Infinity Reaper

April 2, 2021

Gr 9 Up-In this second book in the elaborately plotted superhero "Infinity Cycle," celestial Spell Walker heroes battle evil specter Blood Casters. Sensitive Emil and arrogant Brighton, Latinx brothers, may be dying. Emil was stabbed by an infinity-ender knife. Brighton has drunk a powerful elixir that might kill him. As other Spell Walkers keep vigil, the story is told through four characters' point-of-view. Besides Emil and Brighton, the narrators are Maribelle, a hybrid celestial-specter, out for revenge for her boyfriend Atlas's death, and Dominican shapeshifter Ness. He's being held against his will and forced to impersonate Congresswoman Sunstar by his unscrupulous senator father, who's losing the race against Sunstar for president. New characters include Wyatt and Tala, both queer Halo Knights who ride and protect phoenixes. Emil needs the knights' help to create a power-binding potion to use against specters. The book lists the cast of characters and their powers and includes a glossary of the World of Gleamcraft. The cast is diverse, and many characters are described as having brown skin. Much of the lengthy story is character-driven rather than plot-driven, due to the alternating points of view that reveal insights into their characters. Patient readers will be rewarded with more action in the last third of the book, as the tension between the brothers heats up. VERDICT Infinity Son fans will be rewarded by this twisty tale of short, quick chapters with a diverse cast of conflicted heroes and villains worth rooting for.-Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Lib., Trenton

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The war between the Spell Walkers and Blood Casters rages on. This fast-paced sequel to Infinity Son (2020) starts with Brighton drinking Reaper's Blood, an elixir that might give him the powers he so desperately craves. Meanwhile, his brother, Emil, is in critical condition after trying to prevent the elixir from being made. As the brothers regroup and recover, celestial-hating Sen. Iron coerces his son, Ness, to use his shape-shifting abilities to impersonate and further stigmatize gleamcrafters. Maribelle tracks down her lover's murderer to exact revenge. Despite their different methods, the Spell Walkers each share the goal of finding a way to defeat the Blood Casters and right the world. But as Brighton's new powers manifest, his views on those heroics start to change. Can they still save the world? First-person narration jumps between the same four characters from the first book but delves even deeper into their individual stories. Silvera also adds the sizzle of sexual tension as the brothers each navigate feelings for their respective crushes--and for Emil, a new boy further complicates things. Aided by a necessary glossary, the ambitious worldbuilding expands to include even more magical parallels to real-life America (e.g., wand violence, enforcer reform, and alternative facts). The cast continues to be mostly brown-skinned and/or queer. Another cliffhanger ending adds to the anticipation for the final book in the planned trilogy. An ambitious entry in a series that continues to improve. (dramatis personae) (Fantasy. 12-adult)

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