A review by erinarkin20
The Infinite by Lori M. Lee

5.0

The Infinite by Lori Lee is the second book in the Gates of Thread and Stone series and I will get to the story in a minute but I have to admit, these books have some of my favorite covers. I thought the first one was lovely but after reading, I thought this one captured Kai and the story perfectly. Plus it is sooo pretty!! Warning: If you have not read Gates of Thread and Stone, stop here as there may be spoilers to that book below.

To say Kai has a lot going on in this book would be a pretty big understatement. At the start of this book, she is living at the palace and trying to figure out what she really wants to do and what is most important to her. As Avan attempts to figure out what it means to be Infinite, Kai is struggling with the fact that she can’t feel the threads of time any longer and that Avan isn’t the same person he was before he died…no matter how much she wishes he were.

While that is going on there are many governmental issues as well. A rebellion continues to threaten the government of Ninurta and there is a new threat that is located outside the walls of the city. Both are dangerous because one is being led by someone within and the other is being manipulated by someone very dangerous. As Kai is pulled into both situations, she finds that her denial of her power over the threads is the only thing that will save her which causes her to face some facts.

I loved the world building that Lee did in this book. We got to see what was located outside the walls of Ninurta because of the additional storyline of the group in Lanathrill. The idea of a city built inside of a mountain came to life through Lee’s descriptions.

As the story progresses, we learn that despite the fact that Ninu is gone; his creations are still creating problems for the world. The arrival of a messenger from Lanathrill is what takes Kai’s story away from Ninurta and we begin to learn more about her gift, what the leaders of Lanathrill are up to, and where her relationships with Reev and Avan will take her.

I can’t say much about what really happens here but know that there is plenty of action to keep you turning the pages. Blended in with the action is also the mystery of what really is going on. Kai knows that the Infinite can’t be trusted and her gut tells her that the Council of Vethe (the leaders of Lanathrill) are up to something but she can’t quite put her finger on it. As she begins to figure it out, things take a definite turn for the worse for Kai and those who traveled with her.

The secondary characters are great in this installment. Of course there is Avan and Reev but Kai’s friendship with Mason is just as important and plays a part in some of the decisions she makes in the story. The addition of Emryn and Cassia were great and created another layer to the story I wasn’t really expecting.

Lee spends a bit of time developing the backstory of the Avan’s and Kai’s relationship and also adds to it because in reality, the old Avan doesn’t really exist anymore so even though they had built the foundation of their relationship in book one, Avan doesn’t remember any of it. We also got to see a different view of Kai’s friendship with Mason as well as a change in Kai’s relationship with her brother.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story progressed well and we saw some growth in all of the characters. I have to say I am excited to read more about Kai and her powers as well as see what happens to the other characters involved. If you enjoy action, great world building, and a fantastic story that includes magic and wonderful characters, definitely check this series out.

Thank you to Amazon Children's Publishing for the review copy!