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Ruby Red (Precious Stone, Bk 1)
Ruby Red - Precious Stone, Bk 1
Author: Kerstin Gier
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 ab...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780312551513
ISBN-10: 0312551517
Publication Date: 5/8/2012
Pages: 352
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 15

3.7 stars, based on 15 ratings
Publisher: Square Fish
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

ophelia99 avatar reviewed Ruby Red (Precious Stone, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first book in the Edelstein trilogy. This novel was translated from the German novel. The second book in the series, Sapphire Blue is due to release the end of October 2012. The third book, Emerald Green, will follow. This was a creative and interesting book with a complex background.

Gwens cousin Charlotte has been groomed from birth to deal with her time-traveling gene and her induction into the secret society of The Guardians. Things go very wrong when Gwen ends up being the one with the unpredictable time traveling gene. Now Gwen must figure out why her mother lied about her birth date to protect her from all the training. She must also accompany her male counterpart, Gideon, on adventures to acquire other the blood of other Guardians in order to fullfill some secret goal.

This is an interesting idea and a fun one. You have time travel, mystery, science fiction, history, and even a little steampunk sensibility all blended together to create a fun story. This book just mainly sets up the story and it is a kind of complicated story given all the characters involved and all the strange implications of time travel. This setup is necessary for the story, but is a bit disappointing because the story is really just starting to ramp up when the book ends.

Gwen is a great character and is put into a really interesting (and challenging) situation. She is supposed to make up for a lifetime of time-traveling preparation in a day or two. She is kind of scared and anxious about the whole thing initially but solidiers through everything with an admirable attitude.

Gideon is an interesting character, he is standoffish and snobbish at first but as you get to know him better you see there is a lot more to hem. I will say that he has a change of heart regarding his opinion of Gwen toward the end of the book that absolutely gave me whiplash...that part could have been done better.

The concept of time travel as a genetic defect is fascinating. Gwen has no choice about time traveling, she has to do it to survive. She can choose to periodically do it in a controlled manner or in a completely random manner. This is a creative and intriguing idea and throws some crazy situations at the reader.

The concept of the Guardians and their Jewels is a bit confusing as is the mysterious thing they are after. We learn some but not much about this in the novel. Hopefully future books in the series will clarify this.

On an absolutely random note Gier is really into her clothing. The descriptions of Gwens clothing are very detailed and, at times, a bit lengthy. This can be interesting considering all the different eras Gwen has to have accurate clothing for, but it is also a bit excessive.

The writing style is decent, not the best Ive read, but still easy enough to read. The ending is abrupt, as I said earlier the story is just starting to really gear up when the book ends.

Overall a fun and interesting read. The characters were decent and the idea of time travel as a genetic defect is fascinating. The Guardian Society and their purpose isnt well defined, but hopefully will be expanded on in future books. This book spends a lot of time building the world and setting the scene; the book ends just as things really start moving. This is a fun read and I would recommend for fans of time travel books or fans of paranormal fantasy that are ready for something a bit different. There is also a steampunk feel to the story at points as well.
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reviewed Ruby Red (Precious Stone, Bk 1) on + 9 more book reviews
I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book about a teenage girl who suddenly finds out she has a time traveling gene. If you read this first book in the Ruby Red trilogy, you will want to read the second and third books, Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green, as soon as possible.
reviewed Ruby Red (Precious Stone, Bk 1) on
It was very enjoyable, but the story has no climax. Gideon seems like a Player, He is kind and loving and gently touching Charlotte's cheek, then the next he is rude and mean to Gwyneth and then kissing Gwyneth. I did enjoy reading it though, Gwyneth was funny. But the story felt incomplete and there was no "WOW! We saved/survived people/ourself from the bad guy!" moment. Kerstin Gier doesn't even tell you who IS the bad guy!And Gwyneth SHOULD know Because she was warned about him from a very trust worthy person and that same trust worthy person trusted someone the bad guy doesn't like... Gwyneth was a great character, but the plot had a few "Why didn't"s. I recommend reading it, but go in with an aware mind.
seemichelleread avatar reviewed Ruby Red (Precious Stone, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
Gwyneth always knew her family was holding onto generations worth of secrets but she never imagined she'd get a first-hand glimpse at them. It's her beautiful cousin Charlotte who has been prepped to become the next time traveller in the Shepherd family but instead it's Gwen who is suddenly disappearing from school into the 18th century without a clue of what to do. Enter the Guardians and her fellow time-traveler Gideon de Villiers (with eyes to die for ladies) who whisk Gwen off to a life of fabulous period dresses and mortal danger lurking in nearly every year she visits.

I really have no idea how a book in which so little happens could be so much fun. It must be the effortless inquisitiveness of Gwyneth and her best friend Leslie as they attempt to unravel the many, many mysteries of the new life Gwen has been throw into. Despite Gwen being completely unsure of her new role in all this time-travel business, she's not all 'boo hoo! poor me!' - she's actually excited to wear the clothes, see the sights, and get the answers to her questions! I just love me a proactive heroine. Plus Gwen and Leslie's friendship is plain awesome. Leslie is never jealous of Gwen's new 'talent,' frankly she's her biggest fan. And in turn Gwen doesn't forget about Leslie amidst all the drama of her new life. Leslie is still the first person to hear all about her crazy experiences. So very, very refreshing for a YA novel.

If that weren't enough, Ruby Red also offers up a centuries-old secret society (insert misogynist tendencies which I'm sure Gwen will only be too happy to break down), a fantastic Evil Mastermind who gives me the shivers, SECRETS, and the possibility of true love. That's a winning forumla right there my friends. It's no wonder Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red is a German bestseller, the plot is twisty and imaginative with plenty of intrigue and the characters are clever and entertaining. And I want the sequel, Sapphire Blue, like yesterday. Perhaps I could convince Gwen to let me use the famed chronograph to read the translation a bit earlier. I think in this case, she'd make an exception just for me.


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