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challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Our Infinite Fates is beautiful, haunting and epic. It is only YA because of the mortal age of the main characters, but the story truly appeals to readers all ages. I especially recommend it highly to anyone who loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Perhaps I loved this even more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm going to start by saying I really enjoyed this. I loved the concept and Sofia Oxenham did a great job bringing the characters to life with her narration. That said, it wasn't quite what I was expecting based on the description of the book.
Big content warning, her little sister has cancer and her driving force of the book, something that was just completely glossed over in the description I was provided on NetGalley (it does look like on Goodreads and StoryGraph, they at least mention her sister needs bone marrow transplants so I'm hopeful that the back cover copy won't gloss over this). This wasn't a dealbreaker for me, but I think it is something people should be aware about going in.
The "hunting down a devil" plotline was completely non-existent for most of the book as well, instead it was focusing on Evelyn trying to convince Arden to let her live long enough to do the bone marrow transplant.
The timeline hopping via flashbacks was interesting and I enjoyed seeing their love play out in different lives, but the transitions were a bit jarring and they started to feel a bit repetitive.
This should have been a five star read for me, but the execution fell short of my hopes. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for the advanced copy!
Big content warning, her little sister has cancer and her driving force of the book, something that was just completely glossed over in the description I was provided on NetGalley (it does look like on Goodreads and StoryGraph, they at least mention her sister needs bone marrow transplants so I'm hopeful that the back cover copy won't gloss over this). This wasn't a dealbreaker for me, but I think it is something people should be aware about going in.
The "hunting down a devil" plotline was completely non-existent for most of the book as well, instead it was focusing on Evelyn trying to convince Arden to let her live long enough to do the bone marrow transplant.
The timeline hopping via flashbacks was interesting and I enjoyed seeing their love play out in different lives, but the transitions were a bit jarring and they started to feel a bit repetitive.
This should have been a five star read for me, but the execution fell short of my hopes. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for the advanced copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Our infinite Fates
4.5⭐️3🌶️
YA fantasy Romance
Stand-alone
17yo MCs
Soulmates
Non-linear Storytelling
Hunter/Hunted Romance
🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 Narratives
Poetic
Historical Cultural Glimpses
Unique Plot
**The book covers a true historical timeline with every triggering societal issue you can imagine when it comes to non-cis love. It also has death, forced institutionalism, torture, cancer, attempted suicide/suicide idealism, kidnapping, loss of a loved one, and many more.
**This is on the spicy side when it comes to YA standards. The author notes on social media that while the bodies in the story are 17, the souls are over 1,000 years old.
I have to reiterate that this is a young adult book. The main characters are 17, about to turn 18 in every timeline. Within that context you see this story through the POV of Evelyn, and I think that is intended because they know less of their own back story than Arden. This does not feature the POV of Arden who struggles with knowing their 1,000 year timeline. This keeps the plot from being even darker and deeper than its intended audience.
“I love you, I have loved you, and I will love you”
Was this book perfect? No, not by a long shot. The characters, while rich and complex, felt as though there was a lot left unexplored. Their depth was there, but I couldn’t help but wish for more. Still, despite these gaps, it drew me in, and I was hooked.
One of the most powerful themes woven through the narrative is the idea of love transcending physical form—the idea that love is not confined to one body or one lifetime. It’s a notion that feels both timeless and profoundly moving. The thought of being able to recognize your soulmate, even in a completely different vessel, is pure, unadulterated romance to me. It resonates on a deep emotional level, tapping into that universal longing we all have for a love that outlasts time and space. That’s what made this plot so refreshing. It felt like a new perspective on an age-old concept, something I hadn’t seen explored in quite the same way before.
What struck me most was the sheer poetry of it all. And I don’t mean just in the literal sense, though the inclusion of poetry added a beautiful layer to the narrative. But beyond that, the writing itself exuded a kind of lyrical quality, almost like a rhythm that captured the aching, unfulfilled desire between the characters. Their tragic romance, filled with longing, loss, and the hope (and trepidation) of reunion, was so tangible. Every chapter that revisited their backstory was bittersweet. That longing made the entire journey feel profound and deeply emotional.
Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had high hopes that this would be a five star read and it just fell flat for me.
This is billed as an epic tale that spans the ages, and while semi true you only get brief snippets of the ages. It felt hard to connect to the characters because none of the flashbacks felt well thought out, while the present felt rushed and frantic. They are written as though they are mature for their 17 year old selves because they’ve lived through centuries and remember it, yet somehow it constantly felt like immature teenagers.
The twists felt as though they fit the story yet seemingly predictable and had no real shock value in them. The ending once again felt predictable at best and extremely rushed.
There is a spice scene which felt wholly unnecessary considering the fact that these are 17 year olds and not consenting adults despite having memories from previous reincarnations.
This truly felt like an off brand Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and in comparison a poorly done version. If you are looking for a quick stand-alone fantasy this may satisfy, but if you are looking for an epic love story I would personally suggest looking elsewhere.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is billed as an epic tale that spans the ages, and while semi true you only get brief snippets of the ages. It felt hard to connect to the characters because none of the flashbacks felt well thought out, while the present felt rushed and frantic. They are written as though they are mature for their 17 year old selves because they’ve lived through centuries and remember it, yet somehow it constantly felt like immature teenagers.
The twists felt as though they fit the story yet seemingly predictable and had no real shock value in them. The ending once again felt predictable at best and extremely rushed.
There is a spice scene which felt wholly unnecessary considering the fact that these are 17 year olds and not consenting adults despite having memories from previous reincarnations.
This truly felt like an off brand Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and in comparison a poorly done version. If you are looking for a quick stand-alone fantasy this may satisfy, but if you are looking for an epic love story I would personally suggest looking elsewhere.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is listed as fantasy but felt like speculative fiction to me.
Overall: 3.75⭐️ What I liked: (1) I loved the concept. (2) The writing was well executed. (3) The twist was believable but not obvious which is not an easy combination to pull off in YA. What I didn't like: (1) Reincarnated or not, the characters were simply too young for this concept. (2) The past-life chapters didn’t move the plot forward they just felt like repetitive fluff. I ended up mostly skipping them and didn’t feel like I missed anything. Especially with the retrospective thoughts we got in the active storyline. (3) "Pyramid scheme" was used too often.
Romance: 3💕 I did feel the chemistry between the two characters enough to not feel like this was a toxic relationship, especially knowing there was more than meets the eye. It didn’t do anything wrong to lose hearts in rating here, it’s just more that I think the characters are just too young for this. The love feels fresh and young which is perfect for 17 year olds. Not so perfect for the weight of the concept though.
Spice: 1🌶️ And kind of weird since they get busy on their birthday hours before our FMC’s birth time which means she’s technically still 17 at that point and gross. I know I’m a broken record here, but I think aging them up even to 19 turning 20 would help.
Overall: 3.75⭐️ What I liked: (1) I loved the concept. (2) The writing was well executed. (3) The twist was believable but not obvious which is not an easy combination to pull off in YA. What I didn't like: (1) Reincarnated or not, the characters were simply too young for this concept. (2) The past-life chapters didn’t move the plot forward they just felt like repetitive fluff. I ended up mostly skipping them and didn’t feel like I missed anything. Especially with the retrospective thoughts we got in the active storyline. (3) "Pyramid scheme" was used too often.
Romance: 3💕 I did feel the chemistry between the two characters enough to not feel like this was a toxic relationship, especially knowing there was more than meets the eye. It didn’t do anything wrong to lose hearts in rating here, it’s just more that I think the characters are just too young for this. The love feels fresh and young which is perfect for 17 year olds. Not so perfect for the weight of the concept though.
Spice: 1🌶️ And kind of weird since they get busy on their birthday hours before our FMC’s birth time which means she’s technically still 17 at that point and gross. I know I’m a broken record here, but I think aging them up even to 19 turning 20 would help.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail