Emerald Green

Emerald Green is the final book in Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red Trilogy, bringing this delightful series to a close and tying up loose threads along the way. Gwyneth and Gideon are, once again, preparing to travel back in time to meet with Count Saint-Germain, and to close the Circle of Twelve. The closing is supposed to bring about a great good for mankind, but Gwyneth and Gideon begin to have their doubts, and these are only reinforced the more they interact with the Guardians. The presence of a second chronograph will allow them to time travel independently of the Guardians, but it brings its own dangers; will they find the mysterious substance the count is seeking? And what will happen if they do? Along the way, Gwyneth struggles with Gideon's wish to be friends, her uppity cousin Charlotte, and the presence of the friendly demon Xemerius.

Lots of nice twists populate this novel, and Gwyneth's voice is perfectly written with her angst and cleverness. I did get a little frustrated with the Gwyneth/Gideon relationship at times; I had trouble buying into it until perhaps the last third of the novel. The mystery that surrounds the chronograph moves along well, and the revelations make good sense in the course of the plot. I do feel that I'm left hanging just a bit after the close; I want full, complete answers to everything!

Emerald Green is just as much fun as the first two books in the series, and I was happily engaged throughout the storyline. Nothing too deep, but definitely lots of fun. Even the presence of the annoying little demon doesn't distract from the overall enjoyment, and I'm not one who normally enjoys that sort of thing. I'll be looking for more by this author!

~taminator40