I loved this book. It was such an incredible read that I ended up in a bit of a slump over it. SPELLBINDING FANTASY. There aren't enough words to do this book justice but if you like fantasy and YA with magic and intrigue-----RUN RUN RUN and read Infinity Alchemist!

I've really enjoyed Kacen Callender's other books which is why I picked up this book. Unfortunately, I didn't end up liking this book as much as I wanted to. I'm not quite sure what it is about this one that didn't exactly work for me. Ultimately I think Callender's contemporary books are more for me than their fantasy books. I did enjoy the narrator's work and I think that this would work for other readers.

There were aspects to this book I really, really loved.. but there were times it fell flat for me too. I don't know if it was the pacing or what but I found myself super confused at times, especially at the end. I did love the characters though and found the relationship refreshing after having read so many YA love triangles.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Have you read any books with genderfluid representation?

I recently read Infinity Alchemist, which has a genderfluid love interest and a trans main character and polyamorous representation, all in a queernormative fantasy world. I loved this book and it earned a 5-star rating from me for its fantastic characters and their development!

Today is my stop on @pridebooktours’ bookstagram tour for Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender! Thank you to Pride Book Tours for putting together a tour for this fabulous queer fantasy novel by a Black trans author!

Infinity Alchemist is the kind of YA fantasy novel that I am always going to make room for on my TBR. It has a fascinating world of alchemic magic with defined social strata within magic society that sets the stage for the story. Ash Woods fights to be respected, to earn the right to use his self-taught magic. He is a relatable, scrappy protagonist that I found myself really rooting for even from the earlier chapters. I don’t know if there is going to be a sequel to Infinity Alchemist, but if so I will definitely be reading it!

In addition to reading my physical copy of Infinity Alchemist, I also listened to an audiobook version, which I loved! Wes Haas (@wes_haas_vo), the narrator, was so entertaining to listen to. Their voice was perfect for bringing Ash Woods to life! I hope they will continue to narrate audiobooks in the future, as Infinity Alchemist seems to be their debut into audiobook narration.

My Recommendation:
If you loved the magic and trans visibility of The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas, you need to grab a copy of Infinity Alchemist! I would especially recommend this book to readers who enjoy an academic magic setting, as this one has such a fantastic “learning magic” plot line.

Infinity Alchemist will be published on February 6th by @TorTeen!
Have you read any books with genderfluid representation?

I recently read Infinity Alchemist, which has a genderfluid love interest and a trans main character and polyamorous representation, all in a queernormative fantasy world. I loved this book and it earned a 5-star rating from me for its fantastic characters and their development!

Today is my stop on @pridebooktours’ bookstagram tour for Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender! Thank you to Pride Book Tours for putting together a tour for this fabulous queer fantasy novel by a Black trans author!

Infinity Alchemist is the kind of YA fantasy novel that I am always going to make room for on my TBR. It has a fascinating world of alchemic magic with defined social strata within magic society that sets the stage for the story. Ash Woods fights to be respected, to earn the right to use his self-taught magic. He is a relatable, scrappy protagonist that I found myself really rooting for even from the earlier chapters. I don’t know if there is going to be a sequel to Infinity Alchemist, but if so I will definitely be reading it!

In addition to reading my physical copy of Infinity Alchemist, I also listened to an audiobook version, which I loved! Wes Haas (@wes_haas_vo), the narrator, was so entertaining to listen to. Their voice was perfect for bringing Ash Woods to life! I hope they will continue to narrate audiobooks in the future, as Infinity Alchemist seems to be their debut into audiobook narration.

My Recommendation:
If you loved the magic and trans visibility of The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas, you need to grab a copy of Infinity Alchemist! I would especially recommend this book to readers who enjoy an academic magic setting, as this one has such a fantastic “learning magic” plot line.

Infinity Alchemist will be published on February 6th by @TorTeen!

This book was one of the most important ones I have read this year. A profound, well written tale that explores some of the most pressing issues facing our world, in a beautiful way. Karen Callender is supremely talented, and has a voice that resonates beyond the page, echoing into real life that we can carry with us. Not a single character on the page was flawless and it was so refreshing to see how deeply scarred each of them was, and how they overcame their faults to move forward. I cannot wait for their next book!

I was pleasently surprised by this book. I really enjoyed the world-building and the lore behind magic/alchemy in this book. The protagonist was not my favorite, but they slowly grew on me as the novel progressed. I really enjoyed the representations of queer characters in this novel and the way that gender is represented by the characters in this novel. Overall, I am excited to read the next book and will recommend this to others!

Unfortunately, this one didn't quite work for me, it felt a little too young for me, and the main character drove me a bit crazy. Bummed since this one was highly anticipated for me!

I really enjoyed reading Infinity Alchemist, and it made me realize how much I still like young adult fantasy. The primary source of the magic in this world, known as alchemy, is drawn from the energy of the body and is divided into tiers. Ash, the primary character, is dispatched on a mission to locate a mystical book with great power. A few supporting characters are also quite important, namely Marlowe, Callum, and Ramsay. I thought the romance in this was great because it was the cutest thing ever, and I valued the open communication.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Loved the gender identity/representation! As for the story itself.. I struggled with the pacing but I love how diverse it is. Hope to see a sequel!

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Kacen Callender, and while Infinity Alchemist stands out as different from the others, it was definitely no less enjoyable.

The world that Callender creates in this novel is intriguing, quite easy to follow, and while otherworldly, is largely based in real-world issues. They are an auto-buy author for me and I cannot wait to see what they write next.

Infinity Alchemist has great character diversity and a nicely moving plot, but the world-building could've been stronger and the character development was not at the level you usually see from Kacen Callender. I think this was a good foundation, and the characters and world-building will just get stronger if the series moves forward.

I really wanted to love Infinity Alchemist. I enjoyed the concepts of energy/dimensions/magic/creation, but the pacing felt off. There were a few times that I wanted to DNF based on not feeling the main plot. I stayed for the queer rep in a YA fantasy, which I haven't seen much of. I think it would have been 4-4.5 stars with another round of developmental editing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for digital audiobook access in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Tor Teen, Kacen Callender, and Wes Haas (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Infinity Alchemist in exchange for an honest review.

In Ash's world, alchemy is a crime if one does not have a license. In a world where alchemy is truly a part of one's life force and very existence, some may even display acts of alchemy without even realizing it.  Rejected by the college of his alchemic dreams, Ash turns to teaching himself, listening in on lessons where he can, as he lands a job as the school groundskeeper. 

Fate brings Ash together with Ramsay, a top tier student at the college. Instead of ratting Ash out to the guards, Ramsay makes him a deal: to help them (Ramsay is gender fluid) find the legendary Book of Source, a tome said to contain the greatest of alchemical secrets, power that can change the world as they know it.

In their exploration of alchemy and its deeper secrets, Ash and Ramsay become much closer, a considerable couple. After being left behind in an attack, Ash encounters Ramsay's ex, Callum, by happenstance. As Ash learns more about Callum and his place in society, as well as his goals, Ash thinks a new ally is in his midst. And maybe even more romance?

And when the three must work together...oh boy! Sparks fly, a blend of hatred, regret, sadness, and passion.

I absolutely love the LGBTQ representation in this novel. Ash is transgender, Ramsay is gender fluid, and the characters seem to represent an array of orientation preferences. The ethnic diversity is nice to see as well. This novel is fast-paced and fun. The way alchemy is approached has an air of magic realism to it that really makes the plot and characters standout.

I especially loved listening to the audiobook version of this novel. Haas' voice acting is exquisite, and I was engaged in a way that I feel like would not have been the same just reading the novel. Just an absolutely flawless performance for an excellent novel that fits right up my alley. Perfect for fantasy lovers and those intrigues by alchemy and the legendary powers it can harbor.

Wow, this book was fantastic! I have found Callender's books to be a bit hit or miss for me, but when they hit, THEY HIT.

This is a YA fantasy, which is not my usual read. I liked the system of magic used and that everyone's magic, while in broadly similar categories, is unique to each individual. Our MC Ash is a trans boy who, due to his class, is excluded from the magical world. In this world you are only allowed to do magic if you've been trained, but the universities are all very elitist. There are various guilds, some that are magical, some that are actively policing the use of magic, some that are just trash, but like with any political system, nothing is quite as clear cut as it seems.

Ash teams up with Ramsey Thorne, whose magic allows her to change genders at will, which is a really neat idea. They become very close, as their mission requires them to share magic to reach higher plains in order to get answers that will help them on their quest.

But, but... Ash has been practicing magic illegally, and is caught and jailed. Where he ends up being a servant (aid?) to Callum, who is Ramsey's ex. But wait! Ash and Callum come to know each other well and form a relationship, while Ramsey is out of the picture. There are a lot of discussions about this and how to navigate things should Ash be free and able to see Ramsey again.

An absolutely fabulous read, with great queer rep (trans, gender fluid, bi/pan), great diversity of our characters. Just all around fantastic!

Good worldbuilding, fun magic system, dynamic characters, entertaining, and with Kacen’s usual powerful, beautifully written prose

Love Kacen Callender. I will read ANYTHING written by them! I really hope this turns into a fantasy series. How can you not love queer characters and magic?!? Besides being so well written, it has a lot of little twists to keep you completely entranced the whole time.

My students and I greatly enjoy books about alchemy, magic, etc. so was looking forward to this audiobook. Unfortunately, it was difficult to listen to from early on. The narrator used so many strange English dialects that did not remain consistent throughout the reading. At the beginning of the book, the narrator’s rate of speech was hurried as though there was rising action during times of calm in the text. The text itself has little to no description so my students would have major difficulties trying to picture each scene. From an educational perspective, the number of sex scenes in the text would make me very uncomfortable recommending this text as well. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

✨ 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

I really struggled to get into this, unfortunately. I did love the representation in this story and the premise, but they didn't outweigh where I struggled. It read as predictable, immature characters (despite being 18, they read more as 13/14 with how they acted), and lack of surprises.