Infinite by Jodi Meadows

I think it was time to finish reading this trilogy. For some reason, when I don't want a series to end, I hold off on reading the last book. INFINITE is the bitter-sweet ending to Jodi Meadow's debut trilogy and while I enjoyed how it all came together, I don't think I'm fully satisfied with this ending. I think I came in with too many expectations and the novel kind of fell short. I absolutely loved the first book, INCARNATE, but I have to say this third book is my least favorite of the series.

The mythology Jodi Meadows created captivated me from the very beginning of book 1 because it felt mysterious. It probably felt that way because we didn't know much about it. Truthfully, now that all is revealed in this last installment, everything seems far-fetched and labored. It's almost as if the author didn't plan this far ahead and needed an ending, and simply wrote what first came to mind. In most of the novel we see the main characters travelling to the far reaches of their homeland. The constant walking and wandering in hopes of finding a way to stop Janan, the antagonist, is treacherous to read. I simply had a hard time getting through this part of the novel.

Also, while travelling, it felt like Ana, the main character, just wanted to see how many species she could communicate with. Everyone is afraid of being burnt by the sylph? No problem, let's just try to talk to them when they approach and hopefully not burn to death. You're found with a couple of centaur kids and their herd thinks you've kidnapped them? That's okay too because you can put a smile on and listen to music as their parents come to get them. The dragons are big and scary but you absolutely think they can understand you, even if your boyfriend has been eaten or killed by them 35 times in the last thousand years. Ana's quest to befriend every creature seems immature, and the way she takes chances doesn't resonate with me. You don't confront dragons for the first time by calling them names and throwing rocks at them, especially if they can kill you with one bite or one stomp. That is definitely not the definition to making friends. And sorry Ana. You can't blame that on you're weird, unique and tormented childhood.

Another issue I had a hard getting over is the seemingly everlasting batteries in the SEDs, which are either a large smart phone or a small tablet. The characters are gone for weeks on end, with no electricity but these devices seem to last forever. Personally, I have to charge my phone every night, especially if I use it to listen to music all day and all night long. It's just a quirk I had a hard time dealing with because unless I missed the explanation that said it was solar powered or something,  it's just not realistic. (If someone can prove me wrong and point out to me why these devices never "die", please let me know!)

One thing Meadows did right however, is create bad guys that are easy to hate. Those who worship Janan have almost created a religion surrounding this attention seeking god-like character. It feels very real how this "religion" becomes fanatical when some leaders preach constant hate for Newsouls, humans that are born without being reincarnated. The hate and the aggression is very scary and resonates with current affairs where some Islamic extremists go to the extent of killing those who are different and those who can't be converted. (Please note I'm making this comparison but I don't want anyone to take offense. I'm aware the two situations are completely different.) Another positive aspect is that Ms. Meadows knows how to write a good kissing scene. While there might have been a bit too many in this novel and they got repetitive, I have to admit the relationship between Ana and Sam is, as always, exceptional.

Overall, I think I'm in the minority when I say this book wasn't all that great. The epilogue was "okay", even though I did have one samll issue with it, which I'm not going to mention because that would mean a major spoiler. I kind of expected it to end this way, but I just wanted to be wowed! Regrettably,  I wasn't. I'm still glad I've read this series because it was a wonderful ride, for the most part. For a debut trilogy, it was a huge undertaking. I think Jodi Meadows has a wonderful writing future ahead of her and I think we can only expect her work to get better in time. I look forward to her next series, which comes out in early 2015.

Posted by Tynga at 02:30

 dragons, Fantasy, HarperCollins, incarnate, Jodi Meadows, Katherine Tegen Books, New Soul, Phoenix, Purchased, Review, Romance, sylph, young adult  4 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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