The Infinite (Gates of Thread and Stone Series #2)

I received this eARC from NetGalley for review. Oh, where to start with this book. It was amazing, and I am really excited for the next one. With this book not set to come out until March, and the next book currently has no information on it, the wait will be a long one for the third installment. This book picks up right were the first one left off. Kai is struggling with the news about her past, and what that could mean for her future, all while trying to restore some normalcy in her life. Then someone shows up at the city from a different city and they now know they are no longer alone. The first couple chapters were a little rocky for me. I kind of felt like they were pushing more of a romance than there needed to be with Avan and Kai. I knew that he loved her, but I never really got the impression in the first book that Kai loved Avan. I thought it was no more than a crush. That aside, as soon as Kai sets out on her own adventure again away from Ninurta the story really picked up. This time though her actions will effect more than just her and her family, it weights on an entire city of people. I really loved reading through Kai's development in this book. She grew and became smarter and for once we get a protag, who learns from past mistakes and admits to it when making a mistake. This book was full of action, mystery and suspense, and only a small handful of romance. This book is worth picking up, and even though I got this book as an eARC, I plan on buying it when it comes out because that cover is gorgeous and I want it on my shelf.

Gargoyles, chimera, oh my! I thought this was a good follow up book. There was a lot of twists that I didn't expect to happen. This one definitely kept me on my toes. There was new a city, new characters, new betrayal, and new greatness. I loved the descriptions of the cities and the creatures. It was nice to imagine the world the author created without me trying to guess. Very lovely. The characters are still excellent. I like the lengths Kai went through for people she cares about. I liked that she accepted more of her "heritage". I liked that Avan was in this book and I was hoping he would figure things out but none the less he was interesting but different. Can I say I was totally rooting for Mason in this? I'm liking his character more and more. Reev was so secretive and complex but overall I'm glad he was around. There was a little bit of weird moments between two characters (I won't spoil who though). I'm wondering what's going to happen there?? Maybe in the next book it'll be known? We shall see..... *I received this from NetGalley*

4.5 stars on my blog. This book was definitely not suffering from second book in a series syndrom because there were vibrant new settings, and bold new characters introduced. If you loved Gates of Thread and Stone, you will love this sequel! It gives the reader more of the wonderful original story and weaves in some new elements sure to pull you into craving the third book in the trilogy.

It's a good book. I enjoyed it more than the last one. It has more action and less romance. There was so much more going on in the book than the first one. Also, the ending was kind of cliffhangery, which left me intrigued about what will happen next.

I dove into this book as soon as I finished the first, and the world held me captivated just as much as the first novel did. Lee did a superb job in keeping her world flowing smoothly. She expanded upon the backstory of the world and enlarged the scope without losing or smudging any previous details, which is a true talent. All of her details came together wonderfully to create an engaging, engrossing book that I stayed up late to finish. Book two was just as good, if not better, than book one in this series. As the author dives deeper into Kai's inner mind and we see the struggles she faces and the dire consequences that come about when she chooses poorly, you really understand the gravity of their situation and feel the depth of her suffering and the decisions she has to make. It was a wonderfully compelling book, and I eagerly await the next installment.

Lori M. Lee’s "The Infinite" is a great continuation of Kai’s journey! In this installment, the characters play a bigger role than the plot. Don’t get me wrong. The plot is intriguing, but, I loved learning more about the characters. Kai continues to reign as a strong protagonist determined to protect her family (Reev) and her close friends (Mason, Avan) from all enemies. She has a wonderful “never give up, no matter what” attitude. It serves her well. She doesn’t rush into situations. Kai does take a moment to think through plans of actions. Granted, they may not be the best actions, but at least she thinks first. Kai has two inner struggles–Her Humanity vs. Her Immortality and Being Powerless vs. Being Powerful. It’s a struggle that lasts the entire book. Because it never is solved, I’m betting Lee has a final book to deliver. Avan is more of a conundrum than Kai. At times, he is the good Infinite still embracing some shred of his former human life. Other times, he’s the complete bad Infinite enjoying the power of his new role. He struggles between embracing his remaining humanity and giving in to the darkness lurking underneath the surface. Unfortunately, he’s going to need a sabbatical to figure it all out. I have read quite a few young adult books with interesting love triangles. Lee delivers a triangle in 4D! Avan is in love with Kai. She didn’t realize what her feelings were until the poor boy died and became an Infinite. Mason is also in love with her. In The Infinite, he professes his feelings. But, he’ll be okay just being her friend if that’s all he can get. Reev is also in love with her. Yes, he’s her brother but it’s not a blood relationship. If there is a third book, I hope this relationship is fleshed out more. At times, I picked up on his feelings running deeper than just a big brother wanting to protect his little sister. And, Kai? She’s in love with each and every one of these guys! In the third book, if there is one, I hope she finally puts the puzzle together and gets the right guy. There is a very strong theme running throughout Lee’s book–absolute power corrupts absolutely. It doesn’t matter if that power is in the hands of a human, mahjo (Emryn) or Infinite (Istar/Avan/Kalla/Irra). I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Infinite". I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the descriptions. Unfortunately, there are too many loose ends for this story to be finished: 1) What will Emryn and Cassia do after their escape; 2) What will Istar do next?; 3) What will Avan’s choice be?; 4) Will Kai tell Avan about the threads?; 5) What will Kai learn from Kronos?; 6) Will Kai choose her immortality?; 7) What will happen at the meeting with the Infinites?; 8) Will we meet more Infinites?; and 9) What happens to Mason after his recovery? Ms. Lee if you’re reading, I’ve given you some things to explore. We need the final book in this series. I highly recommend "The Infinite" to anyone wanting to read a good young adult fantasy–well-written, intriguing plot, well-developed characters!

My feelings are in a mixed bag when it comes to The Infinite. While I did enjoy certain aspects of the novel, I was more disappointed with the slow-paced progression and the teeming descriptive passages that seemed to go on for pages. Regrettably, while The Infinite is not a bad book, it is not a particularly memorable one either; wherefore, it was simply just okay for me ___________________________________________ WHAT I LIKED: + The Infinite did a fair job in creating a chase story. As a reader, I often found myself wondering how Avan and Kai would come to resolve the predicament they found themselves in, why Kai had suddenly lost her ability to manipulate time, who was behind the sentinel rebellion, and what was to become of Ninurta. I loved how by the end of the story―though, it was painstakingly long to get there―all the loose ends tie up neatly. That and, the plot twists―which were utterly unforeseen. They felt organic and not forced to say the least + When compared to the first book, Gates of Thread and Stone , the writing in The Infinite improved radically. The sequence of events were easy to follow along, I didn’t find myself having to go back several lines or paragraphs to figure out what was taking place. Everything moved along smoothly to say the least, which in turn drew me deeper into the tale + I am not a fan of love triangles, and whilst there is an evident one in the Gates of Thread and Stone series, it doesn’t fail miserably like most. Albeit, there are a few jealousy episodes between Avan and Mason, but they’re not shallow or cheesy. More interesting to me is how the love triangle interlaced with the story arc; it’s actually deep-rooted into the plot WHAT I DIDN’T LIKED: - In as much as I appreciate the attention to detail in the fantastical world of Gates of Thread and Stone, the excessive world-building was overbearing and distracted the prose in The Infinite. I cannot discount Lee’s incredible work to create a vast imaginative world, but the truth is that the huge boulders of description slowed the story arc in The Infinite substantially. As a lover of fantastical worlds, I revel most in seeing the world with my own eyes, rather than tediously being told what the world looks like ― Dearest Authors, never underestimate your reader’s ability to construct your world for themselves - The opening chapter was a powerful introduction portraying the emotional tension between Kai and Avan’s suggested relationship as he explores his new identity as an Infinite, the fragility of the Ninurtan government, and the exploration of the lands outside of Ninurta too. Unfortunately, however, I felt the promise of all this lost its momentum when the narrative carried on in a droning monotonous voice for 70% of the story. It seemed as though the drama and emotion in the words were lost ― I suppose this setback lends itself to excessive world-building and detail - This final quibble ties in with the first and second: the characters and story arc lacked depth, and as a result, the book felt rather dull which is unfortunate because when those rare emotional punches were thrown throughout the prose, they didn’t seem to matter because I was so overwhelmed with the heavy expositions of the back story and action-halting explanations AFTERTHOUGHTS: All things considered, I can’t really fault the book for my lack of enjoying it more than I would have liked to because it is exactly what it presents itself as, a mellow overly descript

This second installment was just as good as the first book. Kai struggles with her new life now that Avan is a Infinite and how to stop blaming herself when things don't go the way she wants them to. Kai's world  grows larger as they find out about a new city to the north that needs help. In the last book I was wondering if they were going to find other settlements or if they were truly the only city left after the great war. This one answers that question and some others I had. I believe Kai goes through a lot of personal development in this story. Avan has some set backs through out this novel. First he isn't really sure if he wants to remember his human life, the only thing that makes him stop and question it is Kai. Also since Avan is now an Infinite he has that darkness to contend with since he is Conquest. I think he really needs to remember I believe it would help temper the darkness with in him. I know he has some bad memories but he seemed to have learned from them and then if he remembered he would also know why he is so drawn to Kai and not question everything as I am sure he is doing. I love the differences between this new city Lanathrill Kai goes to compared to hers Ninurta and I hope in the next book that we may even get to see Peshtigo. Peshtigo was mentioned a little bit as Kai figures out that Lanathrill is not what they seem. Vethe is kind of like the center or capital of their city, since Lanathrill is being attacked by Demons, which Kai comes to investigate, most of the villagers stay in Vethe which is located in a mountain basically. Lanathrill is where they do a lot of their farming, to make food for the city. Which Kai is amazed at since she is not used to seeing so much food being grown from the ground. The description was wonderful and the flow of the story was pretty good through out the entire book. It was a bit on the slow side to start but once they started for Lanathrill it was a never ending roller coaster of action. I am looking forward to the next book and can't wait to see how she deals with Avan.

4 Stars A fast-paced, action-packed thrill-ride, full of magic, betrayals, and shocking revelations, THE INFINITE is a steaming hot read that's not to be missed! Now this is what I am talking about!! THE INFINITE was just the sequel I was hoping for!! This sequel was nearly perfect, and sooooo much better then THE GATES OF THREAD AND STONE!! Book one was seriously lacking (See my review HERE) on many aspects. But THE INFINITE has sealed my faith in this series and has me more invested then I thought I would ever be after reading this book. It did have a few hiccups along the way, but nothing to drastic to defer my love and overall enjoyment from this book. THE INFINITE was a tornado of betrayals, with back stabbing and shocking revelations along the way. And I have to admit, one particular betrayal I did NOT see coming at all. And I was more then a little hurt by the duplicity. The world building was evenly plotted with the right amount of treachery and power-wavers, magic, and rebels, and wild beastly animals to keep the plot interesting and not have to much of one aspect going on for too long. And I really liked that about this book, things were always changing¿loyalties, friendships, betrayals, hearts, atmospheres, and so on... And it was refreshing to get such a complex and entertaining follow-up from this series. Bravo Lori M. Lee, well done with this explosive second installment to the GATES OF THREAD AND STONE Series!!! As for the characters, Kai pretty much stayed the same as she did in book one, though I did find myself warming up more to her sharp personality. But other then that there wasn't much character growth or regress in her personality. But just like the first book, Kai was willing to throw herself in the heart of danger to save the ones she loves. And I've always enjoyed that about Kai, and it was no exception in this book. Now Avan was a totally different character then he was in the first book. And I really had my qualms about him from the very beginning, and was in a way let down with his drastic change. Even though I knew it was crucial to the plot, I still didn't like it. With Avan dying and being reborn as an Infinite, he lost all sense of himself and his humanity. But he still managed to have this strange love for Kia, and his protective instinct to keep her safe, but that was about it. He thinks other humans below the Infinite, and not capable of thinking for themselves. And that was a big change from book one and a HUGE turn off too. Because I absolutely LOVED Avan soooooo much in the first book, but not so much in this one. I REALLY hope Kai weaves his memory threads and he get the pieces of himself back, because if not, MASON he we come... There was a slight lean towards a possible love triangle. But by the end of THE INFINITE, I think it's pretty clear it isn't going anywhere. But I have to admit that I was entertaining the thought of Kai ending up with Mason, especially with my loss of love for Avan. And I've ALWAYS loved Mason. From book one I found him an awesome side character with strong development with fierce and lovable character traits that quickly pulled me to him. I think he would be great for Kai. But then again, if Avan returned to his former self from book one, I think I would probably prefer Avan over Mason. But if Avan doesn't pull that cork out of his ass, and start acting like the sweet, sexy, slightly timid, but strong Avan that I knew and loved from book one, oh well, then he'll continue to lose my love for good this time!!! And that would be heartbreaking in the least!! THE PLOT Kai is now living in the White Court after her battle and defeat over Ninu, The City of Ninurta's last Kahl before she killed him and severed his complete control over the Sentinels, including her brother Reev. She's still trying to cope with all she's been though and adjust to how much her life has changed since that encounter that made her take a life, even one as vile and dangerous as Ninu, but it still haunts her. But as much as Kai tries to deal with everything in the aftermath of her victory, their is one thing she just cannot adjust too, and that is the drastic change in her long time crush and love of her life Avan. After he was killed and brought back to life as an Infinite with tremendous power pulsing at his finger tips, he has changed, and she's seeing this new Avan with different eyes. She feels in more ways then one that she failed him, and now with no memories of her at all, and Avan's humanity all but gone, Kai just doesn't know how to handle that, and if she should just let him go, or fight for something that may never be again. Until Kai is forced to face this new Avan head on, and she horrifyingly realizes just how much this Avan has changed from her sweet, lovable, shy, but strong and protective Avan that she knew and loved. And she has no choice but to face the facts that he is gone, for good... But her problems with Avan become a back thought as a new threat is brought to the gates of The City of Ninurta, and they're shocked with the reality that their not alone, their is more life outside their walls, and they're in dire need of Ninurta's aid. Kai is opted to be at the forefront of it all since she saved the City from ultimate downfall at Ninu's hands by defeating him and restoring control back to the Sentinels and the people. But Kai could have never been prepared for what's to come on this epic journey across the void to this mysterious city in need of help. And Kai quickly learns she'll need every bit of strength and power she possess to overcome and beat this new threat at the City. And to face all the threats that just keep coming and coming. THE INFINITE was really an awesome sequel that I highly enjoyed. From it's fresh plot, to it's new betrayals, and shocking twist, and tremendous personality change. THE INFINITE did not disappoint, and has me yearning for Kai's next journey and what she'll endure next. Overall, THE INFINITE delivered way more then I anticipated after it's lacking predecessor. And definitely opened my eyes to the lengths this series can go and has me looking at Lori M. Lee in a new light. I highly recommend this book, and if you can get through book one then I think you'd be surprised at how much this sequel delivers and brings a whole new twist to this world. I can't wait to read the third book and see where it all goes next and if Kai will embrace her Infinite heritage and become the strong, powerful being she was really born to be... NOTE: I received a eARC from Skyscape for reviewing purposes! All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way!

A very solid second book. If anything, I might like it more than the first one! THE COVER ALONE DESERVES ALL THE STARS. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL! Ahem. Anyway.  We start out slowly learning a bit of the aftermath of GoTaS, how Kai is dealing with everything in the White Court. There is a new leader, there are rebels, discontent (all around), and then there's Avan. AVAN. Okay, so I liked him in the first book; how could you not? He's so charming! BUT FOR SOME REASON, THESE NEW AMNESIAC AVAN IS REALLY INTRIGUING TO ME TOO. It's like he's a new character, except not? I feel bad for Kai since he's so unlike Avan yet IS Avan, but I kind of love that. WHO IS HE NOW? CAN WE TRUST HIM? WHAT ARE HIS MOTIVES? WHO KNOWS? I did wish there was less pining for Avan again, but at the same time, it's totally justified? And makes sense because she's almost grieving for him even though he's still here. . It would probably be out of character for her to just get over it and not think about him.  Kai secretly has lost her powers, but she doesn't tell anyone, even when she gets to go to this brand new, potentially dangerous, neighboring land. Learning about the world outside of Ninurta was really cool, though it did confuse me a bit that they all weren't as shocked/amazed as I expected, considering that they all thought Ninurta was the only surviving civilization. Though I guess Etu Gahl exists, so it's not too shocking anymore. No spoilers, but I was also really interested in the new characters and their stories. MAHJO, MAGIC, INTRIGUE, DARK THINGS, AAAAAAH!!!!!  LET ME JUST SAY THAT I WAS SURPRISED AND KEPT BEING SURPRISED NEAR THE LAST THIRD OR SO OF THE BOOK. That's when it REALLY picked up, and I couldn't put the book down if I tried. It made up for the slower pace of the first half, and I was dying. ALSO, DEATH. It made me really sad. WHY U DO THIS, LORI.  One thing I didn't care for was the dance/party scene. I can make up all sorts of reasons as to why it's included and why it happened, but I think the book could have done without it.  I enjoyed reading about Kai's relationships with everyone; Avan, Reev (REEV!!), Mason, and Kronos. They're all such different relationships, and it's great to see them getting fleshed out. I really liked Mason in this book, and I wanted more Reev of course, but Kronos was surprising! I wanted more of him too, to see how he and Kai get along when it's not a life and death situation. What will he teach her?  Also, TIME POWERS. The RIVER. So. Cool.  So basically, WHAT A RUSH. Just writing this review is giving me adrenaline again. I CANNOT WAIT for the next book. PLEEEEEEEEEASE and THANK YOU. 

MY THOUGHTS I enjoyed Gates of Thread and Stone, but I enjoyed this book even more! This book takes place shortly after Gates of Thread and Stone ended. Kai is trying to awaken Avan's memories after he became an Infinite, to no avail. At the same time, Kai is losing her grips on being able to manipulate the threads of time. In fact, she isn't able to use her power at all.And things are even worse than that, as a war is beginning to loom closer. My issues with the first book mainly stemmed from the fact that I was so distracted while reading it (I read almost all of it while waiting at the DMV). This time I was able to read at the comfort of my home, so I enjoyed it so much more. I did have issues at first, since I was unable to recall anything from the first book. Eventually, I could recall and I began to be fully immersed in this book! The world-building in this book is amazing! I was able to get a full understanding of it despite the fact that I read the first book a year ago! And, we get so much more information on the world in this book! Don't forget to mention, that this entire idea is very unique! What I really liked about this book was how much happened in this book! Horrible, horrible things happen in this book, but this book is overall very action-packed, which I enjoy in books. Also, there are so many surprising twists in this book! Again, horrible, but I love it when a book can surprise me!  Lastly, there isn't really any romance in this book. Avan, the love interest in the last book. doesn't remember Kai, so there isn't much in the way of romance between them. Also, as I mentioned, A LOT happens in this book. There is especially a lot of violence. So many things are so much more important than a romance! There is the possibility of a future romance, which I ship, but that's it. IN CONCLUSION This was an amazing, action-packed sequel! So much happened and I'm really sorry about being vague, but I want you guys to be as surprised as I was! I will definitely be continuing the series!

This book starts off a few months after the end of Gates of Thread and Stone. We have Kai, Reev, and Avan dealing with the aftermath of what happened. Kai is dealing with finding out just who she is and what her powers mean. The end of Gates of Thread and Stone left me with a lot of questions and while some of those were answered, I feel like I have even more after finishing the Infinite! I absolutely love Lori M. Lee’s writing. There is just something about it that immediately draws me in and keeps me entertained and desperate to find out what happens. This book starts out with an amazing line just like the first book did. I love the descriptions in this book. I am always vividly aware of what is around Kai. Kai continues to impress me as a strong character. Her development and characterization in this novel is amazing and in some ways even better than in the first book. I really loved how Kai dealt with the events of both the first book and this book. This book takes us even further outside of Ninurta into a new land called Lanathrill. I loved how Lee expanded the world in this book. We realize that other people exist outside the walls of Ninurta and Etu Gahl. I also loved the new characters we are introduced to. They were a great contrast to Kai especially because they grew up in a different “world”. My only real complaint with this book is the lack of Reev and Avan for a lot of it. Yes, they are in the beginning and end but the middle part of this book is lacking. I came to really love those two and we do not get very much of them in this book. Especially Reev, the first book was all about finding him and in this book we continue to be with Kai who is not with him. Not having Avan for most of this book was sad because I love Kai and his interactions and those were lacking. However, we did get to spend more time with Mason which was nice. This was another great installment in this series and I cannot wait to see what happens next! The ending especially left us hanging now that we know who and what was behind the events of The Infinite. *I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*