Book Review | INFINITY: Forgetful Stars by J.P. Berting

Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen

A thrilling sci-fi adventure that digs into the heart of what it means to be human

The year is 2126 and humankind is embarking on its most ambitious venture yet. Having created a perfect energy source, they have the means to power their first starships. Two prototypes, Fred and Albert, have been meticulously built by a select team of experts. 

But an outside disaster with a similar power source has put the Infinity program in jeopardy. The six people at the heart of the program now have a difficult decision to make: Let the Pentagon’s damage control team undo all the work they have put in or test the prototypes out to prove that they are safe.

For Joe Baker this is no choice at all. He lives and breathes engineering. Letting Fred and Albert go to waste is an anathema to him. When the other five people in the Infinity program’s inner circle concur, the decision is made. The goal is straightforward, prove that the ships can reach the stars and face whatever punishment follows when they return to Earth. Unfortunately, nothing ever runs so smoothly. Before they know it, both crews find themselves alone in a star system they don’t recognize, caught in the middle of a war they don’t understand.

Infinity: Forgetful Stars is a brilliant amalgamation of several sci-fi sub-genres: space pioneering, space opera, technological advancement, military, and a couple of others that pop up throughout. It’s a deeply personal novel dealing with universal human themes, but it is also a thrilling adventure of a read.

Infinity manages to juggle a lot and rarely drops a ball. At heart, this is Joe Baker’s story. On the surface, it follows the action, but underneath we see Joe develop from a somewhat socially awkward, far too blithe genius to someone who feels more deeply and can see life more clearly. 

The nuance in social structure, history, and politics is easily the most fascinating part of the novel. Intergalactic wars with a complicated and uncertain cause, xenophobia, and technological imbalances between species are some of the more intriguing parts of the novel. This is paired with a tight plot that occasionally throws out some sharp twists. The couple of times the story takes an unpredicted turn, you’re left trying to reconcile the new information with your past expectations. 

While Infinity does a lot right, it doesn’t always balance the major plotlines evenly. The two ships and crews in the story each have their own trajectories. While Joe’s is the main one, we dip into the lives of the other crew occasionally. Because it happens so rarely, it seems more to disrupt the main storyline without giving readers much insight into this secondary plot.

This is a fantastic read nonetheless. It has a solid pace and heavy action-adventure vibe with enough nuance and politics to keep it fresh and interesting. The ending isn’t a complete cliffhanger, but I’m definitely awaiting the second book with ill-concealed eagerness. 

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