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Edelstein-Trilogie #2
Saffierblauw. eindeloos verliefd
Saffierblauw is de opvolger van Robijnrood en het tweede deel in de succesvolle Edelsteentrilogie.
Gwendolyn komt uit een heel bijzondere familie. Al eeuwenlang wordt het tijdreisgen doorgegeven en Gwen is degene die dit gen heeft geërfd! Het is alleen helemaal niet zo leuk als ze had verwacht. Ze moet allerlei ouderwetse dansen leren, ze moet weten hoe je op een soiree beschaafd met je waaier wappert (helemaal niet makkelijk!), ze moet extra geschiedenislessen volgen en dan moet ze ook nog een geheimzinnige opdracht vervullen. Het enige pluspuntje is dat ze tijdens haar tijdreizen mooie kostuums aan mag. O ja, en Gideon, haar superknappe tijdreisgenoot, is ook wel een groot pluspunt!
Een hilarisch verhaal over de sympathieke Gwendolyn, de arrogante Gideon, de grappige waterspuwersgeest Xemerius en Gwens beste vriendin Leslie.
Gwendolyn komt uit een heel bijzondere familie. Al eeuwenlang wordt het tijdreisgen doorgegeven en Gwen is degene die dit gen heeft geërfd! Het is alleen helemaal niet zo leuk als ze had verwacht. Ze moet allerlei ouderwetse dansen leren, ze moet weten hoe je op een soiree beschaafd met je waaier wappert (helemaal niet makkelijk!), ze moet extra geschiedenislessen volgen en dan moet ze ook nog een geheimzinnige opdracht vervullen. Het enige pluspuntje is dat ze tijdens haar tijdreizen mooie kostuums aan mag. O ja, en Gideon, haar superknappe tijdreisgenoot, is ook wel een groot pluspunt!
Een hilarisch verhaal over de sympathieke Gwendolyn, de arrogante Gideon, de grappige waterspuwersgeest Xemerius en Gwens beste vriendin Leslie.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2010
1275 people are currently reading
28809 people want to read
About the author
Kerstin Gier
71 books8,331 followersKerstin Gier is the bestselling author of the Ruby Red trilogy, as well as several popular novels for adults.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/kersti...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,214 reviews
January 29, 2021
“Unfortunately it's an incontrovertible fact that sound common sense flies out of the window as soon as love comes in through the door.”
Even better than Ruby Red. Because of Xemerius(why didn't she introduce him in the first book?)and because of that hilarious ball where Gwyneth/Gwendolyn (which is her actual name in the German and original version of this book) is getting incredibly drunk and does...things she definitely wouldn't do when sober.
I rarely have this much fun when reading a book but this series brought tears to my eyes several times from laughing too hard.
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Even better than Ruby Red. Because of Xemerius(why didn't she introduce him in the first book?)and because of that hilarious ball where Gwyneth/Gwendolyn (which is her actual name in the German and original version of this book) is getting incredibly drunk and does...things she definitely wouldn't do when sober.
I rarely have this much fun when reading a book but this series brought tears to my eyes several times from laughing too hard.
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December 28, 2012
Oh my gosh, do I really have to wait for OCTOBER for this book to be translated into English???? AHHH! I'm so excited. And I suppose by October I'll be stuck back in dinky Dayton so I'll have to wait even longer to get my hands on a copy.
^.^
Maybe I should just re-read Ruby Red...
Finished 12/28/12
*sigh*
So much potential. So, so much potential. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to it.
The plot is still interesting. In fact, its creative and fun and quite enjoyable.
But the characters!
Oi.
The characters absolutely ruin this book.
Lets take our fearless hero, Gideon, for example. He's a boy toy with no real purpose but to look prety, be occasionally vexing, and be good at kissing. He is unlikely in the extreme and every high school girls fantasy. Of course, he is also the most misunderstood character around and really in love with ther heroine.
In love. Psha. That brings me to my main problem with Gideon....
His awful, awful declaration of love. It abrupt, random, and dreadful. It sounds like someone on a Jane Austen-high. He's barely known this girl a few days and he's "declaring his love"...which, apparently, translates to "when I see you, all I want to do is makeout so obviously I'm head over heels."
There is no real conception of what love is in this book. Its all lust and hormones and emotional hype. Gideon's character is, as I said, a teenage girl's characterization of the perfect guy. There is nothing wrong with him, his main goal is to protect the girl, oh! yeah, and all he wants to do is kiss.
There is nothing more to him though! Sure, he plays the violin and piano and hates musicals, but is any of that depth? No. Its nonsense to make it appear more attractive to our hormonal town crier...I mean, our heroine. Gwen.
Gwen, Gwen, Gwen! Oi vey. Her main issue in life is Gideon. Its almost sickening. Because here is the deal...he's all she thinks about. Ever. Even though the entire bloody world is counting on her, even though she can travel in time, even though she has a pet gargoyle, her every waking moment is spent in contemplation of Gideon's hair.
Or his clothing.
Or how hot he is.
Did I mention the paragraphs upon paragraphs about how attractive he looks at random moments?
Delete that from the book, and you have an intresting, entertaining story. Its not needed. In fact, it would be so, so much better without it! Because honestly, Gwen has no depth. She's hormonal in the extreme, dumb on top of that, and makes such obvious blunders in judging poor Gideon's character that it really is irritating.
This book is also rather crude. Its crass. Whether its her random (and unneeded) commentary about The Pill with her Grandfather, or the random (and unneede) groping in the eighteenth century, or the reference to kissing and sex on every page...this book is just not good. Yet it is all somehow "love."
On top of our two obnoxious love-birds, the plot has several puzzling inconsistencies. Like, where the heck did Lesley and Gwen find those numbers? Yes, I know, in the library, but when were they looking? Just a randomly added details.
And sentences like "I'll get to that in a moment" (when explaining why the gargoyle wasn't there)
Or Gideon's younger brother conveniently liking Lesley and knowing where the numbers came from?
I'm looking forward to the next book being translated, and I will read it. I enjoyed a lot of Sapphire Blue Unfortunately, I was also frustrated by it. There is a lot that could have been done with it, but instead all that is left is one hormonal scene fraught with tears and the breaking of hearts after anther.I hope the final installment in the series will prove to be a delightful tye-in to everything but...I don't have high hopes. We can only pray that it won't descend lower than falling on the couch.
^.^
Maybe I should just re-read Ruby Red...
Finished 12/28/12
*sigh*
So much potential. So, so much potential. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to it.
The plot is still interesting. In fact, its creative and fun and quite enjoyable.
But the characters!
Oi.
The characters absolutely ruin this book.
Lets take our fearless hero, Gideon, for example. He's a boy toy with no real purpose but to look prety, be occasionally vexing, and be good at kissing. He is unlikely in the extreme and every high school girls fantasy. Of course, he is also the most misunderstood character around and really in love with ther heroine.
In love. Psha. That brings me to my main problem with Gideon....
His awful, awful declaration of love. It abrupt, random, and dreadful. It sounds like someone on a Jane Austen-high. He's barely known this girl a few days and he's "declaring his love"...which, apparently, translates to "when I see you, all I want to do is makeout so obviously I'm head over heels."
There is no real conception of what love is in this book. Its all lust and hormones and emotional hype. Gideon's character is, as I said, a teenage girl's characterization of the perfect guy. There is nothing wrong with him, his main goal is to protect the girl, oh! yeah, and all he wants to do is kiss.
There is nothing more to him though! Sure, he plays the violin and piano and hates musicals, but is any of that depth? No. Its nonsense to make it appear more attractive to our hormonal town crier...I mean, our heroine. Gwen.
Gwen, Gwen, Gwen! Oi vey. Her main issue in life is Gideon. Its almost sickening. Because here is the deal...he's all she thinks about. Ever. Even though the entire bloody world is counting on her, even though she can travel in time, even though she has a pet gargoyle, her every waking moment is spent in contemplation of Gideon's hair.
Or his clothing.
Or how hot he is.
Did I mention the paragraphs upon paragraphs about how attractive he looks at random moments?
Delete that from the book, and you have an intresting, entertaining story. Its not needed. In fact, it would be so, so much better without it! Because honestly, Gwen has no depth. She's hormonal in the extreme, dumb on top of that, and makes such obvious blunders in judging poor Gideon's character that it really is irritating.
This book is also rather crude. Its crass. Whether its her random (and unneeded) commentary about The Pill with her Grandfather, or the random (and unneede) groping in the eighteenth century, or the reference to kissing and sex on every page...this book is just not good. Yet it is all somehow "love."
On top of our two obnoxious love-birds, the plot has several puzzling inconsistencies. Like, where the heck did Lesley and Gwen find those numbers? Yes, I know, in the library, but when were they looking? Just a randomly added details.
And sentences like "I'll get to that in a moment" (when explaining why the gargoyle wasn't there)
Or Gideon's younger brother conveniently liking Lesley and knowing where the numbers came from?
I'm looking forward to the next book being translated, and I will read it. I enjoyed a lot of Sapphire Blue Unfortunately, I was also frustrated by it. There is a lot that could have been done with it, but instead all that is left is one hormonal scene fraught with tears and the breaking of hearts after anther.I hope the final installment in the series will prove to be a delightful tye-in to everything but...I don't have high hopes. We can only pray that it won't descend lower than falling on the couch.
October 20, 2013
It’s hard to believe the number of bloggers and readers out there that haven’t heard about this wonderful young adult series. Ruby Red, the first book, brought to us an adventure that included time-traveling, secrets, carriages, evil barons, and a little bit of romance. Sapphire Blue continues on from there with double the trouble, triple the action, and quadruple the romance! The characters were once again, very engaging, and I had no problem with getting hooked into the story. Time-travel books are very rare these days, and most of them aren't very detailed, or intricate. But intricate is the perfect word to describe this book, because the author goes into specific depths with this book, and the the words create a perfect image in your head. It's like you can breathe in the crisp air, and see all the different sights of the past world being explored by the main character. The suspense was amazing as well, it was nearing-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of suspense, because you never knew what would jump out from behind the wall next. But this novel wasn't just action and mystery, there were also some very hilarious scenes because of the main character's very down-to-earth and bubbly personality. Let's just say, this series might just be one of the best in it's category.
In Ruby Red, Gwyneth Shepherd's life took a turn for the worse when she discovered she was the Ruby, "the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve", and that one of the job requirements is to go back in time through history collecting blood samples from her ancestors, no questions asked. Not really a girl's dream come true. Now she's expected to balance her social life, school life, obnoxious gargoyles, an annoying and arrogant time-traveler for a partner, and figure out the truth behind a on-going mystery. With only her wit and her courage, Gwen manages to charm her superiors, get help from a ghost, receive advice from her great x 10 grandfather, and snag an egotistical boy in the process.
Gwen's character is a very authentic and, like I mentioned before, down-to-earth one. She's not noticed much for anything, but that's because she is way too underestimated in this book. Everyone finds her inferior to her golden cousin, and she's grown up that way, which makes me sympathize with her, me having that one golden sibling as well. She's also ignored and looked-down on a lot. But the reason why I like her character so much is because she doesn't take any of this to heart, instead she dismisses it without a care in the world because she has confidence in herself. Before, I said that people underestimated her, and this is false Gwen is a very smart and talented young girl. She's gets further than any of the other guardians in solving the mystery they're all pondering over uselessly. She takes matters into her own hands, and follows her intuition, which usually ends up being correct. I have to admit, Gwen does have a lot on her plate, and I'm very surprised at how she handles it all. Especially with a smoking-hot guy that's seemingly always on her trail.
Speaking of Gideon, aforementioned smoking-hot guy, he is one tough person to figure out. At times, I almost feel like he's actually bipolar and hiding it very well, or he's actually bipolar and doesn't know it yet so he isn't taking any medication for it. Because, seriously, one minute the room's all steamy with romantic tension in the air, and the next, he becomes colder than a vampire locked in a refrigerator. His relationship with Gwen was just starting to be kindled at the end of book 1, and almost as quickly as it began, it progressed to the point where they were acting like they've been together forever. All I have to say, is that the romance in this book is very confusing because I can't tell when Gwen and Gideon are secretly thinking up evil ways to kill each other, or secretly thinking up romantic ways to surprise each other. But the relationship is a hot and hilarious one, don't worry, it's not all that bad. They're polar opposites of each other, and that always makes for interesting interactions. For example, when Gwen attends a party with Gideon and happens to consume too many sparkly drinks, and when said boy watches said girl at said party drink too many said sparkly drinks. It's just.....you have to read the book to fully understand it's wonderful content.
All I have to say is, this book was a breath-taking ride, and completely worth the read. I wished the romance progressed a bit slower, but hey, in a trilogy, it's pretty hard to make things go slow right? Speaking of trilogy's, this series is supposed to have three books....meaning I need those three books to feel satisfied and content....why don't I have the Emerald Green in my hands yet? *fuming*
In Ruby Red, Gwyneth Shepherd's life took a turn for the worse when she discovered she was the Ruby, "the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve", and that one of the job requirements is to go back in time through history collecting blood samples from her ancestors, no questions asked. Not really a girl's dream come true. Now she's expected to balance her social life, school life, obnoxious gargoyles, an annoying and arrogant time-traveler for a partner, and figure out the truth behind a on-going mystery. With only her wit and her courage, Gwen manages to charm her superiors, get help from a ghost, receive advice from her great x 10 grandfather, and snag an egotistical boy in the process.
Gwen's character is a very authentic and, like I mentioned before, down-to-earth one. She's not noticed much for anything, but that's because she is way too underestimated in this book. Everyone finds her inferior to her golden cousin, and she's grown up that way, which makes me sympathize with her, me having that one golden sibling as well. She's also ignored and looked-down on a lot. But the reason why I like her character so much is because she doesn't take any of this to heart, instead she dismisses it without a care in the world because she has confidence in herself. Before, I said that people underestimated her, and this is false Gwen is a very smart and talented young girl. She's gets further than any of the other guardians in solving the mystery they're all pondering over uselessly. She takes matters into her own hands, and follows her intuition, which usually ends up being correct. I have to admit, Gwen does have a lot on her plate, and I'm very surprised at how she handles it all. Especially with a smoking-hot guy that's seemingly always on her trail.
Speaking of Gideon, aforementioned smoking-hot guy, he is one tough person to figure out. At times, I almost feel like he's actually bipolar and hiding it very well, or he's actually bipolar and doesn't know it yet so he isn't taking any medication for it. Because, seriously, one minute the room's all steamy with romantic tension in the air, and the next, he becomes colder than a vampire locked in a refrigerator. His relationship with Gwen was just starting to be kindled at the end of book 1, and almost as quickly as it began, it progressed to the point where they were acting like they've been together forever. All I have to say, is that the romance in this book is very confusing because I can't tell when Gwen and Gideon are secretly thinking up evil ways to kill each other, or secretly thinking up romantic ways to surprise each other. But the relationship is a hot and hilarious one, don't worry, it's not all that bad. They're polar opposites of each other, and that always makes for interesting interactions. For example, when Gwen attends a party with Gideon and happens to consume too many sparkly drinks, and when said boy watches said girl at said party drink too many said sparkly drinks. It's just.....you have to read the book to fully understand it's wonderful content.
All I have to say is, this book was a breath-taking ride, and completely worth the read. I wished the romance progressed a bit slower, but hey, in a trilogy, it's pretty hard to make things go slow right? Speaking of trilogy's, this series is supposed to have three books....meaning I need those three books to feel satisfied and content....why don't I have the Emerald Green in my hands yet? *fuming*
January 6, 2013
Spoilers
I didn't really like this, it irritated the hell out of me. The heroine, Gwen, could have been a decent character had it not been for the ghastly romance and the vile love interest (the douche dick Gideon). Every time Gwen was near Gideon or thought about him (which was most of the time), I lost respect for her. She was weak, pathetic and desperate. He treated her like utter shit and the dumb bitch let him, she would be mad and upset when he acted like bastard but as soon as she saw him again she would forgive and forget and let him treat her like shit again.
This just says it all:
'I couldn’t help glancing at Gideon, and thinking something crazy along the lines of if he’d only smile just once now, I’d forgive him everything.'
Dumb bitch.
Anyway onto Gideon, he was a bastard. He thought he was better than Gwen, he talked down to her, he was hot and cold with her, he acted like she was evul, he lied to her and he manipulated her. He was a fucker.
The declaration of love at the end was beyond ridiculous since 1. They'd only known each other a week 2. Gideon didn't trust Gwen once in that week 3. Gideon spent most of his time flirting and coming onto other girls, one of them being Gwen's own cousin. It was fucking ridiculous.
The story line could have been mildly interesting, if Gwen hadn't been so focused on her pathetic love life. Seriously, I can barely remember the time travel plot because all Gwen cared about was her wuv life.
I'm not sure if I'll read the next book, this one was a disappointment.
I didn't really like this, it irritated the hell out of me. The heroine, Gwen, could have been a decent character had it not been for the ghastly romance and the vile love interest (the douche dick Gideon). Every time Gwen was near Gideon or thought about him (which was most of the time), I lost respect for her. She was weak, pathetic and desperate. He treated her like utter shit and the dumb bitch let him, she would be mad and upset when he acted like bastard but as soon as she saw him again she would forgive and forget and let him treat her like shit again.
This just says it all:
'I couldn’t help glancing at Gideon, and thinking something crazy along the lines of if he’d only smile just once now, I’d forgive him everything.'
Dumb bitch.
Anyway onto Gideon, he was a bastard. He thought he was better than Gwen, he talked down to her, he was hot and cold with her, he acted like she was evul, he lied to her and he manipulated her. He was a fucker.
The declaration of love at the end was beyond ridiculous since 1. They'd only known each other a week 2. Gideon didn't trust Gwen once in that week 3. Gideon spent most of his time flirting and coming onto other girls, one of them being Gwen's own cousin. It was fucking ridiculous.
The story line could have been mildly interesting, if Gwen hadn't been so focused on her pathetic love life. Seriously, I can barely remember the time travel plot because all Gwen cared about was her wuv life.
I'm not sure if I'll read the next book, this one was a disappointment.
November 16, 2020
I've had a few days to compose my thoughts, and because it's late I will be posting the full review tomorrow. As for now...
My Thoughts, Compiled as Neatly and Efficiently as Possible at 11 PM on Finals Week:
- This book was not as good as Ruby Red in my opinion, even though I still enjoyed it. Really hoping Emerald Green is better.
- I! Love! Gideon! He is my baby!!!
- I'm still in love with the time travel.
-
- *shoves Xemerius in the comedic relief LOML pile with Cassian, Thorne and Kenji*
- WARNING! POSSIBLE SPOILER: I'm really glad we didn't have to see much of Charlotte, Aunt Glenda, or Lady Arista in this book and how we got to see more of Gwyneth's mother and siblings.
- And drunk Gwyneth is and will always be my favourite Gwyneth. 💗
My Thoughts, Compiled as Neatly and Efficiently as Possible at 11 PM on Finals Week:
- This book was not as good as Ruby Red in my opinion, even though I still enjoyed it. Really hoping Emerald Green is better.
- I! Love! Gideon! He is my baby!!!
- I'm still in love with the time travel.
-
- *shoves Xemerius in the comedic relief LOML pile with Cassian, Thorne and Kenji*
- WARNING! POSSIBLE SPOILER: I'm really glad we didn't have to see much of Charlotte, Aunt Glenda, or Lady Arista in this book and how we got to see more of Gwyneth's mother and siblings.
- And drunk Gwyneth is and will always be my favourite Gwyneth. 💗
September 14, 2013
Really enjoyed the book but, I have so many questions! Just posted my full book discussion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaZuuI... ! So excited for book 3!
April 24, 2024
HIC RHODOS, HIC SALTA, BITCHES! All in all, book 2 was a little weaker than book 1 ... because the plot is just so damn slow-going ... but it was still one hell of a ride and so much fun to read. Also, I like book 2 much more than its movie adaption because for some weird reason they decided to seriously SEX UP this movie ... when in fact, its target audience are 14-year-old girls... I am confusion. The book is so pure, so there's no need for that??? Like, at all??
Like I said, not much happens in this book, but imma recap it anyways: after running into Lucy and Paul at the end of the first book, everyone at Temple is shook because they know that something fishy is going on but they don't know what to do about it. On top of that, the Count of Saint Germain has ordered Gwendolyn and Gideon to participate at a soirée and later at a ball in the 18th century ... and so Gwen has to be prepared for that, since she's an idiot sandwich and doesn't even know what a soirée is ... not even speaking about the fact that she can't speak French or German. So, while all of this is going on, the other important things happening in this book are that Gwen befriends the "demon" Xemerius (who is basically a gargoyle ghost who is obsessed with the fact that Gwen can actually see him, as everyone else can't) and that the love affair between her and Gideon just spirals out of control. I mean, the two of them have known each other for a good five days, yet are constantly switching between "loving" each other, being angsty, jealous and just overall, completely over-the-fucking-top. Needless to say, I'm here for it. ;)
Oh, and Raphael (Gideon's brother) shows up to further complicate things. He's falling for Leslie but she is having none of his shit (at least she's not showing it to him :D). (“Tu es mignonne”, sagte Raphael. - “Ich weiß”, sagte Leslie. “Aber ich bin nicht frankophil.”) Leslie is just such an icon!
But let's jump into the good stuff and recap all the fantastic moments that made me laugh and swoon. Gosh, there were so many of them. First of all, this time the prologue (which is always from Lucy and Paul's POV) is actually about the time when they were younger and at the beginning, Paul just keeps thinking about how much he loves Lucy and that he needs to braven up to open up to her etc. and there was so much hype and tension built that my stupid ass actually thought that we were going to get a proposal scene but in all actuality it's about him wanting to kiss her for the first time. Like, LMAO. I needed to tell myself to calm the fuck down. :D Always, the prologue is an actual gift from God because we learn that Falk (who happens to be Paul’s brother) actually gave him some kissing advice. And that has me shook. (= “Ich würde mich nicht lange mit Reden aufhalten. Ich würde es einfach tun. Dann kann sie dir eine runterhauten und du weißt Bescheid.” MOOD). Well, Lucy and Paul are still my faves.
Then, of course, we have Xemerius ... who turned out to be another gift from God because not only is he hilariously funny, he is also the one to keep Gwendolyn (and her ridiculous bursts of emotion) in check, and I love the ruthlessness with which he roasts her hormonal behaviour. Gwendolyn sees him for the first time in the church (“Im Übrigen, das ist nicht meine Kirche. Ich häng da nur gern rum.”) where she kissed Gideon, and Xemerius is all like "OMG YOU CAN SEE ME? AWESOME. I'M YOURS NOW." Apparently the last people who could see him where Madame Tussaud and Doyle's ghost. LMAO.
Xemerius has many golden moments in this series but here are my favorite three: 1) He's constantly spying on the members of the Temple to report back to Gwen and then tells her that when the men made snide remarks about her: “Natürlich habe ich dich verteidigt, aber sie haben nicht auf mich gehört”, sagte Xemerius. /// 2) He calls Gideon “Funkelsteinchen” and I'm still not over it. :D /// 3) And when Gwen is once again crying because Gideon was rude to her, Xemerius is absolutely done with her shit and is just like: “Da hat der Junge mal schlechte Laune und guckt mürrisch, weil er was gegen den Kopf bekommen hat, und schon bricht für dich die Welt zusammen.” FINALLY A VOICE OF REASON HAS SPOKEN. Thank you very much.
Let's get down to business. The love rollercoaster that is Gwen's relationship to Gideon in this book. It will keep your head spinning to keep up with it. In the beginning, they are all soft with each other because they have finally kissed for the first time (after three days so take that "finally" lightly) and Gideon is finally opening up to her ... about his ambitions, his family etc. When he mentions his mother, Gwendolyn is like "YOU HAVE A MOTHER??" and I cracked up. She sure is an idiot sandwich. There's lots of great banter because Gwen is still quite intimidated by him and fears that he may find her stupid ... which ... is not unwarranted ... she's not the smartest cookie in the jar. ;) Anyways, due to her own insecurities she's often annoyed with him for being rash or direct or not as lovey-dovey as she wants, and so she, overall, turns into quite the love-sick fool (“Wenn er mir jetzt zulächelt, dann verzeihe ich ihm alles.”).
Their relationship gets tense, as Gwendolyn is secretly meeting up with her grandpa in the past, and Gideon becomes highly suspicious of her, when on one of his lone missions, he is actually struck down by an unknown man, seconds after seeing Gwendolyn in a tunnel where she is not supposed to be. From that point on, Gideon doesn't want Gwen to elapse on her own anymore, and he insists that he has to accompany her at all coasts. During one of their hangouts in the 50s, he actually teaches her menuett and quotes Shakespeare... we love a romantic boy! But my favourite moment in that scene is actually when Gwen asks him about his relationship to Charlotte and he gets all coy but Gwen is having none of it and straight up asks him how Charlotte is kissing, not if ... HOW! I can't with this girl. She has no chill. :D
So, we learn that Charlotte and Gideon did kiss before ... and again, I cannot shake the feeling that Charlotte is really the worst off in this series. No longer the Chosen One, and her crush is now crushing on her cousin ... who has actually usurped her Chosen One position. I would be pissed too. But listen up! The only thing I’m not able to forgive Charlotte is the fact that she, at one point, told Gideon that Gwendolyn is a slut who sleeps with all the boys in her grade??? LIke, who does that? Even if she’s bitter about not being the Chosen One, Charlotte should have known better. Every turn she gets, she's trying to make Gwendolyn look back in front of Gideon (whilst he is having none of it) and that just pisses me off. Charlotte has more depth than that! I'm really mad because I totally understand why she's bitter but the way she just goes on about it is not cool at all.
Anyways, back to Gwen and Gideon. When Gideon is attacked and blames Gwen for it, everything turns to shit (“Vielleicht, weil ich nicht gerne belogen werde. Besonders ungern von Mädchen, die sich mir an einem Tag an den Hals werfen und mich am nächsten zusammenschlagen lassen.”) and he's yelling at her and accusing her but then he notices that she’s actually crying and he becomes all soft again. (“Weinst du etwa?”) I was like WOW! And so the two of them are in this awkward position where they obviously have feelings for each other but are also hella confused about it and whether they can trust each other.
The big finale of this book is the soirée at the Bromptons and it's so much fun to read about. Because Gwen is still lowkey mad / confused about Gideon and when he then flirts with another lady at the soirée she decides to get hella drunk, and when Gideon's flirt is taunting her about performing something for the audience, Gwen is all like BITCH IMMA SHOW YOU and she starts singing Memory from Cats. It's so iconic! To help her out Gideon actually accompanies her on the piano. WOW. He also got a fucking real Stradivari from the Count, so that soirée was worth it for that alone, if you ask me.
And then after the soirée, Gideon finally tells Gwen that he fell in love with her (after five days … but lets forget about that) only for the Count to fuck it up and tell Gwen that he ordered Gideon to make Gwen fall in love with him... so that she is completely crushed and gets her heart broken. (Mr George is out there in the back saying I TOLD YOU SO.) SO, at the end of this hellfire we are right where we left of... with both of them being in love with each other, but not knowing how the other person feels. A MESS!
Of course, in this book, there are many iconic moments and we revisit some old faves, and get some new icons to add to our pantheons. Well first and foremost, Leslie is, of course, still our queen. She even gave Gwen a 20cm long Japanese kitchen knife to protect herself. I DIED! (Later in the book Gideon says to Gwendolyn: “Eine Waffe, mit der man nicht umgehen kann, wird in der Regel gegen einen verwendet.” Ich dachte an mein japanisches Gemüsemesser.)
Mr George is of course still out here supporting Gwendolyn and speaking the goddamn truth: “Habt ihr schon mal daran gedacht, dass genau dieses ausgrenzende Verhalten der Grund dafür sein könnte, dass die Dinge, die geschehen werden, überhaupt geschehen?”
Charlotte is ordered to help Mr Giordano with preparing Gwenny for the soirée and the ball... let's just say it doesn't go great, as all Charlotte wants to do is embarrass Gwendolyn, and Mr Giordano thinks she's an idiot sandwich. However, Mr Giordano really grew on me over time, because his roasts are just legendary and his utter disgust and contempt for Gwendolyn's behaviour had me rolling on the floor. (“Sie hat die ganze Zeit mit glasigen Augen vor sich hin gestiert - wenn ich es nicht besser wüsste, würde ich auf Drogen tippen!”) (“Das ist backe backe Kuchen, dummes Ding”, sagte Giordano. “So klatschen Kleinkinder im Sandkasten, wenn sie sich freuen … Wo guckst du jetzt schon wieder hin? Ich werde wahnsinnig.”)
At one point during their lessons Xemerius was actually like: “Komm schon, Gwendolyn, zeig den beiden Sadisten, dass du’s drauf hast.” LOL
And also Gwen's family is pretty good at cheering her up by making fun of Giordano and Charlotte … I loved it! They danced through the living room, imitating the both of them by saying “Dummes Ding! Schau doch wie Charlotte es macht.” or “Ich kann deine Zähne sehen. Das ist unpatriotisch.” ICONIC!
Another favorite scene of mine happens during the epilogue where Paul is overpowered by Lord Alastair and his men but then Gideon shows up (“Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich mal so froh sein würde, dich zu sehen, Kleiner.”) and helps him out. After confirming that he loves Gwendolyn, Paul decides to give him the secret information that he has just received from Alastair about Gwen's prophecy. It's just such a great moment because both of these men love Gwendolyn (out of different reasons, obviously) and they're both so similar in character that it's just such a mess:
Like I said, not much happens in this book, but imma recap it anyways: after running into Lucy and Paul at the end of the first book, everyone at Temple is shook because they know that something fishy is going on but they don't know what to do about it. On top of that, the Count of Saint Germain has ordered Gwendolyn and Gideon to participate at a soirée and later at a ball in the 18th century ... and so Gwen has to be prepared for that, since she's an idiot sandwich and doesn't even know what a soirée is ... not even speaking about the fact that she can't speak French or German. So, while all of this is going on, the other important things happening in this book are that Gwen befriends the "demon" Xemerius (who is basically a gargoyle ghost who is obsessed with the fact that Gwen can actually see him, as everyone else can't) and that the love affair between her and Gideon just spirals out of control. I mean, the two of them have known each other for a good five days, yet are constantly switching between "loving" each other, being angsty, jealous and just overall, completely over-the-fucking-top. Needless to say, I'm here for it. ;)
Oh, and Raphael (Gideon's brother) shows up to further complicate things. He's falling for Leslie but she is having none of his shit (at least she's not showing it to him :D). (“Tu es mignonne”, sagte Raphael. - “Ich weiß”, sagte Leslie. “Aber ich bin nicht frankophil.”) Leslie is just such an icon!
But let's jump into the good stuff and recap all the fantastic moments that made me laugh and swoon. Gosh, there were so many of them. First of all, this time the prologue (which is always from Lucy and Paul's POV) is actually about the time when they were younger and at the beginning, Paul just keeps thinking about how much he loves Lucy and that he needs to braven up to open up to her etc. and there was so much hype and tension built that my stupid ass actually thought that we were going to get a proposal scene but in all actuality it's about him wanting to kiss her for the first time. Like, LMAO. I needed to tell myself to calm the fuck down. :D Always, the prologue is an actual gift from God because we learn that Falk (who happens to be Paul’s brother) actually gave him some kissing advice. And that has me shook. (= “Ich würde mich nicht lange mit Reden aufhalten. Ich würde es einfach tun. Dann kann sie dir eine runterhauten und du weißt Bescheid.” MOOD). Well, Lucy and Paul are still my faves.
Then, of course, we have Xemerius ... who turned out to be another gift from God because not only is he hilariously funny, he is also the one to keep Gwendolyn (and her ridiculous bursts of emotion) in check, and I love the ruthlessness with which he roasts her hormonal behaviour. Gwendolyn sees him for the first time in the church (“Im Übrigen, das ist nicht meine Kirche. Ich häng da nur gern rum.”) where she kissed Gideon, and Xemerius is all like "OMG YOU CAN SEE ME? AWESOME. I'M YOURS NOW." Apparently the last people who could see him where Madame Tussaud and Doyle's ghost. LMAO.
Xemerius has many golden moments in this series but here are my favorite three: 1) He's constantly spying on the members of the Temple to report back to Gwen and then tells her that when the men made snide remarks about her: “Natürlich habe ich dich verteidigt, aber sie haben nicht auf mich gehört”, sagte Xemerius. /// 2) He calls Gideon “Funkelsteinchen” and I'm still not over it. :D /// 3) And when Gwen is once again crying because Gideon was rude to her, Xemerius is absolutely done with her shit and is just like: “Da hat der Junge mal schlechte Laune und guckt mürrisch, weil er was gegen den Kopf bekommen hat, und schon bricht für dich die Welt zusammen.” FINALLY A VOICE OF REASON HAS SPOKEN. Thank you very much.
Let's get down to business. The love rollercoaster that is Gwen's relationship to Gideon in this book. It will keep your head spinning to keep up with it. In the beginning, they are all soft with each other because they have finally kissed for the first time (after three days so take that "finally" lightly) and Gideon is finally opening up to her ... about his ambitions, his family etc. When he mentions his mother, Gwendolyn is like "YOU HAVE A MOTHER??" and I cracked up. She sure is an idiot sandwich. There's lots of great banter because Gwen is still quite intimidated by him and fears that he may find her stupid ... which ... is not unwarranted ... she's not the smartest cookie in the jar. ;) Anyways, due to her own insecurities she's often annoyed with him for being rash or direct or not as lovey-dovey as she wants, and so she, overall, turns into quite the love-sick fool (“Wenn er mir jetzt zulächelt, dann verzeihe ich ihm alles.”).
Their relationship gets tense, as Gwendolyn is secretly meeting up with her grandpa in the past, and Gideon becomes highly suspicious of her, when on one of his lone missions, he is actually struck down by an unknown man, seconds after seeing Gwendolyn in a tunnel where she is not supposed to be. From that point on, Gideon doesn't want Gwen to elapse on her own anymore, and he insists that he has to accompany her at all coasts. During one of their hangouts in the 50s, he actually teaches her menuett and quotes Shakespeare... we love a romantic boy! But my favourite moment in that scene is actually when Gwen asks him about his relationship to Charlotte and he gets all coy but Gwen is having none of it and straight up asks him how Charlotte is kissing, not if ... HOW! I can't with this girl. She has no chill. :D
So, we learn that Charlotte and Gideon did kiss before ... and again, I cannot shake the feeling that Charlotte is really the worst off in this series. No longer the Chosen One, and her crush is now crushing on her cousin ... who has actually usurped her Chosen One position. I would be pissed too. But listen up! The only thing I’m not able to forgive Charlotte is the fact that she, at one point, told Gideon that Gwendolyn is a slut who sleeps with all the boys in her grade??? LIke, who does that? Even if she’s bitter about not being the Chosen One, Charlotte should have known better. Every turn she gets, she's trying to make Gwendolyn look back in front of Gideon (whilst he is having none of it) and that just pisses me off. Charlotte has more depth than that! I'm really mad because I totally understand why she's bitter but the way she just goes on about it is not cool at all.
Anyways, back to Gwen and Gideon. When Gideon is attacked and blames Gwen for it, everything turns to shit (“Vielleicht, weil ich nicht gerne belogen werde. Besonders ungern von Mädchen, die sich mir an einem Tag an den Hals werfen und mich am nächsten zusammenschlagen lassen.”) and he's yelling at her and accusing her but then he notices that she’s actually crying and he becomes all soft again. (“Weinst du etwa?”) I was like WOW! And so the two of them are in this awkward position where they obviously have feelings for each other but are also hella confused about it and whether they can trust each other.
The big finale of this book is the soirée at the Bromptons and it's so much fun to read about. Because Gwen is still lowkey mad / confused about Gideon and when he then flirts with another lady at the soirée she decides to get hella drunk, and when Gideon's flirt is taunting her about performing something for the audience, Gwen is all like BITCH IMMA SHOW YOU and she starts singing Memory from Cats. It's so iconic! To help her out Gideon actually accompanies her on the piano. WOW. He also got a fucking real Stradivari from the Count, so that soirée was worth it for that alone, if you ask me.
And then after the soirée, Gideon finally tells Gwen that he fell in love with her (after five days … but lets forget about that) only for the Count to fuck it up and tell Gwen that he ordered Gideon to make Gwen fall in love with him... so that she is completely crushed and gets her heart broken. (Mr George is out there in the back saying I TOLD YOU SO.) SO, at the end of this hellfire we are right where we left of... with both of them being in love with each other, but not knowing how the other person feels. A MESS!
Of course, in this book, there are many iconic moments and we revisit some old faves, and get some new icons to add to our pantheons. Well first and foremost, Leslie is, of course, still our queen. She even gave Gwen a 20cm long Japanese kitchen knife to protect herself. I DIED! (Later in the book Gideon says to Gwendolyn: “Eine Waffe, mit der man nicht umgehen kann, wird in der Regel gegen einen verwendet.” Ich dachte an mein japanisches Gemüsemesser.)
Mr George is of course still out here supporting Gwendolyn and speaking the goddamn truth: “Habt ihr schon mal daran gedacht, dass genau dieses ausgrenzende Verhalten der Grund dafür sein könnte, dass die Dinge, die geschehen werden, überhaupt geschehen?”
Charlotte is ordered to help Mr Giordano with preparing Gwenny for the soirée and the ball... let's just say it doesn't go great, as all Charlotte wants to do is embarrass Gwendolyn, and Mr Giordano thinks she's an idiot sandwich. However, Mr Giordano really grew on me over time, because his roasts are just legendary and his utter disgust and contempt for Gwendolyn's behaviour had me rolling on the floor. (“Sie hat die ganze Zeit mit glasigen Augen vor sich hin gestiert - wenn ich es nicht besser wüsste, würde ich auf Drogen tippen!”) (“Das ist backe backe Kuchen, dummes Ding”, sagte Giordano. “So klatschen Kleinkinder im Sandkasten, wenn sie sich freuen … Wo guckst du jetzt schon wieder hin? Ich werde wahnsinnig.”)
At one point during their lessons Xemerius was actually like: “Komm schon, Gwendolyn, zeig den beiden Sadisten, dass du’s drauf hast.” LOL
And also Gwen's family is pretty good at cheering her up by making fun of Giordano and Charlotte … I loved it! They danced through the living room, imitating the both of them by saying “Dummes Ding! Schau doch wie Charlotte es macht.” or “Ich kann deine Zähne sehen. Das ist unpatriotisch.” ICONIC!
Another favorite scene of mine happens during the epilogue where Paul is overpowered by Lord Alastair and his men but then Gideon shows up (“Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich mal so froh sein würde, dich zu sehen, Kleiner.”) and helps him out. After confirming that he loves Gwendolyn, Paul decides to give him the secret information that he has just received from Alastair about Gwen's prophecy. It's just such a great moment because both of these men love Gwendolyn (out of different reasons, obviously) and they're both so similar in character that it's just such a mess:
“Gideon, du musst auf Gwendolyn aufpassen”, sagte er hastig. “Und du musst sie vor dem Grafen beschützen.”Oh yes, I love these misfits a lot. So all in all, I am so glad that I decided to reread this series. It's just beyond cute and hits me right in the feels. I'm feeling 14 years old again ... and I love that for me. :D
“Ich würde Gwendolyn vor jedem beschützen!” In Gideon Augen blitzte es hochmütig auf. “Aber ich wüsste nicht, was dich das angeht.”
“Das geht mich sehr wohl was an, Junge!” Paul musste sich zusammenreißen, nicht handgreiflich zu werden.
December 29, 2019
First of all this book was a slight improvement of the first. This series so far has shown me that it is indeed possible to thoroughly dislike the main guy love interest. I can barely tolerate Gideon. Most of the time I want to bash him over the head. The whole love dynamic in this book was ridiculous. They have only known each other for less than a week. I repeat LESS THAN A WEEK. which mostly consisted of arguing, insults and arrogance from Gideon's side. And the insta-love on Gwyn's side. Idiot. And then the spontaneous periods of kissing. Like WTF is even going on. And then towards the middle of the book Gideon thinks it's a great idea to make a proclamation of love. Like where the hell did that come from?
When I read this part, I burst out laughing. I thought to myself 'REALLY? You were accusing her of being a traitor like yesterday. You really think Gwyn is going to fall for this shit Gideon? I mean she can't be that dumb.'
Right? WRONG. The worst part is that Gwyneth actually fell for that crap. Although I must admit Gideon redeemed himself a bit in the epilogue when he saved Paul. Perhaps you aren't a total douche-nozzle Gideon. Perhaps.
“Gwyneth,” he said, perfectly seriously, “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
My stomach muscles contracted as if I’d had a shock. But it was joy. “Really?”
“Yes, really!” In the light of the torch I saw Gideon smile. “I do realize we’ve known each other for less than a week..."
When I read this part, I burst out laughing. I thought to myself 'REALLY? You were accusing her of being a traitor like yesterday. You really think Gwyn is going to fall for this shit Gideon? I mean she can't be that dumb.'
Right? WRONG. The worst part is that Gwyneth actually fell for that crap. Although I must admit Gideon redeemed himself a bit in the epilogue when he saved Paul. Perhaps you aren't a total douche-nozzle Gideon. Perhaps.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2022
"Don't forget that when you shout the echo comes back the same."
°•*⁀➷
Okay - that ending?!? Crazy!!!
This book was quite the little whirlwind of emotions. I don't know how Gwen is handling so much information all at once, but I think fantasy characters are so much better suited to handling crazy situations than I ever could be. It's been the craziest week of her life and she's in love with a boy who seems to be playing a two sided sword. I'm glad that I know he isn't, and can't wait to see where this takes the two of them in the next book. Being in a teenagers mind is very relaxing because their problems are just so much more emotion based than mine. Two dimensional.
Very entertaining. I wish I had gotten more Lucy!! & Xemerius is just a joy.
I really liked this book and can't wait to start on the third and final one.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
Okay - that ending?!? Crazy!!!
This book was quite the little whirlwind of emotions. I don't know how Gwen is handling so much information all at once, but I think fantasy characters are so much better suited to handling crazy situations than I ever could be. It's been the craziest week of her life and she's in love with a boy who seems to be playing a two sided sword. I'm glad that I know he isn't, and can't wait to see where this takes the two of them in the next book. Being in a teenagers mind is very relaxing because their problems are just so much more emotion based than mine. Two dimensional.
Very entertaining. I wish I had gotten more Lucy!! & Xemerius is just a joy.
I really liked this book and can't wait to start on the third and final one.
- Paige
January 7, 2022
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Might Contains Spoilers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Re-read: 07.01.2022
Here is where I truly felt like this series was a YA series. Why? Well for the stupid insta-love and the 'I love you's' after a week. The jealousy, the childish behavior of an immature teenager and the "he doesn't love me" attitude = too much. I have to admit that I skimmed quite a bit of this book. I lost interest fast and there was just too much information and I just want them to get to the fucking point. All the not telling the 'stupid girl' stuff and said girl never stands up for herself got boring real fast. That said, the concept of traveling back in time is interesting, or rather, it should be interesting but Gwen, the main character, ruins it a bit with being so naive, immature and sometimes acting dumb. Her love interest, Gideon, has potential to be interesting, but because he is in a insta-love story, I lose some interest for him. Overall, it has potential but the YA trope truly took over what could've been an alright re-read for me.
“Gwyneth,” he said, perfectly seriously, “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
My stomach muscles contracted as if I’d had a shock. But it was joy. “Really?”
“Yes, really!” In the light of the torch I saw Gideon smile. “I do realize we’ve known each other for less than a week, and at first I thought you were rather … childish, and I probably behaved badly to you. But you’re terribly complicated, I never know what you’ll do next, and in some ways you really are terrifyingly … er … naive. Sometimes I just want to shake you.”
“Okay, I can see you were right about having no practice in making declarations of love,” I agreed.
“But then you’re so amusing, and clever, and amazingly sweet,” Gideon went on, as if he hadn’t heard me. “And the worst of it is, you only have to be in the same room and I need to touch you and kiss you.…”
THE CAST OF MAIN CHARACTERS:
The list is long so I've bit it in a spoilers tag.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Young Adult) Fantasy, Science Fiction > Time Travel (M/F).
Series: - Series, Book Two.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - I'm guessing Gideon de Villiers?
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Already have.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes, if you like time-traveling and YA.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2 stars.
First read review:
Rating: 4 stars.
October 16, 2023
Auch wieder sehr schön, wie auch Band 1. man fliegt nur so durch, geht mit auf mehr Zeitreisen und Xemerius taucht auch endlich auf ❤. Dieses Hin und Her zwischen Gwen und Gideon bräuchte ich jetzt nicht so unbedingt, aber bei der Vorgeschichte ist das wohl zum Teil nicht vermeidbar...
June 23, 2018
Sapphire Blue picks up right after Ruby Red. it’s been a few days since Gwen Shephard discovered that she, not her cousin Charlotte, inherited the “time-travel gene” that manifests in one girl of each generation in their family. The Montrose-Shephard family have assumed till now that Charlotte was the one with the power, and trained her since infancy accordingly. But it’s really been Gwen all along, and she is utterly unprepared.
There’s a sinister conspiracy that spans the centuries, about to close in on its goal in the present day. The survival of the two time-travelling families, and possibly the world because of course, is in the hands of Gwen and Gideon, her male equivalent from the de Villiers line.
Unfortunately for the rest of the poor souls embroiled in this, Gideon is a loose cannon who might be aligned with his Circle’s enemies, and Gwen is both infatuated with Gideon and rather slow on the uptake in general. He might undermine them, and if he does, she will be of no use in stopping him...
Content Advisory
Violence: Gideon gets knocked on the head by an unseen, unknown assailant in the present day. He claims he was following Gwen around a streetcorner when this occurred, and he blames her for luring him into an ambush. She has no idea what he’s talking about and is highly distraught by the accusation.
Gideon also gets in a sword-fight (not shown) in the eighteenth century and shows up splattered with someone else’s blood.
Sex: A lot more innuendo than was in book one. Gideon and Gwen spend several minutes smooching on a couch when they’re supposed to be doing their homework, and Xemerius thinks they went a lot further than they actually did.
A creepy old man momentarily molests Gwen and a few other young women at a party in the eighteenth century. Also in attendance at this party is a worldly young widow dying to sink her claws into Gideon. Gwen assumes that he and Lady Lavinia have been intimate in the past, although Gideon says some things that make that seem unlikely.
Gwen mentions that she is one of only four girls in her grade not on birth control. I can relate, Gwen! This is a kind of stupid joke, because many girls are prescribed birth control for purely medical reasons—but it is a reflection of how many sixteen-year-old girls think. She feels that she’s in no danger of becoming sexually active, and is both relieved and embarrassed by this (again, very relatable).
Language: One or two uses of “sh**” and “hell.”
Substance Abuse: Gwen tells us about a sleepover party where she and her school friends broke into the host’s parents’ vodka. This exciting incident culminated with our heroine warbling High School Musical (not dated at all, cough) songs into a hairbrush and commanding that her host’s father join her when he came to investigate the noise: “C’mon, baldy, get those hips swinging!”
This mortifying experience has made her wary of the happy juice. But she unwittingly drinks punch laced with alcohol at an eighteenth-century soiree and is a giggling mess for the rest of the evening, eventually gracing the company with a stirring rendition of “Memories” from Cats, two hundred years before that song was written. Why not just play air-guitar?
Nightmare Fuel: In St. Germane’s library, Gwen finds a creepy old tome about famous demons summoned by bad magicians throughout history. She pauses at a particularly gruesome illustration and the demon portrayed therein materializes in front of her. It boasts and tries to frighten her, but she refuses to be cowed. She just snarks at it and calmly reads on, trapping it once again between the pages.
In present-day London, Gwen is also followed about by a little gargoyle-demon calling himself Xemerius. He looks and acts like a talking cat with horns, and is not meant to be a frightening creature, but I’m not sure if he can be trusted.
Conclusions
Kerstin Gier’s Precious Stone trilogy has so far been a sugar rush. The characters don’t have a whole lot of depth, the plot is impossible to follow, and the world-building is not necessarily consistent. Evil sorcerers and demons are present in this book, despite never having been mentioned in the first. The scene with the fiend in St. Germane’s library, in particular, is more in line with Jonathan Stroud’s (wonderful) Bartimaeus trilogy than anything in Ruby Red. It’s unclear how the ghosts Gwen sees tie in with anything in past or present.
That said, I like how Gwen claims that she’s awkward and dorky and is, in fact, awkward and dorky. She falls down. She gets sick. She laughs at the wrong things. She struggles to focus in class. She gives herself pep talks in the bathroom mirror. When she’s scared, she calms herself down by singing and dancing to ABBA songs—and sometimes, other people see her do this. Plenty of YA heroines call themselves dorks, but very few of them actually are. Gwen is the real deal, and despite her over-the-top feelings about everything (especially Gideon), her genuine dweeb-ness makes her likeable.
Gideon is not on a level with Eugenides or Maxon Schreave or Morpheus the Netherling, but he develops a bit in this book, apart from only Gwen’s lovelorn perception of him. Apparently he’s unsure where he stands in this conflict of time-travellers, and his handlers are genuinely worried that he might turn traitor…
This series is The Princess Diaries meets Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure in England. It’s great entertainment that actually deserves its lovely shiny covers. I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
There’s a sinister conspiracy that spans the centuries, about to close in on its goal in the present day. The survival of the two time-travelling families, and possibly the world because of course, is in the hands of Gwen and Gideon, her male equivalent from the de Villiers line.
Unfortunately for the rest of the poor souls embroiled in this, Gideon is a loose cannon who might be aligned with his Circle’s enemies, and Gwen is both infatuated with Gideon and rather slow on the uptake in general. He might undermine them, and if he does, she will be of no use in stopping him...
Content Advisory
Violence: Gideon gets knocked on the head by an unseen, unknown assailant in the present day. He claims he was following Gwen around a streetcorner when this occurred, and he blames her for luring him into an ambush. She has no idea what he’s talking about and is highly distraught by the accusation.
Gideon also gets in a sword-fight (not shown) in the eighteenth century and shows up splattered with someone else’s blood.
Sex: A lot more innuendo than was in book one. Gideon and Gwen spend several minutes smooching on a couch when they’re supposed to be doing their homework, and Xemerius thinks they went a lot further than they actually did.
A creepy old man momentarily molests Gwen and a few other young women at a party in the eighteenth century. Also in attendance at this party is a worldly young widow dying to sink her claws into Gideon. Gwen assumes that he and Lady Lavinia have been intimate in the past, although Gideon says some things that make that seem unlikely.
Gwen mentions that she is one of only four girls in her grade not on birth control. I can relate, Gwen! This is a kind of stupid joke, because many girls are prescribed birth control for purely medical reasons—but it is a reflection of how many sixteen-year-old girls think. She feels that she’s in no danger of becoming sexually active, and is both relieved and embarrassed by this (again, very relatable).
Language: One or two uses of “sh**” and “hell.”
Substance Abuse: Gwen tells us about a sleepover party where she and her school friends broke into the host’s parents’ vodka. This exciting incident culminated with our heroine warbling High School Musical (not dated at all, cough) songs into a hairbrush and commanding that her host’s father join her when he came to investigate the noise: “C’mon, baldy, get those hips swinging!”
This mortifying experience has made her wary of the happy juice. But she unwittingly drinks punch laced with alcohol at an eighteenth-century soiree and is a giggling mess for the rest of the evening, eventually gracing the company with a stirring rendition of “Memories” from Cats, two hundred years before that song was written. Why not just play air-guitar?
Nightmare Fuel: In St. Germane’s library, Gwen finds a creepy old tome about famous demons summoned by bad magicians throughout history. She pauses at a particularly gruesome illustration and the demon portrayed therein materializes in front of her. It boasts and tries to frighten her, but she refuses to be cowed. She just snarks at it and calmly reads on, trapping it once again between the pages.
In present-day London, Gwen is also followed about by a little gargoyle-demon calling himself Xemerius. He looks and acts like a talking cat with horns, and is not meant to be a frightening creature, but I’m not sure if he can be trusted.
Conclusions
Kerstin Gier’s Precious Stone trilogy has so far been a sugar rush. The characters don’t have a whole lot of depth, the plot is impossible to follow, and the world-building is not necessarily consistent. Evil sorcerers and demons are present in this book, despite never having been mentioned in the first. The scene with the fiend in St. Germane’s library, in particular, is more in line with Jonathan Stroud’s (wonderful) Bartimaeus trilogy than anything in Ruby Red. It’s unclear how the ghosts Gwen sees tie in with anything in past or present.
That said, I like how Gwen claims that she’s awkward and dorky and is, in fact, awkward and dorky. She falls down. She gets sick. She laughs at the wrong things. She struggles to focus in class. She gives herself pep talks in the bathroom mirror. When she’s scared, she calms herself down by singing and dancing to ABBA songs—and sometimes, other people see her do this. Plenty of YA heroines call themselves dorks, but very few of them actually are. Gwen is the real deal, and despite her over-the-top feelings about everything (especially Gideon), her genuine dweeb-ness makes her likeable.
Gideon is not on a level with Eugenides or Maxon Schreave or Morpheus the Netherling, but he develops a bit in this book, apart from only Gwen’s lovelorn perception of him. Apparently he’s unsure where he stands in this conflict of time-travellers, and his handlers are genuinely worried that he might turn traitor…
This series is The Princess Diaries meets Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure in England. It’s great entertainment that actually deserves its lovely shiny covers. I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
October 9, 2024
I read the entire book in an afternoon. Gwyneth’s story continues to intrigue me, and I am beginning to root for Gwyneth and Gideon’s young love. The secret society still doesn’t trust Gwyneth and she’s taken matters into her hands with a lot of help from her dear friend Lesley. What’s confusing is, the count, the founder of the society, who is a chauvinist prick, is clearly the antagonist, but a new character was introduced, Alistair, who is just as fiercely dangerous to the time travellers. I can’t wait to see how it all ends in the last book. 5 stars.
June 9, 2023
STILL SUPER FUN
April 2, 2016
I. Need. The. Part. Three. Now.
We get more time travels than in the first book, that one was definitely the introductory book to this world...
Also finally we discover the meaning of something that has been mentioned in the prophecy, which I believe it was pretty obvious since the first time it was mentioned but ... it is what it is. We will get some answers and more questions too. I suspect that many explanations are being saved for the third and last part.
Overall, the plot is quite simple. This instalment is funny, entertaining and very well written as the first part.
I'm in love with this series!!
We get more time travels than in the first book, that one was definitely the introductory book to this world...
Also finally we discover the meaning of something that has been mentioned in the prophecy, which I believe it was pretty obvious since the first time it was mentioned but ... it is what it is. We will get some answers and more questions too. I suspect that many explanations are being saved for the third and last part.
Overall, the plot is quite simple. This instalment is funny, entertaining and very well written as the first part.
I'm in love with this series!!
January 20, 2013
Arghh.
I like this series, I do. WIth a few complaints. My biggest complaint is that it is a series, instead of a single book. Not much happened it the first and frankly not a whole lot happens in the second. I got SO (in all caps!) tired of no one telling Gwen anything. Eventually some things are revealed. Ish. But you shouldn't have to read 2 books in the series to start getting answers.
Yes, I'll read the next. As long as my complaints are duly noted.
I like this series, I do. WIth a few complaints. My biggest complaint is that it is a series, instead of a single book. Not much happened it the first and frankly not a whole lot happens in the second. I got SO (in all caps!) tired of no one telling Gwen anything. Eventually some things are revealed. Ish. But you shouldn't have to read 2 books in the series to start getting answers.
Yes, I'll read the next. As long as my complaints are duly noted.
March 20, 2014
Es que cada vez me gusta más esta trilogía.
En Saphirblau,la segunda parte de la trilogía Rubí,nos encontramos con una historia que comienza siendo algo predecible y pasa a ser absolutamente entretenida. A pesar de que sigo insistiendo que creo saber varias cosas que todavía no se revelaron se que no puedo juzgar al libro de predecible si todavía no se si en cierta forma, esto es así. Por esto mismo me centro en la historia de esta entrega y empiezo a reseñarla.
La historia es mucho más entretenida que la primera entrega ya que en Rubí fue más como un libro de introducción de todos estos temas de los viajeros del tiempo. Ahora, nos encontramos con que Gwen no solo debe seguir aprendiendo sobre los viajes en el tiempo y la historia de sus antepasados sino que debe poner en práctica todo lo aprendido en viajes programados. Por esto mismo no sólo nos resulta una lectura rápida y divertida sino que además contamos con mucha acción, problemas y romance.
La narración sigue siendo en 1º persona salvo en los epílogos (y debo decir que esos epílogos deberían estar prohibidos porque te dejan con intriga a morir) que están narrados en 3º persona. Los capítulos, en este libro, son más adictivos ya que muestran más misiones de los Vigilantes y las odiseas de Gwen y Gideon en el tiempo. A pesar de tener situaciones divertidas también nos encontramos con capítulos en el que quisieras matar a más de uno y otros capítulos en los que te hacen sonreír como una tonta (yeap, yo soy una). De verdad disfruté mucho con cada uno y es por eso que se me hizo difícil detener la lectura…
Los personajes(como los extrañaba). Ya me encariñé tanto con todos que se me va a hacer difícil dejarlos ir.
Gwen A pesar de que es una protagonista bastante entretenida debo decir que en este libro se volvió algo… “tonta” ¿Qué quiero decir con esto?” Que...¿Por qué antes de precipitarse sacando conclusiones no averigua por fuentes confiables lo que de verdad pasa? Es que a veces es tan ingenua que…bueno,me hace recordar que estoy leyendo un YA (sí cuando leo el libro no lo siento así, les juro). Más que de eso no me puedo quejar porque es una protagonista que realmente me agrada.
Gideon. Y…me gustaría que realmente me lo regalaran para navidad, pero es mucho lo que pido ¿no? En Zafiro nos encontramos con un Gideon en conflicto,pero me encanta porque ves que realmente es una persona de carne y hueso y no un robot como pensábamos con anterioridad. Me encanta que tenga esos sentimientos encontrados y . Realmente me encanta este personaje. Por más que sea un arrogante, egoísta y creído…me gusta porque se que a Gwen la va a proteger siempre.
Y debo hace una dedicación especial a un personaje nuevo pero que amé al instante…y es Xemerius. Un
Zafiro me ha hecho enamorarme más de esta historia. Es entretenida y aparecen varios personajes que a pesar de que aparezcan con un perfil bajo se que van a influenciar en nuestros protagonistas. La lectura es tan entretenida que no te das cuenta de lo rápido en que podes terminarlo.Conocemos más a fondo sobre la historia de los viajeros del tiempo y sobre por qué Paul y Lucy pudieron haber "traicionado" a su familia. Podemos empezar a sacar conclusiones…pero todavía no podemos precipitarnos ya que nos falta la tercera y última entrega Esmeralda que, cabe aclarar, ya empecé a leer. Me encantó.
September 30, 2017
Wie toll 😍
Nachdem ich Band 1 ja innerhalb von wenigen Stunden gelesen hatte, habe ich natürlich kurz darauf mit Band 2 begonnen.
Für diesen habe ich ein wenig länger gebraucht, aber das liegt hauptsächlich daran, dass ich viel zu tun hatte.
Die Handlung schreitet hier genauso schnell voran und seit Beginn von Rubinrot bis zum Ende von Saphirblau vergeht gerade mal eine Woche.
Deswegen haben die Charaktere kaum Zeit sich weiter zu entwickeln, aber die Protagonstin Gwendolyn passt sich erstaunlich schnell an, auch wenn ihr natürlich hin und wieder Fehler unterlaufen 😉.
Mit Gideon habe ich hin und wieder meine Probleme. Auf mich wirkt er einfach ein bisschen zu glatt und ich hoffe, dass sich das im letzten Band noch ändert. Man kann seine Beweggründe teilweise nicht ganz nachvollziehen, aber das soll man wohl auch nicht.
Ein Highlight war für mich definitiv der neu eingeführte Nebencharakter Xemerius. Er ist einfach so lustig uns absolut genial! Ich hätte auch gerne so einen Wasserspeier, entschuldige Dämon natürlich 😝.
Für mich gab es bei der Geschichte keine Überraschungen, aber die Handlung kommt auch ganz gut ohne aus.
Der Schreibstil ist wie bei Band 1 locker und flüssig und man fliegt geradezu durch die Seiten.
Dieses Buch ist eine tolle Fortsetzung und ich freue mich schon darauf Smaragdgrün zu lesen, denn hier habe ich wirklich keine Ahnung was passieren wird. Bei Rubinrot und Saphirblau habe ich ja vor einigen Jahren schon den Film gesehen 😳🙈
Nachdem ich Band 1 ja innerhalb von wenigen Stunden gelesen hatte, habe ich natürlich kurz darauf mit Band 2 begonnen.
Für diesen habe ich ein wenig länger gebraucht, aber das liegt hauptsächlich daran, dass ich viel zu tun hatte.
Die Handlung schreitet hier genauso schnell voran und seit Beginn von Rubinrot bis zum Ende von Saphirblau vergeht gerade mal eine Woche.
Deswegen haben die Charaktere kaum Zeit sich weiter zu entwickeln, aber die Protagonstin Gwendolyn passt sich erstaunlich schnell an, auch wenn ihr natürlich hin und wieder Fehler unterlaufen 😉.
Mit Gideon habe ich hin und wieder meine Probleme. Auf mich wirkt er einfach ein bisschen zu glatt und ich hoffe, dass sich das im letzten Band noch ändert. Man kann seine Beweggründe teilweise nicht ganz nachvollziehen, aber das soll man wohl auch nicht.
Ein Highlight war für mich definitiv der neu eingeführte Nebencharakter Xemerius. Er ist einfach so lustig uns absolut genial! Ich hätte auch gerne so einen Wasserspeier, entschuldige Dämon natürlich 😝.
Für mich gab es bei der Geschichte keine Überraschungen, aber die Handlung kommt auch ganz gut ohne aus.
Der Schreibstil ist wie bei Band 1 locker und flüssig und man fliegt geradezu durch die Seiten.
Dieses Buch ist eine tolle Fortsetzung und ich freue mich schon darauf Smaragdgrün zu lesen, denn hier habe ich wirklich keine Ahnung was passieren wird. Bei Rubinrot und Saphirblau habe ich ja vor einigen Jahren schon den Film gesehen 😳🙈
March 3, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Fantasy + Young Adult
This is the second book in the Precious Stone trilogy. Gwyneth here is still finding it difficult to understand and learn the basic principles behind time traveling. There is a new demon character that appears in this installment (Xemerius) and only Gwen is able to see him. This demon has a major role and influence in this book.
I struggled while reading this book. Have been switching between the physical book and the audiobook. It is too hard to immerse in a story when the protagonist is irritating and too dumb! Her insta-love (less than a week) relationship with Gideon is way too plastic and immature for my taste. The two hardly have any chemistry. As a reader, you must know how it feels when you want the hero and heroine of the story to remain far away from each other! The other annoying thing is the lack of communication trope between the MC and the other characters where they wanted her to do everything but hide from her all the needed information. I didn’t buy that.
I’m not sure why this book and the series, in general, is rated so high? Could it be the case of loss of charm because of translation? Not sure, but it is in my opinion way overrated. This is one of those cases in which if I didn’t have the book already I would have stopped there. So only one book left and hopefully all this fuss will be worthwhile the least.
Genre: Fantasy + Young Adult
This is the second book in the Precious Stone trilogy. Gwyneth here is still finding it difficult to understand and learn the basic principles behind time traveling. There is a new demon character that appears in this installment (Xemerius) and only Gwen is able to see him. This demon has a major role and influence in this book.
I struggled while reading this book. Have been switching between the physical book and the audiobook. It is too hard to immerse in a story when the protagonist is irritating and too dumb! Her insta-love (less than a week) relationship with Gideon is way too plastic and immature for my taste. The two hardly have any chemistry. As a reader, you must know how it feels when you want the hero and heroine of the story to remain far away from each other! The other annoying thing is the lack of communication trope between the MC and the other characters where they wanted her to do everything but hide from her all the needed information. I didn’t buy that.
I’m not sure why this book and the series, in general, is rated so high? Could it be the case of loss of charm because of translation? Not sure, but it is in my opinion way overrated. This is one of those cases in which if I didn’t have the book already I would have stopped there. So only one book left and hopefully all this fuss will be worthwhile the least.
January 10, 2025
Published in English as Sapphire Blue.
The second book in the Precious Stone Trilogy is all about snogging and scheming; so basically a mix of cringe-fest and heartwarming planning session with Gwen's grandpa in the past. Oh, and our protagonist also gets a pet gargoyle: very helpful for spying on herenemies fellow Lodge members and one upping her private tutors (who else would know what a reticule is).
As character development goes, this book has it really bad. I get the whole boy likes girl, so he teases her, but this is ridiculous. One minute, Gideon will be mocking Gwendolyn's inept dancing, and the next they're flat on the sofa making out like no tomorrow. Just how good a kisser is this 19-year-old boy?! Especially, since he's had nobody to practice with, as all his time is taken up by the Cause (TM).
Another weird premise is the Lodge's open antagonism of Gwendolyn, and subsequent dismay about her (supposed!) future betrayal. Especially since they put all this effort into keeping time paradoxes at minimum. Well, to be fair, the Count I get (he lives in the 18th century), but the contemporary Lodge members? At least Gideon tries to do something different, even if he employs some weird gas-lighting techniques.
This was the book, that finally had me question my dedication to complete my self-imposed German book challenge. Masochism, thy name is smartarse! So yeah... I've probably tuned out a sizable chunk of the audiobook.
Score: 2/5 stars
Someone get me a sarcastic pet demon too... along with a supercool great-(great-)grandmother like Lady Tilney. Yes, the Lucy-centric chapters are that obvious: they might as well be waving a bright pink placard with the explanation.
==========================
Review of book 1: Rubinrot
Review of book 3: Smaragdgrün
Book #14 of my "read at least 20 books in German" challenge.
The second book in the Precious Stone Trilogy is all about snogging and scheming; so basically a mix of cringe-fest and heartwarming planning session with Gwen's grandpa in the past. Oh, and our protagonist also gets a pet gargoyle: very helpful for spying on her
As character development goes, this book has it really bad. I get the whole boy likes girl, so he teases her, but this is ridiculous. One minute, Gideon will be mocking Gwendolyn's inept dancing, and the next they're flat on the sofa making out like no tomorrow. Just how good a kisser is this 19-year-old boy?! Especially, since he's had nobody to practice with, as all his time is taken up by the Cause (TM).
"I'd also prefer to kiss you all the time, instead of mocking you, " [Gideon] said after a moment, "but you're not making it easy, either."
Another weird premise is the Lodge's open antagonism of Gwendolyn, and subsequent dismay about her (supposed!) future betrayal. Especially since they put all this effort into keeping time paradoxes at minimum. Well, to be fair, the Count I get (he lives in the 18th century), but the contemporary Lodge members? At least Gideon tries to do something different, even if he employs some weird gas-lighting techniques.
This was the book, that finally had me question my dedication to complete my self-imposed German book challenge. Masochism, thy name is smartarse! So yeah... I've probably tuned out a sizable chunk of the audiobook.
Score: 2/5 stars
Someone get me a sarcastic pet demon too... along with a supercool great-(great-)grandmother like Lady Tilney. Yes, the Lucy-centric chapters are that obvious: they might as well be waving a bright pink placard with the explanation.
==========================
Review of book 1: Rubinrot
Review of book 3: Smaragdgrün
Book #14 of my "read at least 20 books in German" challenge.
January 19, 2015
WOW!!! :O *forever crying* This book was just as great as the first one!!! I loved it. I laughed. I cried. Loved it. I'm so obsessed with this series!! Few spoilers ahead:
I loved the soiree and the singing? i laughed so hard in this scene!! Gwen drunk?? So funny!!! Gideon? Still in love with him..but he really pissed me off!! At the end though..well he does love her. right? he loves her. right?? right?? *crying again* I just can't with all the feels!!! My poor sweet Gwen is so miserable and hurt.. I need to see her happy on the last book!! I want to read it,but at the same time i just don't want this to end!! I love these books so much and i read them so fast,and the problem is, i can't re-read them for the first time. Well except if i'm a time-traveler.but still i wouldn't re-read it for the first time,right? this is so confusing xD Oh oh and what about Lesley and Raphael? They would be so good together!! :D Oh and Xemerius is so funny and useful!! So,i loved this book. i just need Gideon to get his shit together and treat Gwen a bit better,clear things up,trust her..and show her he loves her!! ♥ *still crying* sorry for this stupid review.
I loved the soiree and the singing? i laughed so hard in this scene!! Gwen drunk?? So funny!!! Gideon? Still in love with him..but he really pissed me off!! At the end though..well he does love her. right? he loves her. right?? right?? *crying again* I just can't with all the feels!!! My poor sweet Gwen is so miserable and hurt.. I need to see her happy on the last book!! I want to read it,but at the same time i just don't want this to end!! I love these books so much and i read them so fast,and the problem is, i can't re-read them for the first time. Well except if i'm a time-traveler.but still i wouldn't re-read it for the first time,right? this is so confusing xD Oh oh and what about Lesley and Raphael? They would be so good together!! :D Oh and Xemerius is so funny and useful!! So,i loved this book. i just need Gideon to get his shit together and treat Gwen a bit better,clear things up,trust her..and show her he loves her!! ♥ *still crying* sorry for this stupid review.
April 12, 2020
Diese Reihe macht einfach nur Spaß!
Klar, vieles ist vorhersehbar, aber dafür ist es herrlich süß wie Zuckerwatte und erinnert mich an mein eigenes 16jähriges Ich und an meine Freundinnen, wie wir damals zusammen die BRAVO gelesen und über Jungs gequatscht haben🥰🥰🥰 ein echter Trip zurück in die Teeniezeit, ich liebe es!
Klar, vieles ist vorhersehbar, aber dafür ist es herrlich süß wie Zuckerwatte und erinnert mich an mein eigenes 16jähriges Ich und an meine Freundinnen, wie wir damals zusammen die BRAVO gelesen und über Jungs gequatscht haben🥰🥰🥰 ein echter Trip zurück in die Teeniezeit, ich liebe es!
April 6, 2020
Zuckersüss und doch inzwischen so spannend, dass ich es fast komplett an einem Tag weggelesen hab.
Dank der Superfähigkeit Vergessen kann ich die Reihe auch wieder wie beim ersten mal geniessen :)
Dank der Superfähigkeit Vergessen kann ich die Reihe auch wieder wie beim ersten mal geniessen :)
July 25, 2020
Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars rounded^
WOW. 🤯😱🔥
RTC
WOW. 🤯😱🔥
RTC
May 6, 2016
3.5 stars
This series is so fun to read! It's fast-paced and humorous, with witty characters and the cutest romance. I'm having a blast reading it! I would write something more articulate, but you know, book three is already waiting for me...
This series is so fun to read! It's fast-paced and humorous, with witty characters and the cutest romance. I'm having a blast reading it! I would write something more articulate, but you know, book three is already waiting for me...
February 8, 2017
Wow. Ich hätte ja nie gedacht, dass das möglich war, aber Saphirblau ist definitiv noch besser als Rubinrot. Das liegt vor allem an den neu eingeführten Charakteren und natürlich der Liebesgeschichte, die das ganze noch viel viel viiiiel amüsanter macht.
Die oben erwähnten Charaktere sind nämlich Xemerius und Giordano. Beide sind einfach zum Schreien! Ich finde Kerstin Gier hat es auch einfach klasse gelöst, traurige oder gar dramatische Szenen durch Xemerius' lustige Kommentare zu entschärfen. Ich weiß gar nicht, ob sie auch ein Buch schreiben könnte, das kein bisschen lustig ist... Ich bezweifle es, aber das ist ja auch kein Makel, sondern eher ein Talent.
Was die Gideon-Gwen-Sache angeht (Sie hat ja schon eine gewisse Vorliebe für Namen mit G... Naja, wenn man Kerstin Gier heißt), so finde ich war schon einiges offensichtlich. Beispielsweise war ich vom Ende von Saphirblau nicht wirklich überrascht. Zumindest nicht in Liebesdingen. Aber das hat mich eigentlich auch nicht gestört. Es gibt ja noch genug Dinge, die WIRKLICH überraschend sind.
Mein einziger Kritikpunkt wäre, dass man Rubinrot und Saphirblau eigentlich auch als ein Buch hätte veröffentlichen können. Der Cliffhanger des ersten Bandes war ja schon extrem und einen wirklichen Cut gibt es auch nicht gerade. Vom Spannungsbogen her wäre das auch durchaus möglich gewesen meiner Meinung nach. Ich will ja niemandem etwas unterstellen, aber das könnte doch kommerzielle Gründe gehabt haben. Aber selbst wenn... Was solls? Trilogien klingen immer besser als Zweiteiler, oder?
Xemerius? Du wirst auf ewig mein Held bleiben! Ich entscheide mich dafür, dass ich doch die Team Sache unterstützte und mich hiermit zu Team Xemerius bekenne!
Die oben erwähnten Charaktere sind nämlich Xemerius und Giordano. Beide sind einfach zum Schreien! Ich finde Kerstin Gier hat es auch einfach klasse gelöst, traurige oder gar dramatische Szenen durch Xemerius' lustige Kommentare zu entschärfen. Ich weiß gar nicht, ob sie auch ein Buch schreiben könnte, das kein bisschen lustig ist... Ich bezweifle es, aber das ist ja auch kein Makel, sondern eher ein Talent.
Was die Gideon-Gwen-Sache angeht (Sie hat ja schon eine gewisse Vorliebe für Namen mit G... Naja, wenn man Kerstin Gier heißt), so finde ich war schon einiges offensichtlich. Beispielsweise war ich vom Ende von Saphirblau nicht wirklich überrascht. Zumindest nicht in Liebesdingen. Aber das hat mich eigentlich auch nicht gestört. Es gibt ja noch genug Dinge, die WIRKLICH überraschend sind.
Mein einziger Kritikpunkt wäre, dass man Rubinrot und Saphirblau eigentlich auch als ein Buch hätte veröffentlichen können. Der Cliffhanger des ersten Bandes war ja schon extrem und einen wirklichen Cut gibt es auch nicht gerade. Vom Spannungsbogen her wäre das auch durchaus möglich gewesen meiner Meinung nach. Ich will ja niemandem etwas unterstellen, aber das könnte doch kommerzielle Gründe gehabt haben. Aber selbst wenn... Was solls? Trilogien klingen immer besser als Zweiteiler, oder?
Xemerius? Du wirst auf ewig mein Held bleiben! Ich entscheide mich dafür, dass ich doch die Team Sache unterstützte und mich hiermit zu Team Xemerius bekenne!
May 13, 2016
This book is a good sequel to Ruby Red. It's a light read that will have you laugh hysterically. There is a lot more time travel in this one and some interesting details of the prophecy are revealed.
In the first book, Gwen seemed a bit immature for her age, and she doesn't really evolve in that regard in this book. I think that is probably the main reason I gave the overall series 4 stars instead of 5. Even though Gwen is hilarious, she is not a great role model or heroine. She lacks a tiny bit of commonsense, self preservation & self estime which at times, can be unattractive.
So maybe I was a bit less engrossed in the overall plot with Sapphire Blue than I was with Ruby Red. It's a good thing there was a lot of relationship drama in that book as it kept me focused on the story :) I loved the addition of the gargoyle, Xemerius, Gwen's new companion that helps her spy on people and cheat at tests :P And Gideon is still swoon worthy, even though I can't say that I agreed with all of his actions in this book.
The ending was heartbreaking. But it's a good thing the epilogue was there !
In the first book, Gwen seemed a bit immature for her age, and she doesn't really evolve in that regard in this book. I think that is probably the main reason I gave the overall series 4 stars instead of 5. Even though Gwen is hilarious, she is not a great role model or heroine. She lacks a tiny bit of commonsense, self preservation & self estime which at times, can be unattractive.
So maybe I was a bit less engrossed in the overall plot with Sapphire Blue than I was with Ruby Red. It's a good thing there was a lot of relationship drama in that book as it kept me focused on the story :) I loved the addition of the gargoyle, Xemerius, Gwen's new companion that helps her spy on people and cheat at tests :P And Gideon is still swoon worthy, even though I can't say that I agreed with all of his actions in this book.
The ending was heartbreaking. But it's a good thing the epilogue was there !
June 29, 2016
I still love these books - I'm so happy! Maybe part of it is nostalgia, but I haven't been this entertained in a while. I read quite a bit of this on my rides to and from university and I must've been quite the sight to the people on the train. I constantly had to force myself not to laugh out loud, but couldn't stop myself from grinning every other page. Gwen's thoughts and comments made my day. The sass! Rereading this, it turns out, has been one of my smarter decisions.
May 14, 2016
3.5*
I kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting. BUT NOTHING EVER REALLY HAPPENED. These books are so well written, I love the characters, but there's just no action. *sigh* I will read Emerald Green though because I feel like since it's the conclusion it will have some action (hopefully)
I kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting. BUT NOTHING EVER REALLY HAPPENED. These books are so well written, I love the characters, but there's just no action. *sigh* I will read Emerald Green though because I feel like since it's the conclusion it will have some action (hopefully)
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