Wheel of the Infinite, by Martha Wells

I'd originally skipped this book when I was picking books to read, because the description on the back of the book didn't really do much for me. After reading some of Wells' other books, though, I came back to this one.

Wells uses her strengths in this book, creating likeable characters with distinct personalities, and putting them into extraordinary situations. From the start, it's clear that this is going to be a fun read.

The basic idea of the book is that there is a pattern, the Wheel of the Infinite, that is both a representation of the world and the world itself. Each year, priests of the Infinite remake the wheel, and in doing so allow the world to continue existing. Changes to the wheel are reflected in the world, since both are the same. The story deals with a mysterious corruption of the wheel, and an enemy from beyond the Infinite.

This is another book, though, that fills in backstory little by little over the course of the book, rather than all at once. So the reader needs to be patient when characters make references, understanding that eventually those references will (mostly) be explained.

My only complaint about the book is that the plot builds throughout the book as if this is the first book in a trilogy. I was within fifty pages of the end, and wasn't feeling like everything would be resolved by the time I reached the end. Ultimately, all the loose ends were tied up and all was revealed, but it felt a bit rushed, with too much coming out all at the end. I put the book down when I was finished feeling a bit dissatisfied, as if I were still expecting more story to come.

Fans of Wells will love the book despite this, since it shows off her strengths so well.