If you tuned into the blog last week, you may remember my post about the myth of the Teumessian Fox and the rather lengthy–and loosely related–musing on paradoxes. I’m piggy-backing off last week’s post for this month’s book recommendation. If the idea of the multiverse fascinates you as much as me, you won’t want to miss Claudia Gray’s Firebird Trilogy. The books published in 2014-2016, but I read them in 2019.
I’m just going to discuss the first book in the trilogy, A Thousand Pieces of You, but I inhaled all three of them like a breath of fresh spring air.
Goodreads Synopsis for Firebird #1, A Thousand Pieces of You
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.
Recommendation
First, I have to acknowledge how stunning the covers in this series are. I mean, seriously? Just…*chef’s kiss.*
Time Travel
I appreciated how Gray navigated the jumping through the multiverse in her books. Travelers can only jump into different versions of themselves. So, there’s no weirdness about meeting their alternate selves. It also creates an interesting layer of conflict.
While wearing the Firebird—the piece of technology that allows them to jump through time and space—travelers retain their own memories and personalities. The characters must then orient to their surroundings and figure out just who the other versions of themselves are—what they would say and do, what kinds of relationships they have with their parents and friends, even where they live. And not only are they different, but the versions of history are different, too. I found it to be a fun experiment exploring what truly makes a person.
The Plot
This book had a solid mystery that kept me engaged. The protagonist’s family genuinely cared about each other. I didn’t swoon over the main romance, but I also didn’t gag. That is a win, in my opinion.
The stakes raised with each subsequent book in the series, which kept me turning pages to see how Marguerite and her allies would fare in different worlds and times and face their new and more dangerous challenges.
I also appreciated that this series has a sci-fi flavor, but it isn’t too complicated. I am not a frequent patron of the sci-fi shelves. Generally speaking, the technical jargon and science-y stuff generally numbs my brain and makes me look like this…
…but I do like to dabble now and then. If you’re like me, the Firebird Trilogy might just be your speed.
Check out the books and let me know what you think! If you have any favorite time travel books, send me a note at author@kierstenlillis.com. I’m always looking for new recommendations!
