“Our Infinite Fates” is the story of two souls that are reincarnated into each generation for a thousand years. Each time, Arden must kill Evelyn before her eighteenth birthday. Arden remembers every aspect of the history that led them to this point, but Evelyn does not, and Arden won’t tell her. In this life, Evelyn is trying to stay alive long enough to donate bone marrow to her sister Gracie and save her life. When Arden appears, Evelyn knows she doesn’t have long, and strikes a deal for him to wait as long as possible to kill her. While trying to wait out the clock, the two explore their feelings for one another, as they have in countless lifetimes before.
I didn’t feel this book had anything new to offer to the idea of incarnation and immortality; most of what happened hear has already been done in other stories. The catch I thought was somewhat more unique was the cognitive dissonance of being in love with someone who has killed you and is trying to kill you again, however I don’t think the book took this idea as at as it could have. I also thought Arden’s supposedly catastrophic reasoning for keeping their origins from Evelyn were largely anticlimactic and detracted somewhat from their dynamic. Also, as a med student, I couldn’t help but be bothered by the major plot point that hinged on Evelyn’s allergy to general anesthesia and therefore had to undergo bone marrow aspiration with no sedation or even local anesthesia, despite the fact that a) there are so many kinds of general anesthesia and some of them would certainly have been safe (where was the ketamine?) b) local anesthesia and general anesthesia are not even close to being the same thing and c) why did she not undergo desensitization therapy years ago. All that being said this was a reasonably interesting and enjoyable read.

Incredible potential with a premise like this, but the execution was sloppy and messy. This was the worst kind of instalove, where the book keeps telling us that they are so much in love but does not show us why (No connection or backstory supported their relationship). The plot barely moves until the twist is revealed at the 80ish% mark and even that felt flat. It just shorts scenes from their past lives that tell us nothing followed by the present-time chapters where nothing happens, rinse and repeat for 200ish pages.

*not a spoiler free review*

3.25 ⭐️!

i was very excited for this book! the premise seemed lovely and i was promised angst so i was alllll for this. however, i found that the interesting premise wasn’t captivating enough. everything was far too underdeveloped for me to get attached.

i think YA readers will like this however, as there were some pretty and poetic, if not tumblr-esque, lines about love. and who knows, name dropping taylor swift and formula one may also be appealing to that audience. i personally felt that those quirks—and sentences like ‘which i did recognize as an extraordinarily sapphic way to think’—were jarring and lowered the prose to an unnecessarily juvenile internet-buzzwordy level.

i also felt like it took a long time to figure out why anything was happening. the time spent before that did not lead me to get especially attached to evelyn or arden. dylan’s complete drop of the ‘golden retriever act’ (hello tiktok trope) was very strange; arden puts on these characters, unceremoniously drops them, and seems to retain none of their characteristics or connections to evelyn. i found myself mostly craving the flashback sequences where evelyn and arden do seem to have a genuine connection, one that keeps its dynamic through the centuries. i could spend forever in those scenes, flitting between lives with the two protagonists. i dearly enjoyed the different families we got to meet and for how small a role each side character played, they felt pretty real. so that was truly lovely!

other than that, this was okay. the ending did feel incredibly rushed and unearned (which may have been solved if arden admitted what the hell was going on earlier…) but hey… defeating evil with the literal power of love isn’t new and is touching, at least slightly, every time. i think it’s intended audience will overlook most of my other small criticisms and be obsessed with the enduring nature of their love and since this book was enjoyable over anything else, i would recommend it in the end!

thank you to net galley and the publisher for this ARC!

3/5 stars. Overall, the book was entertaining but a bit slow at times. I wish there was more time spent showing how Evelyn and Arden fell in love. I feel like the story skipped how they fell in love and got straight into the consequences of their love. This made it feel like the consequences dragged out but I didn't know or at times care why. I wanted to love this book so badly, because the premise was so interesting. I loved the poetry aspects and the flashbacks were great, I just wanted move of why/how they fell in love.

Oh I absolutely loved this. One of those books that impacted and affected me in ways I was not expecting in the slightest. While this is being compared to a few others, the story felt wholly fresh and unique and left me wanting so much more.

Evelyn and Arden had an electric chemistry in every life and I love how their love extended beyond any constraint one would typically expect. I don’t want to give too much away in reviewing this for the sake of allowing other reads the same experience I had but to sum it up simply I adored this book. I am so thrilled to have been able to review it early and am so excited for Laura Steven’s adult release later this year.

This was a highly anticipated read that I struggled to connect with. Although I really enjoyed the flashbacks in reverse telling us the origin story of Evelyn and Arden, it felt very choppy and I never felt like I got invested in any of the storylines. I wish there would have been more development into their history since we spend 85% of the book not even knowing the why behind the arrangement. By the time we get to trying to actually solve the problem, I really didn’t care anymore. This was well written and the poetry and concept were beautiful. I just don’t think this was the type of book for me.

Our Infinite Fates is a lyrical blend of fantasy, romance, and murder mystery. We know the victim, we know the murderer, but we don't know the why, and Steven has created an astounding love story wrapped around this dark question.

Evelyn and Arden have chased each other through time, reincarnating again and again for millennia only to have to kill the other just before they turn 18. Arden remembers their past lives and knows exactly what will happen if the pair fail to die before their 18th birthday, but Evelyn remembers little more than snatches of her earlier lives, forced to constantly question why her fate is to die at Arden's hand. Despite the animosity between the two, years of relationships--both platonic and romantic--have caused the two to fall in love, yet that love doesn't stop Arden from completing his task. But Evelyn has finally reached a life where she's desperately needed: she's a perfect bone marrow match for her sick sister, but the procedure is set to occur after Evelyn's birthday. How far will Evelyn go to stop Arden, save her sister, and find the truth of her infinite fates?

I really enjoyed this book. Steven's writing is poetic and descriptive without being too much, and Evelyn and Arden are both strong characters. Every few chapters is a flashback to one of the pair's previous lives, and these glimpses into the past provide depth to the character's relationship as well as answers. The current timeline is filled with interesting side characters and an intriguing book of poetry that is both lovely to read and important to Evelyn, and I couldn't wait to see why Evelyn and Arden kept having to die.

The only reason I didn't give this one 5 stars is because the ending is a bit fantastical, and not in a good way. I mean, I guess all the questions were answered, and everyone got what they wanted, but it seemed a bit silly? The final chapter, however, was a nice, open-ended conclusion, and it did leave me with warm fuzzies. Overall, this was a great read, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Steven's future releases.

This book reminds me so much of Addie LaRue but anything Addie LaRue lacked Our Infinite Fates made up for it. I could tell by Chapter 2 that not only was I hooked but that I was going to enjoy this journey with Arden and Evelyn. Even though the vibes were similar to Addie LaRue, this book blew it out of the water. I loved the characters developments, jumping between present and past lives, how the reincarnation worked and all the different past lives. The ending was a perfect wrap up for the 1000 year lives the characters lives.

I can not stress how much I loved this story and I have already been sharing it with as many people as possible and so excited to see its release.

Evelyn and Arden have been alive for centuries, if not longer. They have never made it past their 18th birthdays, mostly due to the fact that their lives are tied together and one must always kill the other before they become adults.

However, in present day, Evelyn really loves her current life and is determined to save her younger sister from cancer via a bone marrow transplant. The only problem is that it can’t happen until after her 18th birthday. When Arden shows up, Evelyn begins to unravel.

I made it about 50% of the way through this book and I was really enjoying it, but it just got so repetitive and I didn’t have the urge to pick it up anymore. I think if the book was shorter it would have worked better. I liked the flashbacks to previous lives (and deaths), but it just was over and over and over and the way it sort of edged the reader just got redundant for me.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Laura Steven for providing me with an ARC of Our Infinite Fates in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved the historical aspects of the story and the progression of the plot. I was rather unsatisfied with the ending and the big "why", but I think that is definitely just my personal opinion and does not reflect the book or the author in any way. The writing was good but it was a little inconsistent at times.

I wish we got more descriptions of previous times and appearances. The main characters stayed consistent in every time period except for the current time, where I feel the fmc personality didn't match up with every other one. There was just a slight change that made her feel as though she was a different person entirely.

I would recommend this book, but I don't think I would recommend it to everyone. It read similarly to V.E Schwab, whom I love, so I really enjoyed reading something that had the same vibes as her books.

3.5 stars rounded up⭐️ They fall in love in every lifetime and in every lifetime they are destined to kill each other…..

This is one of the most unique stories that I have ever read. I found it to be very reminiscent of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, but it is also completely original at the same time. If you loved the pacing and overall feeling of that book then I think you will love this one too.

There were multiple times where my jaw dropped at the lyrical poetry that is written into every single sentence. This story is a love letter to the people who keep a white knuckled grip on what it means to be hopeful and soft in a hard-edged world.

I can’t even begin to imagine the hours of research that Laura Steven had to put in to make this book happen. This book is so rich in culture and I loved feeling like a world / time traveler!

The reason I am giving this 3.5 stars is because I felt like the pacing dragged at times. That being said I think it suited the tone of story really well and that this is just a personal preference. I think this book is going to BLOW UP and it truly deserves the world!💗

thank you to netgalley and wednesday books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. all opinions are my own.

rating: 3.5/5*

every now and then, you can just tell an author had fun writing a book—our infinite fates is definitely one of those. something about the way all the different time periods and settings were written shows the author’s enthusiasm so well. this, more than almost anything else, is what stood out to me. beyond this, our infinite fates is a fun and easy read; it’s the fastest i’ve finished a book in a while, and the short chapters suck you in well.

overall i found this book good, if failing to make me feel anything strongly. i definitely can see this appealing to a lot of people, and for once the comparisons are spot on (it really is reminiscent of this is how you lose the time war and the secret life of addie larue). as someone who didn’t love either of those two books, though, a lot of what i didn’t like about them could be found in our infinite fates.

while i loved seeing all the different time periods and lives evelyn and arden lived, the chapters were so short that it was hard to get invested in any of them. when you have five pages on a life, there just isn’t much to be moved by. i wish, too, that we’d been able to see evelyn and arden fall in love—we primarily see the lives where they’re already in love, and because of that it felt like something was missing from the romance. additionally, this book is the perfect place for the flowery writing like addie larue, and i wish the author had taken that opportunity. i found the tone too casual and straightforward (outside of the poetry) in a way that didn’t really lend much to the story.

This book hooked me from the beginning and was solid all the way through, with a superb ending as well. This is one of the best books I have read this year so far, its original and unique, its mysterious and beautiful. I loved the characters, the love story, the magic, the poetry, the back and forth timelines, the ending, the beginning, just all of it.

4.5 rounded up💫!! And excuse me - what a story!!🥹🫶🥲😩

this writing was BEAUTIFUL!!Some of the most poetic and lyrical prose I’ve ever read. I highlighted basically every other sentence✍️

AND it’s a standalone fantasy!! which I’m always on the hunt for!

Two reincarnated souls, a cursed love story spanning decades and continents!👩‍🍳💋 it had flashbacks and mystery, romance and magic, family and drama, Addie LaRue vibes!?

The audio was well done but I’m really glad I had an eARC as well so I could follow along with my eyes and annotate! The beautiful writing, remember??🙌

The end surprised me! but also wrapped up a bit *too* quickly for me after a lot of build up! But trust me this one’s going to be a big hit!!💌✨and my brain is already working overdrive on all the edits I can make for it!!!🤭

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I think the reveal that the main characters knew what was happening immediately turned me off of it. I wanted it to be more of a slow buildup to the reveal, and showcasing it instantly was a bit of a let down for me.

Wow. I was completely blown away by the book. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect of the ending but it was so beautifully tied together. I absolutely love Evelyn and Arden. My heart broke for both of them throughout this book and I became obsessed with them, the different people they reincarnated as and what it was going to be like for them at the end. Great read!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Our Infinite Fates had one of the most unique YA fantasy concepts I’ve read in a long time - a 17 year old who remembers her past 1,000 years of lives and the soul who has hunted down and killed her in every single one. I was skeptical about the concept of loving your eternal murderer, but this story was so beautifully written and truly made me fall in love with Evelyn and Arden. This was truly a perfect standalone fantasy!

I am struggling to define how I feel about this, and I think that's how I've felt the whole time I was reading it as well. The writing was engaging, but something about the pacing was off and I struggled to really feel for the characters. Their romance felt more "told" and less "shown". Having said that, it was all quite original and the eventual explanation was extremely unexpected. I just never quite felt satisfied.

I wasn't sure what to expect here since it's technically a young adult novel, it was really enjoyable! We follow two characters who have loved each other through time but seem to be chasing each other down to murder one another before they turn 18. We weave in and out of present day as once character tries to figure out *why* they keep doing this. The back half had some pacing issues, it loses the momentum and consistency it had and I'm not one hundred percent sold on the ending.

Hm, where to start? Overall, I enjoyed this book. It thoroughly explored the theme of love and attraction that goes beyond the surface. Through flashbacks, we see Evelyn and Arden in different physical forms that never deter them from their love for each other. They have referred to themselves as she, he, or neither–"My soul isn't rooted to any of them. I'm just me. No particular body feels more 'right' than the other, nor more wrong. They're just vessels."

Again and again, they experience life until their inevitable "showdown" where one must kill the other despite their love. This aspect is what confused me. Yes, we do get clues here and there on why, but it's never explained until around 80%. I also didn't feel the depth of their love and often questioned what the origin of it was because we never see enough of them in each lifetime. How did they start loving each other? Especially Evelyn because she barely remembers anything other than snippets. Why do they love each other?

The reveal behind why they must kill each other in every lifetime was surprising. How they went about navigating a solution was unsatisfying. While their efforts eventually paid off, it almost came too easily? I was feeling a 3.5 until the last chapter, which made me feel better because their origin is finally explained! While everything has come a full circle and I understand the purpose of this chapter's placement, it came a little too late for my tastes, which is why I'm settling for a 3.75. Each flashback takes place in a different setting and was interesting to read. I even started craving more snippets of their time in Siberia. Because of the cat-and-mouse nature of their games, there's always a level of tension that kept me engaged.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.