Our Infinite Fates

Two doomed souls keep reincarnating as star-crossed lovers in this sweeping romantic fantasy from Steven (Every Exquisite Thing). Branwen Blythe of Wales is eight when she remembers a terrible truth: “Branwen” is merely the latest incarnation of immortal being Evelyn, and before Branwen turns 18, the latest incarnation of Evelyn’s eternal love and mortal enemy, Arden, will find and murder her, thereby also killing himself. This cycle has been repeating for centuries, and while Arden is drawn to Evelyn in every life, Evelyn rarely recognizes Arden until it’s too late. For years, Evelyn perseverates on Arden’s current identity and her incarnation’s impending demise; then doctors diagnose Branwen’s younger sister, Gracie, with leukemia. Branwen’s bone marrow could save Gracie, but Gracie is not yet healthy enough to undergo a transplant, and Branwen’s 18th birthday is days away. Unwilling to let Branwen’s widowed mother lose both daughters, a determined Evelyn starts scheming to survive. Steven’s tale unfolds from Evelyn’s perspective in raw, increasingly desperate first-person narration that ping-pongs through time to develop mystery and character. Though a pat denouement underwhelms, the tale nevertheless gratifies, vividly illustrating love’s boundless nature. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 13–up. Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn. (Mar.)