Summary:
Gwen’s life has been a roller coaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of
the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching
through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of
their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the
mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.
At
least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every
lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit
in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who
has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church,
offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is
Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s
freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty
much destined to find out.
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Age Group: YA
Source: Review copy from publisher
Review:
What a great read! I loved Sapphire Blue just as much as Ruby Red, book one in the Edelstein trilogy. Sapphire Blue picks up immediately where Ruby Red left off (I love it when books do that, instead of days to weeks passing in between books in a series and having to read a summary of what has occurred in the interim).
Gwen is finally starting to accept that she, instead of her cousin Charlotte, is the last time traveler in the Circle of Twelve. She still does not understand her role, due in large part to the members of the Lodge keeping her out of everything. Gwen is left to try to figure things out for herself, along with her best friend Lesley's help.
Lesley is my favorite character in the series. She is so genuine, and a great friend to Gwen. I love her sense of humor and the fact that underneath all the fluff that she projects to the rest of the world, she has a really good head on her shoulders. I thought it was so neat that Lesley is the one who solves the code. After Lesley, Xemerius was my second favorite character. I was so hoping that Gwen would make friends with him, and he's turned out to be a useful ally.
The pacing in Sapphire Blue was great. The book moved really quickly, and the plot was just twisted enough to keep me really interested without being so involved that I had trouble keeping up. I can't wait to find out the truth about what will happen when the circle closes and what the Count is really up to.
My one complaint about Sapphire Blue is that books that occur over only a few days in time are not my favorite kind of book to read. There has been about a week or so since we first met Gwen in Ruby Red. I really prefer it when the time span of books stretches out over weeks to months, to allow for more character growth. That said, there definitely was character growth in Sapphire Blue and the short time span did not feel so short what with all the time travel to the past.
The fast-paced plot, great emotional writing, well-developed characters, and unique concept are what make this series so good. I can't wait for book three, and will definitely be reading Kerstin Gier again!
What a great read! I loved Sapphire Blue just as much as Ruby Red, book one in the Edelstein trilogy. Sapphire Blue picks up immediately where Ruby Red left off (I love it when books do that, instead of days to weeks passing in between books in a series and having to read a summary of what has occurred in the interim).
Gwen is finally starting to accept that she, instead of her cousin Charlotte, is the last time traveler in the Circle of Twelve. She still does not understand her role, due in large part to the members of the Lodge keeping her out of everything. Gwen is left to try to figure things out for herself, along with her best friend Lesley's help.
Lesley is my favorite character in the series. She is so genuine, and a great friend to Gwen. I love her sense of humor and the fact that underneath all the fluff that she projects to the rest of the world, she has a really good head on her shoulders. I thought it was so neat that Lesley is the one who solves the code. After Lesley, Xemerius was my second favorite character. I was so hoping that Gwen would make friends with him, and he's turned out to be a useful ally.
The pacing in Sapphire Blue was great. The book moved really quickly, and the plot was just twisted enough to keep me really interested without being so involved that I had trouble keeping up. I can't wait to find out the truth about what will happen when the circle closes and what the Count is really up to.
My one complaint about Sapphire Blue is that books that occur over only a few days in time are not my favorite kind of book to read. There has been about a week or so since we first met Gwen in Ruby Red. I really prefer it when the time span of books stretches out over weeks to months, to allow for more character growth. That said, there definitely was character growth in Sapphire Blue and the short time span did not feel so short what with all the time travel to the past.
The fast-paced plot, great emotional writing, well-developed characters, and unique concept are what make this series so good. I can't wait for book three, and will definitely be reading Kerstin Gier again!
Oh yay! I'm happy this book doesn't fall to the middle book syndrome. I'm curious about the code and the overall mystery. Really looking forward to reading this one!
ReplyDeleteLesley sounds like a great character! I love this cover too by the way.
ReplyDeleteBrandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog
I love this writer she is so cool I've been looking for the free ebook online .....Ruby Red was fantastic but I agree I wish Kerstin Gier allowed more charcter growth
ReplyDelete