4.25/5 stars! This is the first book in the Pandemonium series by author M.R. Carey. This is a dystopian science-fiction story and pulls the reader in quickly. I was so impressed by the level of world-building and descriptors the author included. I definitely felt a bit stupid at times as this was a super tightly connected story with elements of quantum theory, AI, and more, but really enjoyed the story.

M.R. Carey’s *Infinity Gate* is an ambitious exploration of the multiverse that intertwines scientific inquiry with deeply personal narratives, set against the vibrant backdrop of Nigeria. This hard sci-fi offering combines elements of quantum theory and alternate realities, creating a rich tapestry of characters and conflicts that examine not only the implications of inter-dimensional travel but also the nature of humanity itself.

The story follows Hadiz Tambuwal, a misanthropic particle physicist whose accidental discovery of a method for inter-dimensional travel leads to a cascade of events that span multiple versions of Earth, particularly Lagos. Carey's narrative is structured as a series of vignettes that oscillate between different realities, each reflecting varied states of existence—from thriving cultural hubs to war-torn wastelands. This ambitious approach offers readers a profound meditation on the potentialities of life while maintaining a character-driven core.

While the pacing is generally strong, there are moments where the narrative lags, primarily in the second half where the action sequences can feel drawn out. The introduction of various plot elements, such as the looming threat from the Ansurrection—an AI-driven revolt—adds complexity, yet some readers may find that the multitude of threads leads to a sense of disarray. Despite these moments of unevenness, the overarching conflict between sentient beings and artificial intelligences resonates well, culminating in a twist that invites anticipation for future installments.

Carey excels in crafting nuanced characters who reflect the complexities of their environments. Hadiz stands out as a particularly strong protagonist, embodying the struggle of a brilliant mind constrained by her circumstances. Her interactions with Essien Nkanika, a laborer from an alternate Nigeria, and Paz, a sentient rabbit-girl from another reality, enrich the narrative with themes of resilience, morality, and the search for identity amid chaos.

Each character grapples with their motivations and the consequences of their actions. Essien's gray morality and Hadiz's scientific pursuits provide contrasting perspectives on survival and ambition, while Paz’s innocence serves as a poignant counterbalance to the darker elements of the narrative. The character dynamics are explored thoughtfully, highlighting the intricacies of human-machine relationships and the ethical dilemmas inherent in their interactions.

At its core, *Infinity Gate* grapples with profound philosophical questions about existence, agency, and the nature of reality. The multiverse serves as a metaphor for the diverse paths life can take, with Carey’s depiction of Lagos—both familiar and fantastical—emphasizing the significance of place and identity. The ethical implications of artificial intelligence and the responsibilities of its creators also loom large, prompting readers to reflect on contemporary issues surrounding technology and autonomy.

Carey’s world-building is both intricate and compelling, though some readers may find it dense. The portrayal of the Pandominion as a repressive regime that seeks to control rather than communicate with the myriad worlds raises questions about power dynamics and the potential for understanding across differences. This thematic depth is one of the novel’s strengths, encouraging readers to engage with the narrative on multiple levels.

While *Infinity Gate* is an impressive start to what promises to be a thrilling series, it is not without its flaws. The pacing issues in the latter half and the occasional reliance on plot devices that feel inconsistent may deter some readers. Nevertheless, Carey's ability to weave complex scientific concepts with intimate character studies makes this work a worthwhile exploration of the multiverse. The ending, which serves as a setup for future installments, may leave some feeling unfulfilled, yet it also stirs excitement for the journey ahead.

In sum, *Infinity Gate* is a thought-provoking and ambitious novel that challenges conventions within the sci-fi genre, offering a blend of heart-pounding action and philosophical inquiry. Readers who appreciate rich world-building and character-driven narratives will likely find themselves captivated by Carey's vision, even as they await the resolutions promised in subsequent volumes.

DNF at 10% - although I did find the story and characters so far interesting, the science aspects were too in depth for me to get immersed in the story as everytime complex physics was brought up I got dragged back to reality. I'd recommend this for fans of sci-fi with an interest in science as well though - I think my husband will love it but it's just not for me.

A fast paced, scifi thriller with fascinating set up and a high stakes plot.

My only real complaint is this is quite a dense read and that there was a lack of consistency in some of the explanations in world building. It felt like elements were being changed to fit the plot and that was a little disappointing and marred the reading experience.

Perfect for fans of The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

The Pandominium fascinated me! In this first installment, we see a little of how it functions, especially its army, and the beginning of a war against another alliance of worlds populated by AI. I was left intrigued about how exactly Pandominium added new worlds to the alliance and if any of them rebelled against it, as it is a form of colonialism. Maybe in the next volumes!

Infinity Gates is a new favourite because it was so clever, captivating and immersive. All the POVs are interesting and it critiques very smartly various aspects of this world, like the absurdity of war or the massive presence of AI and how people perceive them.

TW: death, murder, end of the world, slavery, drugs, alcohol, discrimination, classism, war

Infinity Gate is a special kind of multiverse book – it is one where the sheer staggering scale of potential universes isn’t shied away from, but is embraced and actually used well within the plot. The book focuses on an alliance of multiverse Earths known as the Pandominion, and in the background behind the plot, gives you a sense of how much of a logistical nightmare this would be to run and maintain! Newly discovered lifeforms have to be judged on friendliness and likeliness to cooperate with the rest of the Pandominion, while rival multiverse alliances are impossible to accurately size, and the threat of invasion from outsider planets (both accidental and otherwise) is constant. The ‘world’ portrayed in the book feels as rich and populated as it does vertigo-inducingly huge.

This sprawling world is brought to life by the skilled use of POV characters that come and go as the story progresses, without chapters arbitrarily jumping between them. The book follows four main characters with different relationships to the Pandominion government; one working for, one living under, and two blissfully unaware of it’s existence at the start of the novel. The story follows whichever character is most relevant at that moment, making the transitions feel silky smooth and giving the impression that the world doesn’t revolve around the characters we’re following. The first few chapters follow a scientist on ‘our Earth’ called Hadiz Tambuwal, and is the perfect choice of opening for Infinity Gate; a bit of trial-and-error experimentation leads to the discovery of teleportation between alternative Earths, and shows off the potential size of the multiverse before introducing us to an alliance where use of teleportation is commonplace. The pacing is clever and played a big role in me not getting lost in the vastness of it all.

I’m really hoping that M.R Carey follows up Infinity Gate with a sequel, as there’s so much more that I want to explore in the world they’ve created! Without spoiling anything, I want to hear much more about the Pandominion’s war against the rival multiverse alliance, whose coldness is honestly terrifying (how do you fight a powerful enemy who don’t even identify you as a threat?). This story is wonderful and absorbing, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in store!

Excellent scifi about the multiverse and travel between the different earths (far easier to step between parallel worlds than to travel beyond the solar system!), AI, augmented humans, military societies, entirely robotic societies… this book has everything! It is told in a detailed and well built up way and the ending was a bit of a disappointment to me as I would’ve liked to know more about the mysterious narrator but I’m sure more will be revealed in the next book in the series.

Fascinating and high level sci-fi. It's so complex that sometimes you feel a bit dizzy. Politics, intrigue, a great world building and excellent storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a long, complex novel with hard SF ideas at the foundation of its premise and characters you grow to love at its heart. It's going to be tough to summarise in a review.

It begins when scientist Hadiz Tambuwal, based in Lagos, develops a form of amateur inter-dimensional travel. By travelling to the 'multiverse', she triggers the attention of the Pandominion, a political and trading alliance consisting of roughly a million worlds - a million different versions of our Earth. Its army is not best pleased with her. Chaos ensues. The end!

Okay, okay, that was a very shortened version of the story. Hadiz is only the first POV character we meet - soon there are others, and we take turns with each of their stories until they all start to converge at the same point, just as the Pandominion is gearing up for a war with a machine hegemony they don't understand.

As well as the hard science stuff, the reader is encouraged to think about such heady concepts as what does it mean to be sentient, to be a 'self'? How might that change over the coming years?

It took me a little while to get into the book, as Carey did the hard work in setting up his universe, but I was intrigued by the characters and swept away by the mid-point.

It does end on somewhat of a 'cliff' - so I'll be back for the next instalment. But it's definitely not a standalone. I enjoyed this read.

Infinity Gate is complex, smart, and engrossing. Although it’s a long book, the relatively short chapters that bounced around between characters kept the pace up. It did take me a little while to get into, but that’s kind of expected with a story that requires so much world-building.

I ended up really enjoying the level of scientific explanation that was given for how the multiverse, and tech across the alternate Earth’s, worked—it helped to make things feel more grounded. As well as being an interesting sci-fi concept, I thought the range of main characters was excellent. They were all totally different and felt fully formed. Of course, I liked following some characters more than others, but on the whole I appreciated their various perspectives.

I'm looking forward to seeing what’s next!

DNF 40% in So much of this book is just exposition about science, and then the main character is pretty bland, the audiobook narrator wasn't working for me either.

Scientist Hadiz Tambuwal is desperately looking for a way to save Earth from catastrophic environmental disaster. While Lagos collapses around her, and her fellow researchers abandon the university, Hadiz toils away in her lab, but any useful solution eludes her. Then something very surprising happens - she accidentally stumbles across a way to travel between dimensions.

With the help of an advanced AI called Rupshe, the only other working mind left behind in the deserted university, Hadiz perfects a way to control movement between the dimensions, figuring that at least she can save herself if no one else - but what she does not know is that this is technology that already exists and is closely monitored.

The Pandemonium, a political and trading alliance, is in control of multi-dimensional travel between a million diverse iterations of Hadiz's Earth, and they jealously guard all operations through the strong arm of their military force, the Cielo. They have the unwitting Hadiz in their sights, and will not rest until they have put a stop to her unauthorised meddling.

Hadiz is about to stumble into a war of unimaginable proportions, and the choices she makes will decide the fate of millions of worlds...

Infinity Gate is the first foray of best-selling author M.R. Carey into the sci-fi realm of the multi-verse, and it is an absolute knockout. The roots of this novel lie squarely in Carey's previous work exploring apocalyptic scenarios, which is where this story begins, but curiously it is also a natural extension of the idea of sentient Artificial Intelligence that he explored in the Rampart Trilogy. Using this familiar ground, he takes a leap into a far-reaching and ambitious adventure that echoes some of the classic sci-fi concepts of masters like Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov, and nods to bits and pieces of some epic books and movies, with an added twist all of his own.

The direction of this story evolves slowly, with threads that link together in unexpected ways. Through them Carey builds an intricate literary world made up of fragments of multiple universes that are all intriguingly different versions of Earth - some like our own, and some mindbendingly different.

At its heart this is a character-driven story, with a set of central characters with compelling back-stories that steer the individual strands of the tale as they weave and touch, forming a complex framework. There are heroes and villains, but the are often morally grey, and as the story expands it is not easy to see which side of the good-evil line they sit, which is hugely enjoyable.

There comes a point when all the threads collide in a gripping cat and mouse chase through the multi-verse that had me on the edge of my seat, and this sets up a glorious hook into the next part of the duology. There are still so many questions about what is really happening at the core of the Pandemonium, and how the war to end all wars might be prevented by the errant little band of unlikely co-conspirators that come together in the final section of the book. I am itching to read the concluding part of the duology, and will await its arrival with bated breath.

I adore a multi-verse story, and this one is beautifully crafted. This is a direction that really suits Carey, showing off all his skills as an accomplished story teller, and offering a glimpse of a side of his imagination that I have not seen before. More please, Mr Carey!

3.75!

As a lover of Carey’s The Girl With All The Gifts, but not an avid reader of sci fi (I’ll get there!) I wasn’t sure what to expect from Infinity Gate. What I got, and enjoyed, was a complex, multiverse sci fi filled with hard-hitting themes of personhood, prejudice, oppression, and what it means to be a self in a universe filled where powerful, autonomous AI coexists alongside “organic” beings.

Now, this is HARD sci fi, it throws you in from the beginning and there are many complex world systems to get accustomed to. But that’s the nature of sci fi! Carey writes in an incredibly cinematic way, and the depth and breadth of the world building on such a grand scale is certainly an impressive feat of imagination. It was a lot to wrap my head around, but the power of his characters helped a lot!

Plot
When it boils down to it, this narrative follows four or five main perspectives across multiple worlds, largely within something called the Pandominion. A multi-world organisation that encompasses many different worlds and cultures, all operating under strict laws and rules. The ‘law enforcers’ (because of course there are always enforcers) are Cielo, augmented beings charged with protecting the Pandominion from external threats. We initially follow physicist Hadiz Tambuwal, who discovers “Stepping” - universe/world travel - and who stumbles into one of the worlds in Pandominion in her quest to escape her dying Earth. Her actions kick off a vast domino effect of events that capture other key perspectives like Essien, Moon, and eventually Paz who we meet later.

Pandominion however, in its quest to “protect” its universe from “threats” (read, execute beings from worlds deemed as “other” to Pandominion) eventually Steps into a world where autonomous AI machines are. Cue chaos. Enter ego-driven violence and the eventual universe-wide invasion of the “machine hegemony” against Pandominion. It had to happen.

We follow these four to five key perspectives as the machine hegemony and Pandominion engage in all out war - and we see both sides of this so-called “Ansurrection” as it’s known in Pandominion. It’s a large-scale narrative, one where I favoured one or two perspectives more than others. But if you’re a fan of hard sci fi, AI, vast worldscapes, and deep themes, this is for you!

There is a great sense of interconnection between the characters narratives - they all play into each other across this great scope of time and space, which is really something I love in large-scale stories like this.

Characters
Ultimately, I favoured the perspectives where AI and beings cooperated, and provided a little relief from the violence of other perspectives.

Hadiz’s opening perspective is a lot of world-building, as she, with the aid of Rupshe, an incredibly powerful AI and the only being left in Hadiz’s science lab, discovers how to travel between worlds. This allows us to understand the scale of the destruction of her Earth, however it does mean that the opening is a little “slow”, thick to journey through. But Hadiz and Rupshe’s friendship lent a really lovely air to her perspective, and a bit of much needed humour and I wish we had more of it. Here, she connects with Essien, which eventually becomes a key cornerstone in both his and their plot at the end of the narrative.

Unfortunately, as important as Essien’s perspective is to the plot, his is the pov that I enjoyed the least. While he (eventually) navigates hugely important personal quandaries which lead him to finding himself again amongst the damage of his war-torn memories and trauma of his journey, his was one dominated by heavy-handed violence against innocents. It’s important for us as readers to see the agenda that Cielo is acting out under Pandominion, but for me this was large-scale hard sci fi violence without much (initial) emotional payoff.

I LOVED Paz and Dulcie’s perspectives. These chapters were the ones that really brought this book to life for me. I adore the complexity of their relationship, the revelation that they uncover, the shock and trauma this induces, and how they still come back to one another amongst questions of selfhood, autonomy and love. Their journey is the most complex, bringing forth opportunities for Carey to question, rightly, what it means to BE, the needless oppression of anything deemed to be “lesser” from an anthropocentric perspective, and the importance of being our own selves and finding courage to face the world alone. These chapters are what made this book highly enjoyable.

World-Building
This is, as I’ve said before, an incredible feat of imagination. The scope of Infinity Gate was a lot to wrap my head around, but one that, considering the topic, couldn’t have been any smaller! The narrative deals with big, rangey questions of morality and ethics and selfhood, and so the playground for that HAS to be multiple universes. The overlap of some worlds in Pandominion being “Earth” but not Earth really helped to ground us in some sort of similarities, while there were new beings, pronouns, and cultures to get used to. It was rich, brought to life by Carey’s detail-oriented writing, and staggeringly complex!

Overall, this was a deep book to wade through, but richly written and perfect for fans of hard sci fi!

Welcome to the Pandominion, empire of a million planets, all of them alternate versions of Earth. An empire that's on the brink of war, not that it knows it yet. For all its sci-fi trappings Infinity Gate is at heart the story of three characters whose paths are fated to cross.: Hadiz Tambuwal, a scientist who's trying to save her version of Earth from environmental collapse, but instead stumbles on the means to travel between alternate realities; Essien Nkanika, inhabitant of a poverty-stricken region of an alternate Nigeria; and Topaz 'Paz' Tourmaline FiveHills, inhabitant of an Earth where the dominant species evolved from rabbits rather than apes. With Infinity Gate M. R. Carey has penned another smart, inventive narrative that's packed with likeable characters and has left me impatiently waiting for the sequel. Thanks to NetGalley, Orbit Books and the author for supplying a review copy.

This is an absolutely fantastic sci-fi fantasy from the author of 'The Girl With All the Gifts'. Set in a mulitverse where every reality is a different version of Earth, this is a story with incredible depth and detail. It is certainly 'hard sci-fi', especially in the first half, and it took a little bit of concentration for me to get my head around the mindbending concepts of the story. An epic tale with wonderfully complicated characters and dazzling world building. I really hope the second book will be published soon as I am very excited to see how it all turns out. Highly recommended.

I guess I'm just a sucker for a good multiverse! Especially if it takes place somewhere away from the usual suspects for an English-language SFF. Lagos was a great setting to explore this thoughtful universe, and I read with exhilaration as the events unfolded. There is a lot of philosophy and ethics in this book, which is appropriate for a speculative fiction of this caliber; a lot of research, too - Nigeria comes vibrantly to life on page under Carey's pen. At the same time, the worldbuilding doesn't take over the whole thing: the tension continues to build, at certain points at breakneck pace, and leads to a very interesting culmination.

Fans of multiverses, do yourself a favour and get your hands on this book.

My thanks to #NetGalley for an ARC of #InfinityGate

Having read a lot of Mike Carey's books in the past I was really looking forward to it, but I did find it a bit hard going. When I started reading this book I initially enjoyed the characters and the way they used the science and the use of a multiverse. I very much enjoyed the fact that it was set somewhere other than the usual placings of the UK and US, and having some of the action set in Lagos was interesting. For all the positives though I just couldn't get into it. It started interestingly but about 50% in I started to get bored with it, it just didn't seem to gel with me in the way his other books did. There have been things of his I haven't liked but this one was the first where it just bored me.

I'm on a real winning streak with scifi at the moment and this thoughtful, original novel did not let me down. Infinity Gate starts in the not to distant future in Lagos. Earth is failing, climate change, war, pollution and famine are all reaching their inevitable conclusion. It then whisks to us other Lagos, in other worlds, some like ours, over industrialised and peopled by those with ape ancestry, some very different, worlds where other animals, some predators, some not, rose through the evolutionary ranks.
The Pandominion is an alliance of worlds, all created by probability, the moment where a decision could go either way. There is no war, no pollution (not on home worlds anyway, they save that for the unpopulated planets they mine to extinction), no poverty, no war - although the Cielo, an enforcer army of genetically modified selves from across the Panominion, ensure that dissent has no time to brew. Hadiz Tambuwal stumbles into the Pandominion whilst trying to save her Earth, and in doing so sets in train a series of events that changes the lives of anyone who came into contact with her. Meanwhile, on Ut, a young schoolgirl is pulled into the middle of a war that threatens the existence of the Pandominion itself.
Absorbing, intelligent and very readable. Highly recommended.