Kacen Callender is an author I’ll always take a chance on, especially when they go ahead and write a magical polyamory book. While I don’t feel Infinity Alchemist was their strongest work, what I enjoyed about it was enough to outweigh some of the issues I had.

Main character Ash is forbidden by law from practicing alchemy though he’s drawn to it, as only the wealthy elite have the resources to go to school and get a formal license. He takes a job as a groundskeeper at Lancaster Mage's College and studies in secret. But after being caught by alchemical protege and apprentice Ramsey Thorne, the two enter into a pact: Ash won’t be given up to the law, but only if he helps Ramsay find the Book of Source.

Where this novel excels for me is in the romantic relationships and character work. The main cast is incredibly diverse and their identities are written with care. The main character Ash is deeply flawed; many readers have and likely will find him annoying (generously). But a recurring theme in Callender’s work is a reminder that we deserve love, care, and equitable treatment even and especially when we act out and make mistakes—their recent adult romance, With Stars in Their Eyes, dials this theme up to 9000—and so I appreciate seeing someone flawed being cared for and supported. I loved all three protagonists dearly.

The polyamory representation in particular is a highlight for me, though I wish this novel weren’t limited by the space constraints of YA so that the relationships can have room to breathe. For teenagers, the main cast is shockingly (unrealistically) good at resolving some of the conflicts that can come with polyamory, though I appreciated that the novel took the time to showcase some of the difficulties that can come with it too.

My biggest issue with this book is that it was overambitious. The fantasy plot and worldbuilding didn’t offer many new insights into the existing genre, and sometimes detracted from what I thought to be this novel’s strength, which was character development and relationships. Additionally, the pacing was very unbalanced to me, to the point where I wasn’t exactly thrilled to pick up the book at certain sections.

Infinity Alchemist is flawed, but flawed in ways I can tolerate better than other readers might be able to. If you’re the type of reader who focuses on relationship and character, Infinity Alchemist is worth picking up; if you’re looking for a mind-blowing and unpredictable fantasy read, maybe give it a pass. I’ll be continuing with the rest of the series and hopeful that, with a lot of the setup out of the way, it will hit its stride in book two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

DNF @70%
While a genuinely enjoyable piece of Dark Academia, the later half of the Infinity Alchemist felt like I was dragging my feet through quicksand, and quickly became unbearable to read. Perhaps if I had less stress and more patience I would be able to enjoy this book more, but unfortunately I do not. I did however love the queernormativity of this world! It was delightfully sweet in all the ways I like.

Thank you to NetGally and to Tor (Teen) Publishing for the ARC, and the chance to review this YA fantasy book honestly. I enjoyed this book, as I love the aspect of talking about the fact that "we are all made of energy." That had me drawn in. There is definitely the aspect of the haves and the have not's, the unfairness of how it is set up, and how you are treated differently based on where you stood in all of that. I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation of trans and genderfluid. Also addressing a poly relationship.

Ash is on the have-not end of the scale, but has a gift with the skill of Alchemy. It is completely illegal for his to use it, however. While he cannot get accepted to the fancy school for Alchemy, he was able to get a job on the grounds. While watering plants, he has to deal with the wealthy or high status students mocking him. Then, he gets caught after snooping in Ramsay.'s. Ramsay has a reputation. After all, how could you not have a scary reputation with parents as serial killers, and you are a bit eclectic? Ramsey could have Ash arrested...or maybe he could help with a little project they have been working on (they will switch pronouns between he and she, as they are genderfluid, so I am using they to not confuse it too much). They are looking for the very book that their parents killed for, and Ash might just be the person to help find it.

It is a lot of back and forth, and it does get confusing trying to figure out if Ramsay has any real intention of helping Ash, and you can feel Ash's frustration of feeling like he is the one vulnerable on each of the "outings". While we did get snippets of the lives of each of them, it did feel disjointed. The book was difficult to completely get through for me. I wanted to love this book with everything in me with the magic/energy alchemy and queerness so openly addressed and accepted. It was just a clunky storyline for me, and I struggled with giving 3 stars, but it didn't quite reach 4 stars for me.

I still 100% encourage you to give it a read. We all have different parts that stick with us. So, if you love fantasy, open queerness that isn't judged or discriminated against, and a little bit of mind bending, add it to your TBR pile.

Sadly, not quite my cuppa.

In a fantasy world, magic is real, studied and practice just as one might study medicine in our world. Ash is talented, but poor, meaning when he’s not accepted into the Lancaster College of Alchemic Science he does the next best thing: get a job working on the college grounds, learning magic illegally on the side. He’s caught one day by Ramsay Thorne, a grad student. Ramsay makes him an offer: if Ash helps find a secret book, he won’t be reported. Thus begins a quest across the country to find the book; along the way, Ash and Ramsay become closer as Ash’s magic abilities grown.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. When I read, I get too deep in the specifics of a book sometimes, constantly looking up words (simple with the built-in dictionaries many e-book readers have). But for this book, there were terms and ideas that weren’t easily searchable, except within the book itself. I’d stumble across an unfamiliar term or idea, then spend ten minutes trying to figure out the meaning of it which interrupted the flow of the book. In a few cases, I’d have to re-read the prior section to remember where I was in the story which spoiled my enjoyment of the book.

Outside my obsession with details, however, it was a lovely book with several scenes I really enjoyed – just wished that I was so detail oriented sometimes.

So, if you’re someone that appreciates fantasy and doesn’t get tripped up in the details like I do, I think you’d enjoy this book, certainly more than I did.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.

*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

2.5* stars

I really wish I liked this more. I really do!! I love Moonflower and Felix Every After by Kacen Callender, but this…fell flat in SO many ways.

1. I wish we had more world exploration
2. I wish the magic system had more explanation/exploration
3. Where was the character development???? WHERE?? I DONT SEE IT

I really wanted to love this because a fantasy with a polyam triangle, 2 trans* characters and a golden retriever boy?? I mean YEAH I WANT THAT. But this didn’t hit how I wish it did. Sad times indeed!

At the beginning of this book, I was hooked, but my interest slowly waned, and I think it was mainly the fault of my expectations! I loved the genderfluid and trans main characters, gender and sexuality were very normalized in this world.

The school vibes were also great, Ash is a caretaker at a prestigious magic academy trying to independently learn magic and he meets Ramsay who is an...assistant professor? and they team up.

The magic system just felt a bit confusing, and Ash made some DUUUMB decisions that frustrated me.

Infinity Alchemist is a great adventure YA fantasy with a super interesting magic system based on alchemy, which I've always been fascinated by.

One of the strengths of Infinity Alchemist lies in the rich and diverse characters. The book features trans, queer, and polyamorous characters of color. Ash's journey is not just a physical one; it's a quest for identity and acceptance in a world that seeks to suppress individuality.

The world-building in Infinity Alchemist is great. The narrative blends the elements of fantasy with thought-provoking themes of power, privilege, and the lengths one will go to challenge the status quo.

The chemistry between Ash and Ramsay adds an emotional layer to the story, transcending the traditional boundaries of young adult fantasy. Their evolving relationship is tenderly portrayed, providing a refreshing perspective on love and connection within the genre.

The pacing was a bit slow at times in the middle, and sometimes this felt a bit more on the younger side of YA. Overall it was really solid though.

✨ Review ✨ Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender; Narrated by: Wes Haas

Thanks to Tor, Macmillan Audio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

If you're looking for a queer YA fantasy this is a GREAT place to start!

With a cast of queer, trans, and polyamorous characters this was really refreshing to read. Callender creates such a loving and tender relationship between the main characters, all of whom have lost or been abandoned by their families in some ways. Ramsey's gender-bending shifting, transforming between male and female bodies from day-to-day based on his/her state of mind, I thought this was a cool use of magic intersecting with queerness to make those feeligns real.

The story is hard to recount but begins with Ash, who's rejected from the Lancaster school for alchemy and works instead as an assistant groundskeeper there. Eventually, he meets Ramsey, a sort of graduate student / TA who begins training him in alchemy for help achieving a quest of his/her own. They're not the only ones looking for the mysterious Book of Source and danger ensues, launching a quest for our characters.

The worldbuilding was good and so was the plot though they didn't stand out as original as much as the really fabulous portrayal of queerness. Kudos to Callender on another great book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: LGBTQIAP+ | Sci Fi & Fantasy | Teens & YA
Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
Setting: fantasy world
Pub Date: February 6, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ queer YA fantasy
⭕️ magical schools and worlds
⭕️ trans and polyamorous rep in YA lit
⭕️ explosions and magic and chaos galore

This book has a bit of a all start, with the reader having to piece things together from context clues. However, the story does pick up about a quarter of the way through and the sociopolitical intrigue makes itself apparent. I would say that this story is more for a younger YA audience, for any "spicy" bits are largely off-page and nowhere near as explicit as other works in the category.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: overall I really liked the characters and the representation. (Trans MC, Gender-fluid li, & poly relationships). The story was a little iffy but enjoyable nonetheless. Solid read but nothing special tbh

Dnf’d at 12%. I really wanted to love this but the world building was meh and the characters were meh, I still love Kacen and will keep an eye out for new stuff though.

The main two characters are very interesting. The world building as well. I like the fast paced narrative as well as how the romance feels cohesive. If you like fantasy school-esque books this is a nice read.

This YA fantasy book focuses on the power of love and its ability to conquer. The representation in this book is insanely strong- queer, trans, and polygamy. The magic system was pretty unique without being hard to understand. This story was full of deep quotes and the feeling of belonging. Definitely worth picking up.

Stepping into Kacen Callender's new fantasy series with "Infinity Alchemist," I found myself caught in the ebb and flow of a narrative that brimmed with potential. While the queer representation and the intricacies of the magic system were undoubtedly highlights, the uneven pacing and a less-than-compelling main character left me with mixed feelings.

Callender's commitment to diverse representation is one of their strengths, and the vibrant world they've created holds the promise of a dynamic fantasy landscape. The magic system, with its intriguing complexities, adds layers to the narrative, creating a captivating backdrop for the unfolding story.

However, the pacing of the novel left something to be desired. Brief moments of intense action were interspersed with lulls, creating an uneven rhythm that impacted the overall engagement. It felt as though the story struggled to find a consistent cadence, which hindered the immersive experience. And the main character, while integral to the plot, lacked the depth and magnetism that some of the supporting characters, like Ramsay, exuded. Ramsay, in particular, emerged as a standout character for me, with a far more compelling backstory and motive than Ash, leading me to believe that Ramsay would have been a more exciting main character to follow.

Despite these critiques, the foundation laid in "Infinity Alchemist" holds promise for the series. The world-building and the diverse array of characters contribute to a tapestry that hints at greater depths yet to be explored. With the groundwork laid in this first installment, there's ample room for growth and evolution in subsequent books.

INFINITY ALCHEMIST was the Queer fantasy that I didn't know I needed, but I loved immediately

I have never read a book that so perfectly developed a polyamorous relationship. I really truly loved them all and saw how they loved each other. I think the setup was a brilliant way to have old and new relationships, and the way that they blended together was beautiful. I appreciated the way queerness was addressed, especially gender. Having the characters able to change how they look with their alchemy was ingenious, and having it be normal in society was something that made my little gender-queer heart happy.

The only drawback for me was the main character, sometimes he got on my nerves. He was really headstrong on things that didn't really matter in my opinion, and I thought he could have progressed in that way faster than he did in the story. However, once he did grow up, he was essential to keeping the peace and bringing the relationship together.

I loved the total queerness this book gave me, and I had a really fun time reading this adventure.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book so badly! Let me start off this review with the things that I did like. I loved the queer and trans representation and portrayal, especially the delicacy that Ash's gender identity intersecting with his romantic involvement was handled with. I also loved the overarching and continual questioning of what power is/means. I also really liked how each of the three main characters had their own backgrounds, struggles, and experiences behind them and they varied greatly.
With this said, there are several things I couldn't get behind that made my reading experience negative. First, the magic system is never really given limits/foundations. "Source" is the magic and is everything everywhere but the alchemists still have personal limits to their talents and how much magic they are able to produce at a time. I feel like we never get any sort of guidelines of the kind of magic each person can perform which made all of the action/battle scenes messy for me because I never really knew what was going on or what to expect. Next, I feel like this was way too much plot way too quickly for one book. We have all of Ash's life and backstory, all of Ramsay's, all of Callum's, an entire new magic system, a magic licensing and political system, a house/family hierarchical structure, the introduction of this all powerful magic source, multiple enemies, three separate romances, and an epic battle for the fate of society at the end. All of this felt rushed and not as deep or fleshed out as it could/should have been.

-SPOILERS below-

Lastly I didn't love the romances! I really enjoyed each of the characters and it makes sense for them that they ended up in a throuple, which is not the problem, but the author lays out Ash's relationship with both Callum and Ramsay as this tense, enemies-to-lovers situation yet they are madly in love and dedicated to one another in what feels like the next chapter. I feel like they hyped up all this angst and tension between the characters but then didn't give us any of that. It just felt too insta-lovey to me, especially considering the intricacies of each of the characters pasts and interconnectedness. There would have been more tension and adjustment and I think by not showing that, we missed out on a huge opportunity for character growth.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for giving me an advanced digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant, queer normative world, with a black character front and center in fantasy. Ash is brash, impulsive, and spirited, but behind all those walls he is also empathic, grieving, ambitious, and full of love. I adored his pov, even when I knew he was making the wrong choices, and fell in love with Ramsay and Callum too.

I don't feel like there is a lot of polyam representation out there, and even less of it done well. Kacen really manages to normalize the option, showing the possibilities of multiple loves in a positive, relationship forward way. Sex is not the central focus, jealousy does exist but is worked through, and communication between the thruple is celebrated.

I've liked some of Kacen's past work, but I think their debut into fantasy is my absolute favorite. So much imagination and atmosphere in Infinity Alchemist. This was a fresh take on romantasy, with incredible world building, deep, interesting characters, and more (hopefully) yet to come.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Infinity Alchemist is a spellbinding fantasy novel about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love, and extraordinary power..
For Ash Woods, practicing alchemy is a crime.
_
This was not what I was expecting but was pleasantly surprised with a ya poly throuple in a land of alchemical magic and political upheaval. Loved the gender fluidity of one of the characters. The other was trans and the more sensitive youngest son of the hired murderers or executioners, same diff they didn't have clear rules. Similar to our world these things weren't exactly accepted but it didn't stop them from falling in love and finding themselves.
Enjoyed the journey and the emotions and it really showed what conflict resolution and boundaries look like. To stand up for yourself and always put your values first even in the face of extreme pressure.
Spice : chpt 15, 33 (suggested, little detail)

I received a review copy from Tor Teen, I am leaving this review voluntarily. My physical copy is on it's way.

This book was an amazing blending of gaslamp fantasy, dark academia, and a queer reality with an intricate magical system and social structure. The characters are unique with fascinating backgrounds and their development doesn't follow the path that you think they will. This has trans, gender fluid and polyamory representation, along with racial representation.

I can't even begin to enumerate why you should read this book, but oh my god, Kacen knocked it out of the park with this book. I can't wait to see where the series goes. (It doesn't end on a cliffhanger)

4.5 out of 5 stars. This is a YA book with older teens, there is sex discussed, but everything outside of some kissing and emotional feelings is off page.

So, I really did like this but at the same time I didn't. It's a love/hate thing for me going on. I kind of enjoyed the main characters but I felt they had a bit of an ego problem, I get the change and their character development was good. However, I just didn't connect with the main characters. I loved the concept of the magic and the complexity of it but over time it got very repetitive at least in my opinion. I might re-read this again and my ratings may change but for now I think i'll keep it. .

This is just my opinion, and I really appreciate receiving this review copy from Netgalley and the publisher.