This book was an enjoyable ride for the most part. From the beginning the reader is swept off their feet and presented to a rich world that mixes sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian elements. All in all, one could say that because the story sets itself around a rebellion, it reads like a classic dystopian story. I liked that, it reminded me of the dystopian boom of the early 2010's but with a couple of unique twists. The whole idea of an afterlife being centered around conicousness is amazing and it works wonders when it intertwines itself with the artificial inteligence portion of the story. Therefore, sometimes the intriguing sci-fi powers would seem like magic, lie fantasy. Apart from that, the whole courts and a queen strcuture will remind the reader of high fantasy stories.

All of this sums up wonderfully and makes a great and thrilling story.

In addition, it takes the reader a step further and explores themes of life and death, second-chances and who do we leave behind in war. All of the conversations around the story were meaningful as they added different layers to each aspect of the story, specially the character's motivations. This gets the reader nicely invested in the story because you know, we know as much as Nami does and all of her questions and doubts about the world she's been thrown in haunts us as well.

Admittedly, I think the pacing gets a bit slugg-ish in the middle portion of the book. However, I'm not sure if that's on the book or on my own perception of the story, having gone into the book wrongly thinking that is was a stand-alone. When I was reaching the 80% mark I was very much stressed out thinking HOW would our heroes get to fix all of the mess. This led to me feeling like the action was starting too late. Nevertheless, now I understand why each part was given such time and such development.

And with the twists at the end, oof, I have the feeling like every piece of the puzzle is exactly where it needs to be. Overall, you could say I'm excited for the sequel. I've got to see where this story goes.

Trust me, you have to too.

In conclusion, I'd give this book 3.7 stars but rounded up to 4 stars. I would have liked the story to go a bit further, to vibrate a bit more.

(The full review will go up on the blog the 11th, because of the blog tour schedule. A full review post on instagram might be done on the release date).

Nami is murdered before she reaches her high school prom party. When she wakes up again, she realizes she's in Infinity, a place where humans go after death.

There Ophelia, a virtual assistant from the human world, has taken over as queen, and the humans are forced to be her servants. Narrowly escaping captivity, Nami discovers that those captured can no longer think on their own.

Because of her extraordinary powers, Nami is appointed spy by the Colony to try and gather information on Ophelia. Ultimately, their main goal is to take down the queen, but before that, they had to overcome many difficulties.

Infinity was another one of those amazing worlds I would love to see. The great technology in it and the way the Courts were described seemed so unique to the real world.

I loved Nami and her love for her sister, Mei. Her determination to prevent Mei from living in a future Infinity where Ophelia ruled as queen was so heartwarming.

Overall, The Infinity Courts is a must-read book for 2021. It was super immersing and I finished it in just one sitting. It left off in such a cliff-hanger and oh my gosh I NEED to read the second book like right now!

Infinity Courts are so much more than what I expected it to be. You start out meeting Naomi and her family and find out how much she loves this boy, Finn. Then she dies unexpectedly, and the whole rest of the book centered around what death ends up being. Afterlife is controlled by that AI that was so helpful to her in life but now is out to eradicate her and all humans from the afterlife. If you love books that handle the afterlife and what it could contain, this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoy books like this cause no one knows what after death has. You can believe in what your religion teaches, what your family thinks, and what science says happens, but no one knows. That makes these books so unique cause each one has a different take on it, and this one is no exception. The plot twists are phenomenal, the detail to what is going on is fantastic, and our main character has a heart for both AI and humans and is torn to her roots on what to do. I loved this book and highly recommended it and can't believe I have to wait a year to find out what happens next.

3.5 stars

I really enjoy Bowman's writing style and often find the character explorations and settings riveting. For the first 35% of this novel, I experienced all of this enthusiasm. Then...it took me two months to finish the rest.

This is absolutely a worthy and entertaining read, but for me, the pacing slowed dramatically after the first third. The central character's motivation is believable at first, but as she continues on her lengthy quest, I had a hard time buying that this part was not evolving. In fairness, I did note growth later in the novel; it just took a long time to get there.

The concept is cool, but I wish Bowman had kept up the pacing throughout the novel. I'll be interested to read future installments of this series, but I will also look forward to more evolution of plot and character (in fewer pages).

The Infinity Courts is the fae court, massive rebellion, spy thriller, afterlife, futuristic, dystopian novel of my dreams. It's been years since YA has published a new kind of dystopian, or really any dystopian and what a way to do it! Nami dies saving the life of a young person at a gas station. She doesn't quite know why she does it, but she knows in the moment it's the right thing to do.. She wakes up in a glaringly bright and glaringly clean and neat place. There, she is given a choice that really isn't a choice.: to accept the afterlife and take a pill or....to wait. But when the choice is offered repeatedly, she knows there was never a choice to begin with. She sees lights that seem to be calling her to leave this bright sterile place and so she does. Quickly, this becomes an issue as the blank staring workers call out an alarm. She runs, making it outside to see a car waiting for her and humans. Real humans. She takes a chance on them and this takes her to the Colony, a group she discovers is full of the remaining aware humans left in Infinity, the afterlife. Infinity used to be filled with humans, both the good and the bad. When the artificial intelligence from Earth (which we call Siri or Alexa) called Ophelia finds a way to worm herself into Infinity, she makes it her goal to eradicate all human consciousness. The Colony exists to make the afterlife for humans only, once again. Nami is torn between helping the Colony (and any future humans, like her sister) and trying to save the lives of the unaware humans forced to work for the Residents, those who run Infinity now. When Nami realizes a power she didn't think she was capable of having, she is of more use to the Colony than she ever thought possible. This power causes her to deliberate whether she is okay losing all of the unaware humans to meet the goals of the Colony, especially once she starts to connect with the Prince of the Victory court, Caelan.

Usually, you'd get a more detailed review from me, but there isn't much more I can say without spoiling the story and oh GOODNESS is it a whirlwind. It's been a long, long time since I've read a plot twist quite like the one in this novel. It is deep, interwoven, and barely hinted at. There is so much of this novel that is subtly mentioned at times and maybe a more thorough reader would notice. For me, as deeply invested as I am, I'm as involved in the story as the characters, not seeing what is happening until they fully see it and this happens with the plot twist in the novel. It's my first novel by superstar author Akemi Dawn Bowman, but I am in love with this world and this idea and happy to see dystopian is making a comeback in a way that feels much more mature than more famous dystopians of the 2010s. I'll put it simply: this is something I'd love to see more of in YA. Poignant. Reflective of society. But still everything we love about fantasy and YA.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman quite literally starts off with a bang when the main character, 18 year old Nami Miyamoto, is shot and killed on her way to her high school graduation party. I was hooked right away because of course I’m trying to figure out where the story is going if the main character is dead within the first few pages. Well, it turns out we’re following her to the afterlife, specifically to a place called Infinity. Infinity is where a human’s subconscious goes after his or her physical body is no longer living. Once she realizes where she is, Nami is shocked to learn that the afterlife has been taken over by Ophelia, the popular virtual assistant humans use to do their bidding. Ophelia has crowned herself Queen of Infinity and she seeks revenge against the humans by forcing them all into servitude as they die. Revenge isn’t Ophelia’s endgame either though. Nami flees before she falls into Ophelia’s clutches, meets up with a small band of human rebels, and joins them in their fight to preserve the afterlife for their loved ones who have yet to die.

First of all, I have to give props to Bowman for coming up with such a unique premise for a story. She definitely had me giving the side-eye to both Alexa and Siri as I was reading this, haha. I was also fascinated by the creative worldbuilding with respect to Infinity and the various courts it contains. There’s Victory court, which is beautiful and vivid and known for its many parties, at which humans work as servants. There’s also War, a grim and brutal court where uncooperative humans are sent to battle for their souls. And finally, there’s Death, the mysterious court that appears to be where Ophelia conducts experiments related to her endgame, which is to exterminate all human consciousness so that she can have Infinity all to herself.

Aside from the creative worldbuilding, I was also a fan of the complex characters Bowman has created. Nami and her band of rebels are of course very easy to root for as they are the underdogs trying to take down an AI tyrant who doesn’t seem to have a weakness of any kind. Nami was all the more interesting though because she has moments where she’s torn about what they’re trying to do. She of course wants to preserve the afterlife for her family for when they die, but at the same time, to a degree, she understands why Ophelia hates humans and wants to get back at them. Nami wonders if there’s any way for Ophelia and the humans to reach a compromise and ignores the other rebels when they tell her they’ve already tried. Nami’s internal struggle creates tension and mistrust within the group because they’re never 100% sure if they can trust her. Ophelia is also an incredibly complex character. She is not your typical AI by any stretch of the imagination, especially as it relates to her desire for revenge.

The unique premise, creative worldbuilding and the complex characters kept me entertained from start to finish. I also really loved the exploration of humanity and what it really means to be a human. The only weakness for me was the ending, which just fell a little flat for me and seemed abrupt. I’m definitely on board with continuing the series though. I need to see who will come out on top!

I really did like this book, and I think the plot is super cool. I was a little confused in the beginning/middle about how the whole thing worked with humans and Residents. I was confused because I was viewing the Residents as androids kind of, and androids don’t typically have feelings/emotions. I was also kind of confused on how the Residents were made.

Then there was the whole time thing. Do they have something to keep track of their own version of time? They said that they aren’t sure how their timeline connects to the one in the alive world. They said that the Procession of Crowns happens once a cycle aka one hundred years, so how do they know when that is??

I would also get a little lost with all the talk about humans since humans can refer to both the people who gave up their consciousness AND the Resistance humans.

The second half of the book picked up a lot, and I loved it! I absolutely adore Akemi Dawn Bowman’s writing. She also does a spectacular job of having themes that make people think. This book had a lot of moral dilemma decisions. It touches on who should be able to decide who lives or dies, should you try to take the peaceful path even though it’s failed before, what happens when people do something that’s not right, but their reason and feelings are the same as yours?

I lowkey wanted more romantic moments with Gil, especially in the first part. I know it was like an enemies-to-lovers thing....kind of, but I wish there were more moments that made me root for them to become a couple. It got a little tiring to always see them fight every time they were together. At a point, I was like just stay away from each other!

Then..........the last ten percent. The plot twist. Maybe y’all saw it coming, but I WAS BLINDSIDED😭 What the heck!!!! Gil isn’t even real! I thought he was so nice for a while. Turns out he was the villain all along! Yeah, Caelan saved her in the end, but the betrayal is still heartbreaking! I NEED the second book cause I don’t know what to expect!

One moment Nami was alive and in a convenience store and the next moment she finds herself waking up in the Infinity Courts, which are ruled by an AI Queen Ophelia. Humans are oppressed and controlled by the AI that Ophelia created to rule this world. Their ultimate goal - to eradicate all humans. Nami believes they can coexist peacefully, but in that she is alone. Can she convince the other humans to help her work towards coexistence or will she join them in their quest to rid Infinity of the AI presence one and for all? Bowman has crafted a unique world with an empathetic character who struggles with the us and them mentality of this world. I cannot wait to find out what happens next.

The Infinity Courts is a book with one of those fabulous world building seeds. It's a book where you're never sure of what's happening. Where you can feel this subtle tension and hint of wrongness from the beginning. As our technology advances, The Infinity Court almost seems eerie. Can you imagine expecting paradise and instead walking into a war? Survival and existence aren't the same thing - something Nami comes to learn quickly. I had so many notes about questions Bowman asks about sides in a conflict, rebellion, and being a hero.

I had an emotional roller coaster affair with Nami. At the beginning I loved her quirkyness and nerdy references. And her love for her sister? I could never begrudge that motivation. But as she is thrown into this Chosen One role and people look at her to "be a hero", I had more trouble with her character. I think partly this is because Nami struggles to figure out what the right thing to do. If the Residents are what we think and if we could be helping more people. In some ways I understood this desire, to rebel against being someone else's weapon.

So much of it has to be the ways the other humans are looking up to her, expecting things of her, and her own desire to be in control. But at the same time, Nami is walking headfirst into a conflict borne of decades (time works differently there) of pain, trauma, and grief. However, that's also Nami's character - she wants to see the best in people, she is not one to give up hope quickly, and she's determined (even when it has questionable consequences).

Well, this was unique and emotional! When I am crying by the first chapter, you know it's going to be a hell of a ride! The Infinity Courts has such a unique premise, and the execution is fabulous. Nami is likable and relatable from the first we meet her, so obviously we're going to feel for her during the story. When she's killed, and desperately upset about her family and friends, it just makes her all the more likable. But she finds herself in Infinity, and it changes everything she thought she knew.

Infinity is bonkers. It legit reminded me of if ALIE had been in charge of Transcendence in The 100, that is the best way I can describe it. If you are not a The 100 fan, well, sorry, that's all I have (besides, you should know by now that most references I use will be The 100 references. I can't help it.) Human consciousnesses go here after death, but a rogue AI has decided to capture them for her own purposes. This renders most of (dead) humanity to mindless, controlled husks. So obviously Nami doesn't want this for herself, but she also really doesn't want it to happen to her loved ones when they die either. She ends up joining some rebels who plan to overthrow the AI, but Nami thinks there has to be a better way than annihilation.

I loved Nami and her band of rebel friends. They all clearly want to save the afterlife, but there is disagreement about how to do so. The story of Nami finding this new family, as well as learning that sometimes there are no good choices, makes for a compelling and exciting book. I am quite excited to continue her story!

Bottom Line: I loved this unique, exciting, and emotionally provocative book, and simply couldn't put it down!

Full Review Here: http://www.millennialbeautysisters.com/the-infinity-courts-by-akemi-dawn-bowman/ and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3904232158?book_show_action=false

The Infinity Courts was easily a 4.5/5 star read for me. I have a hard time coming up with negatives about books I read. I love reading and I think it's amazing what these authors are able to create so I usually look for positives in everything I read.

That being said, I didn't have to look far in this one. The storyline is so captivating. There are plenty of twists and turns and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. Along with that suspense we have an amazing cast of characters. Nami is an awesome protagonist and we get to see her face off against so many demons, many of her own making.

In terms of enemies the The Infinity Courts has them in spades. We are never quite sure where Nami stands with some of these people and it makes them equally lovable and punchable. If you like enemies to lovers you will have plenty to love about this one, though romantic entanglements are not the main focus of the book, which I appreciated since...you know...war and what not ;)

This was a really quick read for me. If I would have started it on a weekend I would have devoured it in one day. I did NOT want to put this one down. Do yourself a favor and just take Tuesday, April 6th off so you can eat this one up on release day.

Overall this is a great read that I'll definitely recommend to the readers in my life. It's a gorgeous story and a totally fresh take on the afterlife that I really enjoyed. The Infinity Courts captivated my imagination but also made me think about some tough subjects. There's a lot at play in Infinity and seeing Nami work hard to do right by everyone, including people she's expected to hate, is really heartbreaking and beautiful.

Nami just turned eighteen and the world is her oyster. She and a boy from school have finally started a semi-relationship, her family is happy and proud of her, and she’s going to a party. What could go wrong?

But when Nami is murdered on her way to the party, she thinks it’s all over… until it isn’t. Waking up in a place called Infinity, she soon learns that this is where humans go after they die. Unfortunately, Infinity has been taken over by AIs, and humans are either forced to be mindless servants or to flee and try to escape. Nami soon finds herself mixing with the rebels, who think they’ve found a way to take down the AIs running Infinity, but they need Nami’s help to do it. Can Nami be the Hero they want, rather than the person she wants to be?

I received an advanced review copy of The Infinity Courts in exchange for an honest review.

The Infinity Courts is a young adult science fiction novel by Akemi Dawn Bowman. If the author’s name sounds familiar, it’s because Bowman has written some of the best books I’ve read in the last couple of years, and I’ve reviewed them on this blog (see both Starfish and Harley in the Sky). Needless to say, when I heard that an author whose fiction books have made it to my top ten yearly lists had branched out and decided to start writing science fiction, I knew I had to pick this book up. Luckily, I managed to score an ARC of it! So, what did I think?

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I dove into this book. Starfish and Harley in the Sky had worked a lot with really deep emotional issues, as well as with relationships to family members, and the struggle of wanting to both belong and pull away. In The Infinity Courts, however, Nami is pulled away from her family very soon in the book, and the reader knows that she’s unlikely to see them for a long time, but the connection to her family is still there.

I really loved reading about Nami and how hard she fought to keep her connection to her family alive. Most of the people she met in Infinity had been dead long enough that they’d started making new families and trying to forget their old ones. Nami, however, as recently dead as she is, still looks to her old family for comfort. I loved the mentions of her little sister, and how her need to protect her influenced Nami to try and be a Hero, and also how her dad had made comics about a character that inspired Nami to be brave even when she felt the most scared. It’s very real to how people are, I think. Kids can grow up and leave their home, but they will always look back on their past, on their family, and it shapes who they are, no matter how long they’re away.

Speaking of Nami’s personality, there’s something else I really loved about her. She had incredibly conflicted feelings about exterminating all AIs, and was reluctant to participate in a war she barely knew enough about. I thought this also felt very real to how most people are. So many books have an absolutely average character suddenly find themselves at the center of a great war, or some huge movement, and all to often they take it in stride. Nami, however, felt more like an actual average person. Like me, for example. I’m sure if I was suddenly thrown into a situation like that, I’d have no idea what to do, like Nami does. It’s a struggle, and I enjoyed that Bowman had that as such a central part of the book.

So much of this book is about Nami and trying to figure out what’s right. There is a lot of thought in this book, with new emotionally complicated situations coming up every so often. The book, instead of being led purely by plot, felt more led by Nami herself, which I think is difficult to do in a book like this, but I really appreciated it. It gave me time to dive into her psyche and try to understand who she is.

This isn’t to say that there weren’t some exciting moments in the plot! I nearly dropped the book more than once as the twists became revealed. I did not see those coming! They were absolutely and completely shocking, but after thinking about them, they sort of made sense. Also, these twists definitely help to set up the next book in the series! No clue yet on what it’s called, when it’ll be released, or if it’ll be the last book of the series. Hopefully we’ll get more information on it soon, and hopefully I can also find an ARC of it, because I can’t wait to read this and find out what happens next!

The Infinity Courts is a more introspective and emotional take on science fiction, dealing with grief and separation as a character tries to understand what the right thing to do is while living in a world full of shades of gray.

The Infinity Courts will be released on April 6. You can pre-order your copy from Simon Pulse here.

This is my first time reading this author, and I requested this book from NetGalley because of the stunning cover and wonderful reviews of her backlist.

Nami’s life is just beginning. She graduated high school, college is on the horizon, and she’s at the beginning of a romantic relationship with her best friend of several years. Then she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and her life is cut short after a spontaneous act of bravery.

What an original spin on the afterlife. Ophelia, a virtual assistant used by many people, including Nami, is Queen of Infinity. Kind of makes you want to be nicer to Alexa and Siri when they can’t help you. There are also four territories, each ruled by a prince (Ophelia’s sons). Soon after dying and arriving in Infinity, Nami is taken in by a group of rebels fighting against Ophelia, and that’s when she started to annoy me. In spite of being a newcomer, she’s convinced she knows better than those who’ve been around much longer, and she jumps into situations headfirst before completely thinking things through. Many times. She has a strong moral compass and brings up thought-provoking questions about coexistence, forgiveness, and second chances, but the big picture eludes her at times. The supporting characters are well-drawn, and I especially enjoyed strong leader Annika and the mysterious Gil.

I wish I’d gotten to know a little more about Nami before her death – her interactions with family and friends, likes/dislikes, etc., but she’s thrown into the afterlife almost immediately. With heavy inner monologue, this is a lengthy read at nearly five hundred pages, and I found myself skimming over sections that were pretty similar. Just when Nami begins to understand what the rebels have been telling her, she’s blindsided. That ending? Didn’t see that twist coming – not even the shimmer of a hint. That alone upped my rating, but I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

With unique worldbuilding (who knew they had royal balls and wars in the afterlife?), political issues, and dystopian themes, The Infinity Courts will appeal to fantasy fans looking for a different landscape.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The concept is fascinating: the main character Nami is dead by the first few chapters, and the story focuses on her adventures in Infinity, where AI have taken over the humans. In Infinity, it is, in fact, possible to die more than once.

The twists at the end definitely helped outweigh the grievances I had towards (mainly) the characters, aka Nami. Speaking of her, um let's just say I wasn't a huge fan. There were many times when I felt her conflict over saving the one but at the risk of exposing the larger population of humans, but, at the same time...*aggravated and frustrated scream* For me, I think it was more of Nami's insistence on being the "Chosen One," even though she had been hesitant about this title that was placed upon her. On top of that, I was mostly frustrated with her belief that all the blame should go to her. Aka, I'm conflicted, and all I can say is another *frustrated scream*.

The world building (and buddy reading) definitely carried me through. Also, as I mentioned before, the interesting conflict between the Residents (AI), who infiltrated Infinity, and humans. It was quite fascinating to read, as well as this exploration of what may come after that.

I was so struck by how humans' minds are their own and how Bowman contemplates the perseverance of human beings.

I would recommend The Infinity Courts if you love unique worldbuilding! Also: AI, resistance plotlines, and/or curious about a story that begins after the main character dies.

The first 20 pages immediately made me want to finish the book as soon as possible. Nami is such a good protagonist who questions what is truly good and evil, and makes the plot line more believable. Thrilling tale of humanity fighting to save itself even in the afterlife, and whether or not humanity is actually good or not.Highly recommend, couldn’t put it down. The ending is such a cliffhanger!

I am unable to download this book to read on my Kindle, but I will be buying and reading this one because it sounds incredibly good.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this arc. I had some issues opening the arc due to the provided download format. I also had some issues with connecting with the story itself when I was able to read so of the book. Based on this I have decided to not finish this book at this time. I wish this book much success.

Kind regards and thanks.

This was one of my most anticipated releases because I love the author's previous works. The book did not disappoint! It gave me Warcross × I, Robot ×The Good Place vibes, with the AI technology in heaven and futuristic feel. And I love all three of those mediums! The book also made me think about moral questions, which I think will be appealing to teen audience that is growing up and also asking similar things, while still being engaged in a Sci-Fi plot. I would give it 5/5 stars if it weren't so slow in the beginning, which was the only drawback. There are portions in the first half that feel quite info dumpy, but if you can hang on really starts getting great in the second half of the book.

2.5/3 stars

I feel as if I am in the minority for this book. I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t love it. The concept was super cool - once you die, your consciousness is transferred to Infinity. Anything is possible - healing yourself, creating things with your kind, etc. Except the humans are threatened by the Residents, nonhumans whose goal is to strip humans of their consciousness permanently.

Yet I found the story to just not click with me. The enemy to lovers trope was predictable yet not satisfying when it came to light. The world building sometimes felt confusing and left me with more questions than answers about how and why things were created and hidden.

I really appreciated the way this book put a new(ish) spin on the evil/sentient AI sub-genre by mashing it up with both an afterlife setting AND a multiverse-fantasy sub-genre. Very fun stuff, and I'd love to teach it in a future sci-fi class, particularly given its focus on contemporary technology and ethics. I found the writing wonderfully immersive and easy to follow, and I loved the character from page one. However, I didn't love the more typical YA tropes (love triangle, etc.), though I can understand why they'd be important for the target audience.