Author: Claudia Gray
Series: Firebird #2
Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Paperback
Pages: 432
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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 was very excited to read this one because the first book was so original and interesting! with all those dimensions and infinite possibilities to one's self. Unfortunately I had some issues with Ten Thousand Skies Above You... mainly the first half of the book. That's were all my complaints concentrate. Don't get me wrong! It is NOT a bad book but I do think it suffered a bit of "second book syndrome"... I hope the third book will be epic.
THE WORLD: Same as in the last book. We have our "normal" dimension let's say with our technology and our cultures etc but then as you probably guessed we have (mostly) new dimensions! The only dimension we repeat is the Russiaverse from A Thousand Pieces of You. Mind that each dimension has followed a different path so it might not have technology, it might be at war, it may be completely futuristic, etc. In this book we follow the characters through a medieval dimension, a dimension at war, a dimension similar to ours but the characters have "changed", the Russiaverse, and finally the futuristic Triadverse where all the evil from Triad company started.
CHARACTERS: The main characters are the same as in the first book: Marguerite, Paul, and Theo. The book starts a few months after the first book, Marguerite and Paul have been dating and are in love while Theo's health has been going downhill due to the toxic side effects of the Night-Thief. Because Paul loves Theo (brotp!) he volunteers to go to the Triadverse and steal a cure however Wyatt Conley, the bad guy, is waiting for him and splits Paul's conscience in four, putting each piece in a different dimension. Conley meets with Marguerite and they make a simple deal: he will give her a cure for Theo as well as the coordinates of Paul's pieces if she sabotages the work of her parents, who are about to assemble the Firebird in those universes. So really the book consists of Marguerite and Theo travelling through the different dimensions and gathering Paul's pieces so that they can "put him together" while also thinking about how to defeat Conley.
We also get a bit more of the side characters like Romola and Marguerite's sister, Josie. But not much.
We also get a bit more of the side characters like Romola and Marguerite's sister, Josie. But not much.
LOVE: This is one of the annoying parts. MILD SPOILERS In the first book Marguerite has gone to multiple dimensions and saw the same pattern: that Paul and her are always in love on those dimensions, thus she assumes that there must be a common destiny or that they're "meant to be", and Paul also thinks the same. When this book starts and Marguerite and Theo start travelling to other dimensions, there are some where Marguerite chooses Theo instead of Paul which confuses her. She starts to think that there is no destiny and that she would have a choice, she could choose Theo, what if she has chosen the wrong guy, etc. On top of that, there are also other dimensions where Paul is not the awesome good guy Marguerite knows from her dimension because he has been raised under different circumstances on a different dimension of course, yet she has another internal debate with herself because if other Pauls have capacity for evil it MUST mean that HER Paul does too. Which is ridiculous! Anyway the first half of the book goes on and on like this. There is nothing else going on. It's like a flashback of The Elite (The Selection series).
PLUS: Once we move away from the first 50% it seems that Marguerite starts to put her thoughts together and eventually her doubts are resolved. Thanks heaven! Then the last 20% is the real deal. The awesomeness starts! We learn the truth about Triad and Conley... about their plans... about their motives...
Even though I was annoyed by the doubts Marguerite had. I'm glad that she analyzed them and they were actually resolved in this book. I liked the concepts that were used to explain all these doubts because it mixed science (multiverse) with philosophy (destiny).
I don't think I could have dealt with a 2nd book completely about a love triangle not being resolved, meaning that the 3rd book would still go on about such triangle. No, thanks.
Ah, also while I don't like love triangles and boys cock-blocking each other I appreciate that Theo had the chance to redeem himself and proved to be a good friend.
There is also a plot-twist and a cliffhanger at the end that aaarrrgggghhhhh we'll have to wait forever until the last book comes out!
Can we talk about the covers as well? I am in love with these covers, they are gorgeous. They should be put together in a painting and then framed or something. I would love to hang them above the sofa/bed (when I eventually move to my own house) hehe
MINUS: Like I said, the first half was boring and dull and I hate when MC females are torn between two guys. Put yourself together! You have a mission to accomplish that's more important!
Also another minus is that, well the whole book is actually about Paul being separated from Marguerite and her coming to the rescue... I mean I'm not against her being the heroine! I like that but was an entire book about two lovers being separated really necessary? Maybe. The third book will tell if it was worth the pain.
OVERALL: So I finally settled for 3.5-4 stars. I am willing to overlook the first half of the book in order to favor the second half which was the interesting one. Not the most annoying book but it wasn't great either, however I do think that the last book has potential to be epic now that romance doesn't play such a big role (hopefully).
Even though I was annoyed by the doubts Marguerite had. I'm glad that she analyzed them and they were actually resolved in this book. I liked the concepts that were used to explain all these doubts because it mixed science (multiverse) with philosophy (destiny).
I don't think I could have dealt with a 2nd book completely about a love triangle not being resolved, meaning that the 3rd book would still go on about such triangle. No, thanks.
Ah, also while I don't like love triangles and boys cock-blocking each other I appreciate that Theo had the chance to redeem himself and proved to be a good friend.
There is also a plot-twist and a cliffhanger at the end that aaarrrgggghhhhh we'll have to wait forever until the last book comes out!
Can we talk about the covers as well? I am in love with these covers, they are gorgeous. They should be put together in a painting and then framed or something. I would love to hang them above the sofa/bed (when I eventually move to my own house) hehe
MINUS: Like I said, the first half was boring and dull and I hate when MC females are torn between two guys. Put yourself together! You have a mission to accomplish that's more important!
Also another minus is that, well the whole book is actually about Paul being separated from Marguerite and her coming to the rescue... I mean I'm not against her being the heroine! I like that but was an entire book about two lovers being separated really necessary? Maybe. The third book will tell if it was worth the pain.
What did you guys think about TEN THOUSAND SKIES ABOVE YOU?
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