Natasha is a high school student with a troubling past. She used to be popular and well-kept, but after her father disappeared and never returned, her attitude changed. She no longer puts in any effort in her appearance or schoolwork. When her friend Elodie convinces her to play hookie one day, she agrees; but what begins as an afternoon adventure ends in Natasha blacking out and being arrested at school the next morning. Natasha has no idea what is going on. That is, until a ridiculously gorgeous boy explains that she is a recruit of an exclusive off-the-grid school for specially-trained students. Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel follows Natasha as she proceeds through her new exciting and strange life with caution and realizes that moments from her past hold the key to the future of all mankind. 

Gray Wolf Academy is located on a remote island founded by legendary tech trillionaire Arthur Blackstone. Through her interactions with her classmates, she realizes that everyone, including the academy itself, is full of secrets and she is not sure who to trust. She should be able to continue her friendship with Elodie, but Natasha realizes that Elodie is perhaps the least trustworthy of all. She feels a strong attraction to Braxton and senses the feeling is mutual, but he is just as evasive as everyone else when questioned about his past. Nevertheless, she slowly learns how to navigate these relationships while learning the truth about the reason why she and all of her classmates are there.  

Readers will love the history-based action inspired by real places and events in Stealing Infinity. Natasha’s training consists of period-specific skills such as equestrian, fencing, foreign language, blending in, deception, and thievery. Eventually Natasha learns the mission of the Gray Wolf Academy and what she and her classmates are training for – time traveling and stealing valuables from the past. On top of this, Natasha’s dormant talent – what she calls Unraveling – also becomes active again and confuses her even more about her new home. Eventually she learns how to use it to her advantage but not without notice from other characters – including Arthur. 

Throughout Stealing Infinity, Natasha must confront the type of person she is and what lengths she is willing to go in order to fit in and excel at this new institution. Her journey forces her to let go of her former life in order to improve her chances to succeed (very cult-adjacent, by the way). And while she swallowed her grief of losing her father, old memories with him creep up and assist her in her training. As a result, Natasha and readers must figure out what her father was preparing her for all those years ago and why they seem connected to this strange new place. 

Alyson Noel is a renowned and best-selling author with plenty of published works under her belt. Loyal readers will undoubtedly recognize her talents for fantasy world-building and writing style in Stealing Infinity. However, I will agree with some that the pacing was off at some points; some parts seemed rushed while others seemed to drag on. The mechanics of time travel were not fleshed out very well – but then again, maybe we’ll get more details in the next installment, as this book will begin a new series. And even though there was some room for improvement, you better believe I’m waiting for the sequel.

Alyson Noel joins us for a Cantina Conversation where we talk about her experiences as a published author, what inspired her to write this story, and what readers can expect in the next installment. Keep an eye out for the interview on a future episode of The Nerd Cantina Show podcast and pre-order Stealing Infinity, available June 28.