Emerald Green

By Kerstin Gier

Series: Book #3 The Ruby Red Trilogy
ISBN: 9780805092677
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: October 8th 2013
Number of Pages: 464
Source: Local Library
Goodreads 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.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.

My Rating:  

Warning: Review contains spoilers

The previous books in this series were: Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue.

This last book did not thrill me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and we did have our questions all answered. It was mainly the way those questions were answered and how the flow of the book went.  We open the book up with a scene from Paul & Lucy and then we go straight into Gwen crying her eyes out over Gideon. Here's a little refresher on his "betrayal" 

"'Nothing is easier to calculate than the reactions of a woman in love. No one is more easily controlled than a woman whose actions are determined by her feelings for a man,' the count went on. 'I explained that to Gideon the very first time we met.' ...The truth hit me like a punch in the solar plexus. Everything Gideon had done, his touch, his gestures, his kisses, his loving words, they were all intended only to manipulate me. So that I'd fall in love with him, like Charlotte before me. So that we could be controlled more easily." - Sapphire Blue, 332

What I don't get is why she didn't let him explain his actions. This becomes resolved later on, when her friend Lesley points out helpfully that many times in the movies, the couple has a misunderstanding that keeps them apart when really it could have been resolved right away if they had just talked & been straightforward with each other. This does turn out to be the case, thank goodness!

For me, my favorite characters that made this book enjoyable to read would be Lesley, Xemerius, Mr. Bernard, and Lucas. Lesley is so smart and she's got spunk! Wish we had seen more of her in the book. Xemerius was hands down the most funniest creature I've read about in a book. I loved how Mr. Bernard helps Gwen out and is so mischievous when it comes to Charlotte, her mother, and Lady Arista. What I want to know - is he a descendant of Lucy & Paul??? We find out in the epilogue that they take on new identities with the last name of Bernard. How cool is that? The butler is probably a great grandchild of Gwen if you really think about it! And good 'ol Lucas is a lovable grandfather, especially how he is portrayed as his younger self.

The confusing parts of this story: The way the time-traveling was sometimes written and explained. As Paul put it,

"Is it just me, or do the rest of you feel as if someone is building a subway system through your brains?" - Emerald Green, 367

My brain really was hurting with all the mentions of "well this already happened yesterday though it actually happened back in 1867 but if we go back today we can solve this problem" OR "What if you already went back and made him immortal? So his plan worked and he is here [he being Count Saint-Germain] in the present but we can solve the past by doing blah blah blah." This gets super confusing at times.

The conclusion and climax of the story came on very suddenly, practically on the last pages of the book, and gave us so much information to process in such a short span. Lots to think about (it has taken me a few days to do so, and now that I have my thoughts some-what organized, I can write this review.)

It is cool if you go back to the previous books, you can see some hints of what is to come (can someone say foreshadowing?). I wasn't really surprised at who the Count ended up being but I was a little shocked (and this is where the confusion and some thinking are required) at how Gideon and Gwen were able to carry out their plan and win against the Count. And they also got around that pesky business of Gwen being the only one who is immortal - now her and Gideon can never grow old together!