Really loved the first book. This one just didn’t live up to the first. The ending was interesting and makes me want to see how they resolve it in the next one, but this one just wasn’t as good.

**Audiobook Review: *Chaos King* by Kacen Callender** 🎧✨

Buckle up, fantasy lovers—*Chaos King* is here to shake up your bookshelf (and your heart). The highly anticipated sequel to *Infinity Alchemist* takes us even deeper into Ash’s world, where magic is power, alliances are fragile, and love doesn’t fit into neat little boxes.

Narrated by Wes Haas, this audiobook is **a full-on experience**, pulling you into a world of political chaos, high-stakes magic, and relationships that challenge every rule. Ash’s journey gets even messier as he navigates dangerous betrayals, unexpected romance, and a magic system that is as beautiful as it is deadly. And let’s talk about the polyamorous romance—because YES, it’s here, it’s real, and it’s *so* well done.

Callender’s storytelling is nothing short of magic, blending action, emotion, and thought-provoking themes seamlessly. And with Haas bringing these characters to life? You’re in for an **immersive, can’t-stop-listening** kind of ride.

If you loved *Infinity Alchemist*, get ready—this sequel cranks up the intensity **x100**. And if you haven’t started the series yet? Now’s the time. *Chaos King* drops April 15, 2025—so pre-order, grab your headphones, and prepare for a fantasy story that refuses to play by the rules. 🔥📖

The 2nd book in the Infinity Alchemist series was phenomenal. There is a lot happening in this book, including how love prevails even if you are on the other side of things, a rebellion group vs. the law, chaos and source as powers, humans against alchemists, and knowing who to trust. This novel absolutely gutted me. Ash is trying to get out from under his father's name even though he helped to eradicate him. There was not a dull moment in this book, and there are some dark powers at work. I absolutely wish the next book was ready because I need to know what happens!

2.5 stars rounded up

I have to be honest- this was a little disappointing. It's not a bad book, but I had high expectations after the book 1. Chaos King very much felt like a middle book in a series, and the ending went in a direction I didn't love. There were pieces of this that were really compelling, but it didn't quite hang together the way they might have.

Ash can now legally practice alchemy, and he's in a polyamorous romantic partnership, but politics, class differences, and rebels are going to make things very messy...

A lot of authors struggle to maintain interest and tension in established relationships, and I would say that is the case here too. Yes, there are plenty of external factors impacting the triad's bonds with each other, but you don't feel the same emotional depth and desire you do in book 1. AND there are some big spoilery things that happen towards the end of the book that should make a big impact emotionally on the main character, but we don't ever feel that.

Politically, things feel over-complicated. Perhaps because the motivations of some of the different players are sometimes unclear. On a macro level, I see what the character arc of this book was, but at a more granular level a lot of the plot to get us there was either confusing or uninteresting. Or frustrating because we have an impulsive main character who never thinks anything through. There were parts of it that really landed in terms of the internal and external conflicts Ash is dealing with, but other parts felt random or repetitive.

Without giving spoilers, I can also say that the ending did some things I am generally not a fan of in speculative fiction. Of course there are exceptions, but this book wasn't one of them. However, that's a personal preference and other readers may feel differently.

I do still like the way sexuality and gender identity are managed in this world. As oppressive as it is, one of the love interests being quite literally gender fluid is no big deal. Conceptually, I like the theme of struggling between idealistic rebels and a ruling class when nothing is simple and people will get hurt regardless. So mixed feelings on this book. Loved book 1 though. The audio narration is perfectly fine. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.