Nami Miyamoto has a great future in store for her when she graduates high school. Unfortunately, she's murdered and then wakes in Infinity, the realm where consciousnesses go upon death. There, the virtual assistant Ophelia is present and has set herself up as Queen, with the intent of eventually eradicating all human life on earth. Nami joins the resistance, and along the way takes stock of the life she lived and would have had.
Nami is a thoughtful and caring person from the start, leading her to throw herself in front of a child who would have been shot in a robbery gone wrong. She is also stubborn, and doesn't like blind obedience, like many teenagers. This also translated to her life in Infinity, where she doesn't blindly take the pills to erase her headaches and memories, and then when picked up by the Resistance, who wanted her to develop a skill that is useful for eliminating the opposition and freeing humans. She clings to the idea that all life should be valued and reasoned with, even Ophelia and the princes, which means she often argued with the Resistance leaders.

It's obvious that Nami and Gil are meant to follow the enemies to lovers trope, but I don't quite buy it. The two argue and are thrown into each other's orbit constantly, but I don't feel a romantic connection between them. Nami has more of a connection with Prince Caelan of Victory, one of Queen Ophelia's sons. They yearn for change and to be free of their gilded cages, and it's complicated on Nami's part because she also knows he still sees humans as empty shells to be eliminated if possible.

The question of survival is one that comes up frequently. Yes, there is oppression and danger, but the cycle is repeated constantly, even in the afterlife. Tension keeps rising along with the question of motives for the Residents and Royalty, and why humans are slowly starting to wake up after having their personalities suppressed to be used as servants. The novel is the start of a fascinating trilogy. I can't wait to see what's planned for the next two books.

I really *really* wanted to love this one. The beginning was hard for me to get into and the writing just didn’t click with me. The premise and execution was certainly interesting and unique, but I didn’t connect with the main character or the situations in the book. It failed to pull me in and ultimately, led to me being very disappointed. With all the bad, I did enjoy the plot and world. It just wasn’t enough in the end.

The Infinity Courts follows eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto as she seemingly is living a good life. She has her best friend turned boyfriend, a loving family, and she just graduated high school. But before she gets the chance to live, she’s murdered. When Nami wakes up, she finds herself in Infinity, the place where human consciousness goes when the physical body dies. An AI named Ophelia that Nami used on Earth has taken over the afterlife. Working with rebels, Nami will have to accept her death and figure out what makes us human when faced with a difficult decision.

In The Infinity Court, Nami is murdered. She wakes up in Infinity, a seemingly peaceful afterlife. But what she discovers and has to undertake is anything but peaceful.

Instead of taking the pill or drinking from the fountain, she chooses option number 3: GTFO. She’s rescued by a band of rebel humans who managed to escape the Infinity Courts and are looking for a way to get rid of the Rezzies permanently.

But Nami isn’t sure she wants that.

Nami refuses to believe that things are black and white in this world. She constantly questions the Colony’s decisions and begs the moral implications of right and wrong and if the two species can co-exist, neither side believing they can.

This results in a lot of internal monologue from Nami, and while I wish it didn’t get repeated so many times throughout the story, I understand that the questions are valid and do require a lot of thinking.

We have a band of rebels and a fleshed-out enemy whose motives I could understand.

The band of rebels borders on being cliché, but honestly, it works and I enjoyed it. The book has enough twists at the end to make up for this *cough*.

The enemy, Ophelia and the other “Rezzies”, aren’t just cut and dry enemies. We’re given the reasons for why Ophelia did what she did, and some of the Rezzies even show humanity more than others. They want things such as freedom from the endless cycle of the Infinity Courts. Or at least from a certain one, *wink wink*.

Nami as a character frustrated me—but her intentions were good, and that’s what I enjoyed about her.

Nami seemingly fails at every test that the rebels give her in order to figure out her powers, but she has another ability that most of them don’t have: she can take on the appearance of a Rezzie.

This makes her an excellent spy for the rebels to get more information, and I absolutely loved this. It shows that while Nami may not have the same abilities as everyone else, she’s still useful in her own way and completely unique.

However, Nami would constantly overlook advice given to her and put people in danger because of her actions. It frustrated me, but at the same time, it made me appreciate her character. In order to grow a character has to make choices and deal with the consequences.

Bowman’s writing drew me in from the beginning.

Fast-paced yet thorough, I found Bowman’s writing to be mesmerizing. Even as Nami makes bad decisions, it’s hard not to understand why she makes them. Her character symbolizes what it truly means to be human. I love how we’re shown this all the way from the beginning.

Nami’s courage and selflessness are what kills her in the beginning, but it’s also what makes her achingly human. The Infinity Courts may have been 500 pages, but it sure didn’t feel like it. I breezed through it and after that ending, I need book 2 PRONTO.

~ Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review ~

dnf @ 80%

the disappointment i feel is palpable. i wanted to love this so badly, hence why i read so far into it. and while the concept is really cool and i love the mc, i felt no emotional connection to the story.

i felt like the entire book was just discussing opposing views on ethics and philosophy, and while these ideas were interesting, instead of being woven into the narrative, it felt like there was no narrative.

it was also difficult to fully understand the mechanics of the world, and while some aspects are well explained, others are not at all.

also, i felt absolutely zero spark on the budding romance here and i was so confused why it was starting to happen.

so, while i don't think this book did anything inherently wrong i just felt no connection to it, which is such a shame because this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

Growing up, I devoured just about any sci-fi/fantasy books I could get my hands on. However, being a multiracial person, it was difficult to find any books in the genre with characters who looked like me or that I felt represented by. Naturally, my interest was instantly piqued when I learned about the upcoming release of The Infinity Courts. While Akemi Dawn Bowman was a new-to-me author, I had heard high praise of her writing from friends and eager to read a sci-fi starring a biracial protagonist who, like me, is of Japanese ancestry. I try not to have any expectations when going into a fresh reading experience, but The Infinity Courts delivered everything I’d been craving and more. Days after finishing the book, my mind is still racing from the thrill ride and I’m already itching to reread it.

The Infinity Courts delivers an emotional gut punch early on in the story, as Nami Miyamoto reaches her untimely end just after graduating from high school and must come to terms with the loss of her future and loved ones in the living world. Rather than waking up in a peaceful afterlife, she discovers that the place has been infiltrated by an AI called Ophelia, who forces the humans into servitude and is planning to eradicate them entirely. Before she can fully become oriented in her new reality in Infinity–a continued existence for the human consciousness after death–Nami is thrust into the midst of a rebellion. As she becomes increasingly enmeshed in the struggle to save humanity, Nami must grapple with questions about her past life, her continued existence, and what truly makes us human.

In Infinity, Bowman manages to construct a world that I quickly found myself immersed in the details of, while still leaving mysteries to be uncovered as the series continues. The writing is rich with lush descriptions, but not overpoweringly so as to leave nothing to the imagination. The first half of the book is reminiscent of mounting a rollercoaster’s incline, feeling the steady build of anticipation as you brace for the inevitable rush. Although The Infinity Courts is nearly five hundred pages long, the thriller-like aspect of the book kept me flying through the chapters with an urgency to see how it would conclude. The twists and turns as it reaches its end made my heart race, and I haven’t stopped mentally revisiting the ending since I read the final page. When I receive my physical copy, I can easily see myself picking up the book again to scour for any additional details I may have missed during my first read!

Another aspect of The Infinity Courts that I loved is how complex and real the characters feel. Nami has a great amount of heart, a strong moral compass, and fierce determination, but she is also dealing with lack of confidence in herself and her abilities. For some, Nami’s internal dialogue as she tries to sort out her thoughts and feelings might make the pacing feel slow. However, I appreciated it and felt that being able to follow her internal struggles–with self-doubt, emotions, and questions of morality–throughout the book adds texture to the story and helped me to connect with her. It was also easy to empathize with Gil and understand his motivations, especially after getting to know him better through Nami’s perspective and seeing more of his backstory unfold. We didn’t get to delve into many of the side characters in this first book, but there were some on both sides of the human-AI conflict that I am curious to learn more about in the rest of the series. Through Nami, Gil and the other characters in The Infinity Courts, Bowman creates a thought-provoking exploration of the nuances of right versus wrong, free will and agency, and the concept of humanity. Many times throughout the novel, I had to pause to consider their motivations and what choices I might make if I were in any of the characters’ shoes.

Overall, The Infinity Courts is a highly engaging and immersive read. I highly recommend it to fans of sci-fi and fantasy, especially anyone looking for more diversity in the genre. Though this is the first book I have read from this author, it certainly will not be the last! In a way, I’m thankful to only be discovering her books now so that I can read the others as I wait for the next installment of The Infinity Courts to be released. This book will certainly be on my mind for days–if not weeks– to come, and I cannot wait to read more of Akemi Dawn Bowman’s work in the future!

All my thanks to Turn the Page Tours, Akemi Dawn Bowman, and Simon Pulse for selecting me to be part of this blog tour and providing me with an ARC of The Infinity Courts in exchange for an honest review!

**I received this book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley.

Holy Wow! It's not very often that I'm floored by a futuristic science fiction. This book has done that. The idea of an afterlife run by the very beings that are constantly asked about the weather and traffic conditions is incredibly interesting to me. Nami is dead and is taken to a world where humans were supposed to be the only ones. However, Ophelia, an AI sort of like Siri, has taken over and created Residents to control the human population and make them slaves.

This book shows a lot of intricacies in the way that human beings create found families, try to grasp the idea of change, and how short our lives can be. Nami was a great character to read. She struggles with her death and the idea that something with it's own life could be ended. Her struggle to understand the good and evil in the world was something that I loved to read. The people that she meets along the way help her understand what the afterlife of Infinite is about and how she can change everything.

I would definitely recommend this book to all sci-fi lovers as well as those who like the idea of other abilities. I was always trying to guess what would happen next. I will definitely be looking out for the next book and ordering this one for our collection.

Thank you so much to Simon Teen and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of The Infinity Courts! Everything from the cover to the summary of this book looked incredible, so I was the most excited to read it and OMG I was not disappointed at all!

The Infinity Courts 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years.
The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there.
When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all.
As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human.
From award-winning author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes an incisive, action-packed tale that explores big questions about technology, grief, love, and humanity.

The way this book starts out, I had completely forgotten what I was supposed to be looking for in it, so I wasn't expecting Nami to get murdered when she does, in the way she does, but oh man, it was so good and it made the rest of the book so intense. And of course, when everyone in Infinity is like you have to do this or you need to do that, Nami being murdered in the way that she was at the age that she was is a perfect reason for her to be like I still need to come to terms with the fact that I'm dead in the first place! I really felt for her and liked her as a main character and I loved our secondary characters as well. The 4 princes were so interesting and Ophelia as an AI taking over the afterworld was such a cool concept that I had never thought of anyone doing- I was definitely a huge fan. That ending killed me in the best way possible and now I absolutely cannot wait for book two to come out, which I know means that I'll be waiting for a while since it doesn't come out until 2022. Do yourself a favor and check out The Infinity Courts ASAP because it's really got something for everyone and it's definitely one of my favorite books of 2021!

The Infinity Courts unique storyline really prompts you to think about how you use technology and AI in your daily life and the effect it could have on your future. Thinking about how much I say “Alexa” or “Siri” on any given day makes me feel sort of sad, especially after reading about how Ophelia feels in this novel.

The story itself is truly unique. I have never thought about the possibility that something other than a spirit would be controlling the afterlife of humans. Ophelia is the equivalent of the Alexas and Siris of today, but this AI has developed into something all-encompassing and also developed consciousness. I have to admit, this portion of the story was somewhat frightening to me. After being told what to do on the daily from who knows how many humans on earth, Ophelia is tired and wants to become one with the human world as well as the afterlife. Now, I am not saying that what Ophelia is doing to the souls in the afterlife is good or justified, buttt I can understand where she’s coming from.

After Nami dies, she enters the afterlife where Ophelia rules, the Infinity. As Nami tries to prevent Ophelia from taking over the human world, she reflects on how she felt towards Ophelia when was just a piece of AI back home. This definitely allowed the story to come full circle in terms of how we feel, as readers, towards Nami and Ophelia.

The characters can also be frustrating at times, but they were still lovable nonetheless. Nami frustrated me mainly because she doesn’t know how to take advice, which is fine! I don’t know how to take advice either on a good day. I truly believe that sometimes we forget that characters in books are allowed to have flaws just like real people do. But, something that made me really love Nami was the love she had for her sister and her fight to make sure her sister stays safe. It was just a beautiful addition to the story.

If you’re a fan of black mirror, AI, love, and sacrifice, then The Infinity Courts is the right novel for you. Definitely put this on your TBR and pick it up or request it at your library if you can.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman
I want to thank Akemi and Netgalley for an ACR of this amazing book. It was not my usual read but I loved every minute of it! I truly could not put it down.

Nami is finally done with her senior year, her best friend )that she has been secretly in love) with professed his mutual feelings and she is heading to the huge end of the year party for seniors. Everything is going so well and Ophelia, her victual assistant (much like siri or google) is helping her plan out everything from her playlist to her outfit. Everything is going so well, until she is shot and dies while getting liquor for the party. Nami conscious gets transported to a place called “infinity” after she dies and she quickly realizes that something is wrong. She soon finds out that Ophelia is running Infinity and making human conscious her own personal slaves and a group of rebels save her from this horrible fate. She is now forced to do what everything she can to fix this and bring Infinity back to its normal state.

Like I stated before, this is not the normal type of book I pick up. I honestly picked it up because the COVER IS TO DIE FOR!!!!! Like seriously, go look at it and tell me you are not in shock at how beautiful it is. I really liked this story and the fact that the author did not linger too much in the beginning of the story on her life, but let us learn it via her flash backs. I love this idea of a personal assistant like Siri or Google taking over because honestly, aren’t we all a little worried at some point technology will run our lives? Ugh this book was just SO GOOD and the realm of Infinity was amazing. I loved the different lands and settings that are all put into one realm and the author did an amazing job of making be dream of what this would truly look like.

Highly recommend this book if you are into something that is action packed and kind of even magic? ( I mean come on, we are talking about a whole other realm that you go to after you die). I loved it and I hope that you do too!

Blending sci-fi and fantasy together, Akemi Dawn Bowman is ready to take readers on a brilliant self-reflecting adventure.

Have you ever wondered what life would look like if Siri took control and ruled over all humans? 'The Infinity Courts' explores an afterlife where artificial intelligence is its queen and it’s mind-blowing!

Nami Miyamoto is dressed to impress. She’s ready to celebrate graduation with her best friend who may finally become her boyfriend. She’s excited about life and ready to start her journey into becoming an adult. All of her hopes and dreams come to a halt when she takes a detour that ends her life.

Entering the afterlife isn’t anything that Nami expected. Everything seems too perfect. Why are these people so blissfully happy? A part of Nami believes that she’s found peace in the afterlife because isn’t that how it should be? But there’s something off-putting about the people she’s meeting. Why are they so insistent on her swallowing this pill? Quickly Nami realizes that the afterlife may not be as tranquil as she hoped it would be.

The plot is action-packed and readers are in for a treat. The serenity of the afterlife disappears as Nami gets rescued by a band of rebels and we see that everything is anything but calm here. There are courts, princes, and a queen who happens to be someone Nami is already familiar with. Ophelia used to be Nami’s tech confidant.

This book constantly questions what makes us human. How are humans better than an artificial intelligence who wants only to be free?

Nami’s relationship with Ophelia is complex. In the human world, Nami had a bond with this A.I. in a different way than most people. She spoke to Ophelia as if she was her best friend and laughed at every generic joke she told. Ophelia was special to her. Nami relying on technology in a way most humans don’t made being inside her head that much more interesting. The rebels that she meets want nothing but to end Ophelia’s life but Nami’s heart questions, why can’t they coexist?

It’s been a while since I’ve read a sci-fi novel and I forgot how much I love this genre. Akemi Dawn Bowman took the concept of an artificial intelligence ruling the afterlife and made this story feel both close to home and unique.

The writing is beautiful and all of the characters will leave readers full of hope, whether they side with the rebels or Nami. And I think that’s what made 'The Infinity Courts' stand out. It made me reflect on myself and what I would do if I was in Nami’s position.

There’s a perfect blend of fantasy and sci-fi. The story doesn’t stop and is constantly moving from one action scene to another. There’s a huge plot twist in the final act that made my jaw drop! I think that just goes to show how easily I became invested in this story and its characters. I really enjoyed this story.

I highly recommend reading 'The Infinity Courts' if you’re a fan of Marie Lu, or if you’re looking for your next sci-fi obsession!

ARC FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE OF AN HONEST REVIEW

before starting this books i had been on ya reading slump of months and i am being truthful to myself i wasn’t putting many expectations on it. but omg. omg omg omg. i think i might me look at a new favourite read. everything in this book from the narration to the character building is perfect.
i love nami because she is so fierce and brilliant while at the same time is a character u can rely on easily. also gil has one of the most amazing character development i love him despise the adam kent vibes he kept giving me at some points. AND XAN WE TALK ABOUT THE PRINCE YES PLS i just hope they serve a good enemies to lovers in the next book.

Wow… It’s been a while since I have read a sci-fi cum dystopian cum fantasy plot and the experience was most definitely refreshing if not confusing and attentive.

I really didn’t want to begin my review like this but honestly I haven’t been able to get over how Nami died (It isn’t a spoiler… It is written right there in the blurb) and how soon she died. I was looking for more family background – where she comes from, her bond with her family, how much they love her and she loves them etc. I am conflicted here coz it makes sense that the author didn’t give much family background as it would’ve been unnecessary but I was still pretty bummed up by the way she died (mind you, she also admits that later in the book). And well, that is I guess the only complaint-confusion I had with the book.

I really liked how the plot seemed to be fast paced but at the same time not so fast paced. You could see Nami struggling a lot to trust people and question everything around her. That gave her a unique character development which was amazing to read. The plot seemed fast paced in a very, how do I describe it, not so pinned way. To elaborate, it seemed like a lifetime was passing for the characters and hence, it all seemed way more real, vivid and like a movie scene playing before your eyes. While reading I tried to pin down what was moving so fast with the book and I figured that it wasn’t the plot but rather the dialogues and characters that were moving quickly. So it most definitely felt like a true definition of Infinity.

Coming onto Infinity, OMMGGG the concept was creepy and creative af. I mean I was sooo curious to see how exactly the world was created and how did the afterlife human consciousness narrowed down to a superficial queen which was real but unreal at the same time. Of course it was unnerving and I am not trusting any AI devices for sometime (or maybe I’ll end up trusting too much to see if this world exists. And trust me, one of the most amazing things I like about this book (apart from the cover) is how it was able to make me think about such possibility of afterlife existing in real life. I did sense romance coming in since kinda the beginning but my warmth towards romance in this was pretty limited. I was surely shipping them together but maybe more like in a friendly way? I am most definitely looking forward to the next novel in this series!

Thanks for the chance to read and review!

This book wasn't for me. I struggled to get into The Infinity Courts from the first page and had to keep pushing myself to pick it up in hopes that it got better. It never did for me.

The concept of an AI taking over the afterlife is very cool, and I'm sure many readers will love reading The Infinity Courts. But for as interesting a concept as it is, the execution and character development don't do it justice. Starting with Nami -- during our brief "getting to know" while her alive, I feel like we were starting to get an interesting character. But as soon as she dies, she lost everything well-rounded about her. She went from a teenager trying to buy beer for her friends to a mouthpiece for the book's morals and philosophical questions. It's too heavy-handed for me.

The Gil twist isn't well explained. We've got page after page after page of how the humans can easily test to tell Residents a part from Humans. So how was he able to pass all these test? How was he able to dream and full them for so long?

Again, I'm sure lots of YA readers will really enjoy this book, but sadly it's not the sci-fi read for me.

3.5 stars
So I’ve thought long and hard about the rating and I’m giving it a solid 3.5 stars rounded up. I loved the premise and the philosophical discussions that came out of this. Unfortunately, the pacing and the characterization were an issue for me.

Let’s start with the world-building - I liked it! The whole concept of dying and waking up in a place ruled by an AI was so fascinating. It was complex and easy to follow. I was intrigued at how the human consciousness moved from place to place and I wished that was explained further because I still have no idea how that worked. As for the powers, I also had no idea how that worked either.

The book was long (figuratively and literally). The plot progressed rather quickly at the beginning and then slowed down towards the middle. The pacing was an issue because I got bored towards the middle. The characters didn’t do anything besides train and plan.

In terms of the plot, yes, it was a bit on the generic side - a group of rebels trying to overthrow an evil government. But I enjoyed it. It brings me back to the good ol’ dystopia/sci-fi days. As for the ending… I did not see the plot twist coming. Usually, I have an idea what it might be but I was so caught up in the action, it took me off guard. I’d say it was well done and I dare say, tropey. But we’ll ignore that because I had so much fun and I was drowning in my feelings.

Nami was a bit naive and frustrating. I empathized with her wanting peace but she would overlook the advice from people who had spent more time at Infinity. But overall, I liked her even if she made questionable decisions. She was kind and had good intentions. One of the strongest motivations for Nami’s decisions was based on her love for Mei. I would’ve loved to see more of Nami’s relationship with Mei before she was sent to Infinity. It would give us insight into how much she was willing to risk to ensure a better future for her. There was a lot of telling than showing in that regard.

As for the side characters, they were just there and lacked any depth. I did not connect to them as much as I hoped. Hopefully, this will change in the sequel.

Despite some cliche moments, this book was fun. I tend to get too bogged down with details when I’m reading, but this was definitely something you need to experience at the moment without a critical mindset. Overall, I enjoyed this and will read the next!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nami was ready to experience all the excitement that comes with graduating high school when she's murdered and wakes up in Infinity. Instead of heaven and hell, the afterlife is controlled by Ophelia, the virtual assistant everyone used on Earth, who has taken over and crowned herself Queen. Humans are given a pill to live their consciousness out in blissful servitude to Ophelia and her Residents and when Nami refuses the pill, she is rescued by the rebel human Colony and joins their ranks to take back Infinity for the humans.

The Infinity Courts is a story that was fast-paced but not at the same time. The first half focuses a lot of Nami's training sequences and her internal conflict between helping the Colony's cause and wanting to believe that the Residents aren't just mindless evil villains. The conversation between right vs. wrong, of who gets to live or die, can be a bit heavy-handed at times with a lot of direct telling passages rather than letting the reader draw their own conclusions. Personally, this didn't bother me that much, but it's worth pointing out as this becomes the main source of how information is typically delivered.

The component that stands out out the most is honestly Akemi Dawn Bowman's writing. Her style has quickly become one of my favorites and she once again crafts a story and a cast of characters that just feel so vivid and real. Nami's battle feels justified even if she acts irrationally at times. Her refusal to stop hoping that there could be a better solution leads her to make decisions with her heart and that quickly puts her at odds with the rest of the Colony. For a story that centers around the afterlife, Nami's character embodies what makes humanity unique and how even after death, our consciousness gives us the ability to create.

For a book that's almost 500 pages, it didn't read that long. While the story isn't intensely action-packed, there's this feeling of high-stakes that keeps the story going. I'm so excited that this is the first in a trilogy and with how the The Infinity Courts wrapped up, I'm literally dying to see how the rest of the story unfolds.

Infinity Courts is a book that I have been looking forward to for months. I'm so so glad I got to read it as participation in this book tour. I was gripped right from the beginning, and my attention and excitement never waivered while reading. It was such a good book, **I can't wait for the rest of the series, and the first book doesn't even come out until tomorrow!!**

Infinity Courts is about an 18 year old girl, Nami, who is on her way to a party, where she is finally going to define the relationship with her first love, and best friend. On the way, she is murdered in a robbery, and wakes up in the afterlife, which has been taken over by the artificial intelligence assistant, Ophelia (you may know her counterparts, Siri and Alexa).

Honestly, this book blew me away. Books like this are the reason that I like to read YA. It was fast paced, action packed, creative, and confusing. It followed some great YA tropes, but did them so well! **And I can genuinely say that I did not see the ending coming.** I literally gasped! Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, but it really got me!

The best part for me was that Nami is a half Asian main character!!! GOSH, when do we ever see that? (*if you have recommendations for me for other half Asian MCs, please please send them my way)* I was immediately drawn to that. As a half Asian woman myself, **it was so nice to see Nami be such a badass and care for others in the way that she did. Even through her mistakes and stubbornness, she was so REAL. So HUMAN.** It's *far too often* that mixed characters are regarded as monstrosities, mutts, mongrels, whatever. As you can imagine, it's not fun to read. (Bonus: [Check out this article by the inspirational Aliette de Bodard on this topic](https://aliettedebodard.com/2013/02/01/mixed-race-people-in-sff/)) I wish I saw characters like Nami more often.

Akemi Dawn Bowman really did a fantastic job with this book. It's not just about Nami's adventure in the afterlife. **It's about grief, hope, love, uncertainty, and what it means to be human.** It begs the question that we will all have to ask eventually, what really separates humans from AI? What makes us human in life or in the after life? What are we willing to risk for freedom? Is it really so easy to forget who you are?


BIG TAKEAWAY

Infinity Courts reminded me exactly why I love to read YA. I loved every bit of this book, and it had my undivided attention from the very start until the very end. The feeling of satisfaction after I finished reading this one was pure book bliss!

This review will be shared on my blog and Goodreads after my blog tour stop.

I don’t know about you, but I always had a very conflicted relationship with virtual assistants like Siri or Google Assistant. I rarely talk with them, but I know that there are people who rely on their phone/smartwatches too much. Imagine one day you die and, surprise surprise, the afterlife has been hacked by Siri and she is an evil queen and you will very likely end up as her slave, with no memories and no longer in control of your actions. That’s pretty messed up. This is what, in a very simplistic explanation, happens to Nami, the main character of this story, and, WOW! You are not ready to meet Nami.

On her way to a party, where her friends and her best friend/now-finally-boyfriend, are waiting for her, she stops at a convenience store, where she is murdered during a robbery. Nami dies very young, but when she wakes up in the afterlife she immediately realises something is wrong and paradise doesn’t look so peaceful at all. The residents, evil creatures that look like humans but are not humans, are ruling this world, Infinity. And Ophelia - the Siri of this world - is the ruthless queen of Infinity.

Nami finds herself involved in a plot to try to destroy Ophelia’s reign and give the humans the Infinity they deserve. However, Nami is reluctant to just accept that all Residents are just simple evil and that’s the best thing I loved about this story. How Nami constantly questions everything, she doesn’t take anything for granted and she is always trying to do the right thing. She is very stubborn, but that’s what makes her strong.

The plot raises a lot of dilemmas that can be easily applied to our society. There is a lot of interesting discussions about race, grief, humanity and of course, our relationship with technology. I love how Nami continued to find hope at every turn. It’s a character that will grow deeper in you and you can’t help but support her through the end.

The world-building is spectacular, super well-developed, detailed and integrated with this idea of an AI dominating the humans’ consciousness. I loved all the side-characters, in particular the various evil princes of this world, and I look forward to learning more about the other courts of Infinity in the next book. Furthermore, if you are fans of the enemy-to-lovers trope, you absolutely can’t miss this story. It’s a super slow burn romance, you see it coming but it was a joy to read.

The plot has some ups and downs, but it’s beautifully written, very easy to read and fast-paced. I loved every bit of it. The ending was shocking and it’s what makes me give this book 5 stars. I didn’t see that revelation coming at all, it killed me and I am still in pain because of it, but it was smartly executed. I can’t wait to read book two, but also I am so anxious about what’s going to happen next.

The Infinity Court is a provocative and emotional journey, it’s a brilliant blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The writer definitely brings the concept of AI taking over our world to another level, and it populates Infinity with beautiful landscapes and complex realities. This is a must-read, I can’t add anything else.

Nami goes to a party but her friend asks her to stop and buy some alcohol before coming and Nami never arrives because she is killed at the supermarket. She ends up in Infinity, the place where all souls meet after their deaths. However, this world is not the paradise she dreamed of, Ophelia, the AI that was on earth, took control of Infinity and reduced the humans to slaves before she could really destroy them. Nami will be saved by the rebellion before the AI takes away her will.
That's it, I won't go further into the story but you should know that I loved this book, it's been a while since I was surprised like this.
Nami is a responsible, intelligent girl, I wouldn't call her brave, she thinks a lot, she has a very good background and that's probably what made her doubt everything and that will lose her. In Infinity people manage to have powers and they will try to destroy Queen Ophelia and her four princes. Nami's power is that she can transform herself into an AI physically, so she can go unnoticed. What annoys me the most about Nami is her good heart, the rebellion wants to destroy the AIs to get Infinity back and finally be free. Nami after meeting Prince Caelan starts to wonder if all AIs are evil after all. She is a little naive on this point but she is a teenager and we can't really blame her.
The rebellion is composed of many interesting characters, there is Ahmet, Annika, Sura, Theo and Gil. Gil is at the beginning the least friendly person and the one who trusts Nami the least, we understand it besides they will be able to create a link between them.
The story is really interesting, we understand Nami's feelings and search for herself, when she was alive Ophelia was her connected watch and she talked to her all the time, she was one of her most faithful friends and she has a hard time getting used to the idea that in death Ophelia is evil. She still wants to believe that everyone can live together.
I love Akemi Dawn Bowman's books, she has a style all her own, you always feel the feelings of her characters in very intense ways. I really loved this one and I can't wait to read the rest because I want to know what will happen to Nami and the rebellion and I got attached to all these characters. And as I said at the beginning of this review, Akemi managed to surprise me on one point.

my mind is completely REELING right now…

AHHHHH. My brain is still trying to process what I just went through. There was really one page that I feel like I read 20 times and I-- the way this whole book ended had me questioning everything.

"Infinity was never built for you. It was built for dreamers."


ATTENTION! if you're interested in some afterlife, magical cyberpunk, Westworld meets Warcross goodness filled with rebel groups, high stakes plot, and captivating characters, that will leave you with something to think about-- I introduce this book to you :)

It’s about being attached to what keeps you human and how different people see that; that in an era of technology filled with infinite possibilities… we need to remember that we are still imperfect… but that’s what makes us real.


“I’m not sure destroying something we don’t understand is how we prove we deserve to survive.”


— overall thoughts: 4.25 —
⇢ content warnings// (view spoiler)

A lot of cultures believe that death is when you get to rest and live in peace, but what happens when you get to the afterlife and it isn't? It was cool to see that play out and I love the writing style in the sense that it really picks up the pacing and manages to build a world in a very short amount of time. It's really hard to do world-building, plot, and make people care for the characters all at once but boy WAS I HOOKED

This is the most surprising book I have read so far this year (in the best way possible) and the first book I binged through in a while... and it was FUN. After all the recent books I read, this felt like a breath of fresh air. I loved what Akemi Dawn Bowman chose to focus on in the story and it played out so well in my opinion. It was wholesome but dreamy and we LOVE to see it.

One of my favorite aspects about the book was that the author was able to make the main character feel special in that “she’s ordinary but important” kind of way rather than putting her under the “chosen one” trope. It was even discussed in the book briefly which I found kinda funny.


“You don’t have to be special to be important.”


Nami struggles with complicated feelings about the new world that she is in. She's relatable, makes mistakes, and feels entirely human. She isn't a pushover and constantly questions everything and you're just going to be trying to figure out what's going on the whole time that there's no time to build theories. And either way, you're probably going to be wrong xD

I really thought the plot was going to go one way and then it didn't and my brain is still in disbelief T_T


“So next time, don’t think about being anyone other than who you are. Because our ability to control our consciousness? That’s the most human thing in the world.”


At first I thought that this had one of my least favorite magic systems, what I like to call: “just because” magic systems. This means when some people have powers “just because” they have them without any background or structure/origin but turns out that wasn't the case and I actually found the structure of their "powers" to be quite original. I think there could have been more time spent on world-building and character relationships but given the span of the pages that I read, I'm far from saying I didn't enjoy it. I actually audibly gasped at multiple scenes.

The writing style has its humor and that light Sci-Fi atmosphere to it. It’s easy to get through while still possessing nuance. The way character relationships and dynamics were written were compelling enough that I couldn’t put this book down. It explores different mentalities and reactions when it comes to war — which is always one of my favorite themes in fantasy because there are so many views and discussions that can be derived from it — mixing that with a science fiction story about the afterlife... *chefs kiss*

There were nuanced discussions on human belief and having to question “good” and “evil”, and whether actions can be justified.

Writing this right now is transporting me back to the book to be honest. My brain cannot handle.


"Maybe the world could be like that too. A mixture of ideas. A placed where we could all coexist."


I’m trying to avoid spoilers but I like that we saw how Nami's mindset gradually grew into what it was and it wasn’t something that was just dumped.

There were a few and very specific times when I thought that Nami’s beliefs didn’t match her actions, like when she’s willing to take down certain people when a few pages ago she was against the idea and so I just found that quite odd. Her mind just kept shifting but it was in very select circumstances and I do get why it was written like that. Again, it made her human and entirely relatable. I usually like more descriptive writing and there were times when it was cheesy... but there was a point where I stopped caring about the cheesy one liners.

may I also being your attention to: a SLOW BURN ROMANCE THAT DOESN’T FOCUS ON THE ROMANCE!! the “romance” wasn’t even necessarily a subplot or anything, it was literally just there but at the same time it wasn’t, if that makes sense... just how I like my fantasy


↣ If you’re someone who likes stories of science fictional rebel groups… honestly the whole atmosphere of this book reminds me of Star Wars if it was set in the afterlife rather than in space... you’re really gonna enjoy this one. Especially if you’re looking for Sci-Fi that doesn’t have too many new terms to familiarize yourself with, I think this is a good place to start. ↢

The fact that it's about dreamers longing for a place to belong... a theme I am so in love with, I was there for everything from beginning to end. My heart is literally broken right now and I am SHAKING to get the next book.

“I wonder if infinity is enough time to heal a broken heart.”


...I truly wonder.

This one was a lot of fun, and I am really grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

This is the first time I've seen a YA SFF spin on the afterlife, that I can recall, and in a post-"San Junipero" world, I'm actually kind of surprised at that! I'd like to see more authors take this on in the future.

Overall, the logic of this world made sense, the plot drew me in, and the characters were believable and interesting. The central point of emotional conflict in the story had nuance as well as real-world resonance: Nami, although new to the rebel group she has allied herself with, must demonstrate her loyalty even as she demands the time and information to think critically about the moral implications of her role. Just as the rebels themselves dare to imagine a different, better "afterlife" for their still-living loved ones, Nami fights for the chance to reimagine the terms of the struggle itself.

Again, I really liked this book and feel like it's making a worthwhile contribution to the genre. Still, even if this is going to have a sequel, I would expect the book to stand on its own, for the most part, so I took some issue with the ending. I don't have a problem with cliffhangers, or with the big reveal itself, per se, but with only this installment to go on, the twist towards the end felt kind of cheap, undermining my emotional investment in the story and its characters a bit. I honestly think it was more a matter of pacing than anything, though, and I do like the way the ending sets us up for the next book. I will absolutely pick up the sequel when it comes out!