Ruby Red (3) - Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
And the funny and tense final of the trilogy: Emerald Green (original Smaragdgrün, French Vert Émeraude) I read it in German with 432 pages. Originally published 2010.
Women in love are the easiest to control. And what would a girl with a broken heart do? Transform into a chamber-well and talk the whole night with her best friend. At least that’s Gwenny’s approach - but there is no time for crying. Her grandfather found out about what Lucy and Paul wanted to tell her, St Germain has mysterious plans with the Ruby... and when Gwenny finally finds what she needs, Charlotte turns on her. With the help of her siblings, auntie Maddie, Lesley, her butler, Raphael and Xemerius, she finds out about the secret behind the secret... and that it will cost her more than she can bear to pay.
In one word - wonderful. I love how all finally falls into place and Xemerius is the best! The chamber-well thing? Nice. I think after reading this book, every girl wants a house-gargoyle. I know that I wouldn’t mind – very much. I guess he’d get on your nerves after a while, but he’s a great help and funny companion.
Remember when I said in the review of Ruby Red (Rubinrot) that Gwenny has a way of finding good people? You’ll see why in this part. Look at what Maddie, Caroline etc. manage to do to get Charlotte off her track! And how even Dr. White helps! Not to mention Lesley and Raphael and even Gideon, of course. She has a way of getting people to help her, without even slightest manipulation. I really envy her for that. I have moral issues with manipulation and usually suck at choosing friends, so… That’s another story.
Gwen’s cover stories and her helpers are gorgeous. And I can’t believe I didn’t mention Mr. Bernard until now! He’s the best, most helpful and dry-as-bones-funny butler you could imagine.
But Gwenny herself… huh, she’s a bit melodramatic, isn’t she? The I’m-going-to-die-and-he-ate-my-heart is… typical teenager, I suppose. But I think that her reaction to all of that is remarkably realistic (and I adore how Xeremius and Lesley help her).
Gideon is a prick. But he developed a lot since Sapphire Blue (Saphirblau), he even turned into a decent guy again. And the ending? Sheesh. Really, that guy has his heart in the right place, and it did turn out he had his reasons for what he did (even though I still didn’t like it).
Spoiler:
The ending was very well done, I love how all the loose ends were tied together and how they actually solved the dilemma with the immortality. Really, really nicely done. Even though I sort of doubt that immortality’s all that well an idea. But that’s mainly because I wouldn’t want to live forever. Gwen doesn’t have a choice, and Gid doesn’t either if he wants to survive. The epilogue from Lucy’s and Paul’s PoV was a joy as well, I like how they manage to build a relationship with Gwen and Gideon, and how Paul was not very happy about the way Gid treated her… but how they all came around. It’s nice.
Well. What I like best is Lesley and Raphael. I still don’t like what she did, mainly because it’s not okay, but also because I really like the guy. He’s nice. I’m glad they got it together, though.
Apart from that… poor Charlotte. Really. She’s a prick. She’s mean and jealous and can’t stand the idea of loosing. But then, who wouldn’t be heartbroken when the two things you wanted most in your entire life are taken from you? And then by a person you never respected in the first place? I was so sorry for her at the party.
In brief:
In the end, I give stars for content, characters, style, ideas and this perfect ending. Plus SoGH.
Prequel: