It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished listening to The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman. I had to sit and ruminate over it, and to be quite honest I’m still not sure how I feel about it. The Infinity Courts hooked me immediately with the violent death of Nami, the main character, who was on her way to a graduation party. “Where in the world is this story going?” I thought as I eagerly continued reading. Turns out, we are going to Infinity, better known as the afterlife, with Nami. There is a complex world at war here, and Nami finds herself smack in the middle of it.

Nami is an interesting character. She is grieving her life, her loved ones who she knows will be missing her, and the budding romance that was just starting between her and her best friend. Now she has to cope with being dead in an afterlife controlled by Ophelia, her AI (similar to Alexa or Siri). Nami doesn’t know who to trust, what is real, and if everything she is facing is just made up in her brain. I found myself impressed with Nami’s acceptance of what was happening and how she faced it head on without too much of a fight.

This is such a unique story. I don’t know that I’ve ever read anything close to it. I love the idea that Ophelia has developed sentience, and jealous of humanity, craves a life similar for herself. She creates the princes who rule the different areas of Infinity, and these princes are different versions of Ophelia’s own personality. I was intrigued by how the AI infiltrated the afterlife, how she is now ruling it, and the consequences of humanity’s actions against her. I feel like there is a lot more to explore here and unpack, which I’m hoping for in book two.

The rebels added another flavor to the story. I was already hooked in this sci-fantasy (yes, it totally qualifies as such), but the rebels are a fun addition. Similar to the Matrix, when Nami arrives in Infinity, she is given a choice to basically live out her dreams or serve in some way. Instead she finds herself rescued by the rebellion who are “awake” and know the truth behind Infinity. It’s an interesting dynamic to see. Nami is sympathetic to the AI, seeing them as living just as she is, and yet she understands the rebellion and wants a safe afterlife for her family and friends who will one day come.

Overall, I enjoyed The Infinity Courts. There are a lot of twists and surprises, one in particular that left me reeling. While I enjoyed the story for the most part, there were a lot of plot holes, lots of things I predicted, and parts of the story that just didn’t fit. I plan to keep reading as I am curious, but for me this was an okay story.