Saturday, January 4, 2014

Review: Infinite by Jodi Meadows



Title: Infinite (Newsoul #3)
Author:
Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: January 28, 2014

DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all. With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.


My Review

You can read my reviews of the first two books, Incarnate and Asunder, by clicking on their titles.

I'll be honest - this series hasn't been one of my favorites, and I had no intention of reading past Incarnate until the opportunity recently arose to review Infinite. I think I decided to do it because Incarnate was one of my first review books and nostalgia. It's a good thing because Infinite made the series worth reading. It had tension that was not romance-driven (woot!), the stakes were (finally) high, Ana grew a backbone (!!!), and there was FINALLY a purpose to the story of Range and Heart.

Things pick up in Infinite immediately following the events in Asunder. (Off you pop if you haven't read the series and want to!) Ana and Stef know what Janan is really doing to continue the reincarnation cycle, as well as the choice the oldsouls made in order to continue their existence. Ana is also facing the prospect of a life in exile from Heart and had two days to get everything she needs out of Sam's home. While she and Sam were packing, the game is changed by an attack on them, making them speed up their exit from Heart and make it necessary for her friends and the parents of the other newsouls to choose whether or not it is safe for them to stay in Heart as well.

I really liked the fact that it was up to Ana to search for the tools and allies that she would need to stop Janan from his ascension on Soul Night. She had to make hard decisions and be completely honest with the people following her into the wilds. (It's about damn time that everyone was open.) Throughout the series, Ana has been very down and hard on herself, so this new version of her was refreshing. Okay, I still hoped a dragon would chomp her a little bit, but that was only once or twice. Does that say something about how much I enjoyed the world-building that I kept reading a series where I wouldn't mind the heroine being chomped by a dragon? (The answer to that question is yes, my friends.)

There is a "twist" to the book that I would like to discuss a bit more at length with someone who has read the series. It's mostly revealed in Phoenix Overture, the novella between Asunder and Infinite, but it's touched on a little bit. (I swear it pops up in roughly one-fourth of fantasy novels, and it TIRES ME.) Overall, though, I liked how everything wrapped up in this book. There were a few plot holes (disappearing characters) that weren't filled, but I'll save complete judgement on those until I look at the finished copy of the novel. As for the final showdown - it was okay. There were parts that were terrifying and brilliant, but others moved so quickly that I caught from them was a breeze as zoomed over my head.

So two years later, I've finished a series that started around the time my blog did. I won't miss the characters or anything, but I'll always remember how awesome I thought the world-building was before the twists in at the end. Though I sound a bit harsh, I did enjoy Infinite, and I know that fans of Jodi Meadows will adore this book. Personally, I can't wait to visit the other worlds that she creates.

- 3.5/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond



To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

1 comment:

  1. I haven't heard of this series yet, thanks for sharing! The cover is awesome.

    ReplyDelete

You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!