Thursday, December 5, 2013

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

 Emerald Green (Precious Stone Trilogy, #3)

Summary

GoodreadsGwen 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.


6 comments:

  1. Hmm...I was mildly interested in this series, but now I'm not so sure. What do you think?

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  2. I think mildly interested is a good place to be. It really depends what you want in a book - you seem to read more paranormal romance than I do (although I don't keep track which of you on your blog are reviewing what so I could be wrong. And by more, I mean I don't read any haha), and although this isn't a paranormal romance, the romancey aspects of it feel similar. I tend to dislike heavy romance (which is what I disliked most about this) and pay more attention to world building and characters. The world building isn't great, but the characters (or at least half of them) are delightful and it's a very funny series. So if you're character centric and like humor I'd say go for it, but if you need more world-building (and the plot isn't mind blowing either), this isn't for you.

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  3. That's good to know. My blog partner is the one that reads the urban fantasy, but I do end up reading paranormal romance...and I don't really love it. LOL. I keep thinking, maybe THIS one will be better. Btw, we should be friends on Goodreads!

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  4. We totally should! ...how do I find you? Are you on the same account as Julia? If not I've got a link on the side of my blog somewhere. Yay friends!

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  5. The count didn't get a vial that got him into present time. He got a vial which made him immortal. So he lived as an immortal until Gwen was born. The only possible explanation for his immortality is that he got the vial from Gideon. What troubles me is how Gideon became immortal? I remember that he said Lucy and Paul made sure that he drank immortality powder dissolved in H2O. But for that to happen he need to have either drank it at the time he elapsed to get the set of blood from Lucy and Paul for the count's immortality powder or he went back again using the other chronograph at Gwen's house. My problem with the latter part is why? When he could have done it while doing the former. But he was away for most part of Gwen's confrontation with the count/Mr. Witman, so that means he elapsed using the chronograph at Gwen's house because he couldn't have just gotten back from the chronograph room. Why? Because Mr. george and the others was locked there. Ultimately, the problem is why the author didn't make the events of that day clear when assuming what happened doesn't cut it for the reasons stated above.

    Time travel did not start with the count; he wan't the 1st of the twelve. He killed his ancestor because he was unwilling to give the chronograph to the count. The ancestor believed that the count and others are demons and he was a part of Florentine Alliance.

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  6. Yeah I got pretty confused towards the end haha - looks like you got a clearer idea of it than I did! I think if she'd made the book just a little bit longer so that the explanations were a bit clearer - as you said, assuming what happened doesn't really work. Thanks for the explanation!

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