DNF @ 50%

I am so sad about it, but this book was just not it for me. I really tried, too, despite knowing at about 13% that I wasn't going to like it. What happened? The previous book I read from this author (Felix Ever After) was so assured and had such a strong voice. The characters leapt off the page. I assumed, wrongly as it turns out, that their voice would transfer to fantasy, but it didn't at all. It was so awkward, and I was disconnected from the story immediately. The worldbuilding was sloppy and fed to us in dull infodumps. The characters felt like they were being written as I was reading; they never came to life. The plot was so generic. Even what could have been a cool magic system flopped, because there was nothing there to shore it up.

This needed about ten more drafts, and some brutally honest editors. And it looks like I'm not alone in this, judging by other early reviews.

I'm so sad rn don't talk to me.

My Review: I was impressed by the large critical themes taken on by this YA book - structural class/religious oppression, relationship anarchy, gender fluidity and dysphoria. I really enjoyed MC Ash, who’s brash rejection of authority is clearly informed by a lifetime of class oppression. Raised by a single mother in a low-income neighborhood, he never had access to education or the privilege to practice alchemy that he so deeply craved. The MCs are all of similar age, yet at wildly different statuses due to family background, wealth, politics, and education, and it’s interesting to watch Ash grapple with both his resentment and attraction for Ramsay and Callum. I also love love love a polyamorous endgame, and really resonated with Callum’s rejection of the inherent limits of monogamy and openness to the infinite nature of love. House Lune represents organized religion in the novel, and the messaging is pretty explicit about religion as a control strategy and it’s leaders as deceitful hypocrites - I personally am here for it. I would have liked more attention to race, as we only know that Callum has “dark brown skin” and then I don’t believe this is never mentioned again. I also would have liked a clearer explanation of Ramsay’s gender fluidity, as the MCs seemed to know when to switch Ramsay’s pronouns but this was not evident to the reader. I think the book did a nice job of explicitly detailing Ash’s gender dysphoria, both generally and during intimacy, which will be relatable for trans teen readers. The cliffhanger at the end felt just a little rushed, but overall I’m excited to read a sequel to this book!

When I read “Infinity Alchemist” by Kacen Callender, I found it complex and powerful, both the narrative and the relationships within the novel. The voice of Ash as a character was compelling from the very beginning. It’s a voice that might resonate with many others, those who find their path in life difficult or unfair. As Ash explores his power and alchemy, how he embraces that power resonates as much as the complex emotions written on the page. 

Part of why the story is so complex and powerful is the relationships within the novel, between Ramsey, Ash and eventually a third person (no spoilers), I saw that the emotions are far from simple but the love between all three is engaging as they journey to save the Book from powerful alchemists. 

The other reason I found the story so engaging was the use of magic within the story, how it embraces concepts of spiritualism from alternate religions, the idea that we shape our reality into what we want through love and trust. What the novel does an excellent job of portraying is how difficult that concept actually is but I loved how authentic the magic was presented but also the world building within the novel. This novel is exquisitely written, the details crafted with care and the details around how magic is used and works is part of that care.

If you love YA fantasy with LGBTQ characters, including trans and polyamorous characters of color, this novel should be one that you check out. The worldbuilding is detailed and the story is complex and powerful, especially the dynamic ending and the relationships within. I think it is going to be the type of story that will resonate with many people and is a novel that should be read if you like emotional novels.

Three young alchemist, a quest for a magical book, killers after them, and romance blooming between all three. Ash Woods knows that practicing magic without a license is a crime, but he wants more than anything to be able to do magic. Ash was rejected from Lancaster College of Alchemic Science but did get hired as the groundskeeper's assistant... using his access to secretly practice magic. Ash also has a secret... he's one of the famous professor's bastard son... When Ash is discovered practicing magic by Ramsay Thorne, an assistant prof, Ramsay makes an exchange, if Ash helps Ramsay find the legendary Book of Source, a book said to give it's reader extraordinary power, Ramsay will teach Ash proper magic and keep Ash's secret. The more time Ash and Ramsay spend together the more their feelings begin to grow... but then there is Callum, Ramsay's ex who betrayed them for their family and is someone they'll need on their side if they are to go up against a lot of other dangerous alchemists who want the book... including Ash's father. The journey for the book will test them all but it will also open up a door for a romance that all three of them never expected. Let me start off by saying first off: hooray for queer polyamorous character representation in this book. I love a book with representation and a fantasy one that has a relationship that features good communication. The relationship aspect of this romance was sweet and really cute. However my gripes with the book came from the overall story and the structure of it. The story itself felt underwhelming and a bit boring. I was hoping for a bit more, as for the romance part, it kind of was just there and I was really hoping for it to be better developed and fleshed out. The overall ending and wrapping up of the major villain just felt bland and like nothing much exactly happened or paid off really well. Overall it was a sweet book and I give it extra points for having great representation.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Firstly, I believe this book is better suited to the New Adult category rather than Young Adult. Despite the absence of explicit sexual content, the mere mention and description of sex suggest a more mature audience. This book could serve as an excellent introduction to fantasy romance for beginners, which is why I rated it 3.75.

I found myself somewhat perplexed by Ramsey's ability to switch genders. Is it a curse? If Ramsey's body can transform, why can't Ash seek an alchemist to affirm his gender? Perhaps I missed a crucial explanation. Regardless, I appreciated the representation of gender fluidity and transgender characters.

The polyamorous relationship was endearing. The romance between the characters was charming, eliciting giggles and swoons. I could relate to the awkwardness and the dawning realization of being in love. The open communication among the three characters was commendable and beautiful. It's rare to find romance novels where all three parties are mutually in love. This aspect significantly contributed to my rating, saving the book from a mere 3, especially considering the unexpected romantic buildup.

Some reviews criticized the characters for being immature. However, as a high school senior myself, I found their behavior quite relatable. Many books portray teenagers as if they're well into their twenties. Callum's deep rooted desire to be better for his father but resenting his father's ways. Ash's anger, I believe, stems from his desire to be acknowledged, which aligns with his character. Ramsey leads a secluded life with few friends, which could explain her perceived immaturity. Moreover, she grapples with the legacy of her murderous parents. I don't know about you, but such a traumatic experience would undoubtedly affect a teenager's development. I saw parts of myself in all the characters and felt a deep understanding of them. The characters' strong personalities made the book engaging, compensating for the somewhat lackluster plot until the final 100 pages.

Speaking of the last 100 pages, they seemed to be written by a completely different author. The action intensified, the dialogue improved, and there was more showing than telling. It had me hooked until the end.

Overall, I have high hopes for this series!

Thank you to Tor Books for my arc!

So I had requested this on a whim after seeing someone i follow give it a rave review. HOWEVER they must've been given a different book because the one i read had the most annoying pacing and is in dire need of so much editing. I'm so upset because at a glance this book seemed right up my alley but with the writing style and the many issues i found with it. It just didn't work out.

Expansive fantasy world with a wide cast of government functionaries and powerful families, the novel is less clear on the mechanics of how the magic works.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I am so conflicted on how I feel about this book. On the one hand, the plot had such potential, and toward the end, I wanted to know what would happen more than I was confused or annoyed. On the other hand, the characters either annoyed me or left me indifferent to them, which is the worst thing a story can do to me.

There was wonderful poly rep that did so well at capturing all angles of the relationship and building it in a genuine way. The plot and idea itself had such potential and was really interesting to me. It was very different from any other fantasy world I've read lately, and that intrigued me and kept me wanting more.

I just really didn't find the characters relatable at all, and that made me unable to get into the story fully. I also found myself being confused far past the point I would normally be starting to get the hang of a fantasy world. I wanted to be able to fall in love with the characters to the point that the really great plot would have me unable to put the book down, but unfortunately that just didn't happen.

Maybe give this a try, it might be more your style than mine. I wish it had hit home more for me.

I did not enjoy this book; I'm sorry. While a plot exists, the scenes felt disjointed rather than interconnected, and the different POV characters felt the same. Moreover, the stylistic choices and narrative voices did not feel authentic or enjoyable to read.

I love all of Kacen's previous works but this one wasn't it for me. I didn't love the characters and the relationship aspect of the novel really threw me. It didn't feel genuine for teens. The dialogue also felt forced. It seems like it will be a series but I won't continue. I'm not usually a fantasy fan though so others may enjoy this more than I did.

I ended up deciding to dnf this at 20%. This book sounded like it would be right up my alley, so it's definitely disappointing coming to this conclusion. Between the info dumping, hypocritical and self-centered main character, choppy pacing, and basic plot, there wasn't much of anything left to keep me interested. The magic system seemed underdeveloped and confusing as well - I could feel my brain checking out when different aspects of the "alchemy" were being explained. Obviously there's still a whole 80% of the book left, and some of these issues may be resolved, but I've accepted that this book just isn't for me and am going to move on. One positive was the lgbtq representation. The conversations regarding the rep felt natural in the writing and it was great to see that the book's universe had such a positive attitude regarding it. Rating this 3 stars for neutral as I didn't get farther into the book and a lower rating seems unfair.

Thank you Tor Teen for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an arc!

I honestly feel like alchemy is such a wild and amazing concept in books and shows. Like I have only read one other book (A Far Wilder Magic by Alison Saft) that involves it but that one is one of my favorites and watching Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood is the other. Both books have different rules but are most definitely alchemy. This one rely more heavily on the alchemy itself rather than the latter. Was great to see the gender fluidity in this book, it feels less like it's trying to throw in these themes for points and rather just explains little things about the characters that you might not have known otherwise. Great academic setting along with a general dark academic vibe that this novel nailed down. This was easy to get into and was very fast paced. Really loving the new 2024 releases so far. Thanks Netgalley for the early arc.

I really enjoyed the story. It was super diverse. Lots of rep, queer, trans and polyamory. The world building was great! Looking forward to continuing this series.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and concept surrounding alchemists. The protagonist had a lot of drive and motivation, especially being self-taught and determined to bend the rules; I became interested in his journey right away. I've only ever read contemporaries by Callender, but I can firmly say that Infinity Alchemist was a great introduction to their fantasy writing!

Loved this! Great polyamory, great trans characters and great magic! All around wonderful! I loved watching the characters have their walls come down and Bond with each other.

An action-packed and super queer romantasy in a world of ancient magic, hostile factions, and danger. I loved the characters at the heart of this book and the romantic aspects. The queerness feels authentic and compelling. As for the fantasy parts, it felt somehow both difficult to follow and predictable. I was fully into it by the big action scene at the end, but I was surprised by how things were wrapped up in the final chapter, leaving readers with much less of a cliffhanger than I expected. I'm not sure where this series is headed in the next book, but I'm intrigued!

Rating: 3.5/5

I enjoyed this book, but it felt a little underdeveloped for my personal tastes. I think this book will work best for anyone new to fantasy or someone wanting to see diverse characters in a fantasy setting.

Quality-wise, the book had a bad case of showing, not telling. The writing style in general took a bit for me to adjust to, as the sentences were very punchy and to the point, without much room for detail and prose. The world-building also read on the weaker side, with vague notions of political structure and alchemy levels. However, I may have only seen it this way as I tend to prefer adult fantasy and I do believe this is an appropriate amount of world-building for a YA novel.

The magic system had some good and bad to it. I think generally the idea of being able to conjure whatever you can think of with very few clearly set limitations is too broad and creates a lot of plot holes and plot convenience in the story. It’s not often explained why or how the main character can do something, he simply does it without explanation, which felt too oversimplified to me. However, I did enjoy the concept of the tiers of magic, especially the base tier of magic being simply existing and breathing- I thought that detail was very cute and sweet!

Similar to my previous point, I don’t believe this novel does anything exceptional with the medium of fantasy. By that, I mean it doesn’t push the boundaries of the genre and there is no mind-bending magic system or intricate plot. However, where I believe it does shine is introducing a cast of wonderfully diverse characters into a fantasy setting. With this, I was impressed with how the author handled Ramsay's pronouns. Having a genderfluid character that frequently switches pronouns could be very confusing in the wrong hands, but I thought it was very clearly shown what they were presenting as at a given time.

While usually being my least favorite thing in fantasy novels, the romance in this novel ended up being my favorite thing about it! I thought it was such a fun, inclusive, and refreshing way to approach a love triangle, especially when they're so overused in YA. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters' dynamic together and loved them as a throuple. I think the only downfall was because of the plot and the way the love interests were introduced separately, neither of them felt like they got the time to fully develop.

Overall, I believe this book is perfectly written for YA audiences, and while the fantasy elements may not be the strongest, the representation makes up for it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGallery for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this book so much. I had such high hopes for it. It was queer. It was magical. It used "alchemy." But ultimately it just didn't live up to its potential.

I loved that our MC, Ash, was a trans boy and that he was in a polyamorous relationship with Ramsey who is gender fluid, and Callum, who is pansexual (?). I love that the character's identities and sexualities are not the main focus of the story and are not questioned by society or other characters. This book should be queer joy yet I felt like the romance struggled with the plot. Both were vying for attention and neither seemed to be winning. I could see that potential in each, but when put together they didn't make a complete story. The romance felt so clunky and too insta-love for me. It felt much more like physical attraction to each other rather than emotional attraction. Which is not bad, but felt weird when all three characters are saying 'I love you' to each other within a two week span of knowing each other. I didn't really find any of the main three truly likable enough to care enough about them and their relationship.
My other big complaint was the magic system. This was not Alchemy in the traditional sense. I think I could have managed to enjoy it if not for the explanation of how the magic works. It's said that the three key elements for 'alchemy' are imagination, belief, and power. There's not much more explanation than that. It feels like a copout for creating a complex magic system. I had no idea how the characters were using their powers other than imagining the thing happening. There's a whole tier system too, but I don't understand how it works with the elements of "imagination" and "belief."

I think this book could have been incredible. I didn't DNF it because I kept hoping it would turn around. I don't know if I would continue reading the rest of this series but I hope the author continues to write and work on their magical worlds.

Ash Woods has waited all his life to be an alchemist, but when he's rejected by the prestigious Lancaster Mage's College, he's forced to practice alchemy in secret.

INFINITY ALCHEMIST by Kacen Callender gives us Ash's story that at points will have you on the edge of your seat!

It's dangerous business, because alchemy is illegal in New Anglia, but to Ash it's worth the risk. He accepts the job as assistant groundskeeper at Lancaster, and perfects his craft in the shadows, eavesdropping on classes and practicing in secret. That is, until he's caught by Ramsay. Ramsay is the heir to the once-great Thorne family, fallen from grace when his parents committed the mass-murder of hundreds of people in pursuit of the famed Book of Source, which grants its reader unlimited and extraordinary power. Rather than turning Ash into the Reds, Ramsay offers him an alternative: he can help Ramsay find the Book of Source to clear his family's name and Ramsay will teach him alchemy in secret.

The problem is, there are some pretty powerful players who also want the Book of Source, and for far more nefarious reasons.

This was a stunning fantasy debut. The world building was heavy but also easy to follow along with, and you're totally immersed in the spirit of New Anglia and the fear and mistrust of alchemists. There are so many parallels to real life that, especially in the connection between House Loon and religious zealots that we've all likely encountered in our world. There's a lot of angst, and a lot of frustrating teenagers, but I think that all readers should keep in mind that these are teenagers. They're impulsive and frustrating and will absolutely drive you insane because they are actual children in a pretty freaking scary situation. They all have some pretty fickle feelings, especially in terms of relationships, but to me, that made it all the more realistic. I was all over the place as a teenager, so it tracks that teenaged characters would be, too! I also always love how, in all of the Kacen Callender books I've read so far, the villains are awful, but they're NEVER going to intentionally mis-gender someone, or be homophobic. They'll kill you, happily, but they're not going to stoop that low, which is such a lovely world that I wish would bleed over into our world. Respecting who someone is, even if they're your enemy, is just so, so, soooo inspiring to read. That's to say nothing of the diverse cast of LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and people of color representation, which we know to expect and fall in love with in any book Kacen writes!

Kacen does a fantastic job of pace on this book--so much so that while listening to the audiobook, I couldn't have told you how long had passed, I was so invested in what was going to happen next that the book kind of flew by, even as it took me a few days because, ya know, life. I could've used some of Ash and Co's alchemic skills to take care of all of those, am I right?

Trust and believe, INFINITY ALCHEMIST will work its magic on you.

NOTE: I read an advanced copy of this book via audiobook, and any misspellings are unintentional. I did not, at the time of writing this review, have a text to reference. In addition, Ramsay Thorne is gender-fluid, and his pronouns change throughout the book. The pronouns in my review shift to fit my memory of Ramsay during the scenes I'm referencing. When asked which pronoun to use, Ramsay said something along the lines of, "however you last saw me." My changing of Ramsay's pronouns in this review is my attempt to respect those wishes and use the pronouns that were used in the scene as they happened.

Regrettably, my engagement with this book proved to be incomplete, as I found myself lacking interest in the unfolding narrative, ultimately leading to my decision not to finish the book. The storyline failed to capture my attention, and as a result, I opted to discontinue my reading journey. Consequently, I do not intend to recommend this particular book. While literary preferences can vary widely among readers, my own lack of interest in the narrative prevented me from fully engaging with the content and deriving satisfaction from the reading experience.