Book Review: A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray

Title: A Million Worlds With You Series: Firebird #3 Written by: Claudia Gray Published: November 1, 2016 by HarperTeen (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny.  The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation.  Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again.  So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.  In the epic conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites . . . and only one can win.

I was really looking forward to the final book in this series. I was absolutely impressed with the world-building and plot development of this science fiction series. I liked the first book but loved the second and the way it was going. I couldn't wait to find out how it was all going to end especially with the cliffhanger at the end of book two. And while I did enjoy it, it didn't quite satisfy my hopes for the last book in a series.

One thing that I did love in this book was the world. Dimensional travel is something that I have read a fair amount and I definitely think this series does that well. It is the perfect balance between the science elements of the multiverse and the fictional elements of body snatching and traveling across the dimensions. I don't like when books focus more on one element and with this series it does a great job of explaining why and how with the science and not getting bogged down in it. In addition it was really cool exploring all the different worlds. Here we were able to not only go back to some from previous books but also explore even more worlds. They are all so different and yet so similar which makes things very interesting. There was even a really interesting twist with the dimensions that caught me off guard and I really loved. The setting and world of this series is the best part.

The other thing I really liked about this book was the characters. In the three books I have grown attached to each and every one of them. And the interesting thing is while there are really only a handful of characters because they go to different dimensions we get to see them a host of different ways. It was kind of an interesting character study to see how a world and can change a person and not change them at the same time. That element of this series was absolutely fascinating.

I will say, in terms of character development, I wanted a little more. Most of the focus of this book is on Marguerite, one particular version of Marguerite. We spend so much time with her and her struggle to save the people she loves and the universes. But I didn't quite feel the reasoning behind all of it. Some of it made total sense and at other times it just seemed like she was doing it for no particular reasons. This was particularly true towards the end while it was all wrapping up/ Things just changed so quickly I didn't get the sense of why. But I think the character development that most disappointed me was with "Wicked" or who I refer to as "Darkest Timeline Marguerite." I thought she was going to be a much bigger part of this book. And after a few brief chapters in the beginning she just became this indirect force and that made her not as ominous a villain as I was hoping. I think a lot of that comes down to personal preference but I wanted to see more of her villainy. It would have helped ground some of the actions she took.

But I also think some of my criticism of the character development is also reflected in my feelings on the plot development. It was good but in the end it just felt kind of sudden. I thought I had an idea of where this book was going, how it would end but then there came a point where I think all of that ran away from me, from the characters really. When you're dealing with the multiverses and trying to stop someone who is trying to destroy whole dimensions there is naturally going to be a big question of how. At certain points it seemed in impossible, the multiverse is endless after all, And just when I thought they couldn't possible find a solution, they did. And all that was good, it made sense, there were elements from earlier in the book to back it up and then suddenly that plan had to change too. The ending just didn't feel satisfying because it was both sudden and didn't have much resolution. For being the final book in a series I was hoping for more closure and full-circle moments. I didn't get that.

But on the whole, I did enjoy this book it just didn't blow me away like I was hoping. It had a fascinating world, great characters, and an interesting setting but there wasn't enough character development and the conclusion felt a little sudden for me.

I give A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow/Buy. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series definitely pick this one up. And despite the fact that the last book in the series is my least favorite, fans of YA science fiction who haven't read this series should pick it up. If you are looking for a story that does a good job with multiverses, check this out.

Have you read A Million Worlds With You? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: A Million Worlds with You Series: Firebird #3 Author: Claudia Gray Published: November 1, 2016 by Harper Teen (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny. The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation. Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again. So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead. In the epic conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites . . . and only one can win

Why I'm Waiting 

I liked A Thousand Pieces of You but I loved Ten Thousand Skies Above You. That book wrecked me! The way it ended was such a mean twist and cliffhanger. But like the best possible mean because it was super fantastic. I have been desperately waiting on this book since I read the last one and I am so nervous at how it is going to end.

But I do know one thing that I am really excited about for this final book, the characters. This is an amazing science fiction series that handles the multiverse really well and it reflects on the characters and the character development. And oh man, we are about to experience darkest timeline Marguerite and who I refer to as "Bad Theo" which I could NOT be more excited about.

Plus, let's be serious I need this book on my shelf because of the cover. These covers are amazingly gorgeous. I am constantly impressed with how colorful and interesting they are and they always give you some idea of where the book is taking you. And guys... SPACE! Can't wait!

I have this book preordered because despite the fact that early October is full of amazing books, this one is one I need to read immediately. I'm excited to see how it all ends because I know it is going to be an insane thrill ride.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on A Million Worlds With You along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

*** This is the second book in a trilogy and there may be spoilers within the synopsis and review. If you have not read A Thousand Pieces of You proceed with caution. Here's my review if you need encouragement. ***

Title: Ten Thousand Skies Above You Series: Firebird Trilogy #2 Written by: Claudia Gray Published: January 5, 2016 by Tor Teen (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.  Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.  The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

I read the first book in this series, A Thousand Pieces of You, last December and liked it even though it didn't blow me away. But I liked it enough to give the second book a try and I'm glad that I did. This book was just as good, if not better. It took the likable characters and allowed me to further connect with them and at the same time it expanded on plot points making this a much more intricate story.

The best part of this book, and the series, is the world building. Dimensional travel is sometimes hard to pull off but Claudia Gray does it brilliantly. I'm a fan of science fiction but I don't often enjoy when books get bogged down with the science. In this series, complicated scientific concepts of theoretical physics are dealt with so well that not only do I understand them, but they seem possible. The idea of multiple universes (or multiverse) and consciousness traveling between those universes seems outrageous but possible. That's what makes this book so interesting. What I particularly like about these universes is that they are not all that different from our own. I mean even when you're going to a war torn dystopia or a Europe where the monarchies never fell, it's all rooted in logic and/or history. But it's also just different enough to keep my interest. That is the mark of a good multiverse for me. It walks the line between seeming familiar and different. Each of these worlds were just that.

And because the worlds were only slightly different, they also had this subtle character development which was cool. Here the characters arcs are not so much about what the characters we know did to change, to make themselves different. No, here it is more about how one choice, or a different surroundings can lead to different behaviors and attitudes. It's kind of a cool nature versus nurture argument. Are people always the same or is their surroundings that make up their personality? Then there is this whole theme about fate. Are people meant to find each other and to be together or is it just circumstance. It was all very different and interesting.

I was also able to connect much more with the characters which was nice. In the first book I liked them enough but I wasn't really invested in their struggle. By the end of this one I was totally invested. Maybe it's the fact that we were able to spend more time with them. Each of these characters has strengths and weaknesses which is nice, so being able to spend more time with them allowed me to get to know them better. That was particularly true for Marguerite. She's our main character here and the one who stayed with the same consciousness as she jumped between universes. I also felt much more connected to Theo in this book. "Real" Theo is such a fantastic guy. He's smart, funny, and caring. I'm not saying I'm Team Theo for Marguerite but I'm definitely Team Theo for me. No, for Marguerite I am much more invested in her relationship with Paul. They had some trials in this book and I like that they came out of it stronger. In the first book I didn't totally love the romance because it felt strange at times and the love triangle was forced. Here that triangle rears it's ugly head again and I did find myself rolling my eyes at some parts, it worked better here. It actually worked more as part of the plot development instead of against it so it made more sense.

A visual representation of my feels at the end of the book.

And that plot too was much more intricate. On top of that, the stakes were incredibly high here and there was a lot of action scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. On the whole it just felt more fast-paced and thrilling than the previous book which I liked. I like when a series has a really tight plot that has a clear resolution with each specific book but then builds up a larger story as part of the series. That's what Ten Thousand Skies Above You did. It had a very specific plot, getting back the splinters of Paul's soul, but it also takes moments from the previous books and expands on them to make a different and larger plot point. And that larger plot is the one that was all the more interesting to me. It had huge and shocking twists that caught me off guard, and a crazy cliffhanger that has me desperately needing book three and so very excited for what will happen in the final book in the trilogy.

On the whole, Ten Thousand Skies Above You was a great sequel to an interesting book about dimensional travel with likable characters and truly fascinating world. The plot was engaging and intricate and left me so shocked and invested that I need book 3 so badly.

I give Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you liked A Thousand Pieces of You then definitely read this one. It expands on things that were only a small part of the first book and the stakes are really high here. If you are looking for an interesting series about dimensional travel and multiverses then I would absolutely suggest this one.

Have you read Ten Thousand Skies Above You? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

On Rereads: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

On Rereads is a monthly feature on My Thoughts Lit where I talk about the books I reread during the month. It's an opportunity to share some new thoughts on a book I read before and usually to prepare for a new release. I'm planning to reread 25 different books during this year so for the foreseeable future I plan to do one - three reread a month so I want to share my thoughts on these books the second time around.

This month I'm starting off slow because I also have a monthly audiobook that I am trying to read so I only have one reread planned for the month and I already read it. It was actually one of my first books I read this year because I listened to it while I drove home after New Years.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
 (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

You all probably know that I do themed months here on My Thoughts Literally. This month's theme is time/dimensional travel. I had a library hold on Ten Thousand Skies Above You, the second book in this series and it worked out perfectly because it fit this month's theme. So to prepare for that book, I reread this one.

As usual, I listened to the audio this time around and I'm really glad that I did. The audio for this one was really fantastic. This series is about the main character travelling to different universes within their own consciousness. This takes her to different places as well. The cool thing the narrator did was use different accents for the different worlds so it helped keep things clear and was totally immersive. And yes, some of the accents, like the Russian one, was a little over the top and did get old it was really entertaining.

Plus it was a great refresher for the series. I remembered the basics of the plot but little details escaped me. Details that did in fact come into play in the second book. Plus this was just as good the second time around. It's definitely hard Sci-Fi with a lot of science but it's interesting and addresses a lot of different themes that have to do with time travel or taking over a different person's consciousness. It was a really great read and I'm glad I listened to it again.

That's my one reread for this month. It feels weird to already be posting this. It's usually one of my last posts of the month, not the first. But oh well. Have you reread any books lately? Have you read A Thousand Pieces of You? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

(P.S. If you have read A Thousand Pieces of You then definitely check back tomorrow for my review of Ten Thousand Skies Above You)

Book Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You Series: Firebird #1 Author: Claudia Gray Published: November 4, 2014 by Harper Teen (Amazon / Goodreads)  Synopsis: Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him. Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined. A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure

A Thousand Pieces of You is one of those books that I was almost instantly attracted to. From the gorgeous cover to the intriguing synopsis, this book intrigued me so much. And while the book didn't quite hit it out of the park, it was an interesting read with a fascinating world and interesting and well-rounded characters.

One of the best parts of A Thousand Pieces of You was the complex Science Fiction world. It's not your typical story of time travel or multiverses but it takes elements of both and creates something utterly fascinating. Claudia Gray has managed to develop a world that is rooted in science, logic, and technological and feels creative and interesting. I loved her concept of dimensional travel and taking over your other self's consciousness or what I like to call "body-switching." And because it was rooted in logic it seemed entirely possible.

But what also seemed possible is the different dimensions she created. In this book we get to explore four or five different dimensions. And while most of them aren't exceptionally different from our own, they are lusciously created. You can visualized the sleek and modern London, the frivolity of Russia where the Romanovs retained power, and the underwater ocean bases where global warming raised sea level. In each world you were immersed in a place that was interesting and unique. Every time the characters got ready to jump into a new dimension I would get so excited to see where they would be heading next. These dimensional worlds, and the world of this book, was the best part of A Thousand Pieces of You.

And as good an interesting as the world was, the plot felt a little lacking for me. I'm not sure if it because the focus of the book was the world-building but when it came to the storyline of the book it felt too basic. It's not that it wasn't interesting or enjoyable, it just wasn't the focus of the book. I would have liked it to be a little more complicated and there to be a lot more mystery. There were a few plot twists that did surprise me but most of the plot felt simple and a little predictable. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. If both the world and the plot were complicated it would have been too overwhelming. It tried to strike that delicate balance. Plus the simple plot made it a quick read. And one thing I did like about the plot was that it had an actual resolution. Being the first book in a new series, you would think that there would be a cliffhanger, but there wasn't. It actually resolved things so much that it felt like a standalone and I'm not entirely sure what is going to happen in the next book, because things were wrapped up so much.

But perhaps the thing for me that made this book walk the line between good and great was the characters. They were definitely interesting and well-rounded. They were the kind of characters that had strengths and weaknesses that usually makes me like them. Marguerite in particular felt very realistic and her dedication to others before herself was admirable. And while I did want to see her succeed, I just wasn't as invested as I thought I would be. In this case of Marguerite and many of the characters in this book, while I found them likable I just didn't feel the connection to them and their struggle. What I did love about these characters however were the family relationship. You could really feel the love between Marguerite, her parents, and their assistants. They cared so much for each other and supported one another with their words and actions. But that being said I didn't really like the romance in the book. It was a very contradictory feeling because while I shipped the ship the romance felt weird and the love triangle was incredibly forced. But what was even more forced is the love triangle. To me the choice was so obvious but it wasn't for Marguerite. Her romantic indecision made her feel indecisive and frustrating. All and all this made me feel a little indifferent to the characters and that lack of connection made it harder for me to connect with the book.

A Thousand Pieces of You was a good and enjoyable book, that was a quick read. The Science Fiction world was utterly fascinating but the plot could have been more complex.

I give A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray 8 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. I would probably recommend this book to fans of Science Fiction or people who are looking for a fascinating and creative world. The multiverses and "body-switching" are so brilliant and amazing so if you are looking for a unique world then check out A Thousand Pieces of You. If you are looking for something with a lot of mystery and suspense then maybe give this one a pass.

Have you read A Thousand Pieces of You? What did you think? What was your favorite universe? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!