For Ash Woods, practicing alchemy is a crime.
Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic―so when Ash is rejected by the Lancaster Mage’s College, he takes a job as the school’s groundskeeper instead, forced to learn alchemy in secret.
When he’s discovered by the condescending and brilliant apprentice Ramsay Thorne, Ash is sure he's about to be arrested―but instead of calling the reds, Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power.
As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow, Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined, pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists―Ash’s estranged father included. Ash’s journey takes him through the cities and wilds across New Anglia, forcing him to discover his own definition of true power and how far he and other alchemists will go to seize it.
Featuring trans, queer, and polyamorous characters of color, Infinity Alchemist is the hugely anticipated young adult fantasy debut from the extraordinary author of Felix Ever After, King and the Dragonflies, Queen of the Conquered and more. Just The Man She Needed #1) ☤ Infinity Alchemist is a spellbinding novel about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward unexpected love and unimaginable power.
For Ash Woods Enchanting Baby (The Birth Place practicing alchemy is a crime.
Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic―so when Ash is rejected by the Lancaster Mage’s College To Tempt a Cowgirl he takes a job as the school’s groundskeeper instead Innocent Sins (Harlequin Presents, forced to learn alchemy in secret.
When he’s discovered by the condescending and brilliant apprentice Ramsay Thorne Wild Nights with Her Wicked Boss Ash is sure he's about to be arrested―but instead of calling the reds Only a Whisper Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source Midsummer Night (Lady Julia Grey, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power.
As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow Copper Lake Secrets Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined Always You pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists―Ash’s estranged father included. Ash’s journey takes him through the cities and wilds across New Anglia You Sexy Thing! forcing him to discover his own definition of true power and how far he and other alchemists will go to seize it.
Featuring trans North Country Hero queer Running Into Temptation and polyamorous characters of color Double Take Infinity Alchemist is the hugely anticipated young adult fantasy debut from the extraordinary author of Felix Ever After Wild at Heart (Sons of Chance, King and the Dragonflies Growth Queen of the Conquered and more.
Lopera di Rabelais e la cultur la Rabelais
Lopera di Rabelais e la cultur la Rabelais
i finished this right on time, so happy release day❣️
i had a lot of fun reading this book, Infinity Alchemist reminded me how much i still enjoy YA fantasy. the magic in this world (alchemy) is separated into tiers and the main source of the magic is pulled from the body’s energy. the main character is Ash, who is sent on a quest to find a magical book that holds immense power. there’s some side characters that play a big role too: Ramsay, Callum and Marlowe specifically. i adored the romance in here cause it was absolutely the cutest thing on this damn planet and i really appreciated the open communication (due to cinnamon roll Callum mainly)🥹🧸. the characters are all flawed and although they can be a bit frustrating at times, i still personally felt like it made sense considering their ages and the situations they’re all in. the pacing isn’t always the best, but i still managed to be entertained and i would definitely be o...
“We’re all made of energy” Ash said quickly. “We all practice alchemy naturally, with every breath and every thought and emotion. To say that only a conveniently wealthy few can legally become alchemists is bullshit.”
Rating: 2/5 stars
I feel like I’ve cycled through all 5 stages of grief, before finally landing on acceptance that I didn’t like this book… With its great concept and a powerhouse of an author behind it, Infinity Alchemist was one of my most anticipated books of 2024, but the final result was something that I couldn’t enjoy, despite my best efforts…
Many of Callender’s strengths that made me love their contemporary work in the past are present here as well, but unfortunately, I just feel like their talent doesn’t translate too well to the cornerstones of the fantasy genre.
The story follows Ash, a 19-year-old trans-boy who works as an assistant groundskeeper at Lancast...
If you're looking for a YA fantasy romance with trans characters and polyamory, Infinity Alchemist is worth checking out. It does read very YA- complete with an intensely emotional and often angry main character who makes some stupid decisions. But I think it makes sense for the intended audience, and I'll remind fellow adult readers that this isn't uncommon when your pre-frontal cortex is not yet fully developed and your body is flooded with hormones.
I liked the way that gender, sexuality, and love were handled and while there is plenty of injustice in the world, gender identity is not included in that. There is a trans boy main character, and a gender fluid character who literally changes gendered presentation and all of that is no big deal. Is there oppression and hatred? Absolutely, but not about gender or sexuality. The fantasy world is a fun one. It's a little different from our own with magic (alchemy) and what amounts to a segregated class system ...
Buddy read with {site_link}Stephanie!
My buddy reader DNF'ed and honestly, I should've done the same smh.
I'll start with the positives.
I loved the queer rep in this! We have a trans MMC, a genderfluid MC, and a pan MMC (not quite sure if he's technically pan, but he definitely leans that way). It's done in a way that it feels like it's a fact of life in this world. (Although I don't think there were queer side characters, which was kinda strange.) Ash talks about his binders, Ramsay switches genders with every new chapter, and Callum doesn't question his attraction to both Ramsay and Ash.
Very well done!
And on to why I didn't like this arc...
If you're a seasoned fantasy fan, this probably isn't for you because everything is predictable and there's a lot of hand holding.
One of my mutuals on bookstagram said that this arc doesn't know what it wants to be, and I definitely...
DNF at 35%.
Oh, how I hate myself for DNF’ing a book by one of my favorite authors.
I loved Felix Ever After, and Stars in Your Eyes, Kacen’s first adult romance even is one of my most favorite 2023 reads. So, I really, really wanted to read Infinity Alchemist, despite fantasy not being my favorite genre. But when I got the ARC, I got scared, and I gave priority to another book. And another, and another, until this one became one of the oldest on my ARC shelf. That’s when I decided I really needed to pick it up because how could I not love this book? It's Kacen Callender’s, after all!
And now I DNF’d while there’s so much to love about this story. The queer rep is Cheff’s kiss, it’s fast-paced, and the writing is again stunning. And still …
I think I set the bar too high, and my fear of reading this book raised that bar even higher. I guess I like Kacen’s writing more in contemporary books. Or I’...
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
“Chaos, in a sense, was Source: a raw explosion of energy that then organized into the threads of existence. Two sides of the same coin.”
Such a fascinating novel! The magic system and worldbuilding were undeniably unique – it was an intricate (and occasionally confusing) system based around a matter (??) termed Source, which only those given a license were allowed to utilise. I did enjoy learning about the fantasy aspects, though I feel some of it went a little over my head (The Atlas Six vibes, almost).
“It’s lazy to put a multifaceted human being, created from the alchemy of the universe, into a box of good or bad. No one is only one of the two.”
However, I felt the strongest aspects of the story were the complex characters. Our MC was hotheaded, angry, and lonely, but I loved his growth and realistic portrayal, and thou...
I had to dnf this after the first several chapters because the main character and their everything just was literally putting me in a bad mood.
So, I just did not like the constant thought process of the main character feeling like the poorest person because they did not get into this school. They do work at the school as a grounds keeper/gardener. But, the rich students are really rude to them, which yeah I get that... but the whole time Ash is feeling sorry for themself, they also feel like everyone else is incredibly stupid. Which, I personally just don't like reading this point of view. The thing is, I totally get this feeling, which may be why it's so annoying to read about. Because feeling like this is not helpful and usually makes any situation worse for me personally so I associate this vibe with just feeling negative. Anyways, I really do apologize, but I had to put this one down.
This is just my opinion, and I really appreciate receivi...
I liked a lot of things about “Infinity Alchemist” but other things proved so distracting that this wasn’t quite the book for me.
This is an entertaining YA fantasy with an intriguing magic system, in which magic is alchemic power pulled from the body’s energy. The use of alchemy is regulated and licensed and people train at a school to pass a licensing exam. Everyone has the potential for alchemy but in reality only the rich and powerful Houses are allowed to practice it.
Ash is a talented, self-taught alchemist and assistant groundskeeper at Lancaster, an alchemy school, where he practices alchemy in secret (or, not so secret, since he keeps getting caught, for a crime that’s punishable by death, no less.) An apprentice at the school, Ramsay, is the child of notorious mass murderers. One day he stumbles upon a secret in Ramsay’s office and the two begin a clandestine journey to recover the all-powerful Book of Source, the same jour...
Infinity Alchemist
by Kacen Callender
Infinity Alchemist #1
Fantasy YA
NetGalley ARC
Tor Publishing
Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
Ages: 16+
Ash dreams of practicing alchemy. He has a lot of power, but for him, practicing his gift is illegal without a license, and only the elite are permitted to study the science to get a license. When he is denied entry into Lancaster Mage's College, he gets a job there instead and secretly learns all he can, knowing if he got caught, he'd be executed.
Ramsey Throne catches him, but instead of having him arrested, Ramsay makes him an offer, he will keep his secret and teach him a few things if he will help him find the Book of Source, a sacred text that many Alchmist want for the power it will give them.
Good magic, good world, but the story lacks descriptions and depth. Everything seemed skimmed over except for the characters' traits. I get that they were important f...
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Teen for the pre-release copy of this novel. Below you'll find my honest review.
This novel had a bunch of good things:
It knocks representation out of the park - trans, non-binary, polyamory, etc are all well represented in this novel in a respectful, teen-friendly way.
It has an interesting magic system and House hierarchy.
It also had some serious downsides:
The non-binary representation gets a little confusing as the pronouns change randomly from chapter to chapter. It pulled me out of the story a bit as I would have to figure out which "he" was being referenced at the time. So it's less a problem with the non-binary and more a problem with clarity from the author.
The whole point of the novel was to chase the Book, but then the Book wasn't even a real important thing at the end, and the story's conclusion was a bit of a mess. And honestly, the magic system didn't have r...
Infinity Alchemist is an interesting queer YA fantasy book with lots of promising ideas but ultimately it was just okay.
The fantasy aspect was really interesting, the world has different tiers of magic, and it would've been cool to delve more into that. At times, it got somewhat confusing with all the tiers, several Houses, and different lore but overall I was very intrigued. I also really liked the exploration of identity and power.
The characters were 18-20 years old but I'm honestly surprised they survived to adulthood because they were all really dumb. It was frustrating to read because they all, Ash especially, continued to make the absolute dumbest decisions possible. I did like the main characters, mostly, but man were they frustrating. I also didn't really buy the chemistry of the triad together, which was in part due to my problems with the timeline - more on that later. The queer and gender representation among the characters was ex...
3.5
This has literally so much potential but omg the queer representation was top tier
The author and the cover captivated me with Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender. I liked the LGBTQ representation in the book. The plot didn’t hold my attention and the pacing felt off. Thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review. (Clearly.)
DNF @ 50%
I am so sad about it, but this book was just not it for me. I really tried, too, despite knowing at about 13% that I wasn't going to like it. What happened? The previous book I read from this author (Felix Ever After) was so assured and had such a strong voice. The characters leapt off the page. I assumed, wrongly as it turns out, that their voice would transfer to fantasy, but it didn't at all. It was so awkward, and I was disconnected from the story immediately. The worldbuilding was sloppy and fed to us in dull infodumps. The characters felt like they were being written as I was reading; they never came to life. The plot was so generic. Even what could have been a cool magic system flopped, because there was nothing there to shore it up.
This needed about ten more drafts, and some brutally honest editors. And it ...
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
Kacen Callender has been on my list of authors I want to read for awhile, so when I saw they had written a queer fantasy book featuring polyamorous characters, I was so excited to give it a try. The story takes place in a world where everyone is capable of using alchemy, but its use beyond the beginner-level is restricted to an elite few who receive a license to practice it. Ash, an 18-year-old trans man, applied to Lancaster College to study alchemy, but he was rejected. So, he is now working as a groundskeeper there and is studying alchemy in secret. One day, he is discovered by a prodigy apprentice, Ramsay Thorne, who agrees to teach Ash alchemy in exchange for help finding a powerful book. The two embark on a dangerous quest, strengthening their alchemy skills, dodging enemies, and even forming a poly relationship. This story has so ma...
I’d been really looking forward to this as I’ve very much enjoyed other books by Kacen Callender and I love a good fantasy!
It started off well, I was intrigued about the world and magic system, and Ash struck me as a cool main character - powerful and ambitious, but limited by their class and background.
I was also so excited for all the queer representation and the polyamory.
Sadly, I ended up finding it quite disappointing and just got less and less invested as it continued. My main thought was, this feels messy.
It was almost like there were too many ideas mashed together and some concepts didn’t feel overly clear. Like the system is called alchemy…but it used to be called magic and it’s also source…and chaos. I kinda got it, but the explanations and subsequent conversations about it were weirdly over complicated.
The pacing was also an issue. I felt like most of it was conversations and things b...
Our story revolves around 3 main characters - Ash, Ramsay, and Callum. I really liked Ash a lot. He yearns to be an alchemist and also meet his father. He is very skilled but you can't study alchemy except officially and with the school. Ramsay discovers that Ash has talent and also might be able to help them find the Book of Source. I really loved the grumpy with the snarky as Ash and Ramsay get to know each other and learn more about each other very quickly and intimately.
Ash is trans, Ramsay is genderfluid, which can change daily. I love their approach to a potential poly relationship with Callum. I LOVE that things are so diverse and queernormative in this book, and that everyone is accepting of who they are and also proud and owning their queerness. There are struggles and conflicts, but not of transphobia or shame of their gender or sexuality, which is so refreshing.
My main issue with this book would be the pacing. I LOVED the middle bi...
putting aside the weak pacing and world building: that was the most boring love story i’ve ever read. i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again: bring back unhealthy relationships!! i want them CRAZY! not therapized and shit. especially in fantasy!!
4.5
“Chaos, in a sense, was Source: a raw explosion of energy that then organized into the threads of existence. Two sides of the same coin.”
TW: abandonment, abuse, animal death, blood, body horror, bullying, child abuse, classism, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, dysphoria, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, hate crime, injury/injury detail, medical content, murder, physical abuse, police brutality, religious bigotry, sexual assault, sexual content, torture, violence.
Such a unique, fascinating book!! Some parts of this gave me the same vibe of watching Atlantis or Treasure Planet as a kid and if we could have maintained that vibe for the entirety of the story, this would have been a new favorite.
And while it isn't, I still recommend this because I know that this book is perfect for some people. My only two caveats for recommending it are:
1)...
Ash Woods, what does power mean to you?
What does power mean to you, pals? What will it mean for Ash? Source, you’re in for it. Do you love stories of trans and queer characters of color as they navigate magical systems intended to subjugate them at every turn? Then BUCKLE UP, pals— INFINITY ALCHEMIST is here for you.
It is, yes, a YA fantasy, but really, it’s about three young folks trying to find their sense of belonging— to live and thrive in the world they’re thrust into. A world that’s divisive, cruel, classist, and racist.
Ash (bless my heart), Ramsey, & Callum— what a trio. I loved every moment of my ride with them.
- Ash, our fiery MC, wants to be an alchemist more than anything. But how will he get there? No one knows until he attempts to steal from…
- Ramsey, so powerful her gender shifts at will, is a professor searching for a book that ruined her family (long story there). Who has a sta...
- Reluctant allies to lovers
- LGBTQ+
- Magic/alchemy
- Enemies to lovers
- Polyamory
- Standalone (?)
- Betrayal
- 4.5 stars -
A spellbinding fantasy about power, inequality, and love, that draws you in from the very first page.
Infinity Alchemist follows Ash, who’s learning alchemy in secret despite it being illegal without a license. Ramsey, a genius apprentice, catches Ash in the act, forcing him to work with them in exchange for keeping this quiet. The two then embark on a search for the legendary book of source together, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power.
I loved this book so much! The plot was easy to follow and the word building was so simple but effective. The book features alchemists who practice different kinds of alchemy, which is essentially magic, and is split into different levels of tiers depending on its difficulty.
I loved the character...
Infinity Alchemist was a fun and entertaining YA fantasy read. I enjoyed the premise and the world building was mostly well handled (although the constant references to 'the Source' kept making me think of 'the Force'). Once or twice I had some queries on how things worked, but that was minor and didn't pull me out of the story. Ash and Ramsay (and Callum) were all interesting characters and it was great to see the LGBT rep. The only downside I'd say was that, after all the build up, the ending felt a little rushed and too easily resolved. But it was still a satisfying conclusion in many ways, making this a good standalone read for YA fantasy fans. I am giving it four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at 47%. I did not enjoy this.
What didn’t work for me: the pacing was all over the place. How can a plot be fast paced but slow at the same time? Also, this felt more like a romantasy. To me, the magic (and the fact that they’re supposed to be looking for this legendary magic book) took a backseat and the romance was more of the focal point.
I will try to read other books by this author. King and the Dragonflies has been on my TBR. Unfortunately, Infinity Alchemist their YA fantasy debut didn’t work for me.
One of the rare times I've won a book from a Goodreads giveaway and received an ARC. My opinions are my own.
My excitement for a queer fantasy was squashed with the slow pacing and confusing magic system. I struggled every time I picked up the book. I think it's time for me to throw in the towel and DNF. I read for enjoyment and I simply wasn't enjoying it. Unfortunately, this book isn't for me.
Now that is a love triangle!!
Got an ARC Audiobook from NetGalley after seeing it all over my feed and I'm so glad they approved my request. This is a story about an Unlicensed Alchemist in a world where its illegal to practice Alchemy without a license. One day at the Alchemy school he works at as a grounds keeper type of person, someone finds out that he is illegally practicing Alchemy and he gets pulled onto an unexpected quest.
Its a queer love triangle thats FULLY a triangle, if you catch my drift. And I really enjoyed the character interactions more than anything. Yes, there is a big epic-ish type of quest that they are on, and there are different types of stakes that they deal with, but I was here for the characters and their bonding and interactions.
Since I JUST finished the book, I'll admit that I'm not 100% sure if I'm happy with the ending. I think part of me wants a little more... BUT then again, another part of me is pe...
*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review* (yes I’m late. I know. Shhhh)
2.5* stars
I really wish I liked this more. I really do!! I love Moonflower and Felix Every After by Kacen Callender, but this…fell flat in SO many ways.
1. I wish we had more world exploration
2. I wish the magic system had more explanation/exploration
3. Where was the character development???? WHERE?? I DONT SEE IT
I really wanted to love this because a fantasy with a polyam triangle, 2 trans* characters and a golden retriever boy?? I mean YEAH I WANT THAT. But this didn’t hit how I wish it did. Sad times indeed!
Soft DNF ~33%
I'd like to come back to this [and I'm enjoying it so far!] but I can tell I'm just not in the mood for it at the moment.
This had such potential but the last 20-30% seemed so out of place plus the ending s u c k e d! The whole “we’re all energy, everyone is connected to the universe” was giving wayyyy too much “starseed” energy and was so overplayed. Also a little weird the only LGBTQ characters were the main 3 and none of them had friends outside each other?
Would have been 3 stars but I took one off for the weird ending??
Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic and three alchemist find themselves on a quest for true power. While the numerous irrational anger and repeated emotional outbursts and fighting are an accurate reflection of angsty teenagers in real life, unfortunately their personalities really didn’t work for me in this book, especially since there was no character growth for any of the characters. It just made quite a stressful reading experience for me, especially since the narrator leaned into the petulance of the MC. Furthermore, I have discovered that it’s a personal boundary of mine that I don’t ever want to read light/implied BDSM in YA books even if the rest of the sex scene is fade to black. And there was quite a number of sex scenes in this too, and I personally prefer otherwise in YA books. The exploration on queerness, gender, sexuality, and discussions on dysphoria were the highlights in this for me.
(+) Black trans autho...