What do you think?
Rate this book
Infinity Cycle #3
Infinity Kings
In this epic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Infinity Cycle, two brothers find themselves in a heartbreaking war against one another. The hardcover edition features a reversible jacket with two stunning covers by Kevin Tong and Meybis Ruiz Cruz!
After the ultimate betrayal, Emil must rise up as a leader to stop his brother before he becomes too powerful. Even if that means pushing away Ness and Wyatt as they compete for his heart so he can focus on the war.
Brighton has a legion of followers at his command, but when he learns about an ancient scythe that can kill the unkillable, that’s all he will need to become unstoppable against Emil and other rising threats.
Meanwhile, Maribelle aligns with her greatest enemy to resurrect her lost love, and Ness infiltrates political circles to stop Iron from ruling the country, but both missions lead to tragedies that will change everyone’s lives forever.
As the Infinity Son and the Infinity Reaper go to war, who will be crowned the Infinity King?
After the ultimate betrayal, Emil must rise up as a leader to stop his brother before he becomes too powerful. Even if that means pushing away Ness and Wyatt as they compete for his heart so he can focus on the war.
Brighton has a legion of followers at his command, but when he learns about an ancient scythe that can kill the unkillable, that’s all he will need to become unstoppable against Emil and other rising threats.
Meanwhile, Maribelle aligns with her greatest enemy to resurrect her lost love, and Ness infiltrates political circles to stop Iron from ruling the country, but both missions lead to tragedies that will change everyone’s lives forever.
As the Infinity Son and the Infinity Reaper go to war, who will be crowned the Infinity King?
752 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2024
118 people are currently reading
8078 people want to read
About the author
Adam Silvera
35 books37k followersAdam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End and More Happy Than Not and History Is All You Left Me and Infinity Son and Infinity Reaper and with Becky Albertalli, What If It's Us and Here's to Us.
His next book The First to Die at the End releases October 4th, 2022, with the final Infinity Cycle book to follow soon after.
He was born in New York and now lives in Los Angeles where he writes full-time.
He is tall for no reason.
His next book The First to Die at the End releases October 4th, 2022, with the final Infinity Cycle book to follow soon after.
He was born in New York and now lives in Los Angeles where he writes full-time.
He is tall for no reason.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
May 19, 2022
If I created a list titled "Worst characters I have even read about"...
...Brighton will be #1. Good for him.
...Brighton will be #1. Good for him.
March 17, 2023
Y’all shouldn’t be adding low star reviews on a book that’s not even out yet. Solely reviewing to cancel out the trolls.
March 30, 2024
4.5 but am bumping up to 5 because <3 yeah. really amazing conclusion to a really amazing series but i have a couple of peeves. mostly that and anyway gay rights
March 18, 2026
Oh, wow! This book 752 pages? Hoping that this will be an improvement to the previous two books.
UPDATE 3/17/2026: It was an improvement!
After Brighton and Emil separated in Infinity Reaper, the former continues down his path of a vigilante in the hopes of amassing an army of specters and celestials against Senator Iron and the enforcers. Brighton will grow into his new Infinity Reaper powers while starting one bloodbath after another. Emil, still not wishing to be the Infinity Son, is forced to become de facto leader of the Spellwalkers and keep his mother safe, try to bring Brighton back, and figure with whom his heart lies with: the Halo Knight Wyatt or the shapeshifter Ness. Ness just wants his father's tyranny to end and bring peace back to the world, but he'll have to infiltrate various to get that plan going; too bad, Iron seem always two steps ahead. Meanwhile, Maribelle, now allied with the Halo Knight Tala, hunts down Luna in order to learn of a ritual to bring her dead boyfriend Atlas. However, things are not so simple for any of the cast and bloodshed is almost around every corner.
Wow...Wow! Okay, first off, I've already said in my reviews of Infinity Son and Infinity Reaper how they were both disappointing reads with forced plot development, almost flat characters, and basic almost little emotional weight--Infinity Reaper was a bit better, but only a little bit. Well, it turns out I will have to eat my own hat now, because by God, Adam Silvera did it! He actually wrote a good sequel/conclusion and book I actually liked! Infinity Kings is the best book of the trilogy and far superior to the other two. It isn't perfect, I have some criticisms, but holy cow! This book actually made me feel things and connect to the characters.
AND THAT ENDING!!!
Okay, enough exclamation points. Let's get serious.
I will say that the beginning part of Infinity Kings is a touch weaker than the rest, but that lasts only for a short while. When I saw the book was 700+ pages, I thought it would be a slog, but the pacing was actually fairly good and Silvera kept me interested in what was happening on page. Infinity Son, the first book, was a mess in terms of worldbuilding, but I was still nonetheless interested in how it worked and what was going on with the story. I'll admit that in this book the worldbuilding could've been more, but it shines more with its character development, drama, and action which improve as the story goes on. All that longwinded meander is to say that Infinity Kings had much more serious weight to it than its predecessors. Although they still have some stupid moments, the characters' actions are more organic and they were much more fleshed out. Heck, some of them even got more nuanced.
So, let's start with Brighton, my favorite. Yes, Brighton has also been my favorite, even when he was very annoying in the first book. He's annoying in the beginning here, but Silvera manages to transform him into an actual egotistical killer who sounds believable rather than cartoonish. Also, he isn't completely evil and even pulls back on some of his ideals after witnessing certain events and reflecting upon them. When this more regretful side of Brighton's came out, I was actually impressed and delighted. I genuinely started to feel back for Brighton (dodges tomatoes) and wondered how his journey would end. It tugged at my hearstrings.
Emil is also much better here, however the other characters still outshine him throughout much of the book. In my review of Infinity Reaper, I sad he failed as a main character, though he is more successful here. He still clings to his ideas of not wanting to be gleamcrafter and to eventually part with his phoenix powers after the fighting's over and wants it to over with the least amount of possible--I will talk more about this later--however, he does finally grow a backbone after witnessing certain tragedies and Brighton's actions and learns that he has to step up to put an end to all of this. After a turning point in the book and a tender moment with Brighton, Emil does finally become more rounded out. His resolve makes so much more sense here and I actually do pity him.
Maribelle's narrative felt separate from the main story for awhile, even though the antagonist Luna was involved. In the previous book, I said the revelation that Luna is her grandmother really didn't add to much. Well, here it's used for her being able to retrocycle to find out how to resurrect Atlas and that's about it. After that, Maribelle becomes hellbent on finally taking Luna and Iron down and hoping for peace for the celestials. However, I would say that her storyline is more focused on her grief from losing Atlas on top of her parents and eventually healing her wrecked her. And what I predicted in Infinity Reaper came true: something romantically does happen between her and Tala. And I actually enjoyed Maribelle's emotional development and her romantic moments with both Atlas and Tala. However, Maribelle isn't even present for the final battle, she disappears for about ten chapters or so. Still her final epilogue is nice.
Ness is much more angrier in this book, and it is justified. He grapples with his love for Emil and trying to undo every evil things his father has done. After a certain tragedies, Ness becomes so hellbent on stopping both Brighton and Iron and I honestly just felt for him. He storyline is more about breaking away from his past whereas the other characters are more about looking to their futures. I felt that it was appropriate to have a storyline like his in the book to give things contrast. Yes, Ness does focus on his future in the book too, but his past and connection to Iron haunts him the most so he can't often see his future. I liked his storyline.
Okay, now I've got to talk about one major elephant in the room and my biggest criticism of Infinity Kings despite its improvements. The morality.
So, in first book, I said that Brighton's villainization was forced. Just about everything he said or did was condemned by the other characters and pushed him closer to being an antagonist, or perhaps more morally grey. Emil's desire for peace and wanting to get it through with the least amount of fighting was what drove most of his narrative; the Spellwalkers even agree with his credo to not kill anybody. Brighton obviously kills a lot of people in this book, some who genuinely did not deserve it, but the enforcers do and so do some of the more evil specters.
Now, I get this is a YA book aimed at teens, and I know Silvera can't just outright say to his audience "It's okay to kill these people because x, y, z" nor am I personally saying it's okay to kill people because x, y, z--so if you are an FBI agent monitoring my Internet activity, a parent, or teacher, BookTwitter outrage farmer, or pearl-clutcher, please calm down as I am not advocating our youth to go out and attack people. However, some of the antagonists throughout the trilogy did deserve death. Like, some of them were so morally repugnant and evil that I don't think there was any other choice. Not only that, but the enforcers are essentially police who have no qualms about attacking and killing any of the cast or other gleamcrafters, whether innocent or not, and I really don't think Emil and the Spellwalkers should have qualms about killing them in self-defense. With Emil and the Spellwalkers almost constantly shown to be more morally right--though certainly not without their own flaws--and Brighton established early on as the very much in the morally wrong, this all feels skewed.
Please, for the love of God, do not take this part of my review out of context, Internet.
In addition, is the view of the specters from others in this book. Specters get their powers be ingesting the essence of magical creatures into their blood via alchemy. Now, it is true that sometimes the creatures are hurt or killed in order get said essence. However, some specters are shown that they don't want to hurt the creatures. Heck, even Emil's past life as the specter Keon had a bond with his phoenix and was worried whenever he hurt him. However, the celestials and other characters outright say things like "These people shouldn't exist." Like, some of the specters were genuinely bad people and deserved their punishments, but couldn't like the celestials teach the specters to bond with and respect the creatures they wanted their powers from (unless this was a addressed in one of the previous books, it's been awhile)? We have morally upright people saying a whole group of people shouldn't exist and it's never questioned except by Brighton.
In fairness to Silvera, he does show some more murkiness in this book in regard to ethics that is shown rather than told, but overall the morality of these books feels skewed. Maybe that's why I was Team Brighton the whole way. Sue me
An additional criticism is that the final confrontation with Iron feels rushed, but it ends in a satisfying way, with Brighton finally pulling through. To be honest, I never cared much for the social media aspects of these books and the political parts were alright. Iron did feel like kind of a flat villain.
But now onto that ending.
It was my favorite kind of ending: bittersweet. I didn't think Silvera would make me feel things by the end, but he did. My heart actually twisted. It made me wish Silvera would be able to return to this world and write additional stories for these characters; I don't know if he can as his Death-Cast series seems to be the most in demand. It made me be like, "No! Not like this! But, I also don't see it any other way." I will put it under spoilers, but I will say that I finally get why people say Silvera crushes their hearts.
It ends with a message that Emil and Brighton both have one life--we all do--and they (and we) should use whatever power he have to live it right. No one's life is infinity, so let's live it to the best.
A message that I have heard before, sure, but one beautifully put by Silvera.
Dammit. I actually liked this book.
UPDATE 3/17/2026: It was an improvement!
After Brighton and Emil separated in Infinity Reaper, the former continues down his path of a vigilante in the hopes of amassing an army of specters and celestials against Senator Iron and the enforcers. Brighton will grow into his new Infinity Reaper powers while starting one bloodbath after another. Emil, still not wishing to be the Infinity Son, is forced to become de facto leader of the Spellwalkers and keep his mother safe, try to bring Brighton back, and figure with whom his heart lies with: the Halo Knight Wyatt or the shapeshifter Ness. Ness just wants his father's tyranny to end and bring peace back to the world, but he'll have to infiltrate various to get that plan going; too bad, Iron seem always two steps ahead. Meanwhile, Maribelle, now allied with the Halo Knight Tala, hunts down Luna in order to learn of a ritual to bring her dead boyfriend Atlas. However, things are not so simple for any of the cast and bloodshed is almost around every corner.
Wow...Wow! Okay, first off, I've already said in my reviews of Infinity Son and Infinity Reaper how they were both disappointing reads with forced plot development, almost flat characters, and basic almost little emotional weight--Infinity Reaper was a bit better, but only a little bit. Well, it turns out I will have to eat my own hat now, because by God, Adam Silvera did it! He actually wrote a good sequel/conclusion and book I actually liked! Infinity Kings is the best book of the trilogy and far superior to the other two. It isn't perfect, I have some criticisms, but holy cow! This book actually made me feel things and connect to the characters.
AND THAT ENDING!!!
Okay, enough exclamation points. Let's get serious.
I will say that the beginning part of Infinity Kings is a touch weaker than the rest, but that lasts only for a short while. When I saw the book was 700+ pages, I thought it would be a slog, but the pacing was actually fairly good and Silvera kept me interested in what was happening on page. Infinity Son, the first book, was a mess in terms of worldbuilding, but I was still nonetheless interested in how it worked and what was going on with the story. I'll admit that in this book the worldbuilding could've been more, but it shines more with its character development, drama, and action which improve as the story goes on. All that longwinded meander is to say that Infinity Kings had much more serious weight to it than its predecessors. Although they still have some stupid moments, the characters' actions are more organic and they were much more fleshed out. Heck, some of them even got more nuanced.
So, let's start with Brighton, my favorite. Yes, Brighton has also been my favorite, even when he was very annoying in the first book. He's annoying in the beginning here, but Silvera manages to transform him into an actual egotistical killer who sounds believable rather than cartoonish. Also, he isn't completely evil and even pulls back on some of his ideals after witnessing certain events and reflecting upon them. When this more regretful side of Brighton's came out, I was actually impressed and delighted. I genuinely started to feel back for Brighton (dodges tomatoes) and wondered how his journey would end. It tugged at my hearstrings.
Emil is also much better here, however the other characters still outshine him throughout much of the book. In my review of Infinity Reaper, I sad he failed as a main character, though he is more successful here. He still clings to his ideas of not wanting to be gleamcrafter and to eventually part with his phoenix powers after the fighting's over and wants it to over with the least amount of possible--I will talk more about this later--however, he does finally grow a backbone after witnessing certain tragedies and Brighton's actions and learns that he has to step up to put an end to all of this. After a turning point in the book and a tender moment with Brighton, Emil does finally become more rounded out. His resolve makes so much more sense here and I actually do pity him.
Maribelle's narrative felt separate from the main story for awhile, even though the antagonist Luna was involved. In the previous book, I said the revelation that Luna is her grandmother really didn't add to much. Well, here it's used for her being able to retrocycle to find out how to resurrect Atlas and that's about it. After that, Maribelle becomes hellbent on finally taking Luna and Iron down and hoping for peace for the celestials. However, I would say that her storyline is more focused on her grief from losing Atlas on top of her parents and eventually healing her wrecked her. And what I predicted in Infinity Reaper came true: something romantically does happen between her and Tala. And I actually enjoyed Maribelle's emotional development and her romantic moments with both Atlas and Tala. However, Maribelle isn't even present for the final battle, she disappears for about ten chapters or so. Still her final epilogue is nice.
Ness is much more angrier in this book, and it is justified. He grapples with his love for Emil and trying to undo every evil things his father has done. After a certain tragedies, Ness becomes so hellbent on stopping both Brighton and Iron and I honestly just felt for him. He storyline is more about breaking away from his past whereas the other characters are more about looking to their futures. I felt that it was appropriate to have a storyline like his in the book to give things contrast. Yes, Ness does focus on his future in the book too, but his past and connection to Iron haunts him the most so he can't often see his future. I liked his storyline.
Okay, now I've got to talk about one major elephant in the room and my biggest criticism of Infinity Kings despite its improvements. The morality.
So, in first book, I said that Brighton's villainization was forced. Just about everything he said or did was condemned by the other characters and pushed him closer to being an antagonist, or perhaps more morally grey. Emil's desire for peace and wanting to get it through with the least amount of fighting was what drove most of his narrative; the Spellwalkers even agree with his credo to not kill anybody. Brighton obviously kills a lot of people in this book, some who genuinely did not deserve it, but the enforcers do and so do some of the more evil specters.
Now, I get this is a YA book aimed at teens, and I know Silvera can't just outright say to his audience "It's okay to kill these people because x, y, z" nor am I personally saying it's okay to kill people because x, y, z--so if you are an FBI agent monitoring my Internet activity, a parent, or teacher, BookTwitter outrage farmer, or pearl-clutcher, please calm down as I am not advocating our youth to go out and attack people. However, some of the antagonists throughout the trilogy did deserve death. Like, some of them were so morally repugnant and evil that I don't think there was any other choice. Not only that, but the enforcers are essentially police who have no qualms about attacking and killing any of the cast or other gleamcrafters, whether innocent or not, and I really don't think Emil and the Spellwalkers should have qualms about killing them in self-defense. With Emil and the Spellwalkers almost constantly shown to be more morally right--though certainly not without their own flaws--and Brighton established early on as the very much in the morally wrong, this all feels skewed.
Please, for the love of God, do not take this part of my review out of context, Internet.
In addition, is the view of the specters from others in this book. Specters get their powers be ingesting the essence of magical creatures into their blood via alchemy. Now, it is true that sometimes the creatures are hurt or killed in order get said essence. However, some specters are shown that they don't want to hurt the creatures. Heck, even Emil's past life as the specter Keon had a bond with his phoenix and was worried whenever he hurt him. However, the celestials and other characters outright say things like "These people shouldn't exist." Like, some of the specters were genuinely bad people and deserved their punishments, but couldn't like the celestials teach the specters to bond with and respect the creatures they wanted their powers from (unless this was a addressed in one of the previous books, it's been awhile)? We have morally upright people saying a whole group of people shouldn't exist and it's never questioned except by Brighton.
In fairness to Silvera, he does show some more murkiness in this book in regard to ethics that is shown rather than told, but overall the morality of these books feels skewed. Maybe that's why I was Team Brighton the whole way. Sue me
An additional criticism is that the final confrontation with Iron feels rushed, but it ends in a satisfying way, with Brighton finally pulling through. To be honest, I never cared much for the social media aspects of these books and the political parts were alright. Iron did feel like kind of a flat villain.
But now onto that ending.
It was my favorite kind of ending: bittersweet. I didn't think Silvera would make me feel things by the end, but he did. My heart actually twisted. It made me wish Silvera would be able to return to this world and write additional stories for these characters; I don't know if he can as his Death-Cast series seems to be the most in demand. It made me be like, "No! Not like this! But, I also don't see it any other way." I will put it under spoilers, but I will say that I finally get why people say Silvera crushes their hearts.
It ends with a message that Emil and Brighton both have one life--we all do--and they (and we) should use whatever power he have to live it right. No one's life is infinity, so let's live it to the best.
A message that I have heard before, sure, but one beautifully put by Silvera.
Dammit. I actually liked this book.
Read
March 29, 2024The writing is still bad, the plot a mess and the book about twice as long as it should be, but I think it might have been slightly better than the first two? It's either that, or I've just got used to the craziness.
June 13, 2024
I am just glad i am finally free of this series. I will still continue to give Adam my money, though, because out of the 9 books I have read by him, I liked 4 (two of which were cowritten by Becky Albertalli, but whatever, it still counts)
May 18, 2025
IM FREE FROM THIS SERIES!! My review for this book is not going to be long and full of rants like my previous ones because i don’t care enough. Instead you get a collection of thoughts i wrote in my notes app.
•i hate this goddamn love triangle emil is a stale piece of white bread and wyatt and ness are too good for him and should have their own enemies to lovers
•”one the way to the foreign land known as staten island” adam silvera you wanna be rick riordan so bad
•”i’m not gay but i certainly get why Emil is into your real face” adam silvera is gay so why does this feel homophobic
•the internet calling brighton “a clown that everyone hates” and him having to read these comments brings me nothing but pure joy
•”daddy brighton” I JUST THREW UP 827368292 CONSECUTIVE TIMES
•i understand why emil is so torn between wyatt and ness because they’re literally the only good characters in this series and in fact they should date eachother and leave emil to be boring somewhere else
•this man loves violent parent deaths
•maribelle and emil 🤝 leading on perfectly good love interests who are the only good characters in the book and rejecting them
•”im the center of attention at this funeral” HUH?!?!? YOUR MOTHER IS DEAD?!?!
•emil is always f****** crying oh my god
•no way this man gave brighton a redemption, i need to go lie down for 72 hours
•i hate this goddamn love triangle emil is a stale piece of white bread and wyatt and ness are too good for him and should have their own enemies to lovers
•”one the way to the foreign land known as staten island” adam silvera you wanna be rick riordan so bad
•”i’m not gay but i certainly get why Emil is into your real face” adam silvera is gay so why does this feel homophobic
•the internet calling brighton “a clown that everyone hates” and him having to read these comments brings me nothing but pure joy
•”daddy brighton” I JUST THREW UP 827368292 CONSECUTIVE TIMES
•i understand why emil is so torn between wyatt and ness because they’re literally the only good characters in this series and in fact they should date eachother and leave emil to be boring somewhere else
•this man loves violent parent deaths
•maribelle and emil 🤝 leading on perfectly good love interests who are the only good characters in the book and rejecting them
•”im the center of attention at this funeral” HUH?!?!? YOUR MOTHER IS DEAD?!?!
•emil is always f****** crying oh my god
•no way this man gave brighton a redemption, i need to go lie down for 72 hours
March 25, 2024
Rep: adopted gay latino MC, latino MC, bi latino MC, bi latina MC, sapphic side characters, achilliean side characters, nonbinary Korean-American side character
This was magnificent. I'm not in the mood to write something coherent right now but I just wanna say I actually cried in the last two chapters and not because of the usual Adam Silvera reasons.
I started this book entirely in a whim and I'm SO GLAD I did. I got in with barely two read recaps of the first book, barely remembering anything from the second book besides the ending and absolutely no mental preparations. It was... it was great to be honest 😭
At times, this book make me just pace back and front in my room while listening and this hasn't happened in a loooong time. Like, just being so invested and on edge what's going to happen to the point I just have to walk around in order relief the tension 😭 I miss this feeling so much, my god. I just miss fantasy so much! Fuck, I just miss the feeling of reading a good enjoyable fantasy that has everything I love. Thank you so much to this book for reminding me what this felt like.
_________________________
25/03/2022: I take it as a personal offense this book isn't out yet and I have to wait UNTIL SPRING 2023 TO READ IT
I'm also pressing charges for not having a title or a cover yet. This sort of pain requires financial compensation.
This was magnificent. I'm not in the mood to write something coherent right now but I just wanna say I actually cried in the last two chapters and not because of the usual Adam Silvera reasons.
I started this book entirely in a whim and I'm SO GLAD I did. I got in with barely two read recaps of the first book, barely remembering anything from the second book besides the ending and absolutely no mental preparations. It was... it was great to be honest 😭
At times, this book make me just pace back and front in my room while listening and this hasn't happened in a loooong time. Like, just being so invested and on edge what's going to happen to the point I just have to walk around in order relief the tension 😭 I miss this feeling so much, my god. I just miss fantasy so much! Fuck, I just miss the feeling of reading a good enjoyable fantasy that has everything I love. Thank you so much to this book for reminding me what this felt like.
_________________________
25/03/2022: I take it as a personal offense this book isn't out yet and I have to wait UNTIL SPRING 2023 TO READ IT
I'm also pressing charges for not having a title or a cover yet. This sort of pain requires financial compensation.
March 14, 2024
It’s a rare thing, when each book of a series improves upon its predecessor, but I think that’s exactly the case for the Infinity Cycle. I was a little slow to get into this series, despite how much I love Adam Silvera’s work, but now that I’ve reached the end of Emil and Brighton’s journey, I appreciate and love the trilogy all the more. This was so clearly a passion project for Adam and it really pays off. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you aren’t familiar with Adam Silvera’s work, you need to change that. He’s fantastic (and was super fun to meet in person back in January 2020!). Also, his final acknowledgement in this book is utterly beautiful.
April 11, 2024
4.5 stars
Adams style of writing is unique and not for everyone but had to finish this trilogy and glad I did. Such a page turner and easier to read than the other two previous books of the series. A mixture of fantasy, love and paranormal and a deffo must read
Adams style of writing is unique and not for everyone but had to finish this trilogy and glad I did. Such a page turner and easier to read than the other two previous books of the series. A mixture of fantasy, love and paranormal and a deffo must read
March 24, 2024
I’m sorry, I can’t do this, this is so bad 😭
July 10, 2025
The plot of this series has always been too vague to be interesting. The Celestials/Spell Walkers are fighting a “war”, but what is this war? The war against specters? The war against discrimination? And how exactly do we win this war? The answer apparently is if you win the election the president will make everything right, which is what this entire trilogy comes down to. It reads about as exciting as it sounds. This series never had a clear goal which makes it hard to care about what is going on.
April 6, 2024
I recently finished reading "Infinity Kings" by Adam Silvera, and I must say, it was an exhilarating conclusion to the trilogy. As someone who loves fantasy books, this series captivated me from the start, and the final installment did not disappoint. What I particularly enjoyed were the subtle references to "Charmed," one of my favorite childhood TV shows (& not the new one).
As a queer person of color, I found the representation in this book especially meaningful. It's refreshing to see several queer characters of color taking center stage in a fantasy novel, each with their own unique stories and struggles. One of the main characters, who battles with body issues, resonated with me on a personal level. It's rare to find characters in fantasy books who mirror my own experiences, and this added a layer of depth to the story that I deeply appreciated.
Overall, "Infinity Kings" was a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to a series that has quickly become one of my favorites. Adam’s ability to weave together elements of fantasy, representation, and relatable character arcs is truly remarkable.
As a queer person of color, I found the representation in this book especially meaningful. It's refreshing to see several queer characters of color taking center stage in a fantasy novel, each with their own unique stories and struggles. One of the main characters, who battles with body issues, resonated with me on a personal level. It's rare to find characters in fantasy books who mirror my own experiences, and this added a layer of depth to the story that I deeply appreciated.
Overall, "Infinity Kings" was a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to a series that has quickly become one of my favorites. Adam’s ability to weave together elements of fantasy, representation, and relatable character arcs is truly remarkable.
February 18, 2024
listen I get this is a fantasy series with Phoenix powers but how many times are characters going to die and come back to life before I literally get bored by them dying
December 25, 2024
This book had many rollercoasters, very emotional ones. Loved how this played out throughout a book this thick though, it was never boring to read.
I do not agree with the ending for Brighton.
I do not agree with the ending for Brighton.
April 6, 2024
God I am SO devastated! I just finished a book series that I first started four years ago, on the very day Infinity Son was released. I fell in love with so many characters, hated Brighton with a PASSION and grew as a person as the years went by. I am not the same person as I was when i read Infinity Son, and rereading all the books this year made me realize how much I grew.
This book was, for me, the perfect ending to a perfect trilogy. With so many plot twists and characters disappearing (there’s a character that was killed for which I will NEVER forgive Adam though) and coming back, so many emotional moments, love and hate, and complete disbelief, this book made me laugh, cry, fear and breathless.
I will always be there to read the next books Adam releases, until my own Infinity cycle ends. <3
This book was, for me, the perfect ending to a perfect trilogy. With so many plot twists and characters disappearing (there’s a character that was killed for which I will NEVER forgive Adam though) and coming back, so many emotional moments, love and hate, and complete disbelief, this book made me laugh, cry, fear and breathless.
I will always be there to read the next books Adam releases, until my own Infinity cycle ends. <3
April 9, 2024
Finishing a trilogy is always a strange feeling, but this read was so weird, I honestly don't know whether I liked this book or I didn't.
I was pretty sure that the plot would be messy, the characters would act like the messes they are and the writing would be a mess, too. I feel like the author forgot halfway through this book the point he was trying to make (if there ever was any) and he kept changing the "main evil" of the plot so many times, I don't even know what the biggest threat was supposed to be.
Sometimes it felt like he just kept adding drama to add more pages, like did we need some of these plot points for the story? Really? Did we REALLY need 750 pages to tell this simple Good Vs. Evil story? Are we SURE?
All that being said, I can't lie, after suffering through the 200 pages exposition in book 2, this one kept me entertained. Which proves once again that a thing doesn't have to be good to be entertaining. Did I think the Brighton chapters were smart and he was a well thought out villain? Absolutely not. Did I have blast making fun of him with my friends? For sure.
(I actually recommend reading this book with friends so you can complain together. It strengthens your bond. Or as Adam would say: The constellations of your friendship will shine brighter than ever.)
More things I liked: Ness (had great potential to be an interesting character; also only character that gets things done). Senator Iron being a Scooby Doo villain (I'm not sure if this was intentional, but he's hilarious. At one point he acted like a cleaning lady to spy on the main characters). Chapter 49 (no explanation needed).
I wish I could think of more, because again, I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would, but it was also. Not good. So: The things that made me put down the book and sigh very loudly (in no particular order).
1. Fist-Bump-and-Whistle: Do I have to say more? The "fist bump and whistle" thing ist just. Coming back. Again. And Again. There is a scene where Emil tries to solve their relationship issues with. You guessed it.
2. The Love Triangle: This is one of the worst love triangles I ever encountered, and I was a teenager who read YA in 2014. Emil never even considers how the other two might feel; he just makes out with everything that moves. And they throw around the word "love" as if they've known each other for more than 2 weeks. Emil and Ness have less screen time than Emil and his mom in this entire trilogy. I just don't buy the "deep feeling" these three are supposed to have for each other.
3. Female Characters: I could write a really long rant about female characters and female representation in this series, but I don't think anyone would be interested in that. Maribelle as the token female PoV character has really absolutely no point in the story, she doesn't even interact with our other main characters. If you cut her + the whole Resurrection-Plot; it wouldn't matter. The other female characters are all described as strong and powerful - and I seriously think the author's heart is in the right place - but they never do anything but be strong and powerful in the background. Prudencia is always THERE, but you forget sometimes that she is, because. She isn't needed. Which leads me to -
4. NPC Side Characters: All the Side Characters have almost no personality and are only here to a) save the MCs or b) die. The author adds multiple new side characters just to kill them off. It's ridiculous.
5. Wyatt: Just wanted to complain about the sentences the author puts in the mouth of this young adult in a world where the internet exist. Seriously, he speaks like an old wizard I would make up for a D&D campaign. Here are my two favorite examples: "Be the Skybreaker you are and embrace the scattered scars in their disarray." & "My bones ache when it rains. It is most unfortunate."
6. Brighton: Is a character a good villain when he's just evil? And that's his whole thing? Being evil, but not believing he's evil? He literally thinks "I am going to rip their hearts out!" at least once every chapter.
7. Resurrection-Plot: It was just pointless. Just here to give Maribelle stuff to do, but in the grand scheme of the plot, nothing really happens. There's this big mystery why Maribelle's ancestors never actually used the Resurrection-Ritual and we never find out. Absolute waste of time.
8. Adults not adulting: All the adults in this series are really terrible. Emil's mother is constantly crying. There is a father who just lets his 14-year-old fight villains. The politicans fight literal 18-year-olds.
9. Repetition: So, I sometimes got the feeling the author thinks his readers are like. Really stupid. Because he just keeps repeating some exposition to a point where I wanted to throw a punch. Did you know Ness' mother died? And also Brighton really likes ripping hearts out. And Emil is in love with two people, oh no!
10. Good Vs. Evil: Last one, I swear. But this is the one that bothered me the most.
So, obviously, this is a classic tale of the heroes vs. the villains. Evil Senator Iron vs. Good Nicolette Sunstar. Evil Brighton vs. Good Emil.
But, here's the thing. The "heroes" do as much damage as the villains. It's actually funny how hypocritical this book gets. Maribelle murders to get back the love of her life, Atlas. Good! Brighton murders to get back his parents. Evil! Luna murders to get back her sister. Evil! It's really evil when Brighton threatens Lore, but it's fine when the Spell Walkers torture someone. And every time they steal from someone, it's from an "evil Iron supporter", but honestly, I would support Edward Iron, too, if the "good guys" kept stealing my stuff and destroying my houses!
This Black/White; Hero/Villain; Good/Evil is a lense the author uses throughout the whole book, using it to justify crimes done by the heroes and to condemn crimes done by the villains. Which is a very simple way to look at the scenarios the characters go through, that is not only boring, but also makes absolutely no sense in a story about redemption.
Somewhere in this mess is definetly a book about corruption, the evilness that everyone is capable of under the right circumstances and the reality of a world where nothing is truly evil/good.
But this wasn't it.
I was pretty sure that the plot would be messy, the characters would act like the messes they are and the writing would be a mess, too. I feel like the author forgot halfway through this book the point he was trying to make (if there ever was any) and he kept changing the "main evil" of the plot so many times, I don't even know what the biggest threat was supposed to be.
Sometimes it felt like he just kept adding drama to add more pages, like did we need some of these plot points for the story? Really? Did we REALLY need 750 pages to tell this simple Good Vs. Evil story? Are we SURE?
All that being said, I can't lie, after suffering through the 200 pages exposition in book 2, this one kept me entertained. Which proves once again that a thing doesn't have to be good to be entertaining. Did I think the Brighton chapters were smart and he was a well thought out villain? Absolutely not. Did I have blast making fun of him with my friends? For sure.
(I actually recommend reading this book with friends so you can complain together. It strengthens your bond. Or as Adam would say: The constellations of your friendship will shine brighter than ever.)
More things I liked: Ness (had great potential to be an interesting character; also only character that gets things done). Senator Iron being a Scooby Doo villain (I'm not sure if this was intentional, but he's hilarious. At one point he acted like a cleaning lady to spy on the main characters). Chapter 49 (no explanation needed).
I wish I could think of more, because again, I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would, but it was also. Not good. So: The things that made me put down the book and sigh very loudly (in no particular order).
1. Fist-Bump-and-Whistle: Do I have to say more? The "fist bump and whistle" thing ist just. Coming back. Again. And Again. There is a scene where Emil tries to solve their relationship issues with. You guessed it.
2. The Love Triangle: This is one of the worst love triangles I ever encountered, and I was a teenager who read YA in 2014. Emil never even considers how the other two might feel; he just makes out with everything that moves. And they throw around the word "love" as if they've known each other for more than 2 weeks. Emil and Ness have less screen time than Emil and his mom in this entire trilogy. I just don't buy the "deep feeling" these three are supposed to have for each other.
3. Female Characters: I could write a really long rant about female characters and female representation in this series, but I don't think anyone would be interested in that. Maribelle as the token female PoV character has really absolutely no point in the story, she doesn't even interact with our other main characters. If you cut her + the whole Resurrection-Plot; it wouldn't matter. The other female characters are all described as strong and powerful - and I seriously think the author's heart is in the right place - but they never do anything but be strong and powerful in the background. Prudencia is always THERE, but you forget sometimes that she is, because. She isn't needed. Which leads me to -
4. NPC Side Characters: All the Side Characters have almost no personality and are only here to a) save the MCs or b) die. The author adds multiple new side characters just to kill them off. It's ridiculous.
5. Wyatt: Just wanted to complain about the sentences the author puts in the mouth of this young adult in a world where the internet exist. Seriously, he speaks like an old wizard I would make up for a D&D campaign. Here are my two favorite examples: "Be the Skybreaker you are and embrace the scattered scars in their disarray." & "My bones ache when it rains. It is most unfortunate."
6. Brighton: Is a character a good villain when he's just evil? And that's his whole thing? Being evil, but not believing he's evil? He literally thinks "I am going to rip their hearts out!" at least once every chapter.
7. Resurrection-Plot: It was just pointless. Just here to give Maribelle stuff to do, but in the grand scheme of the plot, nothing really happens. There's this big mystery why Maribelle's ancestors never actually used the Resurrection-Ritual and we never find out. Absolute waste of time.
8. Adults not adulting: All the adults in this series are really terrible. Emil's mother is constantly crying. There is a father who just lets his 14-year-old fight villains. The politicans fight literal 18-year-olds.
9. Repetition: So, I sometimes got the feeling the author thinks his readers are like. Really stupid. Because he just keeps repeating some exposition to a point where I wanted to throw a punch. Did you know Ness' mother died? And also Brighton really likes ripping hearts out. And Emil is in love with two people, oh no!
10. Good Vs. Evil: Last one, I swear. But this is the one that bothered me the most.
So, obviously, this is a classic tale of the heroes vs. the villains. Evil Senator Iron vs. Good Nicolette Sunstar. Evil Brighton vs. Good Emil.
But, here's the thing. The "heroes" do as much damage as the villains. It's actually funny how hypocritical this book gets. Maribelle murders to get back the love of her life, Atlas. Good! Brighton murders to get back his parents. Evil! Luna murders to get back her sister. Evil! It's really evil when Brighton threatens Lore, but it's fine when the Spell Walkers torture someone. And every time they steal from someone, it's from an "evil Iron supporter", but honestly, I would support Edward Iron, too, if the "good guys" kept stealing my stuff and destroying my houses!
This Black/White; Hero/Villain; Good/Evil is a lense the author uses throughout the whole book, using it to justify crimes done by the heroes and to condemn crimes done by the villains. Which is a very simple way to look at the scenarios the characters go through, that is not only boring, but also makes absolutely no sense in a story about redemption.
Somewhere in this mess is definetly a book about corruption, the evilness that everyone is capable of under the right circumstances and the reality of a world where nothing is truly evil/good.
But this wasn't it.
March 18, 2024
I absolutely adore Emil and Ness, but can’t stand Brighton and Maribelle, though Maribelle becomes tolerable by the end. I wasn’t sure how Adam was going to manage to tie up all the loose ends but he did it in a pretty believable way and I was satisfied with the ending. Overall I enjoyed the story and all the queer representation.
November 1, 2024
I liked it.
It didn't change my mind about anyone though. Not matter their choices at the end... And I don't only mean Brighton 😂
It didn't change my mind about anyone though. Not matter their choices at the end... And I don't only mean Brighton 😂
May 10, 2025
3.5 did i hate this book? at parts definitely i do think it could've used some more editing and Brighton is comically evil but I enjoyed it
March 22, 2024
Its... okay(?) I mean don't get me wrong the writing is really good, some scenes really does brought me to tears. Its just unfortunate that those scenes are overshadowed by the fact that this book can be kinda hard to read(?) Some characters are just hard to be likeable (looking at you Brighton), if i hadn't just skimmed through most of Brighton's chapters I might've not finiah this book. Some improvement from the previous book is that Maribelle chapter is more interesting to follow and her character is more bearable, though she can still be super grating at times.
However, my major gripes with this book (aside from Brighton) is the love triangle. Like its distracting enough to have one love triangle in a middle of crisis, and now we have TWO??? Don't even get me started on Brighton's redemption arc. Like he has been a sociopathic narcissit in three books and suddenly he's okay??? I don't know i feel like the shift is too sudden to make the book feel less frustrating.
TLDR: This series is incredibly frustrating to finish and read but the writing's good enough (maybe too good that i felt total frustration reading Brighton's thoughts) but the story also wrapped up nicely without any loose end.
So like, give it a chance and just skim through a chapter or two it frustrates you.
However, my major gripes with this book (aside from Brighton) is the love triangle. Like its distracting enough to have one love triangle in a middle of crisis, and now we have TWO??? Don't even get me started on Brighton's redemption arc. Like he has been a sociopathic narcissit in three books and suddenly he's okay??? I don't know i feel like the shift is too sudden to make the book feel less frustrating.
TLDR: This series is incredibly frustrating to finish and read but the writing's good enough (maybe too good that i felt total frustration reading Brighton's thoughts) but the story also wrapped up nicely without any loose end.
So like, give it a chance and just skim through a chapter or two it frustrates you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2024
I used to be such a big fan of Adam Silvera like 5-10 years ago, but more recently I'm afraid he's been losing his luster for me. He used to be so good at writing stories about glorious gay geekboys who made me laugh and cry in equal measure, but it says a lot that this book included one particularly major character death and I didn't cry reading it. I should have, but I didn't, and I blame that on this book's massive overlength, too many characters, too many POV's, and too many times cheating death for various other characters, including a few who should've died a thousand pages ago.
Let's be honest, this entire trilogy, Silvera's attempt at an epic modern fantasy/superhero story, has been a mixed bag from the start. Each book in the series has been told in four POV's, which has always felt like two too many. I still say that Emil (even though he's a bit messy, but then again, he's the one that's most clearly the Silvera author avatar just like Aaron or Ben before him) and Ness have always been the most fascinating and gripping characters of this series, whereas Brighton...
...well, Jaroda said it once before, and I'll still say it again for old time's sake.
Brighton.
Can.
CHOKE.
And Maribelle...I'm sorry, but she's always come off super disconnected from the rest of the cast and their narratives. If Silvera was a better world builder (he's always been weak at that, let's be real), she could be the hero of her own story. But here, she just feels like she brings only extraneous filler.
It's really Emil and Ness and their complicated characterizations (ESPECIALLY Ness, who's been so long in trying to really find himself) that kept me reading this trilogy all the way to the end. They're also the reason why I'm giving this book a 2.5 rounded up instead of down.
Other than that, though...it really does make me feel awful that that one major character death didn't have me crying, and this in a book where no one else ever dies and stays that way. This in a book where phoenix and other magical blood types are applied in a Thirty Gambit Pileup so twisted that it makes less sense the more I think about it. This in a book where Brighton is somehow the least annoying online influencer in the TikTok hype house. This in a book where Emil is suddenly involved in a weaksauce love triangle where it's still pretty obvious that one ship is endgame (hell, the epilogue reminds me a hell of a lot of the ending to Red, White, and Royal Blue as a result.)
This in a book with one of the most absolutely unearned redemption arcs I've ever seen.
I used to use Silvera's books as comp titles in my query letters for my own YA novels, but those days are gone. I might have to disembark from the hype train on this one, because it's pretty clear that while I personally still have much to do in my own personal growth, I think I'm starting to outgrow Silvera's work.
Let's be honest, this entire trilogy, Silvera's attempt at an epic modern fantasy/superhero story, has been a mixed bag from the start. Each book in the series has been told in four POV's, which has always felt like two too many. I still say that Emil (even though he's a bit messy, but then again, he's the one that's most clearly the Silvera author avatar just like Aaron or Ben before him) and Ness have always been the most fascinating and gripping characters of this series, whereas Brighton...
...well, Jaroda said it once before, and I'll still say it again for old time's sake.
Brighton.
Can.
CHOKE.
And Maribelle...I'm sorry, but she's always come off super disconnected from the rest of the cast and their narratives. If Silvera was a better world builder (he's always been weak at that, let's be real), she could be the hero of her own story. But here, she just feels like she brings only extraneous filler.
It's really Emil and Ness and their complicated characterizations (ESPECIALLY Ness, who's been so long in trying to really find himself) that kept me reading this trilogy all the way to the end. They're also the reason why I'm giving this book a 2.5 rounded up instead of down.
Other than that, though...it really does make me feel awful that that one major character death didn't have me crying, and this in a book where no one else ever dies and stays that way. This in a book where phoenix and other magical blood types are applied in a Thirty Gambit Pileup so twisted that it makes less sense the more I think about it. This in a book where Brighton is somehow the least annoying online influencer in the TikTok hype house. This in a book where Emil is suddenly involved in a weaksauce love triangle where it's still pretty obvious that one ship is endgame (hell, the epilogue reminds me a hell of a lot of the ending to Red, White, and Royal Blue as a result.)
This in a book with one of the most absolutely unearned redemption arcs I've ever seen.
I used to use Silvera's books as comp titles in my query letters for my own YA novels, but those days are gone. I might have to disembark from the hype train on this one, because it's pretty clear that while I personally still have much to do in my own personal growth, I think I'm starting to outgrow Silvera's work.
November 20, 2024
Emil must fight to stop his brother, Brighton, from becoming an unstoppable force, while balancing the demands of love and war. As betrayal, alliances, and personal tragedies unfold, everyone’s future is at stake in the battle for ultimate power.
This is my last @adamsilvera book until his new book comes out next year, and I’m so sad about it. I absolutely HAD to finish this one today. I had to know what happened.
This series is an eerie mirror of the world we are currently living in and it is SO stressful to read. As the series concluded, I felt in my heart that it was a well earned, lovely ending. (I wouldn’t say no to more stories in this world!!)
The multiple POV continued to shine - and having four characters tell their sides of the story throughout this series was fantastic. It was especially effective in this book, as we see Brighton fall deeper into his quest for immortality and Emil want to stop him but also get rid of his powers.
There were SO many deaths in this book and several had me gasping and crying. I was stunned.
I continued to fall more in love with Ness as a fierce protector of the boy he loved. I loved Wyatt’s charm. I loved Prudencia’s friendship. I loved their band of heroes. Truly, when everything comes together at the end, it’s amazing. That final reveal was *chef’s kiss.* I LOVED the epilogue and the hope displayed. I think it’s safe to say that I like fantasy now. A true gem!!
The audio is AMAZING and each narrator brought such depth to their role. I felt EVERYTHING. So so good.
This is my last @adamsilvera book until his new book comes out next year, and I’m so sad about it. I absolutely HAD to finish this one today. I had to know what happened.
This series is an eerie mirror of the world we are currently living in and it is SO stressful to read. As the series concluded, I felt in my heart that it was a well earned, lovely ending. (I wouldn’t say no to more stories in this world!!)
The multiple POV continued to shine - and having four characters tell their sides of the story throughout this series was fantastic. It was especially effective in this book, as we see Brighton fall deeper into his quest for immortality and Emil want to stop him but also get rid of his powers.
There were SO many deaths in this book and several had me gasping and crying. I was stunned.
I continued to fall more in love with Ness as a fierce protector of the boy he loved. I loved Wyatt’s charm. I loved Prudencia’s friendship. I loved their band of heroes. Truly, when everything comes together at the end, it’s amazing. That final reveal was *chef’s kiss.* I LOVED the epilogue and the hope displayed. I think it’s safe to say that I like fantasy now. A true gem!!
The audio is AMAZING and each narrator brought such depth to their role. I felt EVERYTHING. So so good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2025
I liked this book a lot, but I don't really understand the relevancy of Maribelle's side quest. I would be so annoyed during all her chapters because they had nothing to do with the central plot of the story. It was technically incorporated here and there and gave closure to some of the characters, but it just felt like a waste of time to me. I was a lot more interested in her narrative once she was more active in the actual plot of the book. The book also got super dark and gore-y at some parts. I had to close the book and take a break when this would happen. That all said though, I still really liked this book and was satisfied with the conclusion. I had no idea what was going to happen with Brighton and actually quite liked his ending. I think this book could have been cut down a couple hundred pages, but it was still a good read.
May 20, 2025
I’m usually a huge fan of Adam Silvera’s work. I’ve grown to expect the deaths of my favorite characters, usually in some pretty extreme and graphic ways. However, I struggled with this book. Brighton, the main character’s brother, is so obnoxious, entitled, and self-absorbed. It makes reading anything about him insufferable. Silvera tries to write in a sort of redemption arc, but it falls flat. On the other hand, Emil represents the good brother. It seems Silvera got a little confused about good and complicit, with Emil consistently defending his brother despite him being a mass serial killer. By the end, a lifetime prison sentence for Brighton wasn’t enough for me. Outside of that, I like the plot. The exploration of the other characters was done well, and I quite enjoyed reading from multiple different point of views.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2024
It’s a rare thing for me to experience a series where each book truly improves upon its predecessor, but I think that’s exactly the case for the Infinity Cycle. It took me 2 reads before I was taken away by Infinity Son, I loved the grittiness of Infinity Reaper and Infinity Kings was just amazing!
The action, the fight scenes, the twists and shocks. This was a great ending of a series...up until the final act. Though it was strong, I felt there were parts that could've been stronger. I won't spoil it but I wish a few things concerning Brighton were different. Happy for Emil though.
Thanks Adam for another strong read!
The action, the fight scenes, the twists and shocks. This was a great ending of a series...up until the final act. Though it was strong, I felt there were parts that could've been stronger. I won't spoil it but I wish a few things concerning Brighton were different. Happy for Emil though.
Thanks Adam for another strong read!
April 29, 2024
I honestly can’t find the words to describe how much I loved this. The perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy. I am so glad Adam tried his hand at writing fantasy instead of just contemporary! The Infinity Cycle series is entertaining, well-written, magical, diverse, witty and touching in all the right moments. This is by far my favourite book in what was already a loved series, I’m so happy with the way every character’s story ended, apart from the few I cried over (Adam Silvera, when I catch you 😂). I genuinely do not think this man could write a bad book if he tried. Go read this trilogy!
October 5, 2025
This book perfectly tied all the endings together. It kind of dragged a little bit, but it wasn't bothering me that much to be fair.
I've grown to love all of these characters and I'm so sad to say goodbye.
I think it is kind of cheap to have everyone just be reborn like this, because it made the stakes feel so much lower. I do like how the plotline with Maribelle and Atlas went, and I hope it works out with Tala but I'm mostly very glad it wasn't okay instantly.
I've grown to love all of these characters and I'm so sad to say goodbye.
I think it is kind of cheap to have everyone just be reborn like this, because it made the stakes feel so much lower. I do like how the plotline with Maribelle and Atlas went, and I hope it works out with Tala but I'm mostly very glad it wasn't okay instantly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2026
It was amazing and I loved most of this book! the story was sad and happy and amazing and wrapped it all up sooo nicely! however one thing that always annoys me is bringing characters back when that just dosnt make sense and it wouldn't work! so this one bit kind of let me down (even though I was happy for said character to cone back)!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews