The Book Report #135

Episode #134

The Book Club Edition #11

I joined a book club. This is the book the book club chose in September 2026.

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

The Book

This book was published on February 6th 2024. Tor Teen / Tor Publishing Group published the book in America. It is an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Faber & Faber published the book in the United Kingdom.

My copy was an ebook. It had 428 pages. There is an acknowledgements page and an advert for the next book in the series. An About the Author page. And some copyright details.

What Did I Think?

Ash is a young man without a licence to practise and learn Alchemy. Only those who can afford the licence and pass the exam can practise Alchemy.

Ash has read everything he can get his hands on. He creates things when he shouldn’t. He never does it on purpose, but he doesn’t try to control himself.

But one time, he got caught.

He could have called the police. But after thinking for a bit. And looking at what Ash had created. He proposed something that would change everything for both of them.

Ash is the main character and is trying to find Ramsey. Before searching for Ramsey, he causes another accident and is eventually captured by the police, known as the Reds. A man of influence finds out who he is and uses his position to stop him from being executed. Instead, he is given to a training police cadet as his Scribe.

The officer just so happens to be Ramsey’s ex. Ash convinces Callum to feel even more guilty for leaving Ramsey. With this, Callum grows some balls, leaves the abusive father and his family, and they both go in search of Ramsey.

This leads Callum and Ash to have a relationship. It all felt a bit forced, and I didn’t see the point. But this would lead to a thruple.

Needed?

I know this is a romance story, set in a fantasy world. But I didn’t see the need. I need some understanding of the idea of a gender fluid character. Ramsey was born a girl and can randomly transform into a boy because of alchemy.

Without the romance, the story is not bad. I quite liked it. It could have been more.

The second plot of the book is to find the Source of all alchemy; whoever finds it first gains infinite power.

She got it wrong

The author used the wrong word. That word is Alchemy. The word kept bothering me. Alchemy is about transmuting one thing into something else.

Before it was made illegal, the idea was to turn objects into gold. From what I have read and been told, it never worked.

This is not what was happening. Things and actions were being created from nothing. This is magic, not Alchemy.

Would I Recommend?

For the fantasy and adventure of this story. Yes, I would recommend it. For the romance, no, I wouldn’t recommend it.

But as I will always say. Never let me stop you from reading a book. Form your own opinion. And leave your comments below.

Please give this book a go.

Would you like to purchase your very own copy?

You could try these online stores: Amazon (UK/USA), Waterstones, AbeBooks (UK/USA), Barnes and Noble, eBay (UK/USA).

Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or your local library.