Looking for a YA Fantasy filled with diverse queer characters and a new magic system?

I really enjoyed the magical elements and world-building in this story and the characters really set the tone. I will say the main character was a bit angrier than I typically enjoy in a main POV and as a result, he made some very questionable decisions, but the tone fit well into a YA Fantasy world. My favorite character in the story was multi-gender and with each chapter their pronouns would change depending on how they presented themself that day. It was such an amazing way to build in this representation, especially in a world where no persecution was place on individuals for their gender or sexuality.

I’m very excited to see where this story takes us in the future as the series continues and I hope we hear of a release date for book 2 super soon!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Teen for an E-ARC copy of this book!

I had read Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After and really enjoyed it as a YA contemporary, so I was eager to read their YA High Fantasy debut. Overall, I liked the worldbuilding and found the magical school setting compelling. I enjoyed the queernormative aspects of the world and casual queer representation in characters. However, I found myself not wanting to pick this up to read more, which is typically a sign I'm not vibing with it. The characters didn't endear themselves to me (or even interest me, even if they were unlikable) and I felt like a lot of the writing told me how people felt rather than showed me. I didn't find the plot interesting enough to continue in the series if more books come along in it. I do appreciate MacMillan sending me a copy to read and review

3 stars

Review made possible thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. Thanks for the ARC

Okay, onto the review.

So, I want to start off with what I liked about this book. It is full of queer rep. I adored it. Queer rep needs to be something we see more of and I was happy to see it here. There is a character, Ramsay whose pronouns change depending on their gender that day. So they change on the page from chapter to chapter. It can be a little confusing if you don’t pay attention but honestly it isn’t a hard thing to keep track of.

Ashen also binds. So he’s trans and I was really glad to see just more LGBTQ+ rep in a book. I also liked how their queerness was explained.

Onto what I didn’t like about the book.

Which, unfortunately, was basically everything else. I DNF’d this book.

It was an absolute slog to get to 36%. I did not enjoy reading it. I picked up my table to read and found myself unhappy, not enjoying the story at all. And a big, big part of that is the pacing.

This book is so incredibly slow. I couldn’t stand it. I fell asleep while reading it.

Now, the worldbuilding is a bit chunky. It’s heavy and detailed and some things I had to read a few times to actually get the grasp of them. Which is fine but when there’s that along with a story that drags its feet, it makes it hard to actually retain anything. Like being bored in class, the teacher starts to sound like a Charlie Brown adult.

That was what I was experiencing reading this book. Which sucked because I was looking forward to it. Anything that has to do with alchemy is right up my alley. Put that in my veins and call it a day.

But not this one. The characters were distinct but didn’t really do much for me. And you’d think in a book that has such a great description, you’d be riveted. I didn’t care. There were a few exciting parts, like an alchemist fight, but once that was over, there was just a lot to slog through again.

Also one of my biggest qualms with what I read was the fact that this is supposed to be YA.

Trad pub needs to just accept that New Adult is a thing and start putting books in that category. This is not a YA book. The characters are something like 18-20 or 21. Absolutely nothing about this book felt YA.

At the end of the day, the plot also felt thin. It felt like there was more things stringing the characters on from one point to the next and a lot of that was judgement. I don’t care if a character is nice or not, if they’re well written and have good motivations and are interesting, I’ll follow them. But this dude Ash? Nah.

So he’s poor. And he judges the upper classes for what they have and what he doesn’t. Which, okay, I get that. However, he also judges them for learning alchemy from books, learning it from the page. While he is self taught and seems to have a bit of a snotty attitude about it. Like how are you going to judge them for certain things and then turn into a turd? I dunno, I couldn’t deal with him.

At the end of the day, this gets a 2 star from me. There were things that I liked but a lot of things that I couldn’t stand and it made reading this book impossible. I unfortunately, can’t recommend it but if you do pick it up and enjoy it, I’ll be happy for you.

This was a slow start for me - and I think that has something to do with me really not understanding alchemy at all. But once I got into it, I was invested (it just took about half of the book to get there). I truly enjoyed the development of the characters - I HATED Ramsay at first, but then changed my mind - I enjoyed the prickliness!

And the villains - they were truly awful. Callender did a great job in creating these characters and this world - I just wish it could have drawn me in sooner.

Thank you to Netgalley and the published for providing me with a digital ARC of this book.

I loved the poly romance and queer representation in this book so much, so it physically pains me to say that the fantasy elements fell far short. While the magic system is intriguing, I felt like it was underdeveloped as well. Likewise, the world itself and its political dynamics could have used further back stories. I think because of the underdeveloped nature of either the magic or the political dynamics, the resulting quest felt flat. It was easily resolved and was fairly predictable. With a more developed backstory, it may have felt less route. Either that, or the book needed to be primarily a romance with a fantasy backdrop. My overwhelming impression was of a book with great potential but not yet developed enough.

That being said, I NEED to gush about the trans representation and poly romance. I loved the way that Ramsay's gender expression changed throughout the book (although at a few points, additional care paid to making it clear who "he/him" referred to would have been helpful for the reader). It's the first time I've ever seen that in a book, but it was so wonderfully done, especially since I think many authors default to "they/them" for genderfluid folks, even though that may or may not be the most accurate way to express it. Likewise, I appreciated reading Ash's reflections on his body and the nuanced approach to gender dysphoria. And the poly romance -- yesssss. I'm always a sucker for more poly representation, and this one was beautiful.

All in all, I'm sadly rating this low, solely because I think it was billed as a fantasy with romance, not a romance with fantasy - and it fell short in its fantasy elements. I will not be posting this review publicly on goodreads, storygraph, or my instagram, as I believe we need more queer and diverse representation, so it's my policy to not post mostly critical/low rated reviews of these books on my public forums.

Definitely for older kids.
LGBTQIA rep
Mental health rep
Poly rep

Alchemy school is for the elite and ash is determined to attended.

Ghetto slowly trains himself and finally becomes an apprentice.
I gave it 3 stars simply because of how predictable it was. For ya youth. This would be an amazing book. As long as parents are okay with the poly rep

Kacen Callender's first foray into fantasy is a successful one. I love the way they write and was excited to see them branch out into a new genre. The magical system was well planned and interesting. The characters were phenominal. I hope they write more books in this genre.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

This story was phenomenal. The representation of the queer, trans, and polyamorous relationships is one of the best I've read for this. I also wanted to note that the concept of magic, called Alchemy, is uniquely developed as a magic system. It had me thinking greatly and brought many concepts that aren't usually seen in fiction novels. The only issue I had with this book was that it felt like it read very slowly. I struggled to keep my concentration with reading it consistently. The characters very clearly have flaws and they tackle those both personally and together. I appreciate how this story brought a lot of elements together.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC and for Netgalley as well.

*Will be posted on March 18th*

I was so excited to get my hands on this book, when I saw it on NetGalley. It honestly sounded right up my alley, and the premise got me really curious. As much I as I wish I loved it, it just wasn't for me. I found myself really struggling to get through the book, and I had ended up picking it up and putting it down so many times before I could actually finish it.
One of the biggest issues I had was the pacing for me, as I just couldn't get lost into the story. I felt like it kind of went on and on without too much happening, which really made me struggle to want to keep on reading. It was just too easy to get distracted and lose interest in reading it sadly. Still, there is a part of me that is still curious to see what will happen next, so I might try to listen to it as an audiobook, maybe closer to the sequel, to see if I can get myself into the story.
Overall, it wasn't a bad book. I just found myself really struggling to get into the story, but it was still interesting enough that I might give the sequel a chance. I think that some people will still enjoy it. I think my issue is that in the last few months, I really need books that are faster paced to keep me hooked, because I struggle with focus.

Infinity Alchemist is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of relationships in a fantastical setting. The author, Kacen Callender, masterfully intertwines elements of magic and alchemy with deep emotional connections between the characters. The dynamics between the protagonist, a young alchemist with the power to manipulate time, and their companions are richly developed and bring a sense of depth to the story.
One of the standout aspects of Infinity Alchemist is the exploration of diverse relationships, including friendships, family bonds, and romantic connections. Callender does a fantastic job of portraying the nuances of these relationships, delving into the characters' vulnerabilities and struggles as they navigate their interactions with one another. Whether it's the loyalties tested between siblings or the slow-burn romance that blossoms between two characters, the emotional depth of the relationships is truly captivating.
While the world-building and magic system in Infinity Alchemist are truly unique and engaging, it is the exploration of the complicated relationships between the characters that truly sets this novel apart. Callender's writing is both lyrical and heartfelt, drawing readers in with its vivid imagery and compelling storytelling. Infinity Alchemist is a must-read for fans of fantasy novels that prioritize emotional depth and meaningful connections between characters.
4/5 STARS!

This was a really fun ya fantasy read! I loved all the characters and their relationships to each other, the queer rep was amazing. Theres so much character growth and depth to each character, it really makes them feel like real people with flaws and insecurities. the world building was also incredibly well thought out, the idea of alchemy only being accessible to the priviledged and it being illegal for others was super interesing. The way gender identity & sexuality was tied into the world was so so beautifully done I loved it so much. my only complaint is that the pacing slowed down at times, making it a bit hard to stay focused, but pushing through to the end was definitely worth it.

Ash is caught using magic illegally and instead of reporting him Ramsey agrees to train him if he helps get the Book of Source. One aspect I did love was the gender fluidity. It didn’t feel forced to weave the genders of characters into the story. I enjoyed the discussion surrounding magic and elitism especially within the context of academia. I felt like this book has so much promise but the plot felt really weak at times. Ash was too quick to anger and immature often acting selfishly which made it hard to want to finish this. Ash also hates the elitism of those able to attend the school but then also thinks he’s better than them for being self taught.

This was one of my most anticipated 2024 releases. It should be my type of book, unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I love the premise and the idea behind it, but for some reason I just couldn’t connect.

I will never not love a book with queer, magical main characters, and this is the epitome of that. Ash Woods just wants to study alchemy even though he knows that he will likely never have the money or status to do so. Ramsay Thorne is an alchemic prodigy willing to teach Ash, but only in exchange for his help on their secret quest to find the most valuable and legendary book in all of alchemy.
I don't know exactly what I was expecting from this book, but it simultaneously delivered and didn't quite deliver. The queer, poly representation is top tier, with a trans main character and a genderfluid main character whose pronouns change throughout the book (this may initially be confusing, but it becomes easy as soon as you understand what is going on), as well as the boy who might have feelings for them both. There are dark academia vibes and class struggle commentary and the world is queer-normative. Obviously, there is oppression and bigotry in the novel, but it is never due to queer identities, which is refreshing in a trans book. My main struggle with this is that it can occasionally be too on-the-nose and self-righteous at times, and too young at Others. Generally, I have no struggle with YA novels, but I do think that I was slightly above the target for this one in particular. That, however, is not to say that I disliked the book, because I absolutely did enjoy it, but I just wanted a little bit more coherence, and possibly an additional round of edits, before this book would have been able to be a favorite.

I am such a sucker for YA fantasy and this story was so good. I really enjoyed the magic system. There was so much emotion in this book and I mean that in a good way.

This was going really well until I started to approach the halfway point – when a huge, major, life-and-game-changing event is summarised for us instead of playing out on the page. That is something I really can’t stand, but for once I actually pushed on.

But then we have the utter nonsense that is Ash’s imprisonment. Look, when alchemy comes down to focus and imagination, how can you keep an alchemist imprisoned without drugging them so they can’t focus? If you leave them clear-headed, what’s to stop them from blowing up a wall and escaping?

Nothing. But that doesn’t happen, because Reasons, I guess?

How can you possibly justify allowing someone with that kind of power to wander around unimpeded, accompanied only by a young (and therefore less experienced!) guard, who is not themselves a proper magic user? THIS KID COULD BLOW YOU ALL UP AT ANY MOMENT, AND THAT’S JUST FINE???

(There’s a scene where a fellow trainee guard points out how dangerous and unreasonable the situation is, to which the response is something along the lines of ‘what good are we if 20 of us can’t take out one alchemist?’ UM, YOU’RE ALL TRAINEES? AND HE’S ALREADY DEMONSTRATED HE’S A LIVING BOMB AT LEAST ONCE? I THINK IT IS VERY REASONABLE TO FIND THIS SITUATION UNREASONABLE, ACTUALLY.)

And this is all after the unbearably-contrived Because Plot dance that was Ash not getting executed for what he’d done – not that I’m sure he should have been executed for it, but the intervention, the arguments and reasoning that stopped the wheels of the law and kept him alive – it wasn’t the tiniest bit convincing.

I just couldn’t believe that rational human beings would ever behave this way – re not drugging a magic user, re the guard, re keeping him alive at all. When you’re telling a story and run into this problem – no real person would do The Thing – you’ve either got to change what happens or come up with something extremely clever to justify it, and that just didn’t happen here.

For the record, although I was really excited to be diving into a fantasy with a polyamorous romance, I didn’t think either of the love interests were worthy of Ash. Both of them come from upper class backgrounds, and at least in the first half of the book (all I read – so for all I know, this gets dealt with better in the rest of the book) neither of them seemed to grasp the difference their wealth made between their situations and lives, and Ash’s. I thought they were both quite awful about it, actually; for me, it massively outweighed their good points, which meant I wasn’t at all invested in the romance plotline/s.

I also really, really hated the reveal of where the Quest Object was. OF ALL THE PLACES ON THE ENTIRE PLANET. OUT OF ALL THE WORLDS YOU VISIT WHILE ASTRAL-PROJECTING. IT’S THERE??? That’s just too easy.

Noooooooooooo thank you.

4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was a slow read for me but really picked up in the second half. The author really took the time to let us get to know each character and come to love them. This is a book about found family which I love. The way the fluid gender of the characters is written was honestly so refreshing. If you are looking for something in the Fantasy realm with young characters that are very in touch with their gender and sexuality this is the book for you. It was a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and TOR publishing group for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is great. Ash is a great character with a lot of heart and some flaws that just bring him to life and the way he works with Ramsey and later Callum is truly fantastic. I love that these characters have frank conversations about their feelings and they learn to work together and for each other too. I'm so interested in this world and the magic. I also adore the details of the magic, how it feels and is perceived. I think Callender has written a fantastic world that I can't wait to see more of.

3.75 stars

“We’re all selfish, Ash. You’re just brave enough to see it.”

So I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group in exchange for a review, so thank you so much for giving me this opportunity!

“Why go back to his body, to this illusion he had created, to a world where desires that would never be filled were slowly killing him, where he couldn’t escape his own wants and thoughts and fears?”

This book…. was something I completely did not expect from it. There was a problem, yet there were so many layers to it, it was pretty interesting. I was expecting just magic and adventure and hoorah, but what I got were very thought provoking messages and an adventure that went on a lot longer than I thought it would.

“Maybe it wasn’t death that Ash feared, but the idea of dying with regret, thinking in his last moments everything he failed to achieve.”

I really appreciated the diversity. I loved that moment of realization that Ash was in the LGBTQ+ community and that there were even gender-fluid aspects in here too. I think that there needs to be more transgendered protagonists, and more insight to their thoughts and struggles about being born in the wrong body. There was also another… type of relationship between the characters and I thought that it was good to see because we don’t see it enough. I know a lot of people are probably gonna be against this aspect though.

“Magic. The word implied universes unknown and adventures undiscovered, power unfulfilled and possibilities that were endless.”

I think it was interesting to understand the world building and all that. I was worried it was going to be really confusing, and with all the different houses it was at first, but I just bookmarked the page that had all the houses and kept referring to it until the relevant houses stuck to my mind. I think I might need to reread this book again, but with the knowledge of how the world is like in this book. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. I’m honestly not even sure how I’d even improve it though, so that’s a whole other conversation.

“But Gresham again was a hypocrite. Weren’t all the great men?”

I did see that this is going to be a series, and while I know this wasn’t my favourite, becoming my favourite series is a very hard thing to do anyways, I think I want to keep up with this series. I appreciate that there was an ending to this book (sorry if that’s a spoiler….let me know if it’s too spoiler-y) and I hope Kacen Callender brings more of Ash Woods for me :)