Member Reviews
Like City of Bones first published in 1995, republished in 2023, Wheel of Infinite is not a new work of fantasy by Martha Wells, it is instead a revision and update of one of her earlier books.
Maskelle was the voice of the adversary, a holy figure in the Celestial Empire, but she has been wandering the wilds for the past seven years. For she was cast out as a murderer and a traitor and her god, the adversary no longer speaks to or through her as it once did.
As we join her, she is on her way back to the Empire after being summoned to help complete a rite only carried out every hundred years. She has attached herself to a touring theatrical troupe who welcome the chance to perform and perhaps earn some money.
As Maskelle makes her way back to the capital she comes across Rian, a foreign swordsman who had been captured by river raiders. She helps see him free and they begin a courtship as shared outsiders, eventually both owing their lives to each other. Rian had been a bodyguard to the Sitane peoples, but following the change in his leadership, he choice to escape than ritual death.
Between the growing bond between the two, they must help solve why the creation of the rite's Wheel of the Infinite where all is possible has been disfigured. It is a race against time and a god like magical faction seeking to manipulate events for their own gain.
Recommended to readers of high fantasy, magical intrigue, or the heroes journey.
As a big fan of The Murderbot Diaries, I was so excited to get approved to read this book as an ARC! Even though it was originally published in 2000, the re-release gave me the perfect opportunity to check Martha Wells’ earlier work, and it didn’t disappoint!
The story follows Maskelle, a former priestess with a complicated past, and Rian, a wandering swordsman, as they face a mysterious threat to their world. The setting is a beautifully detailed fantasy realm with rich culture, intriguing rituals, and unique magic.
The book starts off a little slow, but it’s worth sticking with. Once the story gets going, there’s plenty of excitement, danger, and even a creepy, cursed puppet that gave me the chills (not a big fan of puppets!). I also loved the witty humor between Maskelle, Rian, and the acting troupe they travel with.
What I loved most, though, was Maskelle. It’s so rare to see an older, flawed, but strong and capable woman leading a fantasy story. It was such a refreshing change! Rian, who’s younger than Maskelle, is also a solid and likable character that balances her personality well. Their romance is subtle but fun and believable, with a respectful and equal dynamic that I really appreciated.
Even though The Wheel of the Infinite isn’t super-fast-paced or has an intricate plot, it’s a great standalone fantasy. If you enjoy rich world-building, strong female leads, and a bit of humor, I think you’ll really like this one.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review!
In the Celestial Empire there is the Wheel of the Infinite, the pattern that holds the whole world together. Every year it is remade to ensure good fortunes, and every hundred years its reweaving aligns the universe. This is a centennial year. But this year, a dark stain is spreading across the pattern, no matter how fast the priests work to fix it.
The story here is centred on Maskelle, once a high-ranking priest who’s fall from grace is one of the backstories revealed over the course of the book. The other belongs to her new travelling companion, expert swordsman and exile from a neighbouring empire, Rian. Along with a band of travelling actors, the pair are soon swept up with politics, religion, and intrigue. Oh, and murderous puppets.
Wheel of the Infinite was first released in 2000, and is one of several Martha Wells fantasy novels being rereleased – presumably to capitalise on the success of the Murderbot Diaries. As much as I adore those novellas, the fantasy has been a little more hit and miss for me – but thankfully this one is far more on the positive side.
There is something of a slow start as we meet our various characters and immerse ourselves in the world building. It’s done well, imo, never boring but also giving the reader plenty of time to figure out what’s going on. The layers of history and intrigue and other goings-on develop as the story progresses, with a few huge shifts in pace and setting that caught me somewhat by surprise.
I’m not sure if it’s just a product of its time – feeling of a different era but not dated – but there is something quite refreshingly about the approach here, ie not dragging it out into a trilogy, although that does require quite a lot of manoeuvring to get so many elements in. It works, though.
The pace does perhaps tell on the characterisation, but that struck me as more ‘straight forward’ than anything negative – and that in itself is a breath of air. Yes, there are some tangled pasts to be revealed, but while Maskelle has some more complexity to her, Rian is just ‘what you see is what you get’, and everyone else is allowed to be quite background.
There’s a lot to be said about not adding more complexity than is needed, and it means that Wheel of the Infinite is a good ‘romp’ of a fantasy with plenty to enjoy.
As always, it was fun to dive into this piece of Martha Wells' backlog! Even though I'm giving it three stars, there's a lot to like here. The world is interesting, the magic/religion system is compelling, and I love to see an older main character. Plus, I always love Wells' writing style and signature wit. What lost stars from me here was mainly in the characters. I wish we'd gotten to know our MCs a little better as individuals and as a team before going completely in the romance direction, and as a whole, the people in this world seem to characterize people of other races/nationalities as very one-note. Still, the story kept me turning pages all the way to the end.
I absolutely love Martha Wells. I discovered her through her wonderful Murderbot series and later went to discover that she has also written fantasy, I've read 10 novels of hers, 11 with this one.
Maybe Wheel of the infinite wasn't her best, however I had a really good time once I got into the story. It was fast-paced and I loved Maskelle, her intelligence, her reluctance to follow rules, her biting retorts, her banter with Rian. Rian too, he was the strong silent type, efficient and ready for anything. I also loved the plot that really kept me guessing and turned out to deal with something I'd never read before (I won't say what, no spoilers, but my jaw dropped on the floor).
My only complaint (a minor one) would be that the secondary characters were rather inconsistnt, even if Rastim was more developed as the story went on. Yet the story kept me on my toes, it was at times a little frightening and I'm so glad I read it !
Ever since I discovered Martha Wells also writes fantasy, I’ve been dying to read more of her back catalogue. Well, clearly Tor Books is reading my reviews and my reviews only because this year they are reissuing Wheel of the Infinite, first published in 2000. Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC.
Maskelle is (was?) the Voice of the Adversary, but when we meet her, she’s essentially a mendicant nun. Rian is a swordsman in exile from his country. The two meet on the road and arrive in the capital of the Celestial Empire. Maskelle hangs out with the spiritual leader of the empire, her boss, and tries to help him solve a mystery that could threaten literally all of existence. Rian tries to make sure Maskelle won’t get killed. There’s intrigue and backstabbing and an evil puppet.
I’m being glib but only because I’m tired tonight, and summarizing the plot faithfully would take more energy than I have. Wheel of the Infinite is definitely a nineties fantasy through and through. From narrative structure to dialogue style to the epic stakes, this is a fun blast from the past. It’s good nineties fantasy, mind you, fairly unproblematic overall, certainly holds up much better than, say, The Wayfarer Redemption….
Like her books before and since, Wells is great at not hitting us over the head with exposition. Rian basically exists to be the guy Maskelle explains things to, but we only ever get just enough explanation to get on to the action sequences. Whether it’s the nature of the Adversary, what it means to be a Voice, or why Maskelle is down bad, Wells plays all her cards close to her chest. Even the eponymous Wheel (not to be confused with that other eponymous Wheel [of Time]) takes some time to come into focus.
In the same way, the plot itself is a slow build. We start outside the city, see Maskelle and Rian meet as the former travels with a foreign acting troupe, and then the actual mystery gets introduced. Maskelle is an interesting protagonist, since she is clearly powerful and proximal to power, yet her disgraced status means she can’t wield all of her power in an effective way. She’s very flawed and human; she’s older than your typical female protagonist in fantasy, which is great; and she gets to have uncomplicated sex and isn’t punished for it!
Rian is a more straightforward character, to the point where he’s barely more than an archetype. That might be uncharitable. He’s just not that complex. He’s heroic but slightly flawed. Wronged by the people he once trusted. Wants to protect the people around him, like Maskelle. Generally a decent dude.
All in all, Wheel of the Infinite is a good time. Like Rian, it’s not all that complex. But a simple narrative is not a bad one. A story well told is worth reading. I can see the seeds in here of the writer Wells has become: from the intriguing magic/religion system, to Maskelle’s grey morality, to the existential threats that lurk in the deepest recesses of the plot. There are shades of Le Guin here, in a good way.
This is well worth picking up if, like me, you are eager to experience more of Wells’s oeuvre. So long as you keep in mind its age, you’ll while away an afternoon or evening or two with this fulfilling yarn.
Returning to the magic of Martha Wells' fantasy novels is a pure delight! I loved the connection between the characters and the universe and its plot totally absorbed me! I found in it a little of what I love about the Wheel of Time, and that was not to my displeasure. I totally recommend this revised version
Maskelle is the Voice of the Adversary - a coveted position in her religion with great power, yet she has been outcast due to her past mistakes from a misinterpreted vision. She is traveling with a group of performers who need help with a possessed wooden puppet, and along the way rescues a swordsman from a group of pirates. Is she middle-aged and badass? Yes! The fate of the world depends on her traveling back to the Celestial Empire to help fix the Wheel of the Infinite, which has the power to literally transform the world around them.
This is a re-release of the book, but I hadn't heard of it before now. As a fan of the Murderbot Diaries I was really excited to give this book a read! The Wheel of the Infinite was very different than the sci-fi from Martha Wells I am used to, but still so enjoyable. There was a lot more focus on religious orders with mystical powers and some court politics, but her sense of humor is still there. I thought the world building was really well done, and the magic system is unique. The Ariaden were amazing characters and great comedic relief. Maskelle is a strong female character who can hold her own in so many situations. There is just a touch of romance, but it is not the main focus at all and there are no open door scenes. The plot starts a little slow but it is definitely worth pushing through.
I really enjoyed this story and thought it was very well written. This is a stand alone book, but I feel like more could be added (it would be really fun to see what happens next!). I would recommend this book to those who like fantasy, a bit of sci-fi, and lots of world building. Especially if you already enjoy Martha Wells. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley for my opinions.
I urge readers who only know [Martha] Wells for her wonderful Murderbot science fiction novels to give Wheel of the Infinite a try. It features Maskelle, a middle-aged, self-exiled priestess returning to the capital of the Celestial Empire for her Koshan religion’s most important rite. Every year, the sand painting of the Wheel of the Infinite is redrawn; every 100 years, this ritual renews and recreates the fabric of the world itself. When she arrives, she finds that something is marring the painting-in-progress with a black storm; she must find and stop the source of this taint before it devastates the world.
There’s a lot more going on in this book, of course. We first meet Maskelle when she’s on the road with a troupe of players; she goes tramping through the jungle to find herbs that can cure a sick child, encounters a pirate outpost, and saves their prisoner. That was the scene that made me sit up, when I realized that Maskelle was a badass, though I still didn’t know the extent of her power, and she herself felt disconnected from it because she no longer heard the Voice of the power she served, after a fatal misinterpretation of a vision had led to drastically bad consequences.
The prisoner she saves is Rian, a swordsman from the outskirts of civilization, where people are light-skinned instead of the Celestial dark-skinned norm. A fugitive himself, he follows Maskelle back to the troupe, is fascinated by her, and acts as her bodyguard and more; she eventually takes the younger man into her bed. Rian plays some important points in the plot, and we get some scenes from his viewpoint, and as a newcomer, he provides a good excuse for explanations of How Things Work Here.
Maskelle and Rian are a great couple. He respects her instantly; her respect of him takes a little longer, but eventually she trusts him enough to have him take on an important mission for her. Wells fades to black for sex scenes, but they obviously find each other hot, and joke about how others perceive their relationship.
Maskelle is the star, though, and she is magnificent. She has made huge mistakes in the past, so questions herself and her relationship with the powers that be, but once she knows what she needs to do, she is a fierce, unstoppable force. But she’s a star who works well with others, from the high priest to the actors who help her with searches. She’s as focused on helping others as on finding and following her destiny, and whether dealing with recalcitrant officials, a relative with reason for a huge grudge, or a creepy, cursed puppet, she knows how to be patient and when to take immediate, forceful action.
It’s been a few years since my last reread of Wheel of the Infinite, but I can’t tell whatever subtle improvements Wells may have made to her text — everything I remember happening in previous readings happens here, and nothing new jarred me. The eARC has placeholder “Dedication tk” and “About the Author TK” sections (where TK stands for “to come”) and I hope that the “Acknowledgements TK” will include some reflections from Wells about her career in writing, along with thanking various people.
The biggest change I know of is in the cover, which wasn’t included in the eARC, either, but is easily searchable online. It’s a depiction of the Wheel of the Infinite itself, the sand painting that reflects and recreates reality, in a chamber in a temple, with four braziers around it, and it’s very pretty and impressive. However, I’m a little sad that it doesn’t portray Maskelle herself. Black female protagonists are not quite as rare in fantasy novels or their covers now as they were in the early 2000s, but seeing that representation is still important. Perhaps Tor is sidestepping problems seen from the previous publisher, which issued a variant cover that whitewashed Maskelle and even a cover that didn’t show her at all, just the light-skinned swordsman Rian.
I adore this book for its great, middle-aged female protagonist, her very capable romantic partner/sidekick, the fascinating worldbuilding (including making dark-skinned people the center of civilization), the plot, the elements of weirdness that arise when the Wheel goes awfully awry, the teamwork and interplay between characters, and the eventual dramatic revelations that finally make sense of the mysteries woven throughout the book. Wheel of the Infinite is superb.
This is not a bad story by any means, it’s just not for me. I failed to really connect with the characters, and I found the world-building, plot, and writing style to be a bit needlessly overcomplicated.
DNFed around 20% or so. While I love Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries books, her high fantasy worked a little less well for me. Perhaps it's because I've read too many fantasies already, but the elements of WHEEL OF THE INFINITE did not really stand out for me. I suppose Maskelle is unique in that she is a middle-aged female main character, which I did appreciate, but besides for that fact, she reads like any other competent but slightly exasperated MC on a quest. None of the other characters, including Rian, the love interest, stood out either.
I think my biggest struggle with WHEEL OF THE INFINITE was not really getting a sense of the overall *purpose* of the characters' journey. It might have come up once, but Maskelle is rather cagey about her identity and her quest, which didn't help matters, and she/the other characters were constantly avoiding fleshing out the book's main plot by getting into side skirmishes with one-time baddies. I wanted more main plot development, not distractions.
I love Martha wells. Her world building is top notch along with amazing characters. What she has done in this book just add to the magic of previous books.
As usual, Martha Wells doesn’t hold anyone’s hand. Sometimes that’s immersive, mysterious, and compelling, and other times it’s abstract and hard to follow. It’s a fine line to walk, and she usually ends up on the right side of that line!
The cast of characters was totally endearing, from the acting troupe with the cursed puppet to the Celestial One who won’t let Maskelle (or anyone else) bullshit him. I enjoyed the scraps of romance that were there and felt the evolution of their relationship made sense given their backgrounds, even with as much as it was a side show to the main plot.
The plot itself had me hooked right away, the rescue followed by the cursed puppet and the demon attack and the unveiling of the mystery, which all pulled the plot forward easily. I was a little less engaged in the last portion, when the ((spoilers!)) temple got dropped into that other landscape. At that point in the narrative, I wanted to start feeling the pieces come together, but instead I felt more lost than ever. The Big Reveal at the end about the Adversary brought me back.
Overall, I had a fun time and will continue to read anything Martha Wells writes.
First published 2000, this has been rereleased for a new audience. While the world building is excellent, the plot is not as fast paced and intricate as some of her later work, but it is nevertheless an enjoyable fantasy.
The plot centres around Maskelle, an older woman who was exiled from the temple where she was the living Voice of one of the gods. The Voice caused her to make a bad mistake and now she can’t hear it any more, although she still retains some of her powers. Since she left the city in disgrace, she’s been travelling with a touring group of actors, offering her services as their healer. Along the way she has been joined by a younger man, Rian, an outlawed swordsman. But now she’s been called back to the city.
Every 100 years the Voices of the gods and the priests must carry out a rite to remake the Wheel of the Infinite so the world is maintained. However, this time there is something wrong and Maskelle might just be the last resort they need to fix it.
The pacing is good with the tension building towards the end and the plot is clearly laid out with solid, if not ground breaking, fantasy elements, although her depiction of a possessed puppet was very chilling. As well as the great world building, I enjoyed the humour in the banter between Maskelle, Rian and with Rastim, leader of the acting troupe. I also enjoyed that the protagonist is an older woman who is clearly in charge of herself and also enjoying her physical relationship with Rian.
I read the 2024 Revised Edition of this book.
The Wheel of The Infinite is one of those delectable fantasy books with complex worldbuilding that gives you the information little by little. You slowly learn about our protagonist, her magic, her history, and finally at the end you understand what a Wheel of the Infinite even is. It's a rewarding journey along the way.
This novel has a little romance as a side plot. It's sweet, but never swoonworthy.
A video review including this book will be on y Youtube channel in the coming weeks, @ChloeFrizzle.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
In 2024, the Murderbot Diaries became my favorite series of the year. When I was approved for the Wheel of the Infinite, I just about lost my mind. Wells has the amazing ability to throw her readers into a unique fantasy world in under 350 pages where other authors need 1000. However, I do with this boom explained the religion and "magic system" a little bit more than it did. I would gladly read an extra 10-15 pages dispersed throughout the beginning to get a better understanding.
That being said, I really enjoyed the story and loved the banter between Rain and Rastim. Wells never fails to make me laugh when reading her books. I would LOVE a prequel on Maskelle's complicated past with her (many) husbands.
(When I first got accepted for this ARC I was entirely unaware this was a republishing. Unfortunately I cannot compare it to the previous edition)
Wheel of the infinite by Martha Wells is a book being rereleased on November 19th 2024. Are you familiar with Martha Wells? Because you know MurderBot? That is how I know of Martha Wells, but I did not know of her fantasy stories and I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read an arc of Wheel of the Infinite for its rerelease. Thank you to #netgalley and Tor Publishing for my advance reader copy. In this story we follow Maskelle, a disgraced monk who has been cast out from her order because she misinterpreted a message from the Adversary. The Adversary is their god. Calling God the Adversary is next level and sincerely one of my favorite things in this story. Maskelle is travelling with a swordsman, Rian, and for a change, our female and male main characters are well seasoned - or 'of a certain age' if you prefer. There is absolutely great dialogue between Rian and Maskelle in particular and the book in general. Rian and Maskelle are traveling with an acting troupe - again, a definite change of pace in the fantasy genre. There is a possessed clown puppet - disturbing, fantastic world building and the pacing is on point. I give this book 4.4 stars.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
While the world-building seemed cool and the writing was lovely, I just couldn’t connect to the story or the characters in the way I would have liked.
I love Martha Wells' books!
From The Murderbot Diaries which I listened to all the audiobooks through my library and then purchased the paperbacks so I can re-read and dual read/listen to, to The Book of Ile-Rien that I was able to read via NetGalley in 2023, I'm extremely thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to also read the 2024 edition of Wheel of the Infinite!
The world building is fantastic!
Martha Wells has a way of describing her worlds, characters and how they interact with each other without being convoluted.
The Wheel of the Infinite starts slow, it is satisfying as a standalone, but leaves the reader wanting more. So if there were ever to be a sequel, I'd be keen to read it. I also want to add a physical copy of Wheel of the Infinite to my shelves so I can annotate it.
To get my next Martha Wells fix, I have The Cloud Roads on my bookshelf that I'm very keen to read now.
This was a really interesting book, with likable characters and a really intricate plot. But the pacing was pretty much on the slow side of things, so it was never what I would call riveting or a page turner. But the world building was amazing and everything I come to expect from Ms Well’s fantasy novels.
The story is told through both Maskelle and Rian’s point of view. I liked them both, and I even liked them as a couple. This is by no means a romance. They meet, Maskelle saves Rian’s life, he follows her, they have a mutual attraction for each other and the rest of the story goes on. All that said, I really enjoyed watching them form a bond and supporting each other through the difficulties they encountered along the journey. They also had some great banter and I liked how they protected and worried about each other.
There is a nice cast of secondary characters, namely the group of actors they are traveling with. Most are not super well developed, but you get a good sense of who most of them are. I did keep getting some of the royal and religious characters confused as they all seemed to have similar names. Two of my favorites were Rastim, the leader of the actors, who had some nice comedic moments to dark times. And Mali, who hardly said anything, but was always there and helping Maskelle.
The world building was phenomenal. From the start of the book you know that you are in a world unlike our own, yet similar enough that you are not totally lost. There are totally different cultures, religions and mythology that you learn about throughout the book, and it all feels so natural that even if you don’t quite grasp some of it, you just nod your head and go along with it. My main issue with this book was the pacing, it is slow, but yet steady throughout. But that sort of added to the overall effect of the book. The slow pace added to the feeling that this was a normal life for the characters. I kind of liked that even though it annoyed me a little and I just wanted things to move along.
As much as I enjoy the Murderbot series, I think I enjoy Ms Well’s fantasies more. They are full of worlds and characters that I just really like and enjoy reading. If you are a fan of her fantasies, you will probably like this one as well, just be aware that it is a bit slow moving. If you have only read her Murderbot books, I would recommend giving this a chance.