The Afterlands

The Infinity Courts #3

by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Nami must race against time to save Infinity—and humanity—in the explosive third and final book in the “cerebral and pulse-pounding” (School Library Journal on Infinity Courts, starred review) Infinity Courts series from critically acclaimed author Akemi Dawn Bowman.

Infinity has changed. Victory and Famine lie in ruins, while Ozias—previously the leader of the fight against the AI Residents who subjugated humans—has overthrown Death. And the boy that Nami unreservedly gave her heart to has been dragged back to the Capital to have his memory erased. In a shifting landscape of alliances, Nami doesn’t know who she can trust—she only knows it’s her mistakes that have driven them to today.

With few allies and even fewer friends, Nami sets off one final time to prove that a bridge between humans and Residents really is possible…before the shadows of the past destroy any chance of a better future.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Royalty

Unknown Binding

First published April 16, 2026

About the author

Akemi Dawn Bowman is a critically-acclaimed author who writes across genres. Her novels have received multiple accolades and award nominations, and her debut novel, STARFISH, was a William C. Morris Award Finalist. She has a BA in social sciences from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and currently lives in Scotland with her family. She overthinks everything, including this bio. You can find Akemi on Instagram @AkemiDawnBowman.

Reviews

[~lily~]

first the infinity courts , then the genesis wars broke me. these books have me in a chokehold. i'm scared for the finale, but the ending of genesis wars will haunt me until i have it.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please you amazing sweet author, I’m begging for this next book. Literally scream and crying-I just finished the second book not even 5 minutes ago. I hope it gets published before the end of this year because I’m dying.

[biba ♡]

i just found out this is coming out omg omg im running to chapters rn just gonna camp there real quick

[Namrata]

SCREAMING CRYING I WANT THE THIRD BOOK I MUST HAVE THE THIRD BOOK

[Michelle]

ITS BEEN FOUR YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE IS ITTTTT???????????????????????? HELLOOOOOOOOO???????????????????????????

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh no.... are we not getting the 3rd one??? 😭😭😭😭

[Tish · Rating 4 out of 5]

We waited so long for this conclusion. Was it the ending I expected? No. The foreshadowing was so strong, I knew it was coming. I set the book down so I didn’t have to deal with the end. Four long years in the making, this was a satisfying conclusion. We revisited a lot of friends and got all questions answered. I think my heart broke a little with Ophelia’s backstory and again with Ophelia at the end. She wasn’t in the right but I think in that situation we’d all have a little villian. Sweat Caelan and brave Nami fought so hard for peace. I loved how their relationship grew and developed over the three books. While in my head I expected something different I am happy with this conclusion. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

[Hailey]

The infinity courts and the genisis wars are unlike any other book I've ever read, and that's saying a lot. They made me cry, laugh, love. They broke me down and I NEED to know what happens next. WHERE IS THE THIRD BOOK!? It was supposed to be published last year! Please spare my suffering, I NEED THAT BOOK.

[Meheru The Indian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait for the third book 🤩🤩

[Norah McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait for this book to come out! The ending of the Genesis wars was so heartbreaking, and I am just waiting for the finale book to come out so I can see how it ends. These books have kept me on my toes throughout it all, making me feel as if I was not just reading the book, but I was there. There are so few books that can do that for me. I want to thank the author Akemi Dawn Bowman for writing this with so much dedication to her books and her readers.

[Stephen]

Does anyone have information on this book's publication schedule? I'm beginning to worry that they're canceling the series before it's done (like every other Netflix show I've liked)!

[➷ Officia11ySecret {Kacchan Bakugo's V.} ➷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Great, except (!!SPOILER!!) why did everyone Nami love at the end die/move away from her? I get the ending is supposed to teach you about letting go but...hon. NOW SHES ALONE AND LONELY.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE AFTERLANDS is a satisfying conclusion to the Infinity Courts trilogy. This book picks up when Nami is regenerating and the second wave has been gaining ground and destroying Residents. Nami pleads to try to change her sister and the military's minds, but she finds that no one is really willing to listen. She sets off on a journey to find her friends and see whether she can help to balance the tides.

What I loved: This is such a unique premise, and I love the way things continue to grow and expand in the Courts as this story is told. This book is quite action-packed and picks up quickly from the start. Nami is adjusting, thinking, and considering as tries to find her way in this constantly changing world.

There are some really strong themes around the black-and-white good-and-evil type thinking, striving for peace, and the challenges of war. While the humans have determined that all Residents are evil, Nami sees the middle ground and wants to find a way to achieve peace where everyone can co-exist. This is a particularly difficult challenge when everyone is ready for war and the black-and-white thinking that allows them to do what they need to do.

The characters are really strong in this series, primarily Nami whose perspective we are primarily shown, but also her friends, her sister, and even Ophelia. The romance that has been building continues in this book a bit as well. Nami has grown a lot since the start of the series, and the conclusion felt like a culmination of her growth and maturity.

The end was ultimately satisfying though a bit bittersweet. This has been a strong trilogy, and readers will enjoy reaching the end and seeing how it all turns out. It would be helpful to have read the first two books right before this one, as there are a lot of details that would be great to remember.

Final verdict: THE AFTERLANDS is a satisfying conclusion to a strong dystopian YA trilogy that I highly recommend for people who enjoy strong world-building, compelling themes, and fantastic characters.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

We waited four years for this ending. And I was not emotionally prepared.

📚 The Afterlands by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Series: The Infinity Courts book three
Genre: YA science fiction fantasy
Vibes: rebellion against AI, shifting alliances, tragic love, morally gray choices, final stand

Infinity is fractured. Leaders have fallen. Alliances have shifted. And the boy Nami gave her whole heart to has been dragged back to have his memory erased.

If that does not hurt enough, just wait.

What made this a powerful finale:

⚔️ High stakes political and AI driven conflict that feels cerebral and intense
💔 A romance that has grown slowly and beautifully across the trilogy
🧠 Big questions about humanity, control, and coexistence
👑 Twists in loyalty that force impossible choices
🥀 A heartbreaking villain arc that feels painfully human

The foreshadowing was strong. I knew what was coming. I still had to set the book down at one point because I did not want to face it.

Ophelia absolutely wrecked me. She was not right in her choices, but her backstory and final moments added so much emotional weight. In her position, I think anyone could have tipped into villainy just a little.

Nami and Caelan’s growth across all three books is one of my favorite parts of this series. They fight for peace in a world built on division, and their relationship feels earned. Brave. Tender. Tested.

This may not have been the ending I pictured in my head, but it was satisfying. Questions were answered. Threads were tied. And the emotional payoff hit exactly where it needed to.

If you love thoughtful science fiction that balances action with moral complexity and romance, this trilogy deserves your time.

💬 Do you prefer an ending that surprises you or one that fulfills the foreshadowing you saw coming?

#AkemiDawnBowman #TheAfterlands #SimonAndSchusterBYR #YAScienceFiction #InfinityCourts

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Afterlands is such a satisfying conclusion to the Infinity Courts series! Now, I will say, I had forgotten a lot. And we're thrown right into the action, which is a bit unsettling when it's been a minute (four years, in fact- a long time for my old brain to remember stuff, especially 500 books later!) and you can remember only the bare minimum. So that, in effect, is my one gripe- I'd have loved some kind of recap, any kind of recap. And I won't lie- even as I remembered some of the stuff, I didn't remember all of the stuff, but I was able to put it out of my mind and enjoy the story as it was.

Anyway, the characters were fabulous, Akemi Dawn Bowman's writing is as engaging as ever, and I was definitely invested in the outcome. I loved how Nami just wanted people to be able to make their own choices, and it definitely struck a chord in terms of relevance to current issues. Without giving too much away (especially as this is a third book in a trilogy!), I was very happy to reach a satisfying conclusion to Nami's story, and one that made me feel like the series was very, very worth reading.

Bottom Line: If you haven't gotten to this series yet, now is the best time- you know it ends well, and you won't have any issues remembering stuff. Off you go!

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A LONG-AWAITED CONCLUSION!

The Afterlands by Akemi Dawn Bowman is the long‑awaited, deeply satisfying conclusion this series absolutely deserved. It picks up immediately after the gut‑punch cliffhanger of book two, wasting no time throwing you straight back into the chaos. From there, it’s a full‑throttle rollercoaster. There is action that barely lets you breathe, stakes that feel impossibly high, and a world that’s finally pushed to its breaking point. War is coming, and it will change the afterlife forevermore. Bowman knows her pacing, and this book moves with urgency and purpose, making it impossible to put down once you start.

And then there’s the romance. Don't even get me started. It is angsty, aching, and heartbreakingly moving. Caelan and Nami are going to be the couple you ROOT for! Every emotional beat lands because you’ve been on this journey with these characters for so long, and Bowman honors that investment in the most devastating way. The love here feels earned, hard‑won, and fragile in the face of everything crumbling around it. By the time I reached the end, I was openly emotional. That messy, emotional kind of outburst that comes from saying goodbye to characters who feel real. It is important to remember that this is the afterlife and these characters have already passed on from the first world. And the Afterlands is the next greatest adventure. The Afterlands doesn’t just conclude a story; it hurts in the best way, and I couldn’t have asked for a more powerful, tear‑soaked farewell.

[Kiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

My hopes were a little too high for The Afterlands because I definitely misinterpreted the ending of the second book and when I realized we were still in Infinity rather than somehow returning to the mortal realm I was instantly disappointed. Without that, this was about the same as The Infinity Courts and The Genesis Wars—and very much not up my alley (though there was some effective romantic angst). Almost everything feels a little too juvenile, especially most of the characters—I can kind of accept Nami sounding this way since she died as a teenager, but everyone else reads as unbelievably young despite being around for at least several, if not thousands of, lifetimes.

And I know, I know the story repeatedly stresses all of the bad things that can befall the characters, but it's still hard to really establish stakes when everyone is already in the afterlife. And of course it's easier from a storytelling perspective to have them play by the rules of mortal physics, but I just can't care when characters charge into battle with hand-to-hand combat when I know they can literally bend reality, teleport, and shapeshift (maybe with extra effort, but still). I was actually pretty impressed when the main love interest died, or as much as he could die in that realm though even that unsurprisingly wasn't entirely permanent either.

[MICHEAL DOANE · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Afterlands, the final installment in Akemi Dawn Bowman’s Infinity Courts series, delivers a high-intensity conclusion built on escalating political fracture, emotional consequence, and existential stakes. Positioned within YA science fiction and dystopian fantasy, the narrative continues its exploration of human-AI tension while raising the cost of prior decisions to a global and personal scale.

The core strength of this entry lies in its layered conflict structure, fractured alliances, shifting power hierarchies, and a protagonist forced to confront both external collapse and internal regret. The emphasis on memory manipulation, leadership upheaval, and moral ambiguity reinforces the series’ cerebral tone while maintaining strong emotional propulsion through character attachment and relational stakes.

From a market perspective, The Afterlands functions as a franchise-capstone with clear appeal to established readers of the series and YA speculative fiction audiences who value complex worldbuilding and ethical sci-fi frameworks. It strengthens Bowman’s positioning in the genre as a writer capable of balancing conceptual science fiction with emotionally driven storytelling, making the series cohesive and exportable across YA sci-fi readership segments.

[❤️My Dog is my Best Friend❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How could I ever feel lost...when I know you'll always find me?"

This was overall a very satisfying conclusion to this trilogy--it has been a few years between this book and the previous but it was definitely worth the wait. I feel like this maintained the same overall messaging of the importance of freedom and the ability to coexist despite differences. This trilogy is also a really interesting (and equally heartbreaking and heartwarming) look at death.

While I don't have any major complaints about the story it was missing that...something that the first two books had. Hence the four instead of the expected five star. (But to be fair, I didn't love the last 25% ish of the book so maybe that is what brought it down)

Definitely recommend the trilogy but I do wish this had been the easy five star rating I expected.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

I waited so long for this book and I'm glad I got an ARC of it! I won't go into too many details since it is the third book of the series, but the conclusion was satisfying. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. I liked learning more about Ophelia and her relationship with the king, Ozias. I wish we got more time between Nami and Mei because the whole reason why Nami did the things she did was because of Mei. She wanted a better future for Mei (and everyone else, of course but mostly Mei). Overall, this was a great series. I loved the overarching theme of how to end the cycle of violence and hate. It's an important topic to discuss, especially in the current political environment.

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The Afterlands explores what our future could be like. We can become locked in this cycle of violence, of revenge, of total victory. But what might peace look like? Could it look like something that didn't demand the erasure of one side? Is there a solution to the approach of fighting fire with fire that doesn't end with it all razed to the ground? This solution, this negotiation, is harder to do. And for Nami she fights for the shades of grey, the complicated truth, and the possibility of change. I also, predictably, loved the sister relationship in The Afterlands. So much has changed and there's this distance between what Nami knew and the world now.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last book came out four years ago, I did not do a reread, and once again there was not rehashing of past events. If this world isn’t fresh in your mind, you may get lost. Lots of past characters, conversations and events are brought up, but it does start one hundred years later. Yep. When we thought ten months was bad between book one and two, we had no idea what we were in for. As our MC has basically been in a coma/not existing for that time, she has no idea either so we’re all on level ground.
There’s constant action once more, and developments and new truths uncovered. Things are turned on their heads and the lore evolves and changes as the character do. It’s not a completely closed ending and could very well find a way to spawn a new spin off from here, but it’s heartrendingly beautiful in the simplicity of the end. We all knew this wouldn’t be an easy ride.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good finale for a great trilogy. I can't really process the whole of it at the moment but I'll try my best.
We got to the end with all the answers and there were thing that left me speechless. For the majority I think it was a great ending but, the reason I'm giving it a 4.5 stars and not 5 stars like the other books, it's because of that one thing that I was in disbelief that happened. I even shed a couple tears. The very last page ended in a hopeful tone but still... That part is the reason it dropped half a star for me.
I totally recommend this series. I don't see people talking about and deserve to be more loved.

[Jasmine Shouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compelling conclusion to The Infinity Courts. The series is interesting because Nami's goal changes then changes back and shifts a little bit. It challenges Nami based on who the enemy really is. I enjoyed how this one was a bit more of her taking action while still using her abilities to mask.

The ending was not exactly what I expected, but it was satisfying. I enjoyed this series a lot.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review.

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was worth the wait. as an older sister I'm sobbing. as a daughter I'm sobbing. as a friend I'm sobbing. as someone who has loved I'm sobbing. as someone who has known so much death I'm sobbing. as someone who has been scared of death I'm sobbing. thank you akemi for this bit of peace and vulnerability.

[Salinas Dinh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart feels both so heavy and full for this conclusion. This is hands down one of my favorite book series ever. Nami’s story perfectly captures what it means to persevere with hope despite all of the uncertainty and sorrow.

[Sarah Ploopy · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO EXCITED

[mikeyandherbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-arc provided by Netgalley.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year because I loved The Infinity Courts so so much when I first read them. This was a solid conclusion to the series and I really enjoyed being in this world again and seeing how everything played out. The ending was a bit abrupt and I think I forgot some of the finer details of the first 2 books since it has been 4 years since the last one, but overall I still really enjoyed this.


1/14/26
eek I got approved for the ARC I'm so excited to get back into this world

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

long live our drama queen girlboss Nami

[marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

torn idk