I loved this book, and not just because of the middle-aged, hyper competent FMC who saves the world with the assistance of her younger bodyguard/lover. (But also that played a really big role in why I loved it, I won't deny it!)

Maskelle is the Voice of the Adversary, a religious status that also grants her visions of the future and certain magic powers. (She's totally a BAMF.) She's also technically banished from her religion because she made some Very Bad Choices in her past. Now, though, she's been called back to the center of religious life. Something is messing up their yearly ritual, which will probably end the world as everyone knows it. On her way to save the day, she runs into Rian, a warrior from a neighboring land, whom she saves shortly before they give in to mutual attraction. It's a lust-at-first-sight sitch and I didn't hate it.

Martha Wells marries a complex political and theological plot with her signature action sequences (both Maskelle and Rian are really good fighters). I wouldn't classify this as a romantasy, since there's very little relationship conflict. (Unsurprisingly, I LOVED this choice. Why would we need relationship conflict when the world is about to end?)

I recommend this to anyone who likes action-forward fantasy that still includes plenty of philosophizing and character development.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the updated and revised Tor edition of the novel.

I love Martha Wells. Her impressive characterization and world building were definitely on display here - in a recently edited/updated version of an earlier work. Great books about older characters are a joy to find. I would truly enjoy spending more time in this world, with these people. Now I have to see if that's possible!

Anyone familiar with Martha Wells will enjoy this book as much as her previous ones. For anyone new to Martha Wells you'll come to love her writing style, world building, and characters. Martha Wells is truly amazing at world building. I wasn't sure what this world was going to be like, but it was thoroughly designed and I felt like I was seeing it come to life in my mind's eye as I was reading. Wheel of the Infihite had the direct, no nonsense characters with amazing banter that are common to Wells's stories. As usual the characters develop throughout the story and they have depth in addition to memorable personalities. I really enjoyed this book and believe others will too.

I’m so pleased to see Martha Wells finally receiving the acknowledgement and credit she is due! She’s been putting out solid fantasy novels for so many years at this point, that it was criminal how rarely her name came up in discussions of great fantasy authors still currently writing today. I’ve been a big fan for many years, but even I still haven’t read her entire back catalog, so I was thrilled to see that Tor was re-releasing “Wheel of the Infinite,” giving me the perfect excuse to finally get to it!

If you’re a fan of Wells’ writing, there are some things that you come to expect: solid writing, no-nonsense characters, and, most importantly, incredibly creative and unique second-world fantasy settings! And this one came through on all counts. I’ll start with the world-building, however, as I truly think it’s what elevates Wells’ writing above many other fantasy works being produced today.

Like her other books, the minute you start reading this story, it’s clear that you are now suddenly in a totally foreign environment, complete with different cultures, religions, and magic. The premise of this book focuses heavily on the primary religion of this world and the ways in which it is used to essentially re-create the entire world every so often. I don’t want to go into details about how it all works as this way lies spoilers, but there are so many fascinating levels included in how it all works. There are enough points of references to concepts readers will recognize from our own world to make it all approachable, but as the story continues to spin, all of these concepts weave together into some truly great twists towards the middle point and then again at the very end.

I also was predisposed to love the main character of this book, as it features the rarest of rare fantasy leads: the middle-aged woman! And Maskelle highlights all the strengths that this sort of character brings to the story. She’s experienced, smart, and takes no-nonsense from those around her. Her power is earned through years of grit and she has a full life’s worth of experiences and mistakes to draw from that further pad out her current character arc.

Even more rare than the character herself, the romance was also a rare beast with the romantic interest, Rian, being about a decade younger than Maskelle’s mid-forties. Even better, there was no rumination on this fact. They simply met, were attracted to one another, and fell into a fairly straight-forward relationship from there. While I enjoy romantasy and romance novels, they are often full of what can feel like unnecessary drama and deception. It made it all the more refreshing to read this book about two adults who simply act on their feelings while never losing sight of themselves in the mix.

The only thing that prevents this book from reaching a 10 rating was the fact that at points some of the descriptions and world-building felt a bit repetitive and too much a focal point of the narrative. For example, while I appreciate the thought that went into the architecture of this world, there were times where I felt like these details were a bit excessive, especially when describing layouts and buildings that I still struggled to picture. It feels weird to complain about too much world-building, but such it is! And still, if I had to pick, I’d choose Wells’ approach here to many of the other fantasy books out there that are lacking in these details!

This is an excellent stand-alone fantasy novel, and I highly recommend it to all fantasy readers, especially those who may be feeling worn out on all of the current tropes making their rounds.

Rating 9: With a mature heroine, a fully fleshed-out world, and a mystery full of action and adventure, Wells proves that you can have it all in fantasy fiction!

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on Nov. 13

I have come to consider the fantasy worlds spun by Martha Wells as old friends. They feel both familiar - as if forgotten history, or plausible future - and otherworldly. The main characters feel like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders, and yet the carry on. Doggedly taking one more step, and then another, as they confront their futures. Futures they often do not want to be saddled with but accept anyway. "Long-suffering sigh" is the phrase that often comes to mind when I first meet a Martha Wells hero or heroine. They don't want the job given to them, but know that if they don't do it, it is very likely no one else will. Or can.

In Wheel of the Infinite, the world evokes images of jungles, cities that sprawl, and inhabitants that live in a time and place that are aware of higher beings and speaking with "gods," but also no longer realize just how much those in charge are tasked with doing to keep everything from collapse. Until something arrives that upsets the balance.

Following Maskelle and Rian, we are brought through canals, roads, and buildings (and curses and distrust) to discover what is upsetting the balance of the Infinite. The journey is measured but never feels slow. It builds the tension between Maskelle and her former life, and what she feels was a failure and now must reconcile with new visions and voices. If anything, this story is one that highlights the disconnect between "church and state" if you will. For those that hear the voices of the Infinite hold so much more power than anyone might think. And even then, they are not infallible. The story of The Advocate also brings to mind that of Christianity, or at least the idea that a "god" may better lead their flock if they have the experiences of being human, rather than just an Infinite being. Something to muse over, perhaps.

From the publisher: A traitor and a swordsman join forces to save the world from being rewritten into devastation.

I’m a big fan of the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I’m not the only fan; the series has proved so popular that Wells has been updating and revising some of her older works. Wheel of the Infinite, originally published in 2000, is one of those works.

I had never read before. It is fantasy rather than science fiction like the Murderbot Diaries. I enjoyed it a lot. The main character, Maskelle, used to be the Voice of a god, but she no longer hears from the Adversary. Most people don’t realize who she is, thinking she is merely a travelling nun. But bad forces know who she is and are after her at all times. Maskelle is middle-aged and powerful, tired but still opinionated and fighting. And very dangerous. (“If anyone is going to make trouble,” she says, “it will be me. Really. I’m the most dangerous person here.” (p. 128))

Maskelle hangs out with a fun troupe of actors who provide her with community and of whom she is genuinely fond. While looking for an herb to treat a sick girl, she comes across a prisoner – tall, rangy, handsome – and ten years younger than Maskelle. She helps him escape, sword in hand, and he soon becomes her partner, her protector, and her lover.

There’s serious trouble ahead as the troupe, the Voice, and the swordsman move toward the City and the Hundred Year Rite. There’s also an evil cursed puppet that knocks on its box to be let out and a fair amount of snark. I never doubted that Maskelle would handle whatever came her way.

This was a fun standalone novel, although I would not object to a sequel. My only complaint is about all the R names – Rian, Rastim, Raith. I had a bit of a time getting them straight. But Wheel of the Infinite would make an awesome move!

I read an advance reader copy of the updated and revised Wheel of the Infinite from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be published on November 19, and the Galesburg Public Library will own it in several formats.

This is a rather interesting read, with nice world building, but I needed more from it. This is not a bad book, it is quite interesting, but what fully hindered my overall enjoyment was the pacing. Because the pacing is so slow, I found my mind wandering and I was easily able to put the book down, and then would be hesitant to pick it back up later. When I did pick it up, I liked what I was reading, but it felt like I was saying “go-go-go” wanting things to pick up and that never fully happened. I loved the dual narration even though it was primarily through one characters eyes, the glimpses into the others world was a nice break. As I mentioned the world building was nice, it was well done and I think the author did a nice job building things up in a clear and concise way so that it made sense. I loved that the characters were in their forties which made the plot feel more believable. The conclusion was nice and succinct and wrapped things up nicely.

I would recommend this book to those looking for a leisurely paced fantasy with a clear conclusion at the end (no cliffhangers here!).

(Rounded from 3.5)

Esoteric religious magic and disgraced court bodyguards cross their streams in this high fantasy with deep world building and compelling characters. I read the 2024 “Updated and Revised” version of this book, originally published in 2000, and I can’t speak to the differences, but I can say that this novel will show new fans of Martha Wells who know her only for her Murderbot series that she can do fantasy really well, too, and has been doing so for more than two decades. What I appreciated most about this story was the world building and the way the world was introduced to us, which was slowly and in pieces. There were no lengthy exposition dumps, instead we follow two characters from different cultures and through them we slowly learn more and more about this world, with new little details even come in the ending chapters. It was a wonderful way to build out the world, because it left a whole lot open-ended. We know there are all these distinct countries/provinces that have their own customs, religions, and magic systems, and we get glimpses and tastes of them in this story but are mostly focused on one particular country/religious system. It really just was a well-developed, exciting world that felt unique and also felt like it had more mysteries to share, and it was complemented by the way it was explored and the ways we learned about it. The imagery of the world was also striking, not the kind of imagery we see in other fantasy novels, and while I can speculate what inspired a lot of that imagery what was fun was that Wells didn’t lean on any existing cultures or ideas, she just celebrate some imagery and maybe cultural ideas in what felt like a non-exploitative way, building her own, uncommon world.

We had one main character and one secondary almost main character, and we shifted between their perspectives (though not equally, more like 70/30) and this gave us good insight into these characters. I liked both the main characters, they felt like they had deep histories that we got little bits and pieces of, but there was still more saved. Those unexplored parts of their histories were actually great, they let the characters feel dynamic and it let me feel like my relationship was continually deepening with them as the story progressed. And the story itself was actually a lot of fun. I liked the overall mystery/puzzle to be worked out, I liked the heavy turn things took at about the 60% mark when you thought you were grasping on to some answers, and I thought the eventual reveal and resolution was unexpected.

The big thing that held this story back for me was the pacing, to be honest. I don’t mind slow fantasy stories, especially when a lot of that time is committed to world building and character development. But this just felt really slow, at least the first third or so, slower than it had to be. We did get an interesting exploration of the character and the world during that time, but the character reveal and world-building continued through the story, so it didn’t feel like that slow pace was really necessary. One of the central pivot points around which our main character rotates is that she has been cursed and exiled, and we don’t find out what for until near the very, very end of the story! There is a continual slow development of the world and the characters, which is fin, but it makes that early, slower section stand out and feel like it dragged a little. Also, there is a romantic subplot, and I can appreciate why those particular characters’ personalities would be attractive to each other, but it felt like it came out of nowhere, with no build-up, no character deliberation or consideration, it just kind of happened, and it felt somewhere between rushed and not necessary. I appreciate how their relationship mediated some of their actions in the finale, so I suppose I am glad it happened, but for a slow-paced book that relationship felt really sudden.

I had a good time with this book, even though it was slow. I can see some folks being a little frustrated. It does move slowly, and it ends with a clear resolution to the primary conflict of this particular story, but the worlds and characters still have a lot of mystery about them. It is hard to ever feel you know what a character is going to do, because your understanding of their histories and motivations and experiences is developed in this slow drip throughout the story. That does create some emotional distance from the characters—it is hard to see yourself in them if you are still learning new things about them in the last chapter. And both of the main characters are really cool, and some of the ancillary characters are equally fun and seem like they have the potential for really robust histories that we only get hints of. So, I can appreciate folks being critical of the pacing and the open-ended character and world development. The pacing did drag a little for me, in the first half, as I mentioned, but I didn’t mind the distance we had from the characters. It kept them always intriguing, each one a different puzzle box, and the world was rich and fantastical enough that I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed knowing there is a whole lot more of it that is yet to learn.

Ultimately this high-fantasy novel doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel but it has some really beautiful imagery in an intricately constructed world that has compelling magic systems, flawed and exciting characters, and an overall story that combines spirituality and magic (and occasional violence) in open-ended and fun ways that complicate them all, and it was a fun world to fall into. Martha Wells has a number of different fantasy series, including her current “Rising World” series which will have a new book coming out soon, and part of me would love to see this book being republished so she can continue to write in this world, because I would happily jump back in.

I want to thank the editors and authors, the publisher Tor Books, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book. The elaborate fantasy settings are epic and immersive. The female main character is powerful and interesting. The strong, complex main male lead is sympathetic. There are several other supporting characters with depth, which I appreciated.

The plotting was good, the pacing consistent, and the resolution was satisfying.

The Murderbot Diaries are currently my all-time favorite comfort series so unfortunately, any Wells book that isn’t another Murderbot book is a little bit disappointing— because I want all the books to include those specific characters. However, Wells is very skilled at building interesting characters and layered relationships in all her books, including this one.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

This is a rerelease (coming this fall!) of the author’s preferred edition of this 2000 fantasy novel.

Maskelle is supposed to be the Voice of her god, but they’ve had a falling out. She misinterpreted a vision in a way that angered the powers that be, and she’s been a cursed outcast ever since. Her journeys with a band of players are taking her back where her god wants her, back in the city that is the center of his worship.

And the god wants her there for a reason. The ritual that renews the world every year–with particular emphasis on this year’s centenary observation–is going awry no matter how they try to fix it. Maskelle has been out in the world, her connection with the god at least used to be the most powerful–surely she’s the right choice to set the world right.

This is about as big a job as you might expect. Add in a cursed puppet for the traveling players and all sorts of personal complications for the swordsman they meet along the way, and there’s a recipe for a giant shitstorm at the end. Which happens, which definitely happens, and the climax comes together as only Martha Wells books can.

I received this book from Netgalley to read and give an honest review. Thank you to Tor publishers and the author for the opportunity.
This book contains a lot of politics. This world is ruled by the Celestial Ruler who is supposed to be guided by the religious leaders of the world. There is friction between them but overall this world has known only peace for hundreds of years. Their gods were once human and still speak to the priests all except one. His Voice has been expelled from the city and condemned for a false vision. And so we meet Maskelle, traveling with a troupe of performers. Separated from her god and her people she still tries to serve justice. They meet a swordsman running for his life and the two form a bond.
Maskelle is commanded back to the city because there is trouble with the rites which maintain their world. The priests are at their wits end and hope she has a solution. The rulers suspect her of colluding with the enemy. Danger
and action follow for all involved.
Very different from the Murderbot series but great worldbuilding, worthy characters, and interesting story. Maybe just a touch too descriptive for me.

She does it again! First off, we have older main characters 🙌🏻 The FMC is at least 45 and the MMC is in his 30s (perfect for those of us who are tired of the 500 year old immortal chasing the 20 year old FMC). And yes, they act their age.

There is a relationship, but I wouldn’t say this book has romance or even a romance subplot. Instead, there’s more attention paid to developing the side characters to make them feel more three-dimensional rather than only acting as supporting characters.

The plot is slower paced, but I honestly didn’t mind due to the world-building. The immersive writing and details in each scene made me forget I was reading at times! The religion at the center of this story is fully fleshed out and unique.

This is one of the few times I think it’s best to go into the book fairly blind. So I’m going to leave with this: if you enjoy “classic” fantasy with complex characters on a path for redemption and an emphasis on world-building/storytelling all packaged in a well-written package (with hints of sarcasm throughout), then I highly recommend this book.

Very interesting world and great world building. The pacing for the first half of the book was a little slow as the reader is learning about the world and magic system. The second half of the book was action packed and very enjoyable. The characters were likable, however a little more character development wold have been great for the main character and the main supporting character. Overall, this is a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

Thank you to the Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book!
◇ Synopsis
Each year, the Wheel of the Infinite is meticulously remade to ensure peace for the Celestial Empire. Every hundred years, the world's fabric must also be rewoven, as the Wheel and world are connected by mystic energies. However, a black storm is growing on the Wheel, unraveling its patterns. Maskelle, a disgraced murderer and traitor, is called upon to restore balance with the help of the skilled swordsman Rian. If they can't stop the storm, this rotation of the Wheel could be the world's last.
◇ Thoughts
I'm a huge Martha Wells fan, and this novel is another gem. The story follows Maskelle, who’s called in to fix the Wheel of the Infinite—a sand mandala that shapes reality—after it reveals a growing darkness. What starts as a typical fantasy quickly turns into a mystery as characters scramble to uncover the who and why behind the chaos. The world-building is brilliantly innovative, blending religion and politics seamlessly, with the Wheel's role in forming reality being particularly fascinating.

The narrative alternates between Maskelle and Rian's perspectives, but let's be honest—Maskelle steals the show. While Rian is a solid character with a compelling past and impressive warrior skills, it's Maskelle who truly makes this book shine. And, of course, the Adversary, the non-human Ancestor, adds an intriguing layer to the story, especially through its connection with Maskelle. Martha Wells does it again—highly recommended.
◇ Publisher
TOR

Wheel Of The Infinite was published in 2000 and is being revised for a re-release in Nov-24. Netgalley were kind enough to give me a review copy but unfortunately this one didn't live up to expectations.

Firstly, I've read 2 other of Wells' fantasy ARCs from Netgalley and both were great. They'd firmly cemented her as a top-tier fantasy author for me. The world building, characters and magic systems were amazing. (City of Bones, and The Book Of Ile-Rien, I'd highly recommend both!)

That brings us to Wheel Of The Infinite. Each year the wheel is remade to keep the world in balance. The Voices, high-ranking monks through which the spirits speak and who have the ability to shape reality with magic, are responsible for remaking the wheel and keeping reality safe. As a darkness begins to spread through the wheel it comes down to the exiled Voice Maskelle and her swordsman companion Rian to fix things before it's too late.

I absolutely love the premise and the world-building is top notch as usual. The magic system is different enough to be interesting and the characters, particularly the travelling troupe of performers that Maskelle falls in with are nicely rounded. Unfortunately the negatives outweighed the positives.

(***SPOILERY RANT AHEAD***)

The pacing felt off (things didn't really pick up until about 60% in, and then the final quarter of the book took place in a 2 day period), there were sudden steps in character progression with no explanation (I'm looking at you, Maskelle-Rian romance that felt extremely and abruptly forced in), and large areas where slow burn threats had a brief final moment in the spotlight before vanishing. The Gisar arc in particular felt like it was trying to be impactful but I didn't feel any tension as the reader.

It's always nice to get a review copy and I'm sad that this one fell short for me. My usual ranking system is 3⭐ if I enjoyed but probably wouldn't read again, 4⭐ if it'll get a re-read. I'm giving this 2.5 as there were some enjoyable scenes and the idea was great, but large parts were a struggle to get through and I'm kind of happy that I'm finished.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Before reading this book, I did not even know who Martha Wells is until a quick search in Goodreads revealed that she’s one of those old beloved classic high fantasy authors. My bad. As far as I can remember, my whole world back in 2000 solely revolved on J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series…and well, the occasional Roald Dahl here and there. I refused to read anything not related Harry Potter. But anyway, back to the Wheel of Infinite, I did not know that it’s a reprint either when I requested the eARC from Netgalley. All I know is that the synopsis was really interesting and I just knew that I had to request it. I’m glad that I did because I loved it. It’s standalone, has a fascinating magical system, has very interesting characters, a mythos that felt so real, all packed in an average number of pages without making my head ache with so much info dump.

In the Wheel of Infinite, we follow the story of Maskelle and Rian who are from different kingdoms but both are exiled and are most likely desperate on the run from their haunting pasts. Maskelle was once a revered high ranking priest in Duvalpore but after acting on a false vision, she had lost the trust of her god, lost her powers, and became some sort of a pariah in Marai, the home of the highest ranking priest in the Empire, the Celestial One and well, Maskelle’s boss. Rian was once a soldier of high ranking Lord in Sintane and it was his great sense of self-preservation that ultimately lead him to escape his imminent death and cross paths with Maskelle. The story started off as a travelling adventure wherein the two accompanied an acting troupe encountering different paranormal obstacles as they are approaching Duvalpore.

Right off the bat, the Wheel of Infinite had immediately made it clear that the whole story is centered on the importance of gods’ and priests roles on the everyday lives of the people living in the world. The story is definitely is heavily focused on metaphysics that it’s interesting to see whether Wells can wrap up the whole package without boring the average reader. And well, the author did deliver for with the Wheel of Infinite, she was able to spin a tragic tale that is more than just spouting of sanctimonious philosophies. With all their powers and omniscience, the gods are not invincible and given the right amount of trauma, they’d go mad and eventually, go on a rampage destroying the citizens they have sworn to protect. This is what Maskelle has learned after being back in Duvalpore and being tasked to solve mysterious murders and dark signs on the Wheel of the Infinite. Otherwise, the reality will be warped and everything that was good will be destroyed.

I could not stress enough how I enjoyed this book because it has the right amount of length, the right amount of romance between two unlikely individuals whose ages are prolly in their mid to late forties, the right amount of humor peppered with sadness emanating from the tragic pasts of our characters, astonishing revelations and a conflict that is almost impossible to resolve but addressed wonderfully. It is really amazing because I’m usually a sucker for multi-installment high fantasy series because you know… there’s this belief that high fantasy series should be lengthy to keep you entertained and to keep you invested in the characters, in the plot, in the world building, in the lore, etc. But the Wheel of Infinite just broke that belief and here I am, gushing about how good this book is.

Wheel of the Infinite
By Martha Wells

I know Murderbot is all the rage, but I feel like bookstagram is sleeping on everything else Wells has written! Once again, I have loved her world building, character-work, and plot twists and turns.

In this book, I particularly loved the world building and religion/magic system. It was complex and yet described really well. Our characters were great as well, from the Voice of the Adversary to her troupe companions.

I have loved everything I’ve read and can’t wait to keep exploring her backlog of books!

Thanks to @netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I could sit inside Martha Wells’ brain and live in the worlds she creates. She had such a brilliant imagination and writes some of the greatest characters ever. I’ll admit though, nothing is going to beat the Murderbot series for me.

It was interesting to see how Wells tackled romance since Murderbot doesn’t have any romance whatsoever. I really liked the mature and understated way Wells wrote the romance between Maskelle and Rian. They have that long-lasting love that was just so sweet to read.

And we can’t forget the theater troupe! I didn’t love Rastim at first, but he really grew on me. I adored him by the end.

It's been a while since I'd gotten to read fantasy that chucks you headfirst into the story and expects you to work to stay afloat... but I loved it! Wells writes fantasy like no other that I know, creating a rich and detailed fantasy world without falling into the common tropes and stereotypes that make up the genre. It did get confusing at times, trying to keep up with every name and event and Thing, but absolutely worth it.

I really liked Martha Wells' writing in this book. They really keep improving and it shows. I liked this book a lot, especially the characters.