Why You Should Read The Firebird Series Now

Series Title: Firebired
Author: Claudia Gray
Publication Years: 2014 - 2016 

 
I was meant to write this review as soon as I had finished the series, which was just about 2 months ago (if I'm not mistaken). However, despite me wanting to write a raving review, I got stuck multiple times on how best to express how much I adored it all. So I let myself sit with it and really mull over my thoughts. I've finally been able to point out three reasons as to why you should read the Firebird series now.

Review  

1. Gray's impressive world-building.
Gray's exploration of parallel universes gave way to some of the most exciting and memorable world-building I have come across. It's already a great feat in my eyes to produce one solid world for a story, let alone the 2 to 3 different dimensions the characters travel to and fro in each book. As I read, I felt like I was being transported into each universe with the characters. I could envision every aspect that made each world uniquely it's own - the experience was vivid and realistic. This alone made reading the Firebird series exceptionally thrilling and fun. 

 
2. The amount of thinking and reflecting involved.
Setting her story amongst various dimensions also invited a whole lot of thinking and reflecting on my end. There were so many questions regarding morals, how to determine right and wrong, evil and good and whether you could really justify bad decisions if you have good intentions? I love reading novels that force me to really assess each scenario and decision and action made by the characters, because it means I become invested. I put myself into their shoes and think, think hard, about what is ahead.
Moreover, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the idea of multiple dimensions really existing in real life. Obviously, this is taking the tool out of the plot and not really necessary when you're reading, but I found it interesting to take the situations in the book and questions Gray was posing and applying it to my own life. What would I do and how far would I go to save the people I love? Equally, if there were multiple Traceys out there, I would like to hope that they are living healthy and prosperous lives. 

 
3. Magueritte and Paul's relationship
I wouldn't say I usually read a book purely for the romance aspect, unless it's a romance of course. However, I was very invested in Magueritte and Paul's relationship throughout the entire read. It came down to the idea of destiny. Would Magueritte and Paul, after facing so many difficult challenges and running through different universes, meeting those versions of themselves, still find each other again? Will destiny play it's part in their relationship? That question was deeply embedded in the series. It became hard not to think about and slowly I was caught up in wanting to see them grow, learn about and from each other and ultimately, find the happiness they deserve. 

To read my review for the first instalment, A Thousand Pieces Of You, see here. 

Favourite Book: A Thousand Pieces of You
Book Ratings A Thousand Pieces of You: 5/5 Ten Thousand Skies Above You: 4/5 A Million Worlds With You: 4.5/5
Series Rating

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A Full Five Stars For A Thousand Pieces of You

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You 
Author: Claudia Gray
Series: Firebird #1
Publication Date: November 4th, 2014
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Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite's father is murdered, and the killer—her parent's handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul's guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father's death is far more sinister than she expected.

Review

I will admit I am super late to A Thousand Pieces of You having purchased this when it was first published but never attempting to read it. Truth be told, I thought I had tried to read this and ended up DNF'ing. How embarrassingly wrong I was. I say this because of how impressively creative, clever and thrilling A Thousand Pieces of You is. 

I was quickly captivated by Marguerite's journey, not just because of how exciting the storyline is but also because of the writing style and layout of the plot. I have come to love both fast paced reads as well as quick starts, in that the author dives right into the adventure and relies on flashback and character conversation to relay past/off-page events. When A Thousand Pieces of You starts, Marguerite's father has already passed away in the accident and travel into parallel universes happens within the first 20 pages. It's quick, to the point and sets an intensity for the rest of the book. 

Gray also impressed me with how clever and thought-provoking the read is - possibly the main reason why I loved A Thousand Pieces of You. The concept of parallel universe is not a new one, but Gray kept it interesting and somewhat unique in both her theory as well as the scientific invention - the Firebird - that aids in travel between dimensions. In fact, I would say the way she explained the concept, coupled with the device, made for a rather believable read. I liked that she was thorough enough so there wasn't any confusion but didn't overload the plot with just scientific explanations that it turned into a science textbook. The creation of the device also demonstrates how smart and creative Gray is! I will admit I'm definitely intrigued by the idea of parallel lives and time and space in general, so A Thousand Pieces of You does cater towards my interest, which added to my love fort his book. I was actually reeling different theories through my mind whilst reading as well - that's how engaged I was. 

Another factor that I really liked was the simplicity in Gray's writing. She doesn't add flashy, flowery expressions, which I appreciated. It meant that I could focus on the plot and the events rather than be distracted by pretty, whimsical prose. It's clear and succinct yet, still descriptive enough for me to envision each scene. In fact, the different universes Gray creates still remains vividly memorable in my mind. I won't delve into what the parallel worlds are, because that would be spoilers, but each world had its own unique features, which really made me want to go to and discover as well.

I definitely think A Thousand Pieces of You was a super fun, albeit dark, and engrossing read. The fact that I flew through this in less than 2 days says how much I was invested in the story and quickly loved it. I cannot wait to devour the rest of the series!

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