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A review by lokasreads
Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Romance isn't my go-to genre, but this book hooked me. From the beginning, I loved the way the author used similes and metaphors to describe scenes in a simple yet gorgeous and effective manner. Some reviewers disliked the chapters showing glimpses of Evelyn's previous lives, but I really enjoyed them and thought they brought the story and characters to life. However, these chapters could sometimes introduce new information a bit too quickly and resolve points of tension in too much of a hurry, but they were still enjoyable.
The messaging could be a bit heavy-handed and repetitive, the author falling victim to telling instead of showing, and I was a little frustrated at how heteronormative the romance felt. I appreciate the idea of two souls loving each other in reincarnations no matter the sex/gender, but the more masculine character played a more traditionally masculine role and vice versa for the feminine character. Even their names are traditionally gendered. I might be too picky about it, but I just didn't get the point of calling it a queer romance when the only thing queer about them depended on which body they had in a past life.
The twist at the end came out of left field, and not necessarily in a good way. It felt like a TV series randomly introducing aliens after two seasons in a world without them. As things developed further, it all made a bit more sense, but it still left me with a sour taste. And I honestly could not explain the ending to you if I tried, which isn't a great sign.
That being said, I did find it an enjoyable, addictive read with lovable characters and a heart-wrenching story (or multiple stories). I do recommend this book, even if you - like me - don't usually read romance.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The messaging could be a bit heavy-handed and repetitive, the author falling victim to telling instead of showing, and I was a little frustrated at how heteronormative the romance felt. I appreciate the idea of two souls loving each other in reincarnations no matter the sex/gender, but the more masculine character played a more traditionally masculine role and vice versa for the feminine character. Even their names are traditionally gendered. I might be too picky about it, but I just didn't get the point of calling it a queer romance when the only thing queer about them depended on which body they had in a past life.
The twist at the end came out of left field, and not necessarily in a good way. It felt like a TV series randomly introducing aliens after two seasons in a world without them. As things developed further, it all made a bit more sense, but it still left me with a sour taste. And I honestly could not explain the ending to you if I tried, which isn't a great sign.
That being said, I did find it an enjoyable, addictive read with lovable characters and a heart-wrenching story (or multiple stories). I do recommend this book, even if you - like me - don't usually read romance.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.