A Million Worlds with You by Claudia Gray

Genre:  YA Sci-Fi Romance

Firebird Series, Book 3

Claudia Gray's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Note:  This is the third book in a series.  You have officially been warned.

Description (taken from Claudia Gray's website):

A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny.

The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation.

Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again.

So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.

In the epic conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites . . . and only one can win.

I love the whole concept of having alternate realities with the same people but different circumstances.  And it's how we react to these circumstances that ultimately shape who we are.  Just as the main Marguerite in this book is good, there's also an evil Marguerite that is willing to destroy the multiverse.  It kind of points out that there is good and bad in each of us.

Anyways, Marguerite is ready to stop the Triad's plan of destroying universes in order to save somone dear to their hearts.  But what she doesn't realize is that their biggest weapon also happens to be an alternate copy of herself.  So how does she fight herself or make her see reason?  And manage to keep Paul by her side?  The man that once made her believe in true love and destiny only to watch it all crumple up in her face in one of the different realities.  Can she stop herself and this other world from annihilating all of the other worlds?

The concept is cool.  And the whole premise of trying to determine true love across universes is awesome.  Or well complicated...  But this has turned out to be one of my favorite series.  Seeing all of the different worlds and experiencing old ones.  It's as if you could see your life from a different outcome.  A series well-loved and worth it in my opinion.

If you're into the whole multi-universe thing, give this one a try.  If it peaks your interest, then pick it up...

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Firebird Series, Book 2

Claudia Gray's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Note:  This is the second book in an amazing parallel-universe series.  Reading anything below might spoil plots from the first book.

Description (taken from Claudia Gray's website):

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents’ invention, to cross through to alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurt the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked, and his consciousness is scattered across multiple dimensions.

The hunt for each splinter of Paul’s soul sends Marguerite 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 dimension brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with every trial she faces, she begins to question the one constant she’s found between the worlds: their love for each other.

Ever since Marguerite has been using the Firebird technology her parents created, she's believed in souls and soulmates.  Every world involves a love shared between her and her boyfriend, Paul.  But when the original universe tries to recruit her, they use Paul against her.  And as she does their bidding in order to save him, she begins to question whether one soul across multiple universes is really the same person.  Can love travel past multiple universes?  Or do your surroundings and choices help shape who you love?

Marguerite is a perfect traveler in her world.  What that means is she has the ability to control other Marguerites from other worlds without the use of an addictive drug.  In essence, she is the perfect Firebird soldier.  And that's why the Triad from the original universe wants her working for them.  But what is their end goal?  What do they want?  And will Marguerite try to stop them when the time comes?  Or are her world's parents, Paul, and Theo more important?

I have decided I love this series.  This is probably one of my favorite parallel-world series.  It's got the romance, the action, and the moral dilemmas.  And you kind of have your favorite picks of the universes.  I was hooked from beginning to end.  And now I want the third book as soon as it comes out.  I have to keep my opinions short and concise, or else I'll start releasing plot spoilers (just imagine me bouncing around in the background yelling at you to read the book now).

This is an addictive series to get into.  And if you're looking for a multiple-world romance that isn't too gooey, then you might want to give this series a try.

The Replaced by Kimberly Derting

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

The Taking Series, Book 2

Kimberly Derting's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Note:  This is the second book in a series.  Descriptions below have the potential to spoil the plot in the first book.

Description (taken from Kimberly Derting's website):

Kyra hasn't been the same since she returned from her mysterious five-year disappearance. Now, on the run from the NSA, Kyra is forced to hide out with others who, like her, have been Returned. Yet she is determined to find Tyler, the boy she loves who was also abducted . . . all because of her. When her group intercepts a message that Tyler might still be alive, Kyra risks everything to get him back. But he is being held by a shadowy government organization that experiments on the Returned, and going after him puts the rest of the group in danger. Even if Kyra gets Tyler back, the fight to save him—and the rest of the Returned—is just beginning.

This book picks up right where the first one left: with Kyra eagerly searching for Tyler.  She takes the blame for Tyler's abduction and is anxiously waiting to see if he is okay.  However, the group of Returned she is with have ulterior motives.

Kyra is convinced her group of friends will help her find Tyler and her dad.  But Simon is also convinced Kyra will see the big picture when she's ready for it.  And maybe, just maybe, she'll let go of her high school crush on Tyler.  Natty is ready to help her friend Kyra no matter what it takes.  And Thom?  He's going to protect his group and as long as Simon is out-thwarted, he's okay.  But when the group encounters another group of Returned, all mayhem seems to break loose.  And the social order is thrown into a brick wall.

I feel like this book flows very smoothly.  And while the very premise of the story has everything to do with aliens, we never get to see a cameo of these aliens.  So it's very misconceiving and this story is shrouded more in mystery when it comes to the science fiction aspect.  This story is more of an action-drama where the teenagers avoid the corrupted authority.  But we also find out that teenagers aren't always the best of leaders and at making the best decisions.

After reading this one, I'm not sure I want to read the next one.  Yes, the story is well-paced.  But in the end, I kind of want to know more about the aliens and less about Kyra's drama.

Tether by Anna Jarzab

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Many-Worlds Trilogy, Book 2

Anna Jarzab's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Goodreads):

Tether, the sequel to Tandem, continues the captivating tale of rebellion and romance that spans parallel worlds.

Everything repeats.

Sasha expected things to go back to normal once she got back on Earth. But now that she knows parallel worlds are real, and that an alternate version of herself exists in a world called Aurora, her old life no longer seems to make sense . . . and her heart breaks daily for Thomas, the boy she left behind. Troubled by mysterious, often terrifying visions and the echoes of a self she was just beginning to discover, Sasha makes the difficult decision to journey once more through the tandem.

Thomas is waiting for her on the other side, and so is strange, otherworldly Selene, Sasha’s analog from a third universe. Sasha, Selene, and their other analog, Juliana, have a joint destiny, and a new remarkable power, one that could mean salvation for Selene’s dying planet. With Thomas’s help, Sasha and Selene search for the missing Juliana. But even if they can locate her, is Sasha willing to turn her back on love to pursue a fate she’s not sure she believes in?

Sasha has finally come home from Aurora.  She's back to her normal life on Earth, but she misses Thomas.  And the connection between her and Juliana has begun to grow.  Sasha's beginning to experience visions of Juliana in Aurora, and it's blurring her own understanding of reality.  This can only mean one thing: she has to go back.

Sasha's not the only analog to journey to Aurora.  Selene has made the journey and awaits for Sasha.  Once they're both there, they will make their way to Juliana.  Selene has plans of saving her own world by using the power that she and her two analogs can generate.  And it benefits Sasha because all she wants to do is break the connection between the three of them.  But in the end, will she still be able to return to her Thomas?  Or will the demands of the various universes keep them apart?

This book is definitely a second book feel.  The story continues and gets a little more in depth by adding a third universe.  But I kind of felt like I forgot the little nuances from the first book, and all of those side characters.  So without this connection, I felt disconnected with all of the characters.  And while I really enjoyed Sasha's story, I felt like that little extra oomph was missing for me.  But I still like all the universal time travel and the analog power that comes with it.

This is a series that I believe needs to be read one right after the other.  I'm definitely planning to read the third one.  I just hope I've remembered enough by then to enjoy it.

The Leveller by Julia Durango

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

The Leveller Series, Book 1

Julia Durango's website

Expected publication date:  June 23, 2015

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Julia Durango's website):

Nixy Bauer is a self-made Leveller. Her job? Dragging kids out of virtual reality and back to their parents in the real world. It’s normally easy cash, but Nixy’s latest mission is fraught with real danger, intrigue, and romance.

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she’s a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them.

But when the game’s billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn’t some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he’s left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn’s not hiding—he’s being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?

Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they’ve encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

Gamers and action fans of all types will dive straight into the MEEP, thanks to Julia Durango’s cinematic storytelling. A touch of romance adds some heart to Nixy’s vivid, multidimensional journey through Wyn’s tricked-out virtual city, and constant twists keep readers flying through to the breathtaking end.

Nixy works as a bounty hunter and extracts kids from virtual reality at their parents' request.  Having two parents who work for the organization that created the reality gaming world, aka the MEEP, has its perks.  She knows a lot of hacks and also gets to see new modifications before they mainstream.  And that makes her the perfect bounty hunter.  But when the CEO of MEEP is calling her to get his son out of the game, will she be able to deliver?

While trying to locate Wyn, the son who has supposedly left the real-world for a death-by-virtual-reality, Nixy finds herself in a maze of tests.  These tests are the kind you'd expect to see when playing a game on a computer or gaming console, but your mind is in that reality.  It kind of makes it even freakier.  But after completing the tests, Nixy ends up in Wyn's created reality.  It's kind of like an oasis.  An oasis that Wyn is trying to get out of.  As Nixy and Wyn try to figure out what's going on, they find there's more to the MEEP than they realized.

This was such a quick novel that flowed right from start to end.  It's a great opener to a new series.  While I'm not a big gamer, I found myself stuck in Nixy's world watching her face the various challenges.  I was kind of holding my breath while reading.  And once Nixy met Wyn, I kind of got to see what the MEEP could really do for you.  The only thing that had me scratching my head is the main plot was such a tease.  It gave me enough to understand the story but not enough to keep me content.  All I can say is the story-telling is wonderful, but I want more...

This is a stunning opening to a new virtual-reality story that's going to grab readers' attention.  I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next one.

Thanks goes to Around the World ARC Tours for providing me a review copy.

The Burning Dark by Adam Christopher

Genre:  Adult Science Fiction Horror

Spider Wars Series, Book 1

Adam Christopher's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Adam Christopher's website):

Back in the day, Captain Abraham Idaho Cleveland had led the Fleet into battle against an implacable machine intelligence capable of devouring entire worlds. But after saving a planet, and getting a bum robot knee in the process, he finds himself relegated to one of the most remote backwaters in Fleetspace to oversee the decommissioning of a semi-deserted space station well past its use-by date.

But all is not well aboard the U-Star Coast City. The station’s reclusive Commandant is nowhere to be seen, leaving Cleveland to deal with a hostile crew on his own. Persistent malfunctions plague the station’s systems while interference from a toxic purple star makes even ordinary communications problematic. Alien shadows and whispers seem to haunt the lonely corridors and airlocks, fraying the nerves of everyone aboard.

Isolated and friendless, Cleveland reaches out to the universe via an old-fashioned subspace radio, only to tune into a strange, enigmatic signal: a woman’s voice that seems to echo across a thousand light-years of space. But is the transmission just a random bit of static from the past—or a warning of an undying menace beyond mortal comprehension?

Somewhere in the near future, the human race is colonizing space.  Not only that, but travel to different galaxies is the norm.  Ida is about to retire from the Fleet, and his last job is to help decommission a space station that orbits a strange star.  This star turns everything purple and has enough radiation to kill people if they aren't protected against it.  As it interferes with the space station's signals, we find the skeleton crew is affected by the star's strange light and the shadows it casts.

Ida has just arrived to the space station as a captain, but no one believes he deserves the ranking he has.  Saving a planet and destroying a spider (a mechanical living-thing that's only objective is to destroy life by eating planets) isn't easily believed.  Especially if there's no record of it within the Fleet.  But as people begin to go missing and Ida's psychiatrist encourages him to get a hobby, Ida finds himself having reason to be afraid of the dark.  And as he recommissions a radio that can listen to wavelengths from subspace (an illegal yet eerie wavelength), he finds himself talking to someone who died over a thousand years ago.  Can he figure out what's going on before the dark consumes him?

To put it simply: this a ghost story set in space.  Honestly, I picked this up because I like the new Star Trek movies (give me a break, I was never a Trekkie in my early years).  But when I realized I had this whole geeky side of me, I figured why not give a pure science fiction piece a try?  And surprisingly, I enjoyed it.  I liked how, even in space, everyone's still afraid of the dark.  And this story works to tie in every character's past and explain why they're a part of the old space station's demolition.  It was nicely done.

This one is a recommendation to space nerds.  And I say that lovingly because I happen to be a space nerd.  Oh, and you have to be open to ghost stories...

Thanks goes to Tor for providing me a review copy.

Review and Giveaway: The Body Electric by Beth Revis

The Body Electric by Beth Revis 
Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Beth Revis' website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from blog tour):

The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

Ella lives in a world ruled by one government.  An entity that has seen one of the worst wars imaginable and will stop at nothing to prevent another war.  But while Ella spends her intern year working for her mother's company: Reverie, she finds she's not as anonymous as she thinks.  Somehow, she'll be the key to starting a war or keeping the peace.

Reverie is a place where the rich go to relive their best memories.  But ever since Ella started working there, she's been having warped nightmares that seem eerily real.  And while her mother's health continues to fail, Ella works very hard to keep her mother happy and light-hearted.  Even if that means giving her mother a push into a dreamworld of her favorite memories.  But as people find out what she can do, she's suddenly set herself up as the world's best spy.  But which side will she spy for?  And as she meets a boy who knows her intimately, she begins to question everything she's known.  But can she stop everything from escalating?  Or will the bees overwhelm her?

I have to hand it to Beth Revis: she's an excellent story-teller.  I got so wrapped up in this story that I had to know more.  And while I'm still puzzling a few things out in my mind, the rest of me doesn't care (it's in story-bliss).  I loved seeing a story from the same lines of the Across the Universe series and yet completely different.  And while I can say yes, there are things in here that happen in other novels, let's be honest.  Beth Revis makes science fiction cool.

If you loved the Across the Universe series, you'll probably devour this one.  And if you're new to Beth Revis, I'd recommend you read this one if it sounds of interest.  I don't think you'll regret it.

About the Author

Beth Revis is the NY Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe series. The complete trilogy is now available in more than 20 languages. A native of North Carolina, Beth’s most recent book is The Body Electric, which tells the story of what was happening on Earth while the characters of Across the Universe were in space.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Megan Miranda's website

Expected publication date:  February 3, 2015

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Megan Miranda's website):

Seventeen-year-old Alina Chase has spent her entire life imprisoned on a secluded island—not for a crime she committed in this lifetime, but one done by her past self. Her very soul is like a fingerprint, carried from one life to the next—and Alina is sick of being guilty.

Aided by three teens with their own ulterior motives, Alina manages to escape. Although she’s not sure she can trust any of them, she soon finds herself drawn to Cameron, the most enigmatic and alluring of the trio. But when she uncovers clues from her past life, secrets begin to unravel and Alina must figure out whether she’s more than the soul she inherited, or if she’s fated to repeat history.

This stunning “new world” romance from acclaimed author Megan Miranda will leave readers wondering how far they would go to escape the past.

Imagine a future where our souls leave a distinct tag within the spinal fluid.  And scientific advances have been able to capture this data, study it, and link existing people's souls to souls of the past.  Alina Chase lives in this world.  It's a world where your soul's past can dictate who you will become in your current life.  But Alina's tired of being known for someone she isn't.  And she's ready for everyone to let the past go.

Three teenagers help Alina escape her childhood home/imprisonment.  She has been a ward of the government almost since they first discovered who she was in her past life: a dangerous criminal who exploited the soulprinting system.  But these teenagers all want something from Alina's past self, and they believe she's the key to her past.  So Alina must help them find what her past self did through a string of clues.  And this will help lead them to the truth, regardless of right or wrong.

This is a romance cat and mouse tale that stems from a sci-fi idea.  And I will tell you, I was captivated with the story and the characters.  There's mystery that weaves throughout the pages and leaves you guessing.  But as far as the science fiction piece: the whole soulprinting business?  It's not as developed as I would have liked which left me questioning the whole premise.  I wanted a more in-depth explanation about soulprinting and how much it was affecting this future society.  Instead, what I got was off-handed sentences explaining why without the evidence.  So, the gooey romance-side of my brain was satisfied, the thrilling mystery side of my brain was happy, but the scientifically detailed explanation side was not satisfied (it kind of got a little grumpy).

I feel like this novel is for the YA romance enthusiast who is looking for a good thriller.  However, it is not for the science fiction geeks looking for a new world to wrap their heads around.

Thanks goes to Around the World ARC Tours for providing me a review copy.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Genre:  YA Science Fiction Romance

Firebird Series, Book 1

Claudia Gray's website

Expected publication date:  November 4, 2014

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Claudia Gray's website):

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. To accomplish her goal, she must learn how each world works, and confront the many people she has the capacity to become. 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.

A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU explores an amazingly intricate multi-universe where the truth is elusive, and love the greatest mystery of all.

Marguerite is affected by grief and rage when Theo gives her the opportunity to go after her father's killer.  She is surrounded by some of the smartest physicists in the world who have created a device that makes travel between dimensions possible.  Her father's killer, Paul, has used this device, the Firebird, to escape the consequences.  But Theo's determined to stop him and tells his plan of finding him to Marguerite who won't let him go alone.  Marguerite's determined to get retribution and stop Paul.

But jumping between alternate realities is nothing like what she suspected.  Using Theo as her guide begins to become shady as she jumps to a reality with different inventions and sees him at his worst.  And when she finally finds Paul, her old emotions come back, and it's impossible to figure out who to trust.  But as the cat and mouse game continues between worlds, Marguerite becomes more confused.  Is she really the cat chasing Paul, or is she herself being chased?

I will admit, it took me two alternate Marguerites before I finally got into this story.  But as her alternate versions become realer than life and weaved in between the original Marguerite's past, I became so intrigued.  What on earth was going on with this story?  I definitely didn't have that initial spark, but the romance pulled me in, and I had to know how it ended.  And let me tell you, there were surprises that I hadn't figured out until two pages before the revealing.  I thoroughly enjoyed this tale that pulled the ethics of dimensional travel and the meaning of love into a flawless piece.

And now I must wait for the next one to come out.  I think young adult fans looking for something different with that bit of romance will enjoy this book.  And if you're not sold by the first fifty pages, just keep going.  I can say it's worth it.

Thanks goes to Around the World ARC Tours for providing me a review copy.