I came out of this book very confused. I read the whole thing today, but I couldn't explain the world of it. It threw out so many terms - Spell Walkers, celestials, specters, various types of magical creatures and items - and I couldn't tell you how they all fit together in the world. There was some huge devastating event called the Blackout that is vaguely referenced multiple times, but I have no idea exactly what it was. I kept expecting things to get fleshed out and explained, but it never happened. Some fantasy books go too far in giving the readers information by subjecting them to info dumps, but this one went the opposite route and threw me into the deep end and then just left me there.

It's hard to like a thing when I have no clue what's going on. Not impossible, but hard. You just have to give me other things to love to focus on instead. Infinity Son did not do that. It did give me a character to hate though. The main characters were Emil and Brighton, brothers who could not be more different. Brighton wanted to be famous and have powers so he could join in the fighting that was happening in their city. Emil hated violence and wanted the fighting to stop. Unfortunately for Emil, he suddenly developed a power that forced him into the fight. And Brighton latched right on, seeing this as his chance to get famous. I hated Brighton. He was the kind of person who acted recklessly, endangering others with his actions, threw tantrums when he didn't get his way, didn't learn from his mistakes, and never took responsibility for his actions. He wasn't a fun character to have as a POV and I was frustrated with how many times people gave into his tantrums.

Emil was better, but there were just too many characters in the book for most of them to get enough focus to be fleshed out. A lot of them blurred together and I was constantly trying to remember who was who on the team. I liked the concept for Emil that he has phoenix powers and the ideas of different types of phoenixes, but it just didn't get enough focus.

It's a shame. I thought for sure I'd like this one.

well this is not that Sam. Ms Fleet has created a whole new character in this story...with this Sam, but I think I love him just as much.

Sam has grown up in foster care and now that he's aged out of the system all he wants is to be able to create a home for him and Tommy, the brother of his heart whom he's had to leave behind but will never forget or give up on that dream. Sam is such a shy and quiet boy but he's also filled with determination and an inner strength that sometimes even he doesn't realize he possess.

When Sam meets Evra a mysterious but exuberant and sweet young man he begins to wonder if maybe his home couldn't have room for more than just him and Tommy.

It's been a while since I've found my heart so fully engaged with not just one character but several. First there's Sam and Evra...there's a sweet innocence to the relationship between these two young men that just seems to rise above the reality of what life has dealt them. Both of them have more than their share of struggles and hardships and Evra faces dangers that even he's not fully aware of. It's thanks to Sam and some help from what turns out to be a group of surprisingly good friends that life ultimately begin to turn around for not just Sam and Evra but those same friends.

I love that there were so many wonderful characters in this story not the least of which was Sam and Evra but there was also Tommy...Sam's brother but not (it's an Evra term). Maverick (or Mav) who we eventually learn is Evra's brother but not,  Karl who while I can't quite say that I like him yet, I did feel sorry for him and I'm definitely interested in finding out what happens to him and of course Tommy...I would so love a story that shows us more of Tommy and what the future holds for him. Truthfully I'd also love more Sam and Evra.

"For Sam, Times Infinity" is so easily a story that could be playing out anywhere in the world today...it's about a system that fails the people who need it most, it's about corruption and bullying and at the end it's about the strength of the human soul and it's capacity to give and receive love...to find a home and to be one...it's about the beauty that even the darkest of days can never fully touch.

While I can't say that I required teddies and tissues for this one, I still found it be a beautiful and touching story.  From Evra's unique way of expressing himself to Sam's quiet contemplation of events Ms Fleet has infused this story with the almost poetic undertone that I've come to associate with her writing. 

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An ARC of "For Sam, Times Infinity" was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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NetGalley ARC.

*Possible spoilers within.*

I'll start with saying the idea of this book was great, but for me, it was poorly executed.

The entire time I was reading this book, I felt lost and confused.  It was as if I had started reading a book in the middle of a series without having read the preceding books.  There was a ton of world building, but it seemed to all have started in the middle and forgone the beginning/backstory.

Our protagonist, Lord California, Agustín, is a half angel/half demon who favors his demon side.  His father, Harper is a full angel from Heaven that now resides on earth.  Together--sort of together--they run the Infinity Corporation, a company with supernatural operatives that do...I'm not exactly sure what they do besides trying to trick and strong arm poor Calico--the other protagonist--into giving them access (and ownership) of his interdimesional portal.

Calico is an identical triplet from another dimension who, along with his brothers (who are both taller than him and therefore not identical), sought refuge on earth in the year 1900.  He's a lord of space and time, a phoenix, and lycanthrope...and a god.  Like, what?!  He's running from his great grandfather who is a warrior priest that is cursed and trying to destroy him.  And while I can understand being forced from your home, having a beloved family member under a spell that makes him want to kill you, and because of the curse some of Calico's powers are blocked being upsetting, Calico is a whiny little wimp.  He's also clearly slow-witted because no matter how many times his brothers explain to him how this world's rules and traditions differ vastly from theirs, he can't seem to catch on.  I literally wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into him.

I hated Harper, who I believe was meant to be hated.  He comes across as a holier than thou jerk who knows what's best for everyone.  Calico, ugh!  I did like Lord California, Agustín.  And Mr. Triptych, who was the one moving the chess pieces on the board from the shadows, was the only truly obvious character.  Within a few pages of meeting him, I immediately knew who he was, and in the end I was right in my assumption.  It was done in a very heavy handed manner, using a trope I've seen in TV shows and movies galore.  But at the same time, I loved what and who he was, I just wish I hadn't been able to figure it out within minutes of meeting the character.  The other characters were okay.  The story was interesting but would have been more so if the reader wasn't left wondering how it all had come to be.

All-in-all, I had a hard time getting through this book.  It was just too confusing and all over the place for me.  However, I love the idea of the story and some of the characters and would be interested in seeing where the series goes.  I think this was a decent effort that needed more polishing.

This book is a confusing mess. It's like reading a series out of order. I have no idea who half the characters are or what's actually happening.   However, I have figured out one character. It's done so heavy handed that it's ridiculously obvious.  Ugh!