This series is full of surprises. It's turning out to be more than I anticipated and it's all been great so far. Infinity Bell is only the second book in the series and I'm hooked on these characters, the story and the writing. Honestly, I had no clue what I was getting into when I started reading this series but it's so original I have a hard time classifying the series into a specific genre. The book is set a few centuries in the future so it definitely qualifies as science-fiction, but it also has paranormal elements and a dystopian feel. Basically some of my favorite genres all wrapped up in a neat little brown package.
Book one kind of left us on a cliffhanger but now as events unfold, the treaty between the houses and the galvanized (a group of immortal people created after a botched experiment) is crumbling and creating tension throughout the different houses. Matilda Case, her fellow galvanized Abraham, her brother Quinten and her farmhand Neds are on the run right from the start of the novel, and don't stop running until the very end of the book. This creates a wonderful pace for the story and definitely keeps you on edge throughout the whole thing. The urgency to get back to the Case farm is always present because countless lives depend on fixing time.
Now, this is where things get complicated (but in a good way). Apparently time was "broken" by Matilda and Quinten's ancestor when he tried to manipulate time in an experiment, a few hundred years ago. It's this experiment that unknowingly created the galvanized, extending the natural life of 13 humans by a few hundred years. Now, the hours are counting down to some time event that could be the end for Matilda and so many others, unless the time rift is fixed. I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the whole time thing but just go with it because it's definitely worth it.
The human race has always been fascinated with time. Early civilizations taught themselves to measure time with the sun, the moon and the stars. Modern time physicists are still trying to explain time and relativity with mathematics and physics. But one thing is for sure: time has always found a way to slip through our fingers, despite humanity's quest to find a way to live forever. That's why I find this series so fascinating. Not only is it about immortality, but it also tries to explain it with time and science. As a science geek, I'm hooked on this series for sure, even if it is pure fiction.
While book one was more about introducing the characters, this sequel was more about answering questions about the time experiment that started it all. However, we do learn new things about the characters, like Quinten's secret life that he hides so well from his sister. We also learn more about the galvanized's pasts, before they were revived. Abraham and Matilda's relationship also progresses despite the gloomy outlook. In my opinion, the author revealed just enough to keep us interested, without pestering us with too much information.
On a final note, the last chapter is infuriating. I still can't believe that's how Devon Monk ended the book. Reading the sneak peek for next book does very little to appease my frustration with this cliffhanger. It's maddening, but also sad because I don't know what it means for the characters and their relationship. I don't want to reveal anything else, but you'll definitely know what I mean once you read it.
A poignant sequel, Infinity Bell is action-packed, captivating and thought-provoking. I'm really glad the next book will be published in about six months from now. I don't want to wait too long to know what happens because it looks like Matilda will have a lot of explaining to do...
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