here for the hardcover of Ruby Red
here for the hardcover of Sapphire Blue
here for the hardcover of Emerald Green
I LOVE hardcover books and I am most definitely buying these books in hardcover. (I buy them on my kindle first then if I like them I get them in hardcover)
This book series-- wow. I am still getting over the ending to Emerald Green. It was fairly short, I would love it if they added like 300 pages into each book (I mean, I was able to finish the whole series in a day).
It had a few confusing parts but I got over them. Also A LOT of foreshadowing that I figured out way before they actually said it. Here is the summery for Ruby Red (Book 1)
Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!
Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.
To me, that didn't sound all that interesting, but I read it anyway and can I just say I was not disappointed. Like I said before, the series gets better from the end of book 1. There was a movie made out of Ruby Red, in German sadly but I'm going to see if I can find it with English subtitles though I heard it's nothing like the book, but I HAVE TO SEE IT. It can't be worse than City of Bones or Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and The Lightning Thief. Those were just insulting. Here is the English version of the Trailer for Ruby Red
Looks okay... But there's no way it could be better than its books. Actually no movie can be better than the book.
SO GO READ THESE BOOKS and come back so we can compare thoughts. :)
When I read about Charlotte in the description of the book I thought I'd hate her, I kinda did for a bit but then she showed a nice-ish side so I was very confused. (I got over that later I DO NOT like Charlotte) But I knew for sure from the beginning- I would despise living with Arista and Glenda. I would probably get a migraine every day.
From the first mention of Gideon in the book I was like HE IS THE LOVE INTEREST. There were no doubts in my mind. Just like the first mention of Tobias in Divergent.
Glenda, I can't even count the number of times I just wanted to jump into the literature and punch that woman in the face. Like when she was shrieking about how her little sister is lying for attention, why in the world would she do that?!!!
At first I thought the prologue was Gideon and Gwen but then it turned out to be Paul and Lucy, who, by the way, I like a lot.
I did feel some empathy for Charlotte after all she'd trained her whole life for this, but then she went on and was a snotty brat about it so me feeling bad about it didn't last long.
I THOUGHT from the beginning that Lucy and Paul were good. I'm so used to authors plot twists that I saw that one coming. I also thought from the moment that Grace didn't want Gwen to see the count- ALERT ALERT THE COUNT IS EVIL.
I was very unsure of what to think of Gideon from the beginning. He's cocky but not like Jace, Will, Nine, Gabriel M., Daemon B. Damon S. etc. I was just very confused on whether or not I liked him or not. I didn't like him at first but now I do so that's cleared up.
I decided that the count was as I wrote a 'pansy cake' from the moment he dissed the feminine race, then he choked Gwen so then I defiantly didn't like him. Choking the protagonist does't really earn you points unless it's a really annoying protagonist, which, Gwen was only annoying, no need to add the really. Another excuse is if you're the love interest *couch* *cough* Peeta Mellark and Tobias Eaton *cough* *Cough* which the count was not, thank Raziel.
I was very suspicious when the people attacked them on the carriage ride back, though it was about time some action came into the book.
"And dammit it was rather brave of you," I started liking Gideon after that.
I was very confused, wondering if it was Lucy and Paul who wanted them dead, but it wasn't it was Alistair or however you spell it.
When Gideon came to pick Gwen up in the limo. I was literally cracking up because Gordan was like "Please tell me he's your gay cousin" "He's gay" "He's gay" "He's gay" LOL. If only I had emoji on this. Then when Gideon was just like "Have you grown overnight?" I was hysterical.
Robert is such a cutie, I felt really bad after hearing his story.
Gideon sounded jealous when he was asking about Gordan, but he wasn't exactly allowed to be jealous since he kissed Charlotte.... on the cheek. Personally if Char was my delightful cousin I would have beaten the crap out of her (Who cares if she knows Krav Maga or whatever, okay maybe I would take a frying pan or something with me Jocelyn Fairchild has proved to us all that those are very useful) okay I probably wouldn't have beaten the crap out of her, just her insufferable ego.
I LOVED THIS PART 'He grabbed her with both arms and held her close. "Don't you touch her!" '
I mean it was just Paul but that was cute you gotta admit.
"As if she were his favorite teddy bear" I love Paul. It was so funny when he was like "He pulled her along with him everywhere I would never do that!"
Then Lucy said something like that "You did do that." tehe I love Paul and Lucy.
The hair she gets from me. I was just like ..... What? Is she Lucy and Paul's daughter?????
Then Lucy said Gwen was in love with Gideon and I was just like, well, we all knew that. This series takes place in like 2 weeks, like I said earlier, very short series.
"When I next see him, I'm going to tell him to keep his hands off her." Ah Paul....
SPOILERS FOR SAPPHIRE BLUE
When I read the name I was like OMG will Lucy be a bigger part?..... Nope.
"If I ever catch up with Larry Coleman, I'll punch him in the nose." I really love that all the epilogues and prologues are from Paul's POV. It really pissed me off during that book when they're all PAUL AND LUCY ARE MENACES.
OBVIOUSLY not. It's like they're idiots-- how could they not see Paul and Lucy were not evil??
When Gwen first saw the Gargoyle I thought he'd have a big part, I just didn't realize how big a part in these books. "You have a mother?" Aha.
"And I can fly too!" that just makes me smile. Xemerius is definitely one of my favorites in these books.
"There are rules."
"No picking my nose, no ruse words, no scaring dogs," Chanted the gargoyle. (Just imagine him doing that many times before)
"Will you buy me a cat?"
I was so curious to know what exactly Gwen DOES in the future because of Gideon being whacked in the head.
When Charlotte was like smirking at Gwen I just was like WHY DOESN'T SHE HAVE XEMERIUS SPIT ALL OVER HER HEAD?? I was really hoping that'd happen sometime, sadly not.
You know how you can feel the protagonists embarrassment? I was feeling so embarrassed when I read "What's Charlotte like at kissing?" Like I had to look away from the book for a bit.
Then they're kissing again on the couch, or as Xemi might say, the haystack.
Then Raphael joined the game by running away from the home and coming to England. Any TMI fans reading this? Wasn't it weird having a Raphael?
When someone hit Gideon in the head and he said he saw Gwen I was like, what if she ends up teaming up with Paul and it was Paul? OR MAYBE it was GIDEON that hit himself in the head in the future. Like seriously that is on my notes.
"He's cursing under his breath nonstop which I guess is a good sign."
I didn't exactly understand what her power was, was it seeing the dead?
I took a wild guess to say that argument Gwen saw between her and Gideon was at the ball.
Raph and Gideon were both flirting with Char, boys these days, that's what I wrote lol.
I don't remember why, but I wrote GIDEON -> ARSE HAT so I assume it was because he was being an arse hat.
When Xemi said that Raphael fell fast asleep during the movie then talking about the dinner,
Giordano is terribly afraid Gwyneth will get everything wrong tomorrow that she can get wrong
Gideon: Pass the olive oil, please
Char: Politics and history are a closed book to Gwyneth. She can't even remember the names- they go in one ear and straight out the other. She can't help it, her brain doesn't have the capacity. It's stuffed with the names of boy bands and long cast lists of actors in soppy romantic films.
Raphael: Gwyneth is your time-traveling cousin, right? I saw her yesterday at school. Isn't she the one with the long dark hair and
blue eyes?
Char: Yes, and that birthmark on her temple, the one that looks like a little banana.
Gideon: Like a little crescent moon.
Raphael: What's that friend of hers called? The blonde with freckles? Lily?
Char: Lesley Hay. Rather brighter than Gwyneth, but she's a wonderful example of the way people get to look like their dogs. Hers is a shaggy golden retriever crossbreed called Bertie.
Raphael: That's cute!
Char: You like dogs?
Raphael: Especially golden retriever crossbreeds with freckles
Char: I see. Well, you can try your luck. You won't find it particularly difficult. Lesley gets through even more boys than Gwyneth.
Gideon: Really? How many... er, boyfriends has Gwyneth had?
Char: Oh, my God! This is kind of embarrassing. I don't want to speak ill of her, it's just that she's not very discriminating. Particularly when she's had a drink. She's done the rounds of almost all the boys in out class and the class above us... I guess I lost track at some point. I'd rather not repeat what they call her.
Raphael: The school mattress?
Gideon: Pass the salt, please.
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did otherwise I just spent that much times typing that word for word for nothing.
I hate it/love it when the protagonist gets drunk because it's embarrassingly entertaining.
Maddy's vision was really obvious, wasn't it? The Lion- Gideon obviously and the ruby heart was obviously Gwen. And it turned out to be true that he was KINDA playing her not really kinda.
I knew as soon as the epilogue started that how Gideon got that cut was he had haloed Paul. I liked that he did though, and then Paul tossed him the papers and I was like YESSS.
SPOILERS TO EMERALD GREEN
Gideon did no trust break Gwen's heart, he shattered it. which was kinda depressing to read about.
The pigeon convo, I ATE THE PIGEON from Xemi, that was pretty funny.
I really ship Raphael and Lesley, what did you think of them? I thought they were quite the cute couple.
That embarrassing moment where he says just friends? and she screams YOU BASTARD!
I like Mr. George he seems the most trustworthy of the Inner Circle. When Falk asked about Grace having a steady boyfriend I was just like, Oh, he so misses her.
I loved Lucas, he was awesome, pisses you off knowing that the count killed him doesn't it?
It never once crossed my mind that maybe the first chronograph was in the box, but then she and Lucas figured it out and I was like YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS lol.
"See you tomorrow-- unfortunately"
I guessed right away when they said the key had been missing i was just like, it's the key she gave Lesley, and look who was right. Char really needed to keep her nose out of other people's business she was being a real bitch in this book.
When Raphael was trying to make Lesley jealous by going to the cinema with Cindy. Or was it Cara? lol.
Why was Dr. White helping Gwen out by saying she was sick, I still don't understand that.
I guessed that the Ruby has to die when the circle was complete from the beginning, I mean it was pretty obvious, for me at least.
Xemi was so cute and protective of Gwen and we all know how much I adore the protective characters. (Giving Gideon a nasty look lol)
Sorry I say lol too much, I'm working on it.
I'm kinda curious why she didn't just tell Gideon that it was her behind the curtain, but whatever. Wow I never suspected Lavinia to be a part in the murder of Gwen and Gideon, did you?
Then she died and came back, I thought that might be part of the power of the Raven, but nope turns out she's immortal.
As usual, Glenda was being a pain in the arse, no wonder Char is such a brat, just look at her mother and I'm not surprised she and Charles got divorced, too bad it wasn't before she had darling Charlotte though.
Gideon being Gollum lol. I love LOTR.
That must be it, I haven't showered yet!
Awkward that I was right about Paul and Lucy being her parents. That means she's kinda distantly related to Gideon.
I'm glad they used Madam Rossini's costumes for the party though I kinda guessed they would.
Those. Are. From. 1932. Not. 1912. LOL That part was just too good.
"Will you be coming around more?"
"I'm afraid so, yes." -Xemi
"I hope so, yes." -Gideon
"I'll... I'll spit torrents of water over them!" Very threatening, Xemi.
Charlotte being drunk was embarrassingly delightful, not sure how you felt about that but I felt bad for her and was laughing at the same time.
Oh look another one of my predictions was right, Gideon did hit himself in the head, it's funny because Gwen was freaking out over that and Gideon was like "He'll be fine" It was very amusing when she was looking between both the older and younger Gideon and the older was like making hand motions and the younger was like "What the hell are you doing here?"
It kinda reminded me of Hook from Once Upon A Time knocking himself out. Kinda.
"Is it because I don't kiss properly?" Like mother like daughter. Right Lucy?
I never thought Whitman was the count I thought maybe Thomas because he was so nice but nope it was Whitman. I was like GIDEON IS NOT DEAD, and thank Raziel he wasn't how horrible would that be for an ending. Well, it could be very Romeo Juliet like the count said. BUT GIDEON IS IMMORTAL!!! I didn't like that we didn't get much closure on Gideon/Gwen since he went off to college, I mean I guess they have eternity together, but WE DON'T GET TO HEAR ABOUT IT!!! I ALSO did not like that she never actually told Gideon that she could see ghosts, unless I missed that part which I'm fairly sure I didn't.
Lucy is pregnant again!