Balancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.

Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own—one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be.

Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for this ARC! I am a huge fan of Adam Silvera’s, and up until now I was content having him bewitch me into tears with the beautiful relationships and vivid worlds that he created. Little did I know, though I should have guessed, how completely his fantasy would wow me! He has openly said that he wanted to create an LGBTQ+ world that he would have wanted to disappear in as a kid. He grew up watching the X-Men and Harry Potter, and though you can see little hints of these influences, I think that Adam made a story all his own that all types of people are going to love and connect with.

There are a varied cast of characters here that we get to focus on, but I think the main focus of the novel stems from Emil and Brighton, a pair of twins who couldn’t be more different. They live in a world where Spell Walkers are born with powers but manifest them at different times in their life span. They are feared and revered for being different, and though they have dissipated many a threat, there are enforcers that have been employed to make sure they don’t overstep their bounds and make the population at large uncomfortable. On the other side of that coin, there are also the Blood Casters. They are made up of a group of specters; individuals who have gained power by mixing their blood with that of a supernatural creature such as a hydra or a phoenix. This is not only looked down upon for the slaying of an innocent animal, but also has a fatal flaw in that it is very unstable and oftentimes leads to death.

When Emil finds out he has powers, it is devastating for him and for Brighton. There is a war waging between the Spell Walkers and the Blood Casters, and Emil is swiftly recruited to help goodness prevail. He wants no part of it as he could never imagine hurting someone else, and wants peace above all things. Brighton, who spends his days videoing celestial content, hoping to make his big break, is brokenhearted seeing his brother get everything he wanted and more. Emil gets to save the day with the Spell Walkers Brighton has always looked up to while he’s in the background with a camera. Their relationship is put to the test as Emil tries to push away his own strength and Brighton does whatever he can to join the fray. 

Adam has created an engrossing world with such original and fascinating lore. I love the different kind of phoenixes in this and the way that magic and supernatural powers work. Not only is this is a stunning fantasy endeavor, but I think it is also such a strong coming-of-age novel as well. These characters have always been by each other’s sides and had roles they had to fill, but the circumstances in this book draw them both apart and closer than ever before as they try to adjust to the new parts they have been thrust into. The ending made me gasp, and I cannot wait to see what the sequel will bring.

5/5 stars