Ruby Red (The Ruby Red Trilogy, 1)

I picked up Ruby Red because it has lots of things that I love. Time travel, romance and English history. And it delivered on all those things while surprising me with its wit and humor. Seriously Gwen is such a fun narrator, especially more so because she is not prepared for the crazy things that happen to her. Gwen's family life adds to the humor and the interest because she lives in a gorgeous upscale home with her grandmother, her immediate family and her aunts and cousin. Oh and they have a butler! The modern setting with such old fashioned values fits in with the secret society of time travelers that Gwen is involved in and all this created a world that was believable and fascinating. With the rules to the time traveling gene being both wonderful and a pain. I love that because it adds a level of realism - especially when comparing Gwen's obligation to the freedom her cousin Charlotte has now that she doesn't have to worry about randomly time traveling. The romance between Gwen and Gideon was very unsure at first, and I thought the author developed it wonderfully - with the reader never really knowing Gideon's true feelings or intentions. And there is a love triangle of sorts in that Gideon may have feelings for Gwen's cousin Charlotte, so that is an interesting angle to take. Gideon is a fun character to explore as well - he can be sarcastic and changeable and I think there is still much to find out about him through this story. There's another love story that is detailed in this book - between Lucy and Paul, and while we only get glimpses of it, it is definitely important to the narrative arc, and I look forward to finding out more about their characters. There is one other aspect about this story that I really adored - everything with Gwen and her best friend Lesley. So often in YA novels, when something supernatural or extraordinary happens to the main character, all of that character's old friends are left by the way side, but in this book it doesn't hurt Gwen and Lesley's friendship and the fact that Gwen had someone she could share everything that happened to her was awesome. Especially fun was every time Lesley suggested they rent the DVD to solve some problem (like not knowing about a particular time period). The logistics of the secret society, time traveling and Gwen getting to know Gideon made up most of this book, which I mention because this book just ends. There's not really a cliffhanger, and no sense that this book is only set-up for the series, but this book felt like the first part of a three part tome. Although I prefer each book in a series (or at least the first book in a series) to feel like a complete story, I didn't mind the ending of this book as much because I just went into the second book right away. This book is a fun, engrossing read with strong characters and a great new approach to someone carrying a time traveling gene. A must read!

Gwen’s life was going pretty well until she finds that she’s inherited her family’s time travel gene that everyone thought her cousin, Charlotte had. Charlotte is beautiful and perfect and has been training for this her entire life so it comes as a shock when Gwen accidentally travels through time. Gwen, who doesn’t know much about history, who’s clumsy and awkward, who sometimes talks to people that aren’t there. As everyone races to get Gwen caught up to speed to take on a dangerous mission from a shady secret society, she starts to wonder what exactly she’s being trained for. GUYS THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN. It’s got a lot of things I love in it: time travel, spunky heroines, ghosts, talking statues, a handsome guy who wields a sword, and MAGIC. This book was originally published in German and it’s hugely popular in Germany even spawning two movies (and there will be a third) and I can definitely see why. Gwen is a great character because she’s incredibly easy to relate to. I even featured her in my Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books post a few months back. I love how she questions everything and sets about finding things out for herself while still trying to help people in any way she can. She’s not just automatically good at things and has to try very hard to not die or mess up an operation and it’s so refreshing. Gideon is a pretty great character too. He starts out really annoyed by Gwen because she doesn’t have the training she needs to carry out these missions and he doesn’t want to have to babysit or take care of her, but over time he comes to really respect her and her overwhelming capacity for compassion. He sees how hard she tries to help everyone even though she’s ill equipped and he can’t help but sort of fall for her. Gwen also has one of the coolest best friends ever, Lesley, who never questions Gwen’s weird destiny and sets about being her personal Google while she’s traveling through time. I wish I had a best friend this cool (sorry, Beth!) and she’s one of my favorite parts of the story. The world is intriguing and has a secret society whose mission is beyond hush hush. See, each time traveler (and there are twelve) comes with a prophecy attached to them (and some even have powers) and Gwen’s prophecy is VERY IMPORTANT. The whole mythology of the time traveling gene and the history of time travelers is thoroughly described. The lore is consistent and explored in a manner that is both exciting and just a little bit mysterious. Between chapters, there are often excerpts from texts the society has written and other small tidbits that relate to the main plot in ways you don’t understand until later. The writing bursts with energy. Seriously, I had so much fun reading this book. The plot moves at a very fast pace for the most part with some of the slower sections taking a few minutes to explore Gwen’s thoughts and emotions and I found the balance pretty well-maintained. I liked how we got both action and introspection and there are a lot of twists that you think you’ll see coming, but won’t (at least I didn’t). Most of the story doesn’t come together in the way you expect and this is the first book in the trilogy so you won’t get some answers until you’ve read to the end. This book features a lot of different relationships. You have Gwen and her family (some of which are supportive and others not so much), Gwen and Lesley (so much win right here), Gwen and the secret society members (really interesting take on trust and how to earn it), and Gwen and Gideon (hello, swooning over here). Gwen and her family is a complicated situation because some of them have been preparing her cousin Charlotte for this life and they’re not happy that Gwen has usurped her purpose. But her mother, brothers and sisters, and grandmother are truly wonderful and supportive. Gwen and Gideon’s relationship felt very authentic to me as it grew throughout the pages into something very different than what it started as. It was a very organic progression and you understood every second of it (except for when you weren’t really supposed to). I feel like Gideon came to really value and adore Gwen in a way that marked her an an equal and not just a love interest and though he wanted to protect her, he didn’t dismiss her which was important. And Gwen came to understand Gideon as more than the cute guy she was stuck with. The relationship frustrated me in the best ways and made me smile a lot while reading. They’re both sort of sarcastic and funny so it was enjoyable to witness. Again, this book was an adventure, but I do recommend getting all three books at the same time because you’re gonna want to jump right into the next one as soon as you finish. There isn’t really a gap between books either so all the events take place one after the other which can be frustrating if you wait between reading each book because you might not remember what happened before and it’s pretty important that you keep details fresh in your mind to understand some of the developments. I highly recommend this book (and series) to anyone looking to have a good time with a pretty awesome main character who feels a lot like someone you could actually know in real life. It’s intriguing and the dialogue is particularly enjoyable as it’s sassy and always good for a laugh.

When I saw the trailer for this book I was hooked. The main character, Gwen, had such a strong voice and brought up things I'd never thought about when it came to time travel. She was funny and charismatic. Now I know this was the voice in the trailer, but it still begged for my attention. As soon as I got it, I dove in! A summary-Gwen lives in her maternal grandmother's home with her mother, brother and little sister. They live in the shadow of Gwen's cousin, Charlotte who was born with "the gene"-the one for time travel. Right away you know this is a different kind of time travel novel. The character knows she can time travel. In fact, the whole family knows about it. Everyone is waiting on tenterhooks for Charlotte to experience her first travel back in time. She has some dizziness and nausea, so she's rushed to a secret headquarters for the time travelers called The Temple. Charlotte has been trained, groomed for time travel since she could talk. Schooled in fencing, history, fashion, politics, manners etc Charlotte is fully prepared for time travel with her handsome partner, Gideon de Villiers. Lesley, Gwen's best friend, is the only one that knows about the time travel, outside of the family. They snicker and roll their eyes at the haughty, perfect self-important Charlotte behind her back. So when it's Gwen that makes an unexpected trip back in time, Lesley is the person she confides in first. Eventually, when Gwen disappears in front of Lesley's eyes, she makes Gwen tell her mother and they go to the Temple. Her mother is reluctant, her mother's sister, Charlotte's mother, is furious, claiming she is just trying to get attention and steal Charlotte's thunder. But, when it's proved that Gwen is the time traveller, she meets Gideon de Villiers, her time traveling partner and gets a crash course in time travel. That's a lot of the story-more than I should reveal-to get you hooked. Charlotte is a self important over indulged child. She's only a very slight character, but those are the impressions you get. Her mother, Aunt Glenda, is very much the same, treated with importance and a lot of attention by her mother, Lady Arista all because she had the child with the traveling gene. Then there is Great Aunt Maddy, Lady Arista's spinster sister-in-law. She treats Gwen's family the same as Charlotte's, thinks all the secrecy is ridiculous and is a little bit doddering. Lesley, the best friend is a great character. She is loyal, caring, researches every word Gwen says to try to figure things out. She compiles a file of information of people and places that seem to be important for Gwen to know about. I want a best friend like her. But the two main characters are Gwen and Gideon. Gwen is smart enough, but better than that, she's clever. She can figure herself out of situations and she doesn't let Gideon, the so called teacher, tell her what to do. She can also see and talk to ghosts, something no one seems to believe. She listens to her instincts instead of others. She looks nothing like the rest of the family who have red curly hair. Hers is dark and straight and she has blue eyes and a crescent shaped birthmark on her forehead. She doesn't suffer from thinking she's ugly,but doesn't think she's quite as pretty as Charlotte. She's not quite as much as anything as Charlotte when she's spent her whole life believing the opposite. She's not really jealous though. Except for her dad dying when she was young, she's had a normal, carefree childhood as opposed to a lifetime of lessons like Charlotte. She knows her immediate family loves her and she has a confident best friend. She's also one of the strongest female protagonists I've seen yet in YA fiction. Then there's Gideon. The first time he meets Gwen he calls her "Winnie". Then Gwen overhears Charlotte disparaging her saying her strong points are giggling with Lesley and sending text messages. Gideon's response is "I thought as much when I first saw her today." Not winning any points with Gwen or me at this point. Gwen thinks he and Charlotte are in love. When Gwen fails Gideon's 'history test' he tells her to do what he says and say what he tells her to say and nothing else when they travel. Other things he says, "She's definitely not my type," doesn't win him any points. He constantly assures her and himself and Charlotte that he's not interested in her. Still, Gwen can't help but notice how handsome he is in his period clothes and thinks he's handsome. But she keeps her head about her. The bigger issue is the mystery. Who to believe? Who to trust? Is St. Germain, who left Gwen very wary to be trusted? What about Lucy and Paul? Can she trust herself? Has she traveled back in the past to warn herself or others of something? Can she trust Gideon? Does he have an agenda? And the Temple? There is a little snippet of the next book, Sapphire Blue already published in German in the back of Ruby Red. It looks very promising. I want to get a certain Bookworm to translate it for me. I don't think she does that though. So, what do you think? Are you as excited as me? Have you read it yet? Are dropping your mouse and running out to buy it? I know I'm gushing again. I'm not saying genius or anything, but it might take one to put the puzzle together. It's a great story and you just don't want to miss it!

I loved this story! But first...let me give folks who haven't picked it up a few warnings: 1) this is more in the vein of a Harry Potter book than it is a typical YA fantasy/romance. yes, it does have romance/fantasy galore. and teens. but the love scenes are slow to build and rather tame for a YA book...and the world-building is quite lovely and rather complex whereas I find so many YA books today gloss over that aspect to focus on the lead character relationship. 2) the story takes a while to get going. and it felt awkward at the start...likely due to the gear shifting I had to perform to get into the groove of a non-American teen. Gwyneth comes across as younger than her age, likely due to all of the above. This isn't a turn off for me (but I'm a grown woman) however it could be kind of annoying for older teen readers who prefer things a bit more hip and less gawky. Those two items aside...which, as far as I'm concerned, don't make the book any less awesome than it is....this was a fun and entertaining read. I literally could not put it down and ended up staying awake FAR too late last night, resulting in a reader hangover of the worst sort this morning. Not great when you have two young kids to feed and hustle off to school. This book has it all....fantastically complex characters and a twisted plot that promises fun and danger/darkness in spades, a (so far) light romance (or two) to keep me happy, a likeable heroine who one can't help but root for as she bumbles along when her "gift" reveals itself in the most inconvenient way. The writing is crisp and clean with lots of humor and some pathos thrown in for good measure. I sense a lot of hidden mysteries waiting to pop to the surface. Some folks said the plot is predictable...aside from the expected romance, I didn't find this in the least. There were a lot of surprises here and I cannot wait for the story to continue in the next book. I'm not going to go into the details of the story...you can find that on the book description or read the other reviews. But I will say if you enjoy books that aren't afraid to delay gratification for a lot of detailed world building and in-depth characterization...and you like YA fantasy, romance, and time travel...please give this a try. I think you may enjoy yourself. Also, this book is perfect for tweens and teens given the lighter romance content. BTW, what a gorgeous cover!!!

I really enjoy this entire trilogy and plotline, and you can reference the other reviews for more general information about it. For those who are parents (like myself), it's good to be aware that the books show slightly more debauchery as you progress through the series, so you'll want to consider the third book before deciding whether it's appropriate for your child. My 9-year-old is an advanced reader and I let her start after I finished book 1, though now I'm wishing I hadn't. The details for other parents: * The first book starts relatively mild with some crushing and some kissing, but nothing super extreme * The second book includes more crushing and more kissing, and a reference during kissing of fingers sliding down toward a neckline. There's also an extended party scene, in which alcohol makes the party very fun for everyone involved. The "fun" angle is mentioned a number of times, and the only drawback that's shown is the (teen) protagonist drunk karaoke singing a song 200 years before it's written which embarrasses her, but it's presented in a way that's more funny and fun than bad. The next morning she's described as lucky not to have a headache. That party scene also mentions someone who gropes women under a pretense of picking a crumb off their shirts, or various things of that nature (he's described as annoying). * The third book again includes crushing and kissing, and another party scene in which alcohol (for teens) plays a large role, the parents are at the party but also quite drunk themselves, everyone is talking about how fun it is, how this person's parties will never again be described as boring, and calls from the crowd for a striptease. Someone else does the drunk singing this time, and has a subsequent hangover, but in a twisted way that's seen as positive, because the character is one you don't like, so you're sort of happy for their embarrassment. There are also a couple of references to a couple heading off to a bedroom, as a good thing. There's also a story about a father who believed his daughter was pregnant via a demon, and forced her to take drugs that caused her to miscarry (it's not gory or graphic, though the drugs did also cause her to foam at the mouth, but still good for a parent to be aware that the topic comes up) It's certainly OK for many people and doesn't go anywhere R-rated. But the above may help parents decide whether it's appropriate for their child.

Gwyneth comes from a family of time travelers. When she unexpectedly discovers that she inherited the 12th time traveler gene, she is thrust into a crash course about the chronograph and the secret connection between the 12 time travelers. Gwyneth, the main character, is your regular, if a bit eccentric, teenager who is thrust into a very new world. Although she knows her family has a history of time travelers, she has not been allowed to learn much of anything about it because she was not supposed to have the time travel gene. While she starts out as a rather typical teenager with immature thoughts that feel a bit obtrusive early in the text, she develops into a more adaptive, relatable main character as the story continues. Gideon, the male time traveler, is also a well developed character that the read gets to know as Gwen does over the course of the story line. He makes a great male counter part, and I love that we only have as much knowledge of him as Gwen does at any point in time. Other characters, such as Gwyneth's eccentric family, are just as interesting to read about. All of the characters seem to have their own unique personality and place in the story, and are introduced in such a way that I wanted to learn more in depth about a many number of characters involved in the main plot. I was very pleased with the character development as a whole. This book was all about piquing interest. There was constantly more I wanted to know and learn about the time travel and the plot related to the 12 travelers. I wanted to know more about the motives of different characters. Throughout, there were many constant and different paths that kept me firmly engrossed in the world of the book. While the ending didn't leave on a cliffhanger, and did end at a decent stopping point, it left me grateful that I already had the sequel ready to read. This book spent the text building interest in the characters and in the story line to come, not necessarily on any one adventure that was completed in this book on its own. It didn't feel like filler and it didn't feel like bait to make me start the next one, but it did leave me wanting to learn so much more and anticipating the next book. The epilogue in this book in particular left me anticipating the sequel. There's an exciting revelation revealed at the end. ;) One of the things I disliked were parts of the beginning of the book. There were some of the teenager quips of Gwen's that felt very out of place in the text. I found myself getting immersed in the story and learning about her reality, and then she would think some comment that would pull me out of my immersion because it felt like it didn't belong. It clashed with the rest of the story line. This happened a few times in the beginning parts of the book, but later both Gwen's “teenage personality” and the happenings of the book flowed together more seamlessly and fit together smoothly. Rating Overall, I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. The book is definitely worth a read, and then a reread, but it doesn't hold its value in this book alone. It is a good book because of what promises to come in future volumes, and what it contributes to the series as a whole. It's not a book I would read on its own for fun without the sequels. For this reason I feel I can't give it a full 4 stars, even though I really did love the book and can't wait to start the second.

I wasn't exactly sure how much I would end up loving this story when I decided to read it. Time-traveling stories never really piqued let alone kept my interest. However what kept me reading with Ruby Red was the mystery and the main character. Most time-traveling stories have some puzzle that needs solving, but this mystery was in the middle of a wonderfully believable world that Geir created. Set in London, England, Gwen is a somewhat regular girl growing up trying to bare her family's oddities. They have a secret gene passed down to certain females in the family that allows them to time travel. This isn't by a device that's created, but an ability in their blood. The hard-part: they can't control when they time travel without a device. What's more weird is that there is a prophecy along with it all. Cue in Gideon the second half of this puzzle. His family has a connection with Gwen's over multiple generations. Both families have learned to deal with this gene and have tried to some how complete the prophecy. But Gwen wasn't supposed to be the last time-traveler, her cousin Charlotte was. Unprepared and confused, Gwen is quickly thrust into her family's secrets and past worlds. Soon she finds her self falling for Gideon, trying to survive surprise attacks in the past and wondering how to keep her ability to see ghosts a secret. Luckily her best friend Lesley is right alongside her trying to make sense of it all and helping her figure out who to trust and who is actually dangerous. Clearly, this story could become cliche real fast. However, Geir's writing was superb. She made this time traveling world come alive-allowing me to believe a lot of research when into writing it. When there's reach involved, it shows the author really cared in making this story as accurate and as real as possible which keeps me as a reader interested and thankful. So many stories lack accuracy which can kill the believable factor for a reader. Aside from the setting, Gier also created an interesting villain. Gier sets up two possible evils, but the reader gets a somewhat clear idea of who the real villain is of this story by the end of the first book. What is left a mystery is how many people are helping the real villain and just like Gwen, readers are left questioning who to trust. A small problem that I had was how quickly Gideon turned his attention to Gwen. I'm always a realist when it comes to how quickly characters fall-in-love with each other. However, by the second book their relationship develops on a more realistic level and certain things are explained to help make their relationship for me more believable. The end of the first book left me craving more and I instantly got my hands on book two. Gwen was a wonderful main character that I was cheering on throughout the novel. If this story gains more popularity, I can see it being as hot off the shelves as The Mortal Instruments or even The Hunger Games. If you're in the mood for a story filled with adventure, some humor, romance, and a little mystery than pick up this story right away. It's a definite recommend from me! I literally can't wait for the third one to be translated and out on shelves! Happy Reading, NicoleLynn

I'll preface this by saying that my good friend Amy has earned the right to say, "I told you so!" She told me how enjoyable this book is and, as always, she's right! From the very first chapter to the very last page, there is so much to discover. Time travel, plots, danger, humor, and clothes. Oh, the clothes. If you are at all interested in different points in English history, you should definitely check it out. Gwyneth turned out to be such a fun character. She has gone through life in the shadows of her golden child cousin, Charlotte, yet she takes it all with good grace. When she discovers that she is, in fact, the inheritor of the time travel gene, her world is pretty much rocked. You have to hand it to her, she made quite the entrance on her second trip! Though she is unprepared for her new role, Gwyneth, though unhappy, knows she will have to take charge. She's not perfect, but her imperfections help to make her the great character she is. I thought I would be spending the book just waiting for the time travel scenes. That was definitely not the case. Gwyneth's home time period has its very own charms that makes it just as engaging as the time periods she travels to. After all, funny classmates and a friendly ghost don't exactly make for a boring reading experience! Each setting is well thought out and vividly described. It wasn't much of a stretch at all to picture Gwyneth's surroundings. The writing in Ruby Red is smooth and well-wrought, as well. It was so easy to become immersed in this fantastic story. The only thing about Ruby Red that I'm sorry about is that I didn't read it sooner. I practically tore through this book and couldn't believe it when I came to the last page. It's all I can do to wait to read Sapphire Blue. This series has the promise of a great story and fun reading. Ruby Red is definitely piquing my interest in time travel novels. I'm definitely a fan after having read this book. I think many of you, dear readers, will enjoy it, too. This review originally appeared on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter, on July 19, 2012.

Rubyシリーズの１作目。 タイムトラベルの遺伝子を持つGwyneth。 本当はいとこのCharlotteがその遺伝子を継いでいると思い、誰からも何も教えてもらえないままタイムトラベルの旅？をすることになります。 ペアのGideonともどうなるか気になるし、12人のタイムトラベラーの遺伝子を持つ人の血がそろったらどうなるのかとかもとても気になります。 次の巻のSapphire Blueがとても気になります。

Je recommande vivement ce livre à tous les passionnés de fantasy et d'histoires romantiques :) Lecture très agréable, superbe couverture et histoire prenante !

I know the German version and I like the English translation as well.

Este es un libro de viaje en el tiempo, sí. Pero hay algo que lo diferencia del resto, que le da cierto aire limpio, y probablemente tenga que ver con la protagonista de la saga. Ruby Red habla de una chica que se encuentra en una posición para la que jamás se ha preparado, viajar en el tiempo de forma esporádica, lo cual debe ser menos agradable de lo que parece. Esta es una saga con personajes de lo más estrambóticos, absurdos, distintos y divertidos; y cuando escribo esta reseña, me refiero a los tres libros porque, si compras uno, vas a acabar haciéndote con los otros dos. Lo sé por experiencia. También hicieron una adaptación al cine (en alemán, aunque doblada al inglés) que es bastante aceptable, aunque el libro no tiene ni punto de comparación.

Wer den Film kennt - wird von dem Buch begeistert sein! Fantasy-Bücherwürmer werden es lieben! Ich habe es auf Englisch gelesen um meine Englisch-Kenntnisse zu vertiefen - das Lesen viel mir sehr leicht da es wunderbar und verständlich übersetzt wurde. Volle Punktzahl, mehr kann man da nicht sagen - Danke Kerstin Gier