Bitten by Books
Infinity Bell, the terrific second installment in the absorbing House Immortal series, picks up immediately where its predecessor concluded, with Matilda, her brother, Quinten, the wounded galvanized, Abraham, and her friend, Neds, on the run from the ruling Houses in the wake of two murders being blamed on them.
While on their way to a safe house where they can get medical assistance for the badly-wounded Abraham, Quinten explains to Matilda that he plans to fix the break in time that occurred three hundred years earlier, resulting in the creation of the galvanized (the twelve beings containing human souls in stitched, seemingly-immortal bodies). Unfortunately, this plan involves someone going back in time to convince their ancestor to tweak his experiment, but Matilda and Quinten first need to access their captive grandmother’s journal in order to determine the necessary adjustments.
With time running out (literally, as the galvanized will cease to exist if the time anomaly corrects itself without their interference), Matilda, Quinten and the rest of the group make their way across the country using various underground methods, never quite sure whom to trust or what the final result of their attempt to mend the break will be.
Once again Monk presents a believable view of a fantastical future few of us would wish to live in but find ourselves fascinated by. The narrative takes place over the course of just a few days, but the realistic pacing meshes perfectly with the story, never seeming too rushed or breakneck. Though the plot and premise of the book provide the main focus, the interactions between the characters does not get overshadowed by those elements. Matilda and Abraham must come to terms with the idea of a future in which they may no longer exist, and the human characters wonder what their new world has in store, whether it will it be better or worse.
Infinity Bell, a wonderful addition to genre fiction, will please fans of science fiction, fantasy, and urban fantasy, and keep them rather impatiently waiting (as is this reviewer) for the next book in the excellent House Immortal series.
Book Stats:
- Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Roc (March 3, 2015)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 045146737X
- ISBN-13: 978-0451467379
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Books in the House Immortal series in the order they should be read:
House Immortal
Infinity Bell
Crucible Zero
Review Overview
Overall Rating
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Summary : Once again Monk presents a believable view of a fantastical future few of us would wish to live in but find ourselves fascinated by. The narrative takes place over the course of just a few days, but the realistic pacing meshes perfectly with the story, never seeming too rushed or breakneck. Though the plot and premise of the book provide the main focus, the interactions between the characters does not get overshadowed by those elements. Matilda and Abraham must come to terms with the idea of a future in which they may no longer exist, and the human characters wonder what their new world has in store, whether it will it be better or worse.
