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A review by tristatereader
Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Ok so review time. This is going to be a bumpy one, so buckle up.
Infinity Alchemist follows Ash Woods, a young groundskeeper’s assistant who works at Lancaster, a prestigious college for studying alchemy. He’s been rejected from the college numerous times despite his innate gift with alchemy. While groundskeeping in graduate apprentice, Ramsay Thorne’s office, Ramsay catches Ash performing alchemy. Although it’s illegal to practice without a license, Ramsay is shocked by Ash’s skill level. The two then form a partnership, a quid pro quo arrangement: Ramsay will teach Ash alchemy and help he earn his license and Ash will help Ramsay find ‘The Book of Source’.
So I loved the plot lines, the overall story, and the fantasy elements in this book. But the way these three things were executed was a miss for me.
The pacing in this book was off and I had a difficult time trying to follow the timeline. The author also lacked in the description department, both in describing the magical elements and the characters themselves. I felt a bit disconnected from the characters and less invested in them as a result. I also had a difficult time with the pronoun usage and trying to understand whose POV I was reading. Ramsay is genderfluid so his pronouns change (sometimes mid-page) which left me confused at times because the other two main characters also use he/him pronouns. And when you have three main characters all on page using he/him pronouns at the same time, it gets a bit confusing as to who’s doing what. There were a few other misses for me but I want to end on a positive note: the representation was top notch. There was trans, queer, and genderfluid rep as well as polyamory.
I can genuinely see this being someone’s favorite book of the year. I felt like it had all the pieces to be a book, but overall it fell short for me.
Look for INFINITY ALCHEMIST on February 6, 2024
Infinity Alchemist follows Ash Woods, a young groundskeeper’s assistant who works at Lancaster, a prestigious college for studying alchemy. He’s been rejected from the college numerous times despite his innate gift with alchemy. While groundskeeping in graduate apprentice, Ramsay Thorne’s office, Ramsay catches Ash performing alchemy. Although it’s illegal to practice without a license, Ramsay is shocked by Ash’s skill level. The two then form a partnership, a quid pro quo arrangement: Ramsay will teach Ash alchemy and help he earn his license and Ash will help Ramsay find ‘The Book of Source’.
So I loved the plot lines, the overall story, and the fantasy elements in this book. But the way these three things were executed was a miss for me.
The pacing in this book was off and I had a difficult time trying to follow the timeline. The author also lacked in the description department, both in describing the magical elements and the characters themselves. I felt a bit disconnected from the characters and less invested in them as a result. I also had a difficult time with the pronoun usage and trying to understand whose POV I was reading. Ramsay is genderfluid so his pronouns change (sometimes mid-page) which left me confused at times because the other two main characters also use he/him pronouns. And when you have three main characters all on page using he/him pronouns at the same time, it gets a bit confusing as to who’s doing what. There were a few other misses for me but I want to end on a positive note: the representation was top notch. There was trans, queer, and genderfluid rep as well as polyamory.
I can genuinely see this being someone’s favorite book of the year. I felt like it had all the pieces to be a book, but overall it fell short for me.
Look for INFINITY ALCHEMIST on February 6, 2024