Book Review: I’ll Travel A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU

A Million Worlds With You 
Written by Claudia Gray
Published by Harper Teen
November 1, 2016
Paperback, 419 pages

A pat on the back for me. First, I’ve successfully read and will now review a trilogy. Second, I have faith in other stories by Claudia Gray.

After I finished A Thousand Pieces of You, I searched for Ten Thousand Skies Above You. When I finished that, I was itching to start the final book in Gray’s Firebird trilogy. At the end of the second book was a teaser for the beginning of the final chapter in the series and I needed to know what happened because it was something that we had not encountered yet. But I’ll get to that.

In the last book, Marguerite Caine found out just how far Triad would go to manipulate her by splitting Paul Markov’s soul and dropping it into other dimensions. She also learned the dark secret behind their actions. I also used the word multiverse in my previous review. Marguerite has been labeled as the perfect traveler, with the ability to jump dimensions and not completely lose the sense of her original self (staying in complete control without ‘fading’ into that dimensions person, forgetting who they really are or where they come from). However, the Triadverse (the universe of the Triad headquarters) discovered how to take control of her and make her a liability that could cause the destruction of any universe. Yet, she’s also the only one who can also save those universes in danger. She finds allies in every dimension but what causes her the most trouble is the loss of her personal supporter Paul. They’ve realized that the soul can be brought back together, but like a broken vase glued together, the cracks and some missing chips always remain and the strength of the structure will never be the same. Working with other dimensions in a race against Triad and time, can she save the multiverse from them and save herself?

You’ll need to read the book to find out.

Now that I’m on the other end of this story, I liked it. Again, Claudia Gray, you had one job and stuck the landing.

Once again, Gray’s world building is good. She draws on historical parts of our universe with which we’re familiar, but then twists it around her little Firebird to make it just different enough to make the reader uncertain of it. And a bit uncomfortable. But what I find interesting is that in each of the different universes, Gray has managed to make it believable that a dimension jumping device can be made and can work correctly regardless of what type of technology the different places have. Even in turn-of-the-century Russia. The knowledge of the traveler moves through space, but it comes to the materials to build. When the reader might begin to question it, Gray swoops in and reassures them that she has it under control and that it will not turn into something too outlandish.

One of these dimensions and their technology actually creates an interesting and slightly humorous scenario that brings me to my next compliment to Gray: the relationships.

Within the different universes, Marguerite meets many different versions of her family members and friends. I enjoyed the relationships she makes with some of them. The Russiaverse from book one and a piece of book two still brings heartache, and you find it’s bittersweet. In another, she finds a way to help her pseudo-family (from a distance) repair the bonds of that family. Within that scenario I mentioned above, Gray gives us something that I think every reader wants to see happen as if understanding that the web she created must come together in a middle circle that binds all the pieces together. The connection of every universe is Marguerite.

Claudia Gray successfully brings together all the storylines from all three books into this final book. I look back at them trying to see if something was left out and I honestly say I can’t find one. This makes me happy and I think anyone who decides to jump into this series will be satisfied on that front as well. And for the rest? I recommend giving it a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.