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The Maze Cutter #3

The Infinite Glade

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The Infinite Glade is the final book of The Maze Cutter series, resolving long-unanswered questions of The Maze Runner world... When Newt's journal is decoded, long-buried secrets of the past come to light and the group of descendants along with Old Man Frypan are forced to choose between risking their lives to share the painful truth of the evolving maze trials with the world, or escaping the chaos with their lives and letting the deepest darkest of secrets stay buried in The Glade forever.

280 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2025

76 people are currently reading
5646 people want to read

About the author

James Dashner

134 books36k followers
James is the author of THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy and THE 13TH REALITY series. He also published a series (beginning with A DOOR IN THE WOODS) with a small publisher several years ago. He lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains.

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5 stars
63 (21%)
4 stars
74 (25%)
3 stars
93 (32%)
2 stars
47 (16%)
1 star
13 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for chantalsbookstuff.
1,032 reviews1,023 followers
September 11, 2025
While I really enjoyed the original Maze Runner series and even the first book in The Maze Cutter series, I struggled with this final book. The characters felt scattered and it was hard to really connect with them. The pacing was steady, but I was hoping for something more fast paced and gripping.

As a true Maze Runner fan, maybe it’s unfair to compare, but I couldn’t help missing the magic the original series brought into my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Akashic Media Enterprises for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Profile Image for Emily McCormick.
Author 1 book44 followers
Want to read
September 19, 2025
September 17th, 2025: I. Freaking. MET HIM TODAY!! I got all of my books signed! Full list as well as full review to come VERY soon!

January 6, 2025:
Leaving this here just so I can say I left the first review for my fav series!!
Hehe, I will be leaving the first review on pub day too because you know I won't be able to stop myself from binging this in one sitting.
BUT THE END?? Imma cry. I have been in this fandom for years. First reading the original series, then the prequals, and now the sequel which I waited year after year for book announcement day starting with Crank Palace back in 2020. Is this really the end end? For real James?
*sobs* I don't know if I am ready.
If anyone asks where I am on April 22nd, I am dead and planning my funeral. A miracle will happen on the 23rd...maybe. Depends on how much this book wrecks me.
Profile Image for Nicole Walls.
229 reviews54 followers
September 16, 2025
“There is a spiral that connects us all. Every piece of nature, every person, every part of history is a part of the spiral.” 🌀🦋🧍🏼‍♀️

NOOOO I DON’T WANT IT TO BE OVER!! YOU CANNOT JUST END AN ENTIRE BOOK UNIVERSE LIKE THAT!!

anyways, now that i got that off my chest, i loved this trilogy so much. of course, the original tmr books are much better, but these are wonderful as well.

the characters are wonderful and the plot is fantastic! so many questions from tmr get answered in this trilogy! i really do wish more tmr fans read this series because i know they’d enjoy it.
Profile Image for Ellie Wyatt.
597 reviews5 followers
November 2, 2025
very meh. i am a HUGE fan of the mazerunner series, but this trilogy seems unnecessary and pointless. why the first book in the series wasn’t bad, this final installment was basically just people arguing with one another constantly, a bunch of bland forgettable characters, token lesbians, nonsense cults, major info dumping that i stopped paying attention to because who even cares about any of these people? the only remotely interesting thing was minho. i will always love dashner and anything he writes, and i will always love the maze, but this was not it.
Profile Image for Rebekah Dockery.
24 reviews
October 19, 2025
It pains me to give this book only 2 stars. I was actually enjoying the series and getting to be back in the universe of The Maze Runner, so this book was very anticipated for me. The writing was all over the place, and the book seemed like it had ended abruptly in ways that didn't make sense. The dialogue was often jumbled and redundant, and the storylines were very poorly written with rushed endings. I had high hopes for the last book in The Maze Runner universe, but I feel like my expectations weren't met. Open storylines and drawn-out chapters seem to be a common theme in this book. There were too many moments where the author made it seem like something was detrimental to the story, and then either completely abandoned it or wrote something later in the book that completely wiped out its significance. There were also chapters and dialogue that seemed rushed and thrown in to keep the story going. A lot of the characters seemed one-dimensional, and it was hard to connect with most of them. I expected more from this author and series and felt very disappointed by what I got.



There are too many examples like this throughout the book, where storylines are abandoned and the POVs don't make sense. It seems like the author had too much information to try and end the series here, which left the book jumbled and convoluted. I was really hoping for a conclusive ending for the universe, but the author didn't deliver.
Profile Image for ᴄᴀᴛ.
85 reviews
September 18, 2025
This is the very very end of The Maze Runner world? :(
So sad. Regardless, it was a good book, really nice way to end this series, I just wish it was a little faster at times
Profile Image for sydney.
79 reviews12 followers
June 23, 2025
upgraded to 3.5 ⭐️

The end of an era :(

I felt it was a good ending for the Maze Runner universe. There were times throughout the book that the plot slowed a bit, and wanted it to pick up the pace. Overall, it did tie up everything in the end. I will miss this series, and would probably reread in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Akashic Media Enterprises for the digital eARC.
Profile Image for Major Havoc.
190 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2025
A lousy book that concludes a lousy series. I am not sure if the title of the series should be 'The Maze Cutter: The DEI Chronicles', or 'The Maze Cutter: The Money Grab'. Both titles are perfect. Here, let me summarize things: "blah blah blah, evolution, blah blah blah sequencers, blah blah blah flare, blah blah blah cure, blah blah blah Godhead/Goddess, blah blah blah Remnant Nation, blah blah blah breathe in-hold it-exhale, blah blah blah something in Spanish, blah blah blah inner knowing, blah blah blah Infinite Glade, blah blah blah..."

This book is nothing more than a collection of info dumps that push cookie cutter characters on rails to an anti-climatic conclusion, somehow diminishing everything the original characters in the first Maze Runner series managed to accomplish. This book, no, this whole series, is so bad it made me like the original series less. Quite a feat.

I rage finished it.

One good thing, if you listen to the audiobook (and why wouldn't you since the narrative only requires about 25% of your attention making it perfect for listening to when you're doing something better), the reader is very good.
Profile Image for Danielle White.
54 reviews1 follower
November 9, 2025
I think my issue is that I don’t feel a connection to any of these characters. Like… I cried when Newt died, I screamed when Theresa betrayed the Gladers, I felt immense relief when Thomas and the others found the flat trans, and I loved Brenda’s badass character. And now… I don’t have ANY of those connections to the characters in these sequels. The only character I actually really liked was Orphan Minho.

3 stars for this book. I was hoping everything would come together and I’d end up loving this series. But here I am, writing this review. Sigh.
Profile Image for Ella.
10 reviews
Want to read
April 29, 2025
This is the end, get your tissues and prepare for an epic ending to an epic series. I’m so excited!!!😄😁😆
Profile Image for Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict).
1,547 reviews208 followers
September 25, 2025
If you are a longtime fan of The Maze Runner series you know that The Infinite Glade is the epic conclusion to the saga. This is book three in the spinoff series, The Maze Cutter, and it is set 70 some years after The Death Cure. The story focuses on the descents of The Maze Runner and at the start of The Infinite Glade readers realize war has broken out. The Remnant Nation wants to overthrow the Godhead, otherwise known as Alexandra, as they feel she is a false leader. Sadina, and the other Islanders, back the Godhead as they think she is essential to their survival. There's also Isaac, Ximena, Frypan and Jackie who are trying to rejoin their friends. Along their journey, many things ensue, but the most noteworthy is that they learn more about the Cure, which readers have been wondering about this entire series. The characters unearth even more secrets about the Cure as well as its connection to the Maze trials. James Dashner delivers an edge-of-your seat read in The Infinite Glade and fans of The Maze Runner will not be disappointed.
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
4 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2025
3.5

This is one of the few trilogies that actually got better as it went on. The first book (Maze Cutter) was really rough and very confusing with little payoff. This one has a lot of action and a couple twists that I didn’t see coming, but there is just something about this whole trilogy that seems like a missed opportunity. It doesn’t really have an ending (very similar to the Death Cure) and just isn’t really that satisfying. There was a whole lot of nothing for the first half of the book and an extremely annoying character in Alexandra. The whole “Godhead” thing and Alexandra’s role in that also just irked me. She’s supposed to be annoying, I get it, but when characters have zero redeeming qualities and keep repeating themselves, it just made me want to skip those sections.

All that being said, it was enjoyable to read 😂
A bit inconsequential though and I won’t read it again. If you’re looking for maze runner extras, would recommend the two prequels way before this series.
Profile Image for Sophia Green.
8 reviews
September 23, 2025
James.
You have redeemed yourself.
Thank you.
Amazing conclusion, there are still some questions I have about lineages, but all in all as Old Man Frypan said, “Some questions just don’t have answers… and some endings don’t make a lick of sense… in fact, most endings don’t.” I was indeed sobbing over this, I didn’t think I would, but staying up late to read the final words from this glorious world that I longed to be in, though I would die very quickly, the tears would not stop. Thank you for this goodbye, and being able to see my husband’s words of wisdom, one last time.
“Even as the darkness whispers across my mind, beckoning with smoky tendrils of blackness and rot, even as I breathe in the stench of a dying world, even as the blood within my veins turns purple and hot, I feel the peace of a certain knowledge. I have had friends, and they have had me.
And that is the thing.
That is the only thing.”
-The Book of Newt
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
29 reviews7 followers
September 23, 2025
Indeed some endings don’t make a lick of sense. I really wanted more from this series because I enjoyed the original trilogy, but I just didn’t seem to care about any of the characters or what was going on.
Profile Image for Maddie !! Crane.
21 reviews1 follower
November 4, 2025
Honestly I loved this book, it was a beautiful conclusion so the series, and while I am sad it’s over and probably will never feel whole again, now I can rest in peace knowing that the start of my reading journey had a good ending
Profile Image for Logan Elmore.
23 reviews
September 13, 2025
Not horrible but a little unimpressive and slightly disappointing. I was hoping for more out of this series. I feel like it could’ve been better.
Profile Image for Michelle.
90 reviews1 follower
August 19, 2025
Actual Rating : 3.5/5

WICKED is good.

That is what the Gladers have always been brought up to believe, that the sacrifice of a few ... is worth the salvation of many others...

The thrilling finale of the Maze Runner series, and the end of the Maze Cutter trilogy ...brought together by the talented mind and hands of James Dashner brings everything that was once thought to be truth into question...is this the end? Or it the beginning of something entirely new....

The World (or Alaska+ surrounding areas?) is at war.... and our main characters have found themselves caught in between the crossfire as multiple groups clash... in an attempt to guard each's unique values. Frypan, Ximena, Isaac, and Jackie search for their friends... while the so-called Goddess, Alexandria and the much larger other group head to search for a so-called Cure. With the same slow-burn build up into a fast-churning whirlpool of events, this book was overall... satisfying to an end of the series. It was a good conclusion, although a large amount of the story seemed to fall flat... leaving me somewhat with more questions than I started off with.

The characters, especially the antagonist, seem somewhat underdeveloped, as do some of the side characters ( mainly Ximena, who pops up somewhat randomly and unannounced in the last novel)... the added complexity is nice, but I would've also adored a little bit more story to our rowdy bunch of characters, to be able to get to know them a little bit better than what this novel gave us.

For you diehard Maze Runner fans out there, this is your perfect ending. For me? It left me wondering more questions than I started off with. More yearnings for additional backstory and additional lore.... to be able to better understand things. For now, I wave the Maze Runner series a fond farewell.

Thank you to Akashic Media Enterprises, Netgalley, as well as the Independent Book Publishers' Assocation ( IBPA) for this copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and the rest of my reviews can be found at https://littlereapling.wixsite.com/fa...
Profile Image for Hannah Jane.
6 reviews
September 24, 2025
I actually thought this book was very suspenseful, and I connected with the characters more than ever.

I one hundred percent recommend reading this book, if not the entire series!

Fun Fact: I got to meet James Dashner the day that the book came out, and got four books signed, and it was absolutely amazing! He was super kind, and it was amazing to be able to talk to him.
Profile Image for Abby.
463 reviews6 followers
July 6, 2025
Did I miss something? Was Isaac not described as 20 years old in the first book, and now all the characters are "children" who can't behave themselves?

The Infinite Glade is the third and final book in the Maze Cutter series, and I think it might also be the final installment in the Maze Runner universe (if it's not, I don't think I'll be continuing regardless, so it'll be the last book for me, anyway). As far as the trilogy as a whole goes, it's definitely disappointing compared to the original material, and I almost think it would have been better as its own thing without the minimal Maze Runner references. It's a pretty clear cash grab, as it only talks about Newt and "Minho" with any frequency, relying on fan favorite characters' names to gain interest. All that being said, it wasn't the worst thing I ever read, and I think some die-hard fans will enjoy the series.

The world (or maybe just Alaska) is at war. The Remnant Nation has finally acted against the Godhead, and our main characters are caught in the crossfire. While Isaac, Jackie, Frypan, and Ximena search for their friends, the rest of the crew embarks on a mission led by Alexandra to uncover the Cure once and for all. The pacing for this series seems to be pretty consistent in that the first 60-75% of each book is fairly uneventful, and then the last quarter is rapid action and twists. Isaac's group has a much slower plot, in my opinion, as they spend a lot of time just traveling and "discovering" the truth, none of which felt super high stakes. I'm also not entirely sure how much the "truth" really added anything to the context of the original series, as it felt kind of bland for a "big reveal." The other group (Minho, Sadina, Trish, Dominic, Orange, Roxy, etc) had a bit more suspense in their chapters, but were similarly slow in the middle section. They saw a lot more action at the end, but I did kind of think the conclusion was a bit anticlimactic, though I suppose it's fine considering this was a trilogy of novellas and didn't feel as heavy as the original series. Do I think it's worth reading all three books? I think if you enjoyed book one, you might as well continue, but if not, it's not worth continuing if you aren't invested in the series.

This series is very ambitious in terms of the number of characters, but I don't think it really pays off. We don't see much beyond caricatures, which makes it hard to be invested in their fates. Isaac is still pretty basic, and I thought we would see some sort of development between him and Jackie, but Jackie was equally two-dimensional. Ximena confused me because she just randomly showed up last book and got a POV, and she still didn't really fit in with the cast, but that bit of complexity did make her a bit more interesting. I was waiting for Sadina to have any struggle with her duty, so I was disappointed in her lack of complexity. Even Minho seemed bland in this one, and I was hoping for more development between him and Roxy. I also didn't care for Alexandra at all; she isn't that enticing of an antagonist. I think the characters had the potential to be lovable, but the lack of development works against them.

The Infinite Glade is the last Maze Runner book (as of now) and the final book in the Maze Cutter trilogy, and if you loved the Maze Cutter books, you will not be disappointed by this conclusion.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3/5
Profile Image for Rosa.
571 reviews14 followers
October 26, 2025
Sadly, this series goes out on more of a whimper than a resounding clap. Part of the problem is that I found this new set of characters really hard to relate to as a unit. There were simply too many of them and very little personality to share between them all. The only ones who felt like full characters were Minho and Old Man Frypan. For the others, even the major ones like Ximena and Isaac, it felt as though you could swap any of them out and they would all have the same reactions, regardless. Dashner's strong point has never been his characters -- he's always been more of a plot-centric writer, and that's fine -- but despite that, in the previous Maze Runner series, all of the characters still felt distinct and crucial to the story line. That's not the case in The Maze Cutter series at all.

The main problem with this trilogy as a whole though is pacing. While there are some really fun, suspenseful moments in all three of the novels, they all suffer from a tendency to have all the important action moments within the last fifty pages of each installment. Don't get me wrong: exposition is important. There need to be slow moments for characters to impart important information to each other and to grow as characters (ideally), but when the first 200 pages is people stating the same information over and over, arguing the same points continuously, and then deciding to not share information that's been teased between characters for the past twenty pages, I just start to feel like the writer is trying to reach a page count. Stop dicking along and just tell the story already!

And then when the story is told, there's no emotional resonance to any of it because I DO.NOT.CARE. about any of these people. I have been given no reason to do so because everyone is TSTL and they NEVER, EVER adapt to the situations they find themselves in. I'm supposed to see them as heroes, but they're never fighting for anything and even the non-naive characters feel way too naive for a world that's 70 years post-apocalypse.

Love the random Book of Newt quotations at the beginning of each part though. Dashner knew what most of his fans were here for -- Frypan (as the only surviving character from the original series in this sequel trilogy) and Newt (who is forever my favorite, and I think the favorite of every fan I've ever met of this book series.) So, he did deliver well in one aspect.

If you enjoyed the original series, I recommend finding this trilogy at a library if you can. Just know that it's really hollow compared to what Dashner wrote previously, but there are still some fun moments here that are worth checking out.
Profile Image for Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm).
1,108 reviews88 followers
September 8, 2025
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🏃🏼 loved the Maze Runner series
📚 want to finish a series
👀 are looking for a YA read
🌪️ enjoy spin-offs

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

War has finally ignited. The Remnant Nation is done waiting. Their mission: destroy the Godhead and everything she stands for. But as Sadina and the islanders fight to protect the Goddess—who claims to be their only hope for Evolution’s survival—the battle reveals unfathomable truths leaving behind devastation that will change the islanders' future forever.

Determined to save their friends, Isaac and Ximena—along with Old Man Frypan and Jackie—struggle to find their way back to the others when two strangers intercept them, throwing everything they thought they knew about the Cure into doubt. Following the strangers into the unknown, Frypan unearths the shocking truth behind the Cure and the secrets so many have died to protect. But what they uncover is only the beginning.

The descendants must decide between risking their lives and the safety of those they love back home to expose the painful truth behind the maze trials, or walk away from history’s darkest secrets and let the truth remain buried in the Glade forever.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a tough one for me to review because I’ve only read the original Maze Runner series and none of the previous Maze Cutter series, but, as with the Maze Runner, I enjoyed it overall. The story is fast paced and full of action, so even though I was dropped in the middle of it, I was able to understand what was happening in an overall sense. I will definitely go back and read the first two books in this particular spin off so that I can better understand this chapter!
7 reviews
September 23, 2025
I want to preface this by saying I really loved the Maze Runner trilogy. I also really liked several of Dashner's books and series. With that said The Maze Cutter trilogy is bad. It wasn't necessary, it answered nothing, it had no purpose, and it accomplished nothing.


The Infinite Glade starts off basically right where The Godhead Complex left off. It then proceeded to do something a little better than the two before it in separating each chapter from a specific character's perspective. It didn't have 10+ perspectives this time and only focused on several characters, which helped move the story along. That story however wasn't worth the read. The book was only 280 pages long and that felt like it was twice as long as needed. We don't need several chapters of a group talking about a decision. That was page filler for page filler purpose only. We also don't need several chapters of an internal monologue of a character being tortured with that person just thinking of death, failure and success. It didn't add to the story.


The ending is absolutely atrocious. If you read the Maze Runner series first (why you would read this if you didn't is beyond me) you have finished 8 books, novellas, or short stories before picking this up. This is the 9th installation into the series, and the ending was a gigantic dud. This honestly felt like a cash grab or relevance grab by Dashner to use the popularity of the Maze runner for these books' success.

The end of the day I ask myself what was the purpose of this series? It expanded upon the universe but asked more questions, answered nearly none, and thrust us into a world we didn't need to revisit.
Profile Image for kacper.
28 reviews3 followers
September 8, 2025
2,5⭐

Huge thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The final (or so I assume) piece in the follow-up trilogy to the absolute iconic Maze Runner, is a nail in the franchise's coffin. After the letdown that was The Maze Cutter things started to get a bit better (emphasis on the bit) with The Godhead Complex. Unfortunately, The Infinite Glade refuses to learn from the predecessors' mistakes.

For a final instalment, in my opinion, this book fails to bring a fruitful conclusion to the well-established universe. The pace of most events was too slow and as the book was reaching its end I was curious on how things were eventually going to be resolved. The end leaves much to be desired. If it were not for the fact that it is highlighted as the final instalment, I would actually assume that another part is coming.

New characters fail to live up to the legacy of the original trilogy's protagonists. However, I would like to give credit where it is due and say that I have really enjoyed the relationship between "Minho" and Roxy.

As it is constantly mentioned in this trilogy - bad things happen in threes, and The Maze Cutter trilogy is a perfect testimony to these words' credibility.
Profile Image for Country Mama.
1,389 reviews62 followers
September 19, 2025
Infinite Glade by James Dashner is book 3 and the final book in the Maze Cutter series by the author. This book must be read as part of the series and not a stand alone book, you will not get as much out of the book without doing this;) Alaska is at war. Our MC's, Issac, Jackie, Frypan, and Ximena are continuing to search for their friends and also looking for the Cure with the goddess Alexandria. The pacing is a bit slower in this book leading up to the end where things really kick off with non stop action and such. There is a bit to say about the ending, I thought it could have better answered some of my questions but overall if you were following the series it does kind of wrap up everything. However the ending kind of leaves the book open for more books, which is odd since this is the final book of this particular series, unless the author is introducing some kind of spin off to these books. If you are a Maze Cutter fan you will really like this book and possibly enjoy the ending as well!
Profile Image for Mrs. Kenyon.
1,363 reviews27 followers
August 16, 2025
The war has finally started, and the Remnant Nation is ready to fight … they want to stop the Godhead! Sadina and her team believe the Goddess is their path to survival, but when the fighting is underway, the truth may be more than they can handle. Isaac and Ximena want to save their friends, but when their journey uncovers new information about the Cure, they must also confront new truths. This generation must determine what they are willing to risk and what happened during the maze trials.

The Infinite Glade is the third book in The Maze Cutter series. I loved the original series and the first book in this series, but for some reason, these continuation books fell short of expectations. I kept waiting for the spark to hit me, yet in the end, the entire story was just flat. This story answered many questions that needed to be answered, but only diehard fans will want to read this book.

Profile Image for Laura.
2,460 reviews79 followers
September 12, 2025
The third installment follows both groups on their journeys, but for me it felt more like a slow burn read until it really picked up around the 75% mark. I especially loved following Isaac, Minho, and Frypan. They have been my favorite characters in the series. There are still plenty of questions about who is really good or evil and of course, the ongoing search for the cure.

The narrator, Mark Deakins, did a great job with the characters. There are quite a few in this story, and he managed to bring them all to life with their own tones and inflections. Even when the story slowed down, Mark’s narration kept me engaged.

I would recommend this series to anyone who are die hard fans of the Maze Runner series. Find out if the cure is the key to everything?


A very special thanks to Tantor Audio for the gifted audiobook.
3 reviews
September 15, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I grew up on James Dashner, and the Maze Runner series holds a special place in my heart. To prepare for this release, I read the other two Maze Cutter books. I liked how it picked up right where the Godhead Complex left off. I think the pacing of the story was really nice, I didn't feel like I was missing any information or that it was dragging on. I think James Dashner has really solidified his writing style, and the twists and turns were really reminiscent of that. Being such a big Maze Runner fan, I especially appreciated the nods to that series.

Overall, I think this is a great read, especially for a younger YA audience. It doesn't get too intense or gory, but it still has a lot of action and substance.
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