The Infinite by Lori Lee is the second book in the Gates of Thread and Stone series and I will get to the story in a minute but I have to admit, these books have some of my favorite covers. I thought the first one was lovely but after reading, I thought this one captured Kai and the story perfectly. Plus it is sooo pretty!! Warning: If you have not read Gates of Thread and Stone, stop here as there may be spoilers to that book below.

To say Kai has a lot going on in this book would be a pretty big understatement. At the start of this book, she is living at the palace and trying to figure out what she really wants to do and what is most important to her. As Avan attempts to figure out what it means to be Infinite, Kai is struggling with the fact that she can’t feel the threads of time any longer and that Avan isn’t the same person he was before he died…no matter how much she wishes he were.

While that is going on there are many governmental issues as well. A rebellion continues to threaten the government of Ninurta and there is a new threat that is located outside the walls of the city. Both are dangerous because one is being led by someone within and the other is being manipulated by someone very dangerous. As Kai is pulled into both situations, she finds that her denial of her power over the threads is the only thing that will save her which causes her to face some facts.

I loved the world building that Lee did in this book. We got to see what was located outside the walls of Ninurta because of the additional storyline of the group in Lanathrill. The idea of a city built inside of a mountain came to life through Lee’s descriptions.

As the story progresses, we learn that despite the fact that Ninu is gone; his creations are still creating problems for the world. The arrival of a messenger from Lanathrill is what takes Kai’s story away from Ninurta and we begin to learn more about her gift, what the leaders of Lanathrill are up to, and where her relationships with Reev and Avan will take her.

I can’t say much about what really happens here but know that there is plenty of action to keep you turning the pages. Blended in with the action is also the mystery of what really is going on. Kai knows that the Infinite can’t be trusted and her gut tells her that the Council of Vethe (the leaders of Lanathrill) are up to something but she can’t quite put her finger on it. As she begins to figure it out, things take a definite turn for the worse for Kai and those who traveled with her.

The secondary characters are great in this installment. Of course there is Avan and Reev but Kai’s friendship with Mason is just as important and plays a part in some of the decisions she makes in the story. The addition of Emryn and Cassia were great and created another layer to the story I wasn’t really expecting.

Lee spends a bit of time developing the backstory of the Avan’s and Kai’s relationship and also adds to it because in reality, the old Avan doesn’t really exist anymore so even though they had built the foundation of their relationship in book one, Avan doesn’t remember any of it. We also got to see a different view of Kai’s friendship with Mason as well as a change in Kai’s relationship with her brother.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story progressed well and we saw some growth in all of the characters. I have to say I am excited to read more about Kai and her powers as well as see what happens to the other characters involved. If you enjoy action, great world building, and a fantastic story that includes magic and wonderful characters, definitely check this series out.

Thank you to Amazon Children's Publishing for the review copy!

I like this narrator and the story is coming back to me which is important because I needed this reread before I jump into the last book!

I really enjoyed the audio on this one as the narrator did a wonderful job!

I'm not kidding when I say I have no words...at least none right this second. Review to follow shortly.

Ok - I had to think about this for a day. Honestly I couldn't put this book down and thankfully I had a hard copy and wasn't cursing the flight attendant for making me turn it off with only a 1/4 of the book left!

We pick up where things left off - June and Day are on their way to find the rebels. When they find them, they make a deal with them to assist in their plans against the Republic in return for helping Day find his brother and fix his leg. As noted in the summary, the help the rebels want is for Day and June to assist in the assassination plot of the new Elector - Anden. There is a lot going on -- I will not rehash it...sorry - you need to read all about it.

There are a few new characters introduced in this book but the rest are returning. Thomas is back in the beginning. Kaede, Tess, Day and June are woven throughout the book. Anden is one who has a pivotal role based on who he is and he will continue to play one.

I will not give away anything that happens in this book - just go read it. Things absolutely move forward in this book and a lot of things are uncovered. I still can't shake the feeling that June should be an older character - maybe I am biased based on my impressions of what a 15 year old should act like. She has seen and done a lot in her short time but she seems much older than her years.

The interaction between June and Day was so varied - there were times where I felt like they had a chance and other times where I thought that no matter what, they are just too different and they are going to end up on very different paths. With the introduction of Anden and some other things that come up, it is very clear that it won't be easy.

I was torn on how I felt about Tess in this book - I know she only had Day's best interests in mind but there were times where her actions seemed more about trying to get him to see June as a threat/danger vs. seeing her differently.

Overall a great second installment. I definitely wish I could have had more...the ending made me wish I had the next book in my hands right now. I obviously will have to wait for it but am willing to make a deal with anyone that has (or will have one early) a copy....seriously.

As a warning, my review will not do this book justice so I will tell you to just read it. I give it 5 stars but honestly, I would give more if I could.

For me, a good book gets me invested in the characters and this one pulled me in from the first sentence. There is so much I want to say but won’t because I want everyone who reads this book to experience the story for themself. The story switches between the point of views of Nastya and Josh. Both have had things happen to them that are completely out of their control and I couldn’t help wanting to know all of the secrets right away but Millay does a wonderful job of spacing everything out along the way. This isn’t one of those boy meets girl and everything is puppies and rainbows. This is a story that shows life isn’t perfect and things happen but sometimes, with a lot of work, family, support, etc., people can heal (or begin to heal).

Every last character introduced in this book is someone I want to know more about. The Leighton’s, Josh Bennett, Nastya, Drew, Clay,….they all have a story and Millay intertwines their stories beautifully to create a story that I was unable to put down. I probably highlighted more in this book than I have in a while and I have a feeling this will stay on my favorites shelf for a very long time.

I liked it, I really liked it. I usually have a had time reviewing romance books but maybe it is because most are really just ok. I won't lie, there were some things that took away from the story for me but overall I give this a 5 because I can't do 1/2 stars and it was higher than a 4 for me.

Cath and Nev (City) are the main characters and both are great. Starting with Cath - she's American and has taken the last 2 years to start over. She now has a job she loves and has spent the time mostly in an "observation" mode. She takes the train to work everyday and that is where she first crosses paths with "City". This is her nickname for Nev as she feels he is the perfect example of what the city is - straight-laced, suits, and very neat. Due to a deal Cath made with someone, she ends up going to dinner and drinking too much. Next thing she knows, she's waking up in someone's bed and trying to recall what happened.

Enter Nev...I really loved him. He listened when Cath was at a point where she was ready to share more about herself and her past and he may have had some family issues but he didn't let them change who he was inside. He loves to paint, plays rugby and wants to be with Cath. Oh and the sexy talk...very nice.

The story itself moved at a good pace. We were able to learn about both fairly quickly and dive into who they were when they were together. The thing that bothered me most was Cath's continual thoughts that she needed to let Nev go and not be with him. I won't go into all of the detail of what happened but the way the story came full circle with the tattoos and Nev's paintings made me happy.