Infinite Shores (The Drowned Gods Trilogy, Book 3)

I wasn't ready to say goodbye to this world, and after finishing Infinite Shores, I'm still not sure I'm ready to let these characters go.

After loving Curious Tides and Stranger Skies, I went into this final book with very high expectations, and Pascale Lacelle gave me exactly the emotional, magical, and completely chaotic conclusion I was hoping for. There is so much happening in this book—gods, dangerous magic, impossible choices, shifting worlds, time itself being messed with, and characters willing to risk everything for the people they love.

What I have loved most about this trilogy is how completely original the world feels. The magic is complicated, the mythology is huge, and yes, there were definitely moments when my brain was working overtime trying to keep up with everything happening. But somehow, that is also part of what made this series so much fun for me. I never knew where the story was going next.

The characters were the heart of this final book for me. Emory, Baz, Romie, Kai, and the others have been through so much since Curious Tides, and seeing how far they have come made this ending hit even harder. Their friendships, loyalties, mistakes, sacrifices, and determination to fight against the fate that has supposedly already been written for them kept me completely invested.

And can we talk about the gods? Because apparently this series decided regular magical chaos wasn't enough. We needed mercurial gods, vengeful deities, corrupted magic, crumbling worlds, and enough questionable decisions to keep this chaotic fantasy reader very happy.

Infinite Shores is a big, ambitious finale that doesn't take the easy way out. It is emotional, bittersweet, sometimes heartbreaking, and filled with the kind of beautiful, strange magic that made me fall in love with this trilogy in the first place.

I may have reached the final shore, but I don't think I'll be forgetting this world anytime soon.

Infinite Shores is an incredible conclusion to the Drowned Gods Trilogy. Clover is on the verge of destroying all the worlds as he ascends to godhood on the stolen magic of everything else. Things go from bad to worse, and a complicated situation seems too easy a way to describe where our troupe of friends finds themselves. In desperation, Baz destroys the hourglass of fate, and chaos reigns, merging all worlds in mind-bending ways.
What Pascale Lacelle gets so right in the book is not only a fantastic conclusion to a fantasy trilogy, where all the complicated elements come together in tight formation while appearing to be chaos, but the deeper truths that resonate through these characters' experiences leave you something to think about. Emory from book one was striving to be above mediocrity, was flattered to be part of “the cool group,” and was not using critical thinking because she wanted to be somebody important. Through this book, we have seen a natural progression in her evolution as a person, culminating in the power to rival a god, but it does not go to her head. She has come into her full realized self and can make the ultimate sacrifices needed to save the worlds.
Then there is something to be said about a person who comes to power for “the good of us all” and is corrupt and ready to destroy everything because it is possible. Atheia is the representation of “good religion,” yet does despicable things like torture those different from her and sanction the hate and prejudice against those not like her. The greed and atrocities committed by her viewpoints have so much relevance to things happening in the real world. As the worlds get more broken, we are left with the people finally “waking up” and ready to forge a better tomorrow through hard work, hope, and a different path than what has come before.
Overall, this is a long book, but well worth the read. The author has woven many complex magic systems seamlessly in a well-done, thought-provoking way that stays with you once the story is done.