The Infinite by Lori M. Lee [Joint Review]

3 out of 5 Robots!

The Infinite by Lori M. Lee
Series: Gates of Thread and Stone #2
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release: March 10, 2015
Hardcover: 378 Pages
Publisher: Skyspace
My Copy: Publisher
Reviewer: Julia and Shannon

Book Summary:

The walls of Ninurta keep its citizens safe.

Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever.

To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. And she fears her brother, Reev, is involved with the rebels. With the two people she cares about most on opposite sides of a brewing war, Kai will do whatever it takes to bring peace. But she’s lost her power to manipulate the threads of time, and she learns that a civil war might be the beginning of something far worse that will crumble not only Ninurta’s walls but also the entire city.

In this thrilling sequel to Gates of Thread and Stone, Kai must decide how much of her humanity she’s willing to lose to protect the only family she’s ever known.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Julia and Shannon's Thoughts:

1. In a sentence or two describe how you felt about The Infinite.

Julia: The Infinite isn't as fun as Gates of Thread and Stone, the whole story felt disjointed. I majorly skimmed to get to the end and I felt like the characters were pretty flat.

Shannon: I was a little disappointed in The Infinite.  It definitely suffers from "middle book" syndrome.  I think the change of setting and keeping the characters separated did it a disservice and derailed some of the plot set up in the first book. Sometimes I felt like I was reading a different story.

2. There are a lot of changes for our characters.  What did you think about them?

Julia: I couldn't get on board with most of the changes for the characters. Kai is judgmental and bratty, you would think she became a queen. What happened to the sweet girl from the Labyrinth who just wanted to find her brother? Avan has pretty much no personality at all and Mason isn't around enough to ping at my heartstrings either. Reev's character is weird and distant in this one, with a silly explanation at the end of the book for it... Ugh.

Shannon: First and foremost, I did not like Kai in this book.  Talk about getting too big for your britches.  I like sassy characters, but I do not like when they are outright rude and it is passed off as if that is a good character trait.  Case in point:  I can understand Kai wanting to stand up to Emryn, the Khan of Lanathrill, but she is straight up rude to him.  He is the leader of another country, he should still be respected.  It drove me insane!  I also didn't like the suddenly distance between Reev and Kai.  Especially since it is a major fakeout.  The only relationship I did enjoy was Kai and Avan's.  It has drastically changed from the first book considering Avan doesn't have any of memories of his previous life.  I liked how they dance around each other, trying to understand each other and find out where their relationship stands.
 

3. We also have a change of scenery.  What did you think about the road trip to Lanathrill?

Julia: At first I was pumped for another adventure. Then Kai is disrespectful? And her knowledge and lack of knowledge are both confusing and make no sense.... Then there is a ball thrown.... Lanathrill wasn't thrilling. Thankfully there is a wee bit of a surprise here and plot twist that made things a little more interesting.

Shannon:  At first I was excited, but it became frustrating.  As I mentioned, Kai is probably the least qualified advisor ever.  And I couldn't handle her attitude.  AT ALL.  But changing the location also separated Kai from her problems leftover in the first book. I also feel like nothing was adequately explained. And at the end, I'm not exactly sure why we needed to make this detour.  

4. How did this book compare to the first book?

Julia: It doesn't compare, it is terrible compared to the first book. 

Shannon:  As I said above, it does suffer from "middle book syndrome".  There was a pretty heady plot set up in the first book and I think the sequel struggles under the weight of it.

5. What did you like?  What did you dislike?

Julia: I liked that we get to go on a little adventure outside the White Court. I also liked that Reev and Kai worked together a little bit... I disliked most of everything else. I mostly disliked who Avan and Kai became as characters. They're totally different from book one.  

Shannon:  I love that cover! So awesome.  I liked the struggle for Kai and Avan.  Especially when it came to whether or not Avan wanted his memories back.  And I enjoy anything with Mason in it.  He's a doll.  I disliked the personality changes in some of our characters and the disjointed feel of the plot.

6. How many stars would you give this?  Would you recommend it?  Will you continue on in the series?

Julia: I would rate The Infinite 2.5 stars- only recommending those that read and enjoyed Gates of Thread and Stone to try this one. I definitely won't read more... Even though the premise is interesting, the characters are lackluster and I've just lost interest.

Shannon:  I'm at 3 stars.  I think fans of the first book should read it to make their own decisions.  I'm on the fence about continuing.  I may check out reviews and see if some of the issues I had rectify themselves.

Other Books in the Series:
1. Gates of Thread and Stone
2. The Infinite

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.