The Firebird Trilogy by Claudia Gray
A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird 1) by Claudia Gray, narrated by Tavia Gilbert
A thousand lives.
A thousand possibilities.
One fate.
Marguerite Caine grew up surrounded by cutting-edge scientific theories, thanks to her brilliant physicist parents. Yet nothing is more astounding than her mother's latest invention-a device called the Firebird, which allows people to leap into alternate dimensions.
When Marguerite's father is murdered, all the evidence points to one person-Paul, her parents' enigmatic star student. Before the law can touch him, Paul escapes into another dimension, having committed what seems like the perfect crime. But he didn't count on Marguerite. She doesn't know if she can kill a man, but she's going to find out.
With the help of another physics student, Theo, Marguerite chases Paul through various dimensions. In each new world Marguerite leaps to, she meets another version of Paul that has her doubting his guilt and questioning her heart. Is she doomed to repeat the same betrayal?
As Marguerite races through these wildly different lives-a grand duchess in a Tsarist Russia, a club-hopping orphan in a futuristic London, a refugee from worldwide flooding on a station in the heart of the ocean-she is swept into an epic love affair as dangerous as it is irresistible.
My sister quite enjoyed this trilogy and recommended it to me.
I listened to the audiobook. Tavia Gilbert is a good narrator. She executed a good range of voices and accents for the different characters.
The story keeps you interested and has you on your toes because crossing dimensions and taking over bodies leaves it open for unreliable narrators. Throw in some tension and action, and then you're in for a fast paced page turner.
I didn't even mind the love-triangle YA aspect. The tropes (the one bed, the hypothermia, "I was the nice guy") were amusing and didn't fall into the trap of being annoying.
I'll continue listening to the series to see it to its conclusion.
3 out of 5 Dimensions.
Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird 2) by Claudia Gray, narrated by Tavia Gilbert
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.
I enjoyed the second book more than the first. There was more world building and history about the origins of visiting dimensions.
It further explores the theme of destiny. It also explores the differences and similarities of the same person from the multiverse. The same being has the same unique genetic code but has the potential to be good or evil. Our Marguerite feels guilt about the lives she altered, but another Marguerite does it on purpose for fun. Conflict! Cliffhanger!
I also loved seeing the consequences of the lives Marguerite altered. I was wondering if we would go back to a previous dimension.
The plot and character development were well done. The pacing was good, as was the action and suspense.
4.5 out of 5 Splinters.
A Million Worlds with You (Firebird 3) by Claudia Gray, narrated by Tavia Gilbert
The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite’s hands in the final installment of the Firebird trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.
Ever since she used the Firebird, her parent’s invention, to cross through alternate dimensions, Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud. Now she has learned that the evil Triad Corporation plans to destroy hundreds of universes, using their ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite who is wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.
Even though her boyfriend Paul has always been at Marguerite’s side, the Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man, and he may never be the same again. Marguerite alone must stop Triad and prevent the destruction of the multiverse. It’s a battle of the Marguerites . . . and only one can win.
In the epic conclusion to the sweeping series that kicked off with A Thousand Pieces of You, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed.
Great conclusion to the Firebird trilogy. The stakes were higher with the threat of genocide. The story explores the dark side of powerful technology. You might have good intentions but some entities like the military or corrupt corporations can swoop in and abuse it. Chilling stuff.
Again the important topic of taking away another person's agency, even when that person is you in another dimension is addressed. The emotions were in high gear.
Stories with many dimensions and so many threads to keep track of it can turn into a convoluted mess. Claudia Gray did a wonderful job of keeping it an orderly and engaging page turner.
5 out of 5 Paint Brushes
Favorite Quotes:
Page 62: Maybe I should be too old to take so much comfort from being hugged by my mom, but after plunging to my near-death, I’m not ashamed to need a snuggle.
Page 83: When we're in pain, people are too quick to say, "Get over it, move on, it's not that bad". But we don't get over grief by denying it. We have to feel it. We have to give it its due. Sometimes that means doing the exact opposite of "moving on". We have to dive down to the very depths of our sorrow, relive every terrible moment, and endure the torture of asking what could have been - and what will now be. We have to bleed out before our hearts can start beating again.
Page 204: “It wouldn’t matter if you visited a million worlds. You never know everything about another person- not even someone you love. You can’t, and you wouldn’t want to.” ….”You have to love the mystery. You have to take a chance.”
Page 418: The Firebird was built one equation at a time. My paintings are the result of countless small brushstrokes, each one shaded with a different blend of colors, each one with a single, deliberate purpose. Every moment, every day, we are all making something-whether it’s science or art, a relationship or a destiny-building it choice by choice, moment by moment. Our decision shape other people’s world as well as our own.