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ninjamuse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Torture, Gun violence, and War
Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Mental illness, Death, and Racism
Minor: Suicide attempt
grimdark_dad's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, Slavery, War, Medical trauma, Racism, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, and Police brutality
azrah786's review against another edition
4.0
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, torture, injury/injury detail, murder, death, child death, medical content, medical trauma, emotional abuse, confinement, slavery, xenophobia, racism, drug abuse, war
--
Infinity Gate is a thrilling start to a new series about traversing the multiverse with a big space opera feel!
This is a multi pov story in the fashion that a mysterious first person presence narrates the stories of 3 primary characters and the intersecting events that land them in an interdimensional war.
Hadiz, a Nigerian scientist who accidentally stumbles across multiversal “Step” travel while she is conducting experiments to try and save her dying Earth and draws the attention of the Pandominion – the federation that oversees trade and travel across alternate Earths. Essien, an impoverished rogue from a just as bleak variant of Earth who gets thrown into the mix after crossing paths with Hadiz. And Paz, a young sentient rabbit from a very different alternate Earth that is part of the Pandominion, who’s unassuming choices to help a friend prove to be dire.
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, torture, injury/injury detail, murder, death, child death, medical content, medical trauma, emotional abuse, confinement, slavery, xenophobia, racism, drug abuse, war
--
Infinity Gate is a thrilling start to a new series about traversing the multiverse with a big space opera feel!
This is a multi pov story in the fashion that a mysterious first person presence narrates the stories of 3 primary characters and the intersecting events that land them in an interdimensional war.
Hadiz, a Nigerian scientist who accidentally stumbles across multiversal “Step” travel while she is conducting experiments to try and save her dying Earth and draws the attention of the Pandominion – the federation that oversees trade and travel across alternate Earths. Essien, an impoverished rogue from a just as bleak variant of Earth who gets thrown into the mix after crossing paths with Hadiz. And Paz, a young sentient rabbit from a very different alternate Earth that is part of the Pandominion, who’s unassuming choices to help a friend prove to be dire.
"Life is a movement that makes itself within the great unmaking that is the entropic universe"
With a complex plot involving lots of moving parts that were masterfully woven together this truly turned out to be nothing like I expected it to be. It’s a story full of tense action, intriguing technologies and equally though provoking and dark moments reflecting on the flaws of our world, touching on themes of power, personhood and prejudice.
The beginning is a little slow and Carey has taken up a linear method of storytelling when it comes to the different perspectives which was a little jarring at first but this also allowed for the protagonists to be fleshed out really well. They aren’t all the most likeable of characters but their individual journeys over the course of the book were so compelling that I was hooked all the way through. Alongside the main three are a couple of other key players and each of them also added an extra layer to the story and expanded the worlds.
"Sentients on every world have this moment when they think intelligence is what separates them from the rest of creation."
Speaking of which the most fascinating part has got to be the world- or should I say, universe-building of the limitless Earths. I really liked that it wasn’t purely just a bunch of parallel worlds where there are varying alternate versions of the same people and places. More so each alternate Earth could be unique in both subtle and disparate ways, such as Earths where evolution occurred differently to allow varying species to came out on top - hence one of the protagonists being a rabbit. All the technology and scientific concepts involved were really cool too and though there are moments when this got technical (particularly when we’re with Hadiz) it was never too hard to get your head around.
It becomes quite obvious when you’re reaching the last 100 or so pages that this book is more or less a set up for a larger story but it’s safe to say I’m intrigued to see where it all goes next!
Final Rating – 4/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Medical content, Slavery, Blood, Medical trauma, Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and War
thereadingrogue's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Torn by this one.
On the one hand, I loved the exploration of sentience and what we call "humanity" through the exploration of the various sentient species.
The workings of the multiversal Earth-conglomerate, the hivemind alien fungus, the machine world, are all tiny fascinating details that paint an expansive and imaginative worldbuilding.
The AI characters are the compelling driving engine of this book's machinery, and as they're qite a weakness of mine, I loved reading them.
And though all characters first appear as scattered, albeit mildly connected ants among the vast universes, the way all the threads connected in the end was pleasurably clever.
But the book is very prone to long-winded explanations of the smallest of things. Many times the narrative goes on wild tangents, overexposing details that slow the plot and character development to molasses.
I found myself wishing for more mystery and focus, and frequently felt the weight of its 80 chapters.
As a first statement to a new world and characters, it firmly establishes what it sets out to but, worldbuilding and philosophical questionings aside, it didn't fascinate me as much as I expected.
On the one hand, I loved the exploration of sentience and what we call "humanity" through the exploration of the various sentient species.
The workings of the multiversal Earth-conglomerate, the hivemind alien fungus, the machine world, are all tiny fascinating details that paint an expansive and imaginative worldbuilding.
The AI characters are the compelling driving engine of this book's machinery, and as they're qite a weakness of mine, I loved reading them.
And though all characters first appear as scattered, albeit mildly connected ants among the vast universes, the way all the threads connected in the end was pleasurably clever.
But the book is very prone to long-winded explanations of the smallest of things. Many times the narrative goes on wild tangents, overexposing details that slow the plot and character development to molasses.
I found myself wishing for more mystery and focus, and frequently felt the weight of its 80 chapters.
As a first statement to a new world and characters, it firmly establishes what it sets out to but, worldbuilding and philosophical questionings aside, it didn't fascinate me as much as I expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Slavery, Violence, Torture, Murder, Blood, and Child death
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Racial slurs, Dementia, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, and Mental illness
Minor: War and Trafficking
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