Emerald Green (Ruby Red Trilogy #3) - Kerstin Gier

 

Summary

Goodreads:  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.


Thoughts

*Shrugs* well it's about what I was expecting.  There was less Gideon angst, so yay for that?  I figured out some mysteries in the first book, and pretty much all the others about half way through this one.  I mean it's fine I guess, I wasn't bored and it didn't frustrate me that I already knew (probably because I had other question, but more on that later).  It's not giving me much to fangirl over though.  Basically everything I loved in previous books I loved here.  Gwyneth and Lesley continue to be a delight, and the other side characters are just as awesome.  Great- Aunt Maddie is hilarious, her siblings are cute.  Everything I didn't love, I still didn't love.  I need more background on everyone!  I need the mysteries that were left off half-heartedly to be explained, and the mysteries that were explained a little less obvious.  And I would really, really have loved explanations on how things worked.   Like for example:  (Only read this next paragraph if you don't care about spoilers!)

- Jack White is never explained!  Why does he suddenly have a personality change and like Gwyneth?  Why does he let her fake sick?  What's up with his son?  WILL HE EVER KNOW THE GHOST OF HIS SON FOLLOWS HIM AROUND?
- Why does Gwyneth's grandmother become such a heartless...being, particularly towards Gwyneth?  I mean I guess the grandfather dying is part of that, but still.  She doesn't have enough reason for me.
- Why did there need to be twelve people?  How were the chronothingies built?  Did time travel really start with the Count?  Why did he kill his ancestor?  How did the Count get the vial that got him into the present time?  I mean, ok so he probably blackmailed someone, as that was the going theory, but how?  Who? Basically none of the concepts behind how everything works is explained.  And I really,  really wanted that.
- So what's the point in Gwyneth's ghosts other than our entertainment?
- Are they going to live forever?  Do they age?  HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK??  Also *gags* ...so sickly sweet and urggghhhh Gideon.  I may like you more than I did before, but that tolerance is still pretty low.


So to basically sum that up, nothing about the Count or the workings of the time travel itself was ever explained, and that's what I wanted the most from this book.

Overall

Do I regret reading this series?  No.  Would I do it again?  Probably not.  I think the trilogy was a lot of fun, and I wouldn't steer people away from the books, but I also would only recommend the books to a certain type of reader.  The characters (most of them.  The good guys, basically) were hilarious and really awesome to experience, but everything else I could take or leave.