Sapphire Blue (The Ruby Red Trilogy, 2)

To refresh my memory on the characters and story arc, I reread Ruby Red first (and loved it even more the second time!), then moved on to Sapphire Blue. I liked that this book picked up right where the first one left off so that I could see the emotional aftermath of everything that happened in the last chapters of Ruby Red (There were big developments on both the familial and romantic fronts for the heroine!) There's a lot packed into this book - several eventful trips into the past for Gwen and her partner in time travel, the charming and enigmatic Gideon (SWOON), and some more revelations about Gwen's family as well as the unraveling of some of the mysteries surrounding the secretive organization that has governed the twelve "jewels" who've been able to time-travel throughout history. Gwen's not sure who to trust as everyone seems to leave her out of the loop or tell her stories that contradict what someone else has said. I could understand her confusion, because I changed my mind about who I thought the double agent working for the dastardly Count Saint Germain was several times! There are many shades of gray with the characters in this book as good people do bad things for what they think are the right reasons while bad people seem to have good intentions at times. I loved the addition of Xemerius, the gargoyle inhabited by a dead demon only Gwen could see. His running commentary about what happens to Gwen and the different people she encounters was hilarious. And I think Xemerius was a very clever plot device as he was able to act as Gwen's spy and go behind closed doors to collect information for her. Lesley continues to be the best friend a girl could ever ask for, assisting Gwen with research and giving her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it. I will be very interested to see how everything is wrapped up and what the answer to the biggest question of all "What happens when blood samples from all twelve jewels have been collected and inserted in the chronometer?" Will the secret to immortality be revealed, which is the belief Saint Germain and his cohorts have been operating under, or is the big secret something altogether different? This series has been such a fun read, filled with romance, adventure, and all sorts of puzzles. I recommend it to readers of all ages!

The first book, Ruby Red, was brilliant. Lovely. A sassy heroine, Gwyneth, who is unprepared for being a time traveler because her mother hid her real birthday from everyone. But she rises to the call with a snarky attitude and a disdain for the handsome but arrogant hero. I loved that she resisted the hero, Gideon, in the first book. I loved that she had nicknames for him and while attracted to him didn't become a puddle of mush in his presence. So refreshing. I read Ruby Red three times. And then we have Sapphire Blue. Still a great book. I awaited it's arrival with anticipation. But something has happened to Gwyn. Something terrible. She has become the typically heroine in the face of all arrogant handsome heroes. She giggles. And she can't think when he is around. Somehow, she has lost just a bit of her snarkiness. Sad. The plot here in this second book is solid and it continues forward elegantly. But sadly Gwyn has not maintain her distance, got kissed and has given in just a bit too easily to the arrogant hero. She has become a little too like Bella Swan sitting around thinking of the hero all the time. Of course, I want them together but he should have to work for it a little especially considering some of his attitude. The ending of this book does create a bit of tension in their relationship that gives me hope that maybe she won't just let him take over. He needs a bit of a challenge. And Gwyn needs to get her head in the game. The rest of the book and its plot lines are very elegant and entertaining. The author keeps the time traveling complexity within the range of understanding for the reader. It doesn't get out of hand with too much over writing and the characters are all believable and have a place in the story. There is no extra baggage here. I wish more books were written with this elegance and simplicity. Too many authors today try to hard and end up with a mess. This is not the case here. The mystery is skillfully doled out with the right information in the right spots. All the characters have depth and realism. I can't wait for the next one.

Sapphire Blue was an amazing follow up to Ruby Red! Now that the world building is out of the way, we are free to explore all of the mysteries surrounding the time traveler's secret society, why Paul and Lucy went rogue, and see Gwen and Gideon's relationships develop. (Sigh)...I just loved it! Ruby Red was a great set-up novel for me. I really enjoyed it, but it was clear that there was just so much more going on beneath the surface that I couldn't wait to dig into Sapphire Blue and start figuring out some of the pieces to the puzzle along with Gwen. It's hard to say whether I preferred the plot or the romance in this novel, but the storyline is really fantastic! There are so many twists and turns and so much deception that it's really exciting to see Gwen dig through the pieces and discover what she can about Count Saint Germain and his secret society. I also really love the level of detail to the time travel in the story. Gier views time as a circle, and the way she handles all of the time travel exhibitions is just truly magnificent! Which brings me to Gideon and Gwen. My favorite scenes between the two of them are the time traveling ones, and the reason why will be obvious to anyone else who has read the story (I won't say anymore than that so I don't ruin the story for those who have not read yet). I truly enjoy watching their relationship develop and I have been at the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens in Emerald Green. Sapphire Blue was a brilliant follow up to Ruby Red and took the story to new heights. The mystery and love story combine to make this one unforgettable read. This story is simply a must for time travel fans as it is definitely one of the most original and exciting time travel stories I have ever encountered.

I do like how this book picked up right where the last book left off. There's so much that goes on in the last book and this one that takes place in a short span of time that it's nice that the author reminds us that Gwen and Gideon have only known each other for about a week's worth of time. At the beginning of this book, we are given a glance as to why Lucy and Paul risk their lives and take the chronograph. We also get to know the Count a little better. I am still a little confused about who and what the Count is. Is he everyone's ancestor? And why would he have to meet every time traveler from the future? It's not like he has the ability to jump ahead. At least, that's the way I understood the time traveling premise. I do like the love saga between Gwen and Gideon. It makes sense that the two time traveling families would have a connection. By the end, the whole "woe is me" with Gwen though was a little much. I can see where the author is going though...strong character showing in front of everyone and then asking yourself over and over again what really happened when you are with your best friends. I would like to see a little more spunk in the next part of the series. Some of the questions are answered from Ruby Red but a majority of the time, I felt confused by the sequence of events. (No pun intended.) I believe though after reading the excerpt from the third book, we will get a lot more answers. Overall, a great addition to my library and a good in between book for the series.

Excellent book. It certainly keeps a person in suspense, but not too much. I read this in about 2 days. Now in to the 3rd book.

I really wish I read/understood German and could just read the untranslated version of Emerald Green (the next book) but unfortunately, I can't. That is how much I want to know what happens with the rest of this series. Sapphire Blue picks up where Ruby Red left off....Gwen is just getting into the whole time travel thing and because this is all new to her, she pretty much lets the Guardians dictate what she can and can't do. There were times that I just wanted her to push back at them and tell them if they weren't going to tell her what the heck was going on, she wasn't going to help them. On top of the time travel stuff, Gwen is struggling with trying to figure out what Gideon is about. There are times when he is standoffish and others where he is kissing her....she is having a hard time figuring it out and she definitely has feelings for him - she just can't keep them all straight. I suppose at 16, that is to be expected but she does spend a fair amount of the book crying, worrying, wondering what Gideon is doing, does he even like her, etc. I found Gideon a bit annoying at times. He was fairly condescending to Gwen at the beginning and it was odd the way he would be kissing Gwen then hanging out with Charlotte in what appeared to more than just friends. The end of the book explained it a bit more for me and I have to say, Gideon has quite an uphill battle ahead of him if he is going to come back in the next book. The overall mystery of the count and whatever Lucy and Paul are up to are still at the heart of this series. I am very curious to find out what the letters say as well as how Gideon reacts to the news Paul has given him. Fall 2013 is currently feeling a long way off and I will be impatiently waiting to find out what happens next.

Immediately after completing Ruby Red, I just HAD to jump into Emerald Green and once again I couldn't believe how quickly I finished it. Gwyneth again has to deal with her daily school work (where it's seemed more is expected of her now that it's known she is one of the twelve time travelers). She's also dealing with her haughty and nasty aunt Glenda and cousin Charlotte. Plus in addition to her assigned visits into the the past, she has to spend three hours a day in the past "elapsing" which seems to be a set time to relax and regain her strength. On one of these elapse periods she encounters her grandfather quite by accident and so begins a whole new branch of her explorations and trying to figure out just what is going on. As if all of this isn't enough, she has to deal with Gideon who is both hot and cold towards her. One minute he is kissing her passionately and the next sticking his nose in the air and acting extremely condescending. Gwen remains strong, determined to be her own person and is wary of the manipulation of the "Guardians", the people she meets in the past and of course her beloved Gideon. Yes, in spite of his hot and cold treatment of her, Gwen does fall i love with Gideon. There is a new ghost introduced in the end of the first novel who turns out to be both entertaining to the reader and annoying yet helpful to Gwen. You can't help but love him though. Sapphire Blue is as enticing as Ruby Red yet constantly draws the reader to the conclusion we know is coming in Emerald Green.

Like the first book in the series this was a very enjoyable read, but I still had a few qualms. The story has a different layout than your typical novel. While this book continues the plot of the first book, I wouldn't say that it really has its own plot and resolution. It is merely the next step in the many plots and points started in the first. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make the way I am reading them now and for reading them in the future. They truly do seem to be read altogether, and are really more of a 3 part story than a trilogy of 3 separate books. I do also have to say that this author really has a knack for writing epilogues. Like in the first book, the epilogue left me super excited and ready to read the next book. This actually served as a needed pick me up, because the ending was kind of a let down. Nothing is really resolved. It just happens to be a good stopping spot before we begin “Act 3”. I was much more pleased with the characters in this book than I was with the first. Gwenneth is a more relateable teenager throughout the book, and Gideon is just as complicated to figure out as ever, since we learn about him through Gwen's impression of him. I also have to say that I LOVE Xemerius. Where's my demon friend? He is awesome, and a way better “invisible” companion than James was. The thing that really bothered me most about this story was all of the recapping from the previous book. 100 pages in, I was still reading paragraph style recaps introducing old characters. I felt insulted as a reader, like the author had expected me not to read Ruby Red first. That's something I tend to expect from children's fiction, not Young Adult. With so many others in the genre avoiding these awkward recaps, it felt uncomfortably out of place in Sapphire Blue. Sure, there are often bits of information from previous books given in the sequels, but only those that are important to the current plot, and they are woven into the current atmosphere or conversation so that they feel subtle and almost natural. They are not disjuncted paragraphs telling you what you should already know! -_- There were also some highly unnecessary comments or jokes about committing hara kiri, a form of suicide, over a boy. I was very disappointed to see this and felt it took away from the book. Rating I have to give this a 3 out of 5 stars. The recaps at the beginning are a little too awkward and unnecessary for me to give this book 4 stars, but it is a great read that I know I'll pick up again. The romance in this story is definitely a roller coaster and a bit childish, but if you can handle that, it does make for a decent story. If you are committed to reading all 3 books together and can push through the beginning parts, this is sure to be a enjoyable series.

I really liked this book!! I felt as if I was watching a movie or standing on the sidelines watching each chapter unfold. Can't wait for the 10 th of October so I can read emerald green!!! XD!!!!!

Die englische Variante sieht viel schöner aus - nicht nur der Deckel - das Buch liest sich so eben weg. Ich hatte Spaß das Buch zu lesen, denn nur wenige Wörter waren mir unbekannt. Die Geschichte ist sehr spannend erzählt. Auch die witzigen Dialoge und Monologe lockerten die doch recht verstrickte Gesamtgeschichte auf. Man muss Fantasy-Geschichten mögen und sich darauf einlassen können. Der Film Ruby Red ist auch gut gemacht und passt sich dem Film gut an. Insgesamt sehr emphelenswert.

Nota verdadeira: 3,5 Essa vai ser uma das minhas menores resenhas (o que nem é difícil de conseguir, já que eu sempre escrevo muito). Às vezes, uma resenha pequena significa que eu só tive o que gostar no livro, mas dessa vez significa que não tenho mesmo muito o que falar. O livro Sapphire Blue é muito como o Ruby Red. Ele é divertido, dá para ler em um dia e te faz sentir que está assistindo um filme estilo sessão da tarde. Em questão de entretenimento, ele é ótimo. Mas não é muito mais que isso. Apesar da protagonista ter dezesseis anos, ela tem a mentalidade mais jovem (o que eu acho que faz o livro ser mais apropriado para pré-adolescentes). Ela também não é das mais inteligentes, é fácil de manipular e entrega tudo sem pensar direito, o que me incomodou às vezes. Além disso, ela tem a mania bem adolescente de colocar seus sentimentos românticos antes de qualquer problema maior (como, por exemplo, uma profecia de séculos sobre viajantes do tempo). Por um lado, se você entender isso e aceitar que a história vai ter um toque mais bobo, dá para se divertir bem com os comentários dela na narração. Por outro, pode sentir que não dá para levar tudo muito a sério, mesmo as cenas com lutas e espadas. Eu gosto disso, mesmo vendo que a trilogia tinha potencial para ser mais inteligente e complexa do que a autora pareceu se propor a desenvolver. Como disse, a leitura é divertida e rápida, e isso é sempre bom. Minha nota de três e meio é pela proposta do livro e do quanto ele conseguiu entregar. Infelizmente, apesar de continuar no mesmo nível que o primeiro, esse chegou a oferecer uma promessa maior (que por alguns capítulos me fez pensar que o livro seria incrível, mas acabou sendo esquecida pouco depois) e não a cumpriu. A cena da Gwen com o avô dela é a mais intrigante da trilogia toda, mas não chegou nem perto de ser explorada como merecia. Além disso, esse livro dá poucas respostas e avança pouquíssimo além do que tinha sido descoberto no primeiro. Eu esperava que ele fosse fazer a história evoluir, mas acho que a autora reservou todas as revelações para o último. Algumas cenas já foram se conectando, o que foi bem interessante, mas ainda foram poucas demais para o ponto em que estamos na história. E o romance, também, que poderia ter sido muito bem trabalhado, é forçado e não convence. Eu até tinha esperanças de ele se provar um truque, mas parece que não é bem assim. De qualquer jeito, minha expectativa para o último é que ele seja simplesmente divertido e um ótimo livro para passar o tempo, nada realmente brilhante e surpreendente (já percebi que a autora está guardando uma revelação para ele, mesmo eu já sabendo dela desde que a Gwen começou a viajar no tempo no primeiro livro). E, mesmo assim, essa trilogia tem sido uma ótima surpresa para o que eu esperava dela!

Ambos libros (Zafiro y Esmeralda) tenían un precio especial, así que los compré juntos y decidí que los comenzaría cuanto tuviera el libro que me falta, se ven muy interesantes y en general son libros muy hermosos

which didn't disappoint! I really like this story line and while it's written for a YA audience, I've not been YA for a looong time... The time-travel gene thing is a slight twist on other time-travel books I've read, it's refreshing. The romance budding between the two main characters is interesting, and confusing. That's what makes the story line that much more intriguing: what will happen? Why does Gideon run hot, then cold? What is really going on here? The intrigue surrounding "the Ruby" and their place in the whole situation is very catchy: draws you in and holds on. Can't wait for the final installment when it comes out!