Author: Kerstin Gier
Narrator: Marisa Calin
Series: The Ruby Red Trilogy, book #3
Length: 12 hrs 42 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is.
She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along.
This stunning conclusion picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.
In a manner of only weeks, Gwen Shepherd has offiicially taken on her annoying cousin's role to complete the Circle of Twelve. In the beginning, she was chagrined that it was no longer Charlotte's place to do the time-traveling, but despite little to no training, I think she rather likes it now. Or, she likes spending time with Guideon. ;0)
Whereas some time travel novels spend an exorbitant amount of time trying to explain how one goes about time traveling (and not usually very well, I might add), a large portion of the Ruby Red trilogy is actually spent traveling back in time. And it's in a manner that actually makes quite a bit of sense. There's always the possibility of running into your own person while time-traveling, even as far back as the characters in this story go, simply because of the volume of treks they make back to the past, so it is always well-documented where and when one travels to. Also, one must dress the part. I especially loved this aspect, as Gwenny and Guideon got to wear the most wonderful costumes on their adventures back in time so that they did not stand out or alert anyone in the past that they weren't who they were claiming to be while on whatever mission had dispatched them to that time period.
The characters in this series are also a bucketful of fun. Gwenny is snarky and hilarious, plucky and courageous, and the tangents her mind wanders on are almost as much fun as her adventures back in time. Her sidekick Leslie is the best kind of friend to have around, the one who's resourceful and dependable and just plain funny. Gideon is the attractive, older counterpart to Gwenny in this time-traveling duo; he's educated, capable, and has been trained all his life for this moment. But my most favorite character is still that cheeky gargoyle demon spirit Xemerius.
Even though this series is translated from the original German, it's quite clear that the author had a clear plan for her story from the beginning, the way little tidbits of information were released to the reader, building upon the larger picture. One huge revelation I think, was only vaguely disguised in the last book, though the big reveal doesn't happen until closer to the end of this book. But there was one shocking discovery that I did not see coming...AT ALL. I love it when that happens.
I've really grown to love this series, especially after listening to Sapphire Blue on audio. I decided to grab the audio for Emerald Green, as well. I thought the narrator did a fabulous job on both, making Gwenny sound as plucky as expected and Xemerius as grouchy as ever. And though she has an English accent, the narrator's French accent -- for Raphael and Madame what's-her-name, costume designer extraordinaire -- was just as gorgeous. Marisa Calin's narration almost makes me wish there were more books coming in this series.
Almost. As much fun as I've had with these books, I'm extremely pleased with the way the series ended, and I feel that the characters all got the ending they deserved. The romance was a little rushed in the first book, especially considering how little time the entire series spans, but I really like how it played out in the end, too. Honestly, I don't think there was anything about this series that I didn't like...well, other than Charlotte. ;0)
About the author:
Kerstin Gier is the bestselling author of the Ruby Red trilogy, as well as several popular novels for adults. This series was translated by Anthea Bell into English.
Find Kerstin:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook
Ooh so glad to hear this is a strong finish to the series! I'm behind in it, but really love the actual traveling in time (as opposed to all the explaining other novels do, as you said). I'm glad to hear one of the reveals took you by surprise, I do love when that happens. Lovely review! :-)
ReplyDeleteI really liked this one too, although I had some plot issues with it. Apparently Ruby Red was turned into a movie in German, but also has English subtitles. It's on my to watch list.
ReplyDeleteI read a book named Emerald Green. It was about some guy shoving chocolate fudge up a ladies hoo haa. I'm ruined for ever, and I can't think of anything else when I see that title. lol
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