown, massive battle scene, or some confrontation. Instead it kind of felt like... a let down? Almost too easy in a way? There were several moments I had to stop and wonder what the point of the whole story was if characters could have done things a certain way from the beginning.
My biggest pet peeve is as follows;
And then we have Ash acting as if he hadn't had any growth or change the whole book, just nearly spitting in the face of authority. Like? Color me confused because talking back to a man who could have you killed in a moment, why would you suddenly be prideful again for no reason? Yes, have your moment and stand up for yourself, but I was a little shocked by the context. Ash has a whole moment of realization before this and then it's what, gone? I think of interactions I've had with authority figures, nearly tripping over myself to not piss them off, (fellow BIPOC, you know what I mean) something that is engraved in our very souls from a young age. And after finally getting everything resolved Ash nearly risks it all and then just saunters out of there. (And then everyone clapped moment)
It was a really weak point of the book for me.
I like all the characters, I really do. It just almost felt like the author went into writing this with the intent of having certain tropes or having a poly romance and worked backwards from there. I loved Callum, but truly his whole character and storyline could have been left out and the book could have been stronger. (Or it should have been longer, the ending felt rushed)
I'm not saying this was a book built on tropes, because that is very far from the truth. But the way this book has been marketed, and blurbed, really pushes the whole "polyamorous and queer" representation. Which yes, I was so happy to see and get. But by the time it finally comes into play it honestly feels a little late in book for it. Then we come to the ending and it's...meant to be a bit of a cliffhanger moment I guess? After everything works out perfectly for everyone? I understand what I was meant to feel, but I just didn't feel it.
I felt the battle sequences were weak as well, being able to conjure and fight by imagining things is great, but it lacks the impact of tense combat or showing what it would look like.
I found myself having some of the same issues with their writing style, and how glossed over some plot points become. The pacing changes several times and I liked the first chunk of the book better than the last. Some of the characters feel like they're there just to serve as plot devices, and others lose their growth over the course of the book. I think if this was much longer we could have more time of developing relationships and better pacing. I'm honestly not sure what the point of even including Tobias to such an extent was if he wasn't going to be used as a red or as a truly major plot point. He just felt there to cause strife and further development of Ash.
I do recommend this book, it is a fun read, just not a solid one. Just know what you're getting into before you pick it up.
3.5 stars>
Complete random additional thought: Does anyone else agree this book was really male dominated? Curious if I'm crazy, because it felt like most/all of the side characters apart from plot device Marlowe were male.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
natraf_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Three young alchemists from incredibly different walks of life join together with one mission, finding an incredibly powerful and ancient text… the Book of Source.
I loved this book - I do wish there was more explanation on the tiers of alchemy! I wanted to know so much more about their unique magic system. And knowing our main characters were so powerful, I wanted to know what made them special!
I wish we had seen more of the development in Ash’s skill as he began to practice techniques and build a foundation. Same goes for Callum, we meet Callum who clearly has a knack for alchemy as he’s been practicing it unaware in his fighting. I definitely wanted to see more of these three strengthen their skills and have it be applied to the storyline. Marlowe also had extreme potential!! The fact that she’s able to materialize into different spaces??? Extremely OP and needed more exploration! I really hope there is a second book that delves deeper into their alchemy and we can see them use it throughout the story.
Overall, a wonderfully unique read!
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and War
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
2.0
“But maybe that’s where freedom lies—not knowing what will happen. Just following happiness.”
➽ I loved Felix Ever After, but Kacen Callender's Fantasy debut didn't work for me at all. I'm still disappointed as Infinity Alchemist was on my anticipated releases list because it sounded so good. The story follows Ash, who wants to study Alchemy but is barred by the rigid rules of society that dictate who can practice magic. He's teaching himself, but it's considered a crime, so he can't let anyone find out. When a young, talented Alchemist called Ramsay offers to teach him in exchange for supporting his research, Ash seizes his chance to study Alchemy properly. I loved the idea of his book, as there are great discussions about elitism in academia and how people without privilege are barred from studying Alchemy. Ash is working as a groundskeeper at the college, so he confronts the privilege of the real Alchemy students while having to practice the craft in secret.
➽ My biggest issue was that I couldn't stand the characters. I feel like this story was more character-driven so this didn't bode well for me. I loved how the author wrote unlikable characters in Felix Ever After, so I was surprised that it didn't work out for me here. I felt sympathy for Ash and agreed with him calling out the privilege and elitism in academia. However, I struggled with Ash's blatant lack of self-preservation as he'd snark at people more powerful all the time, even though he'd get into serious trouble. After a while, it felt like he just judged everyone he came across that he saw as privileged in any way without taking into account their personal history. It was offputting seeing him being so judgemental, as it took away from the valid points he was making. The ending attempted to show that Ash had grown and realized his behavior, but it felt so unearned as he didn't put any effort into growing as a person.
➽ While I liked Callum, I didn't connect with Ramsay. Callum at least felt developed with his own issues. He wants to do the right thing but is held back by his toxic family which he feels compelled to obey. Ramsay used to be his friend before he broke things off. I wanted to like Ramsay as he's a genderfluid character (switching between she/her and he/him pronouns) with a tragic past, but he was such a snob in the beginning. She literally kept hounding Ash for being too late (because he was doing his job that he couldn't just push off!!) for their meetings and kept dismissing his struggles. In the end, I didn't feel like I got a grasp of who Ramsay really is.
➽ Due to my issues with the characters, I didn't connect with the romance. Ash and Ramsay start off antagonizing each other, but then Boom it's Insta Love! I don't think their dynamic was well-developed. It just suddenly shifted to romantic tension without the characters making any effort to understand each other and their different situations. By the halfway point of the book, Ash was in love and I had no idea why. Ash and Callum's dynamic almost felt more interesting as it was more organic. I wanted to like the romance more, especially as it turns into a poly relationship and that's important to explore in YA. Unfortunately, I didn't really care about the romantic drama between the characters.
➽ In general, the plot was weak and the worldbuilding was underdeveloped. I found the different levels of Alchemy interesting, but I don't think they were properly explained. There are various houses that you can pledge yourself to, but I had a hard time keeping them apart. Instead of showing, there was so much telling about the world and the characters. I wasn't invested in the story, so the plot felt slow and boring to me. It was supposed to be this epic hunt for the Book of Source, but despite the action scenes, the story didn't feel focused. The ending was rushed in comparison to the buildup and almost felt too easy.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse and Transphobia
dubious_little_creature's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Dysphoria
madscientistcat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship
evawondergem's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
sheyri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
grownmoss's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death and Bullying