Review: Emerald Green (The Ruby Red Trilogy #3) by Kerstin Gier, Anthea Bell

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Reading this book made me feel a little bit nostalgic.

Title: Emerald Green (The Ruby Red Trilogy #3) by Kerstin Gier, translated by Anthea Bell
Release Date: October 8th 2013
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

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.

Emerald Green immediately picks up from the cliff hanger in Sapphire Blue. While Gwyneth is suffering a broken heart from Gideon's revelation in the previous book, they are a step closer to uncovering the mystery surrounding the Circle of Twelve and how it is tied to Gwyneth's fate.

I will say this: Gideon, you bastard. I didn't like him all that much in the first book, and just when I was liking him in Sapphire Blue, he unleashes a bomb against Gwen at the end of the book. And poor innocent Gwenny believed all of it. I liked Gwyneth, and her self-wallowing wasn't made boring by the way she was getting through Gideon's deception. Gwen's got this no nonsense attitude where she thinks too much but she wasn't the annoying type at all. I liked how Kerstin Gier wrote her, bubbly and funny and innocent at times, admitting to her own faults but certainly not letting it transform her into a lesser person. It was getting tiring to be constantly compared to Charlotte, and Gwen knew she can never be like her cousin, but still she doesn't harbor ill feelings against Charlotte.

The romance in this book was plenty, as Gideon and Gwen's feelings for each other were finally put out in the open, and there were a lot of really sweet moments that will satisfy everyone who has waited for the both of them to be together. There was also no shortage of laughter as Xemerius provided the needed comic relief with his sarcastic remarks and outrageous recaps of Gwen's life. Although I don't see much of a point for his character, he was like the sidekick that was just there to be funny, he's provided good support for Gwen. Also, Gwen has the best friend anyone could have. Lesley was such an interesting supporting character. She's that quirky, supportive BFF that isn't quick to judge, very good at research and has a good head for helping solve the mysteries surrounding the Count, the time travelers prophecy and sometimes, even Gwen's love problems.

Emerald Green was, admittedly, a long story. And while I sometimes stop and ask myself when will the story finally move forward, I was having fun being immersed in the story and seeing Gwen and Lesley and Gideon and Raphael putting their heads together, trying to solve this seemingly complex puzzle for all time travelers. The exciting, entertaining content definitely made up for the slow approach to the climax. And while I was busy swooning over Gwen and her love-hate relationship with Gideon, it was really enjoyable to go through all the layers of time traveling, history, secrets and truths that surround Gwen, her birth, her ability to time travel, the Guardians and the rest of the characters.

I can't say that the ending was unpredictable or something out of this world, but it's a neat finish for a trilogy that will leave the readers generally satisfied and happy, tying loose ends and wrapping up cliffhangers. There was no dramatic conclusion, but it was the type that retained the calmness and gave the story a clean closing. 

Here's to me hoping that Lesley and Raphael will have their own sort of spin-off soon. Their chemistry is up to the roof and it made me giggle a couple of times!

If you like books about time travel with a funny, clumsy heroine whose life is entangled hopelessly with her family and a prophecy that might or might not bring about a drastic change in the world, a French speaking hero who can be so infuriating most of the time but can be charming if he wants to, a funny demon sidekick who eats annoying ghosts and a one of a kind best friend who does not bat an eyelash in the face of all the craziness in Gwen's family, this book is for you. Highly entertaining though long and sometimes slow paced, Emerald Green and the Ruby Red trilogy is still a good series for those who want to give books and stories about time traveling a try.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I'm not sure if it's just because of the translation to English from German, but a lot of things that are happening in Gwen's life that will take your focus away from some of the important events in the book. By the time Gwen's true powers and abilities were revealed, I didn't care about it much. Also, since a lot is going on in the story, you need to concentrate and look at it very closely so you wouldn't get lost in the developments. I had to re-read some parts in order for the whole thing to be clear.


Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
This trilogy has one of the best covers I've seen, may it be hardback or paperback!