Review of ‘Infinity Son’ (Infinity Cycle #1)

Synopsis

A New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and IndieBound bestseller!

Balancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author Adam Silvera's Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers--a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.

Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own--one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be.

Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.

Review

Infinity Son is a hard book to get behind. It is excellent to see LGBTQ representation and to explore the dichotomy between brothers, but what hinders the novel is the world-building or lack thereof.

Silvera has created this new world that blends reality with magic. It is interesting, if not wholly unique. The problem is the lack of context regarding the Celestials or this world to ground the reader into it. The lack of context also hinders the readers’ connection to the characters,

The characterization is also another problem in the novel. Emil is a good LGBTQ character; he is the hero in this novel, a guy who seeks peace above all else. It takes more strength to seek out peace than it does war, and that is his most considerable saving grace because while it is entirely understandable for him to have self-doubt, half the time, it comes off as self-loathing. It takes away some of the shine from his characterization.

Then there is his brother, Brighton. Brighton is quite possibly the worst brother in the world. He acts as he cares, and on some level, yes, he does. They are brothers, after all. However, even before the big reveal, Brighton is petty; he is self-involved, careless, and selfish. All of these qualities are highlighted even more after the reveal that Emil has powers. Brighton cares about himself for most of the novel, about trying to prove how he should be the one with the powers and saying, repeatedly, that they Emil does not deserve them.

Brighton is not likable in any sense, and that goes for Maia. She is as bad as Brighton. Maia spends half the time stewing in her anger and need for revenge and then the other half of the novel insulting Emil, undermining her leader, and insulting everyone who does not agree with her.

Final Thoughts

This novel missed the mark. It had a few too many clichés, faltered in the pacing, and the lack of context regarding the Blood Casters, Celestials, and Spell Walkers denies the readers the ability to connect to the story. The lack of world-building and poor characterization takes away from what a great story this could have been. (★★★☆☆)

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband and son and their two cats, Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx.