After reading Claudia Gray’s A Thousand Pieces of You last winter, its sequel: Ten Thousand Skies Above You, was at the top of my TBR list. I even listed it as one of my Seven Sequels We Needed Yesterday.
And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I’m already dying for the third book, which will unfortunately probably be a little bit of a wait…
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.
Ten Thousand Skies Above You takes the reader traveling across dimensions again, this time to save the life of the person Marguerite has come to love so dearly, Paul. Conley is using him as a bargaining piece in his scheme to rule the multiverse. As she travels to each new dimension, she takes the place of another Marguerite and sees the differences in her loved ones and their lives across dimensions. She’s lead to question her beliefs on fate and love and eventually, everything she thinks she knows about the Firebird project.
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My initial reaction to this book was: WOW. Claudia Gray has continued the amazing world of Marguerite and the Firebird and woven in some incredible details, twists, and turns. The layering and world building is truly incredible.
I absolutely could not put this book down. Each dimension that Marguerite visits is so distinct, different, and well developed that it’s easy to become fully immersed in each world. Nothing in the plot is predictable and Claudia Gray keeps you on your toes the entire time, with a twist at the end that will shock you to the core. The characters and their stories are captivating: so much of Marguerite’s adventure is trial-and-error and I kept thinking, “How on earth is she going to get out of this one?”
There are so many things I loved about this book that I couldn’t possibly list them all but these are some of the most important ones:
- Marguerite’s relationship with Paul and Theo: It’s obvious that Marguerite cares for both of them and they both definitely love her and care for each other. The conflict and love-triangle is very well done and sometimes I didn’t know who was better or “right” for Marguerite. Gray doesn’t make it easy for her and I loved getting to see the different Pauls and Theos across dimensions.
- The different dimensions. I already said this but each one is so creative and fascinating. I loved getting to “go” to different dimensions and imagine what our world could be if something different had happened in history or technological development. I also loved getting to revisit one of the dimensions from A Thousand Pieces of You, where we see that the decisions Marguerite makes really do have an impact.
- Marguerite’s strength and determination. She’s already been through a lot with everything that happened in the first book and then she’s thrown for another loop as yet another one of the people she cares for is torn away from her. I love that she’s willing to do whatever it takes for the people she cares about, even if she doesn’t always do it in the right way, and that we see her internal struggles. No matter what is thrown at her in each dimension, Marguerite pushes through the tough and keeps going to save Paul, just like she did when it was her dad’s life in question. The poor girl has a lot of emotional baggage to deal with and the toll it takes is definitely visible. She’s strong and admirable but not without flaws, which ultimately make her more relatable.
I highly recommend both A Thousand Pieces of You and Ten Thousand Skies Above You. As it says in the description, “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.” This is a new favorite for sure and I can’t wait for the last book in the trilogy.
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Ten Thousand Skies Above You releases on November 3, 2015 from Harper Teen.
Rating: 10/10
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