Series Review: Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier

Series: Ruby Red Trilogy or Edelstein Trilogie
Author: Kerstin Gier
# of Books: 3 (Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, Emerald Green)
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Young Adult, Time Travel, Mystery, Romance
Heat Rating: lukewarm

Thoughts:

I was really excited to read Ruby Red and this excitement continued even as I read the book. I couldn’t put Ruby Red down and finished it in a day.

There are a lot of reasons why I enjoyed Ruby Red so much. One is Gwyn herself. She is such an easy character to like. I thought she was funny, smart and witty. I also loved her family–they are quite the characters and entertaining in everything they do. Another thing I liked was the plot. I like that you can piece things together as you go and figure out what is happening. But of course, there are a few twists here and there that blow your theories away 😛 I also really liked the whole time travelling premise. I haven’t read many time travelling books so I was interested in seeing how it played out in this. For the most part, it is easy to follow how it all works so that wasn’t an issue.

Even though I did enjoy the book, I do have a few peeves. First, I hate having to wait a whole year for a book to be published when the books have been published for years. Speed that process up! Another one would be the translation itself. These books were originally published in Germany and then translated to English for North America. Now, I have never read the original books but these books felt very Americanized. Maybe the original books had references to Lady Gaga and the like seeing as it is set in London; but it just threw me for a bit. My only other peeve is things happen within the span of DAYS.

This short timeline because more apparent in Sapphire Blue when you realize that everything that has happened in Ruby Red occurred within three or four days. The plot moves fast–which I like don’t get me wrong–but I fear it is too quick for certain relationships and plot events to develop as they have. I think this is part of the reason I didn’t enjoy Sapphire Blue as much as Ruby Red (that and it had been a year since I read Ruby Red). Sapphire Blue was your typical second book in that it just built up the plot for the final book. I also got a little lost in what was happening because I forgot who everyone was so I recommend you read Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue as close together as possible! However, don’t let my somewhat negative view deter you from this book. Overall, Sapphire Blue was a great book. It got me super excited to read Emerald Green and I was sad when I finished because I wanted more. So when all is said and done, this book did its job as the 2nd book in a trilogy.

Updated (Dec 7/13): Emerald Green was a lot better than Sapphire Blue. Overall it was more exciting and faster paced. While Gwyn does suffer a tad from lead-heroine sacrifice syndrome it wasn’t as annoying as it is in other books. There were some good twists and it was cool to see everything unfold after watching it build up for two books. I felt like the ending was rushed and I would have appreciated a longer epilogue but overall, strong finish.

Conclusion:

A fun, super quick read about time travelling–a subject that seems to be getting a little more popular in the young adult world. Pick this up if you love independent and witty heroines who are willing to do whatever possible to get the job done right!

Rating: 4/5

Similar Reads: Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston (Never, #1)

Synopsis for Ruby Red (from Goodreads):
Gwyneth Shepherd’s sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon–the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.