INFINITY BLAST AND THE PLANET OF MYSTERY

For a hotshot new trainee and his cohorts, challenges at the space academy include kidnapping and murder attempts.

In the wake of saving both Earth and the arriving galactic ambassadors in the series opener, Infinity Blast and the Space Weapon of Doom (2023), Infinity is thrilled to be accepted into the newly opened In’Te Consortium Earth Academy of Space Science along with his sister, Twilight, and friends Gabe and Lily. However, one of his multispecies classmates turns out to be Tess, daughter of the opener’s archvillain, Agent Winter. More dauntingly, simulated training battles quickly give way to real ones when supposedly disarmed weapons and bombs turn out to be live—and a short space flight unexpectedly becomes a long one that leaves the students stranded on an unknown planet stocked with dangers galore. Fortunately, thanks to Infinity’s leadership abilities and his squad’s mix of tech and other know-how, getting back to Earth and then exposing their nemesis turns out to be just a matter of learning to work together, hacking a few systems, fueling up a conveniently available alien spaceship, blasting a few attacking robots, and confronting a thinly disguised, easily enraged alien traitor. All in all, an exciting first year. The cover illustration may cue a racially diverse central cast; Gabe and Infinity each refer to themselves once as dyslexic and neurodivergent, respectively.

A solid space-school tale with some action-packed battle scenes.