What a rip-roaring adventure through the multiverse!
This is a fantastic character led story in wonderfully built worlds, couched in some initial hard sci-fi. Persevere through that and you will meet three central characters: Hadiz, Essien and Paz whose stories intersect with the fates of the universe.
At it's heart, the story deals with self-destruction on personal and international scales and AI which is extremely topical!
One of the things I love most is Carey's use of unusual metaphors and interesting rare words like "felid".

Some of you may know that I’ve been a fan of ‘M’s for a while. From <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2007/10/bookreview399/"><em>Felix Castor</em></a> (back in 2007) to <em>The Girl With all the Gifts </em>and <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2017/06/the-boy-on-the-bridge-by-mike-carey/"><em>The Boy On the Bridge</em></a> (back in 2017<em>)</em>, not to mention his script writing for the comics of <em>XMen</em> and <em>Wolverine</em>, ‘M’ (aka Mike) seems to be able to turn his hand to anything.

<em>Infinity Gate</em> is his latest – a Space Opera that clearly acknowledges the past whilst being steadfastly contemporary and original. It is a story with a number of key science-fictional features – alternate worlds, multiverse travel, interdimensional war and evolutionary diverse creatures.

Hadiz Tambuwal is a Nigerian scientist who, when looking at dark matter as a means of solving Earth’s imminent environmental collapse, instead discovers by accident interdimensional travel.

She meets Essien Nkanika, a self-confessed rogue, and together they move to a cleaner, sparser, <em>better</em> Earth to continue her research. Unbeknownst to Hadiz, her test runs draw attention from the Pandominion, a dictatorship existing across thousands of alternate Earths.

Monitoring her actions is Watchmaster Orso Vemmet, a bureaucrat for the Pandominion. Or rather, he isn’t – Hadiz’s drones on their initial journeys, known as Steps, are noted, but dismissed as unimportant by him. This is something Strategic Coordinator Baxemides is quick to punish for and Vemmet is quickly demoted and exiled to a planet where life expectancy is very short.

However, before the Pandominion reach Hadiz, Essien tries to take advantage of her discovery. As a result, he ends up as one of the Cielo, the elite fighting force created by the Pandominion.  They are physically and mentally enhanced (Think of <em>Starship Troopers’s</em> Johnny Rico and the <em>Terminator</em>) and after training Essien finds himself part of a group on many assignments with Moon Sostenti, who becomes a mentor. With proclamations like “Order is what we want. Order is what we stand for.” life as a soldier seems fairly straightforward, although as part of a firing squad, Essien soon realises that the life of a soldier is not without its downside.

Essien is disconcerted by the number of non-human species he meets. It seems that humans are a very small part of this bigger universe. This is emphasised when we also find out that the Pandominion is fighting a war between itself and the Ansurrection, a group of AI who, through a major misunderstanding, have staged a revolt and are now actively attacking the Pandominion’s planets across many multiverses.

At this point we also meet Topaz Tourmaline FiveHills, a sentient rabbit (really!) from an alternate Earth named Ut where evolution has created a dominant sentient species evolved from rabbits – not to mention hedgehogs and other mammals. (This is not the first time lately an SF novel has had sentient animals in their story – Paul McAuley did something similar with racoons and bears in <a href="https://www.sffworld.com/2022/10/beyond-the-burn-line-by-paul-mcauley/"><em>Beyond the Burn Line</em>.</a>) Here Topaz made me think of Rocket Racoon from <em>Guardians of the Galaxy</em>, although Topaz is a much kinder, gentler sort of character.

She’s also rather young and naïve, as she is still at school. There she makes friends with Dulcimer Standfast Coronal, a new pupil. Unbeknownst to Paz, Dulcie is actually a covert agent for the Ansurrection. When an attempt to arrest Dulcie is made, she is able to covertly download etself (notice the pronoun!) to Paz’s anima, Tricity – which made me rather think of a sophisticated Furby! – and the two go on the run, chased by the Cielo.

At this point a chance communication means that Vemmet realises that he has a chance to make good of a bad lot and improve his demoted status in the Pandominion. He creates a plan to escape his place of exile with disgruntled trooper Moon Sostenti, Essien and a group of equally disgraced convicts to get to Paz and Dulcie first. The race is on..

That’s quite a complicated plot to explain – you cannot accuse Mike here of keeping it simple! However, in short, I think that <em>Infinity Gate</em> is as good a Space Opera as you can get. Big ideas, epic scale, complex plot, some philosophy, social commentary, big fight scenes and enough original ideas to up the ‘Wow’ factor. The worlds we visit are varied, the characterisation is great, and I found myself caring a lot for many of these creatures – not to mention mentally hissing at the bad guys!

It takes some nerve to combine multiple universes with artificial intelligence, interdimensional warfare and sentient rabbits, a mix that reads quite bizarrely when you write it in text. There’s a lot of plates spinning here. But it is to Mike’s credit that it works. Bold, imaginative, and downright exciting – <em>Infinity Gate</em> is a barnstormer of a Space Opera – but with a cliffhanger ending that will make you want the next book NOW. I think that it is up there with <em>Artifact Space</em> as one of my favourite SF novels of recent years.

Highly recommended.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on Netgalley. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

This pains me to no end, but despite the juicy premise and my having loved The Girl with All the Gifts by the same author, I stopped reading around the 1/3 mark. The first section was hard sci-fi enough to trouble me a bit, but the first protagonist (a lone Black female scientist living in a dilapidated world that she's intent on saving, if at the expense of others) and her AI helper were interesting enough to keep me going, especially when the actual multiverse stuff made its (albeit timid) appearance. Alas, I never warmed up to the second main character (a Black male hooker/rogue trying to rise out of poverty by any means), and when the more political aspects of the story took center stage, I started to get bored. I'm not sure what I expected - maybe more of a multiverse romp with different, fascinating versions of our planet to visit - but what I got sure wasn't it. I commend the book's being diverse and ambitious in scope though (especially given that it's only the first volume in a series), and I hope - or better, I'm sure - it will find the right audience...

In a world teetering on the brink of destruction, the fate of infinite realities rests in the hands of a desperate scientist, a selfish rogue, and a caring child. From the first sentence, this multiverse-spanning tale grips you in its vice-like grip, promising a thrilling ride through parallel universes and alternate realities.

Meet Hadiz Tambuwal, a brilliant scientist working in a research station in Nigeria. She can see the end of civilization coming, but she's not willing to let it disrupt her work. Her research leads her to discover a way to travel through alternate universes, which is no small feat. But as she jumps from one universe to another, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that could alter the fabric of reality itself.

Meanwhile, Essien Nkanika, an impoverished man, will do anything to survive. His journey collides with Hadiz's as he becomes embroiled in the power struggles of the Pandominion, the empire that governs thousands of alternate universes. And then there's Topaz Tourmaline FiveHills, a sentient rabbit whose choices change the course of history.

As the three stories intertwine, the tension mounts with each page turn. The Pandominion does not look kindly on unsanctioned travel between universes, and Hadiz's actions have put her in their crosshairs. And with each jump to a new universe, the stakes get higher and higher.

The result is a breathtaking, pulse-pounding epic that moves at breakneck speed. The short, action-packed chapters keep you on the edge of your seat, while the vividly-drawn characters tug at your heartstrings. And as the fate of infinite realities hangs in the balance, you can't help but wonder what will happen next.

This is a genuine treat for SF fans: an epic multiverse tale that moves like a thriller, filled with insightful critiques of our own world's flaws and inequalities. So buckle up and get ready for a ride that will take you to the furthest reaches of the imagination.

This is only the second book about multiverses I have read so far this year, and also the second book by this author!

I actually quite liked how the plot was handled. Hadiz's narrative was easy to follow, and the introduction to the world was interesting. I thought there were some pacing issues, but this book is the first in a series and that's to be expected. Overall, a thrilling ride, that left me wanting more, with easy to read writing and vivid details!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

"Infinity Gate" was an enjoyable read, with great writing and good characters. While the story takes a different direction, and is far darker, I couldn't help thinking of "The Long Earth" series (Pratchett & Baxter). Did that spoil it for me a little bit? Maybe... I'm still looking forward to the rest of this series though!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

With the Earth on the brink of environmental collapse, the billionaires of the world pool resources to fund any scientific research that might save us all – or, at least them, hah! One such scientist is Hadiz Tambuwal, whose experiments fail to produce what she wanted, but instead see her stumbling across the secret of travelling to other dimensions. Other Earths.

Her experimental trips to map out the multiverse soon draws the attention of The Pandominion. Millions of worlds – all Earths from different realities – have formed an alliance. They aren’t keen on impoverished, low-level scum worlds like Hadiz’s, with nothing to offer in trade. However, they have slightly bigger problems, too, in the shape of an AI-driven hegemony that might be the first serious threat their dominance has ever faced.

I have a lot of time for MR (Mike) Carey, whose work has explored superheroes, fallen angels, zombies, and much more. An out-and-out sci-fi from the author of The Girl With All The Gifts and The Book of Koli was an instant “yes please!” from me.

I’ll start off by saying that overall I really enjoyed this, but it wasn’t always the easiest path to getting there. There is a fair bit of character switching, and it’s a jolt when we first leave Hadiz for the less-than-likeable Essien, a selfish con artist. We start with science, dip into AI, a lot of military and action, and then into some stranger worlds, too – let’s just say, when you have infinity possibilities, there’s no reason why apes should evolve into the dominant species!

It’s a lot, and it takes a little while to see how some of the threads come together. Meanwhile the world-building is both excellent and at the same time left me wanting to know more about some ‘realities’ as we spent a lot of time in less than appealing ones. There are some really dark moments and themes here, including modern day slavery, semi-forced body modifications, and the corrupting influence of power at different levels. It does make the ‘human decency’ moments shine all the brighter, though, and overall the tone isn’t at all hopeless.

One thing this is not is boring: the scope of imagination is just – wow! Kudos for cramming as much into a cohesive whole as it does, even if my poor little brain had to work a little bit to get there.

The ending is perhaps a little abrupt – with a bit of an ‘ooof!’: an open door for the next instalment. This is clearly the first in a series, and I’ll be very glad to dive into the rest!

Unfortunately, I couldn't get into M.R. Carey's latest book.
I persisted, I really did! But if you are having to persist then suffice it to say it's not working.
Whilst there are some good things in it, like for a start, it being set in Lagos. In addition to that there are some good ideas in there, but unfortunately I just didn't connect with any of the characters or the premise. I have read some reviews that mentioned The Long Walk by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, and I recall having similar problems with that book, so maybe this is a me thing!
And, unfortunately, you can't like all the books, can you? Never mind how much you try.
Now, I do realise that this is not much of a review and that it is me primarily explaining myself, but there you go! I am not going to point out the things I didn't like or give a critique of the book when it is simply a case of I couldn't get into it. Obviously, when it comes to the writing, it is Mike Carey, so it is going to be good as Mike Carey is an exceptional writer and he has wrote some of my favourite books. So it gets a rating of three for the writing alone which I think seems fair. I mean, it's not a bad book, it's just I didn't connect. Simple as that!

Great ideas, good writing and unusual. There were some parts of this novel that had me glued to the page, yet other sections where I just wanted it to get on with the action. But I do love books full of action, not many pages of long description, so maybe that’s just me.
I did find the ending very abrupt, with some issues unresolved, so I presume that there will be another book in this world. However, it wasn’t a dreaded cliffhanger.
Anyone who loves sci-fi or the multiverse will appreciate this book.

Infinity Gate is a tricky one to review - for the most part I really enjoyed it, and found the world building in particular to be excellent. However, it's hard not to slightly begrudge the first in a series that exists almost purely to put all the pieces on the board in their right positions. The second half of this novel especially really loses pace because of this - and not getting a conclusion of any kind grates slightly. If this series is to be a trilogy, for example, rather than a saga then this is quite a weighty tome to only reach the beginning with. That said, I will definitely be reading the next in the series - I just think the lack of a satisfactory conclusion for this installment needs to be considered going it. I adored the characters and, as ever, was a big fan of the multiple POVs. Though I've read a lot of multi-dimensional fiction, this felt quite fresh due to the lack of time and distance manipulation. The different universes also felt very distinct - the atmosphere and tone setting for each was spot-on.

Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey is a winding multiverse novel that likes to dial into characters then peel back out to the wider story. It’s both a fun and dark look at a multiverse on the brink of war.

Infinity Gate is strangely paced, introducing us to one protagonist and following her exclusively before jumping to a new protagonist and following him exclusively before pulling out much wider and then dialling back into a third protagonist. It’s a little jerky, but thankfully each protagonist and the wider story are all compelling enough to handle the pressure.

You have … the human scientist on a dying world that discovers the multiverse, … a young homeless man on a similar world not yet dying who will do anything to survive and … a young woman whose people are descended from rabbits who gets caught up in a multiversal conflict when she befriends the wrong being.

This particular corner of the infinite multiverse is populated mostly by humanoid evolutions of mammalian ancestors, and the story revolves around alternate versions of Lagos (in location rather than name). This choice manages to ground the multiple dimensions despite their radical differences – and this is a mutliverse story that is not afraid to visit many different dimensions, albeit some get much more focus than others.

Artificial intelligence features heavily in this story, in several different forms, including as an antagonist, although I didn’t find the exploration of the concept particularly in depth. The story does do a good job of exploring different facets of the multiverse (again, of this corner of it – this multiverse is infinite as far as we know, but earths with similar conditions have ended up joining together to form the Pandeminion) and it sets things up well for the next novel.

Which does bring us to the fact that this novel does feel mostly a setup for the second part of the duology, getting pieces into place for bigger confrontations. That’s not to say the events aren’t enjoyable in of themselves, but those looking for a satisfying ending will probably be a bit disappointed. And the narrative does the whole thing where it teases the end from the point of view of a character who has seen the events already, which is a device I’ve started to tire of lately and didn’t add anything for me.

All this might lead you to think I’m cold on this book, but I did enjoy it a fair bit – although I am a sucker for a good multiverse story. As far as multiverse elements ago, it’s a hit, even if there are some niggles in other areas. It manages to go deep into characters and wide out to multiple universes equally well, and I’m excited to read the sequel to find out where it’s all headed.

Rating: 8.5/10

I found this book enjoyable, though not quite as much as some of Carey's other books.
It may have suffered a bit too much in the scene setting, as is to be expected in a series of books.
Some great ideas told I a way that wasn't overly difficult for my brain to understand.
I'll be interested to see where the story goes next

The premise of this book is fascinating! I love the concept of the multiverse, and incorporating into it the politics explored throughout made for a very engaging read. I will admit I found the first half a little difficult to engage with, there was a lot of groundwork laid so it took a while for the momentum to get going but once it did I couldn't get enough. The ending was exciting and has left in a great place for the sequel!

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, & Orbit, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Engrossing, character-driven, mind expanding sci-fi. Highly recommended.

Look forward to the sequels.

This one cranked up that sense of wonder circuit in my head, the one that used to light up all the time when I was a thirteen year old SF nut but fires less and less frequently these days. It felt like the stuff that blew my mind when I was young, although that’s not to say it’s dated or childish, It’s just a lot of fun. Looking forward to the next volume!

<i>Infinity Gate</i> is the first part of the <i>Pandominion</i> series. This first book is mostly about getting to know the world in which the story takes place, and becoming acquainted with the protagonists. The world, that is Earth, but situated in a multiverse in which there are infinitely many Earths. When scientist Hadiz Tambuwal invents the technology to step from one Earth to another, she does so at a time our own Earth is dying. She's helped by Rupshe, an artificial intelligence. Stepping is very similar to how <b>Terry Pratchett</b> and <b>Stephen Baxter</b> have shaped it in their <i>Long Earth</i> series. <b>M. R. Carey</b> even uses the same name for it, but fortunately the similarity ends there.

Tambuwal is only one of the main characters. There also is Essien Nkanika, a young man with Nigerian roots on an Earth very close to ours and therefore not very different from it. The third main character is Topaz Tourmaline FiveHills, inhabitant of an Earth (called Ut) where rabbits (Uti) have become the intelligent and dominating species. We get to know each of them in depth through different plot lines for each of them. These take up about two thirds of the book. The stories are told one after the other instead of in parallel, which means the focus remains with one main character for a longer period of time. It helps creating a bond with them. In the meantime we learn about the <i>Pandominion</i> and the <i>Ansurrection</i> that are at war. The first is an organisation of at least a million Earths, populated by intelligent mammals, the second an even larger organisation of Earths, populated by self-aware machines. It soon becomes clear to the reader that this first book is steering towards bringing the three main characters together in order to fight those two organisations, or maybe to escape from them.

It takes a few chapters to get into the story. There is new technology that needs getting used to, there is a new society with its own customs, the <i>Pandominion</i> and the <i>Ansurrection</i> need to be introduced. It takes some time to get accustomed to everything, but Carey does a very good job guiding the reader through it, until the fog clears. By then, it is clear to the reader that Carey has created an interesting multiverse in which there is a lot to experience. The characters are well designed with a rich background. How they are, think and act makes sense and is supported by what they experience. Because each Earth is a different society, it is impossible to describe them all in depth. The author has selected a number of features that are important and builds a story around that. That's fine, although Ut's society differs too little from ours to be truly believable. There is no reason at all to suppose that the Uti have developed a society like us with cities, and families living in a house per family, with children sitting very neatly at school desks, etc. The author does explain that by stating that the <i>Pandominion</i> only allows new Earths that are socially and intellectually not too different from the already existing ones, but the difference could have been a bit more exotic. I was also not too fond of the concepts of et and ets, introduced to replace it and its for sentient machines. I found it annoying and unnecessary. But apart from that, everything was well structured and easily readable.

In an exciting third part, the characters that will matter come together. That is not a spoiler, because it is more or less announced at the start of the book by the -- then still mysterious -- narrator's voice. And, the author has stuffed enough twists into that final part to keep readers captivated and to surprise them. The grand finale leaves readers behind with more than enough to wonder and be curious about, and there is no doubt that many readers will be anticipating the sequel after having read <i>Infinity Gate</i>.

A well written and intriguing science fiction thriller. Although a little complicated, true aficionados of the genre will enjoy it very much. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.