Ruby Red Trilogy
| Author | Kerstin Gier |
|---|---|
| Original title | Rubinrot |
| Translator | Anthea Bell |
| Country | Germany and the US |
| Language | German and English |
| Series | Ruby Red Trilogy |
| Genre | Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction |
| Publisher | Arena Verlag (German), Henry Holt and Co.(English) |
Publication date | 2009 |
Published in English | 10 May 2011 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | 1429921218, 9781429921213 |
| Followed by | Sapphire Blue |
| Author | Kerstin Gier |
|---|---|
| Original title | Saphirblau |
| Translator | Anthea Bell |
| Country | Germany and the US |
| Language | German and English |
| Series | Ruby Red Trilogy |
| Genre | Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction |
| Publisher | Arena Verlag (German), Henry Holt and Co.(English) |
Publication date | 2009 |
Published in English | 10 May 2011 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 362 |
| ISBN | 1250034167, 9781250034168 |
| Preceded by | Ruby Red |
| Followed by | Emerald Green |
| Author | Kerstin Gier |
|---|---|
| Original title | Smaragdgrün |
| Translator | Anthea Bell |
| Country | Germany and the US |
| Language | German and English |
| Series | Ruby Red Trilogy |
| Genre | Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction |
| Publisher | Arena Verlag (German), Henry Holt and Co.(English) |
Published in English | 8 October 2013 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 464 |
| ISBN | 0805092676, 9780805092677 |
| Preceded by | Sapphire Blue |
The Ruby Red Trilogy is a series of three fantasy novels by German writer Kerstin Gier. The three books are: Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green. The books have been translated into over twenty-seven languages and sold internationally. The series follows the story of Gwendolyn Shepherd, a time-traveling girl living in contemporary London.
Plot summaries
Ruby Red
Gwendolyn Shepherd, a 16-year-old student, feels dizzy for the first time during lunch at her school in London. Not long after, she unintentionally jumps through time while going out to shop for groceries. At first, Gwendolyn is doubtful about her jump in time, since her cousin Charlotte Montrose has always been destined to have inherited the time travel gene that is passed down through the females in their family. Charlotte had been prepared for that duty her whole life, and resents Gwendolyn for messing up her life plans. Gwendolyn experiences two more uncontrolled jumps through time, during the third of which she witnesses herself, or a doppelgänger of hers, kissing a boy she has never met at a ball in the 1700s. After her third jump, Gwendolyn’s best friend Lesley convinces her to tell her mother, who had apparently counterfeited Gwendolyn’s birth documents to protect her from the Guardians. The Lodge is skeptical of the circumstances, but decide to watch Gwendolyn to confirm that she has in fact inherited the time travel gene. Gwendolyn travels through time once more and is finally acknowledged as the final time traveler, the twelfth, whose symbolic gem is the Ruby. Gwendolyn’s blood is fed to the chronograph , the time travel machine that contains secrets of its own, so that she can use it travel through time smoothly and avoid uncontrolled jumps. The chronograph is also the second one made, the first one having been stolen by Lucy, the daughter of Gwendolyn's uncle Harry, and Paul, Falk de Villers younger brother. Gwendolyn is assigned a traveling partner to keep an eye on her, the arrogant and disapproving Gideon de Villers. Soon after this, Gwendolyn is scheduled to meet the founder of the lodge, the powerful Count Saint-Germain. For reasons unexplained to Gwendolyn, her mother is strictly against the meeting. Despite this, Gwendolyn travels to meet the Count, hoping she might find some answers. However, Gwendolyn is only left with more questions, and is also suspicious of the Count, who is believed to possess telekinesis. After the meeting, the stagecoach of their carriage is instructed by someone unknown to take the two to a park, where they are promptly attacked by three men. Gideon and Gwendolyn ward them off, then travel back to their present time. The next day, Gwendolyn is called back to the lodge, where she is surprised to find that she is needed in order to talk to someone in the past, her great-great grandmother, and the eighth time traveler, Margaret Tilney, in order for her blood to be read in the chronograph, since Gideon had made two attempts to gather Margaret's blood, but both times, she had refused. The two travel back in time where Margaret is expecting them, despite the exact date that was set in the chronograph to travel back in time being kept secret. Lucy and Paul make their appearance, urging Gwendolyn to trust them, and to make sure that all twelve time traveler's blood not be read into the chronograph, for fear that the big event that will happen that may cause more destruction than good. Gideon threatens Lucy with a shotgun, and makes her escort him and Gwendolyn out the house. The two make their escape to a nearby church, inside a confessional booth, where Gideon, unexpectedly, kisses Gwendolyn. .[1]
Sapphire Blue
Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster 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 to feed into the Chronograph, 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. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond, who continues to send her mixed signals. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.[2](Macmillan)
Emerald Green
Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along. Emerald Green is the conclusion to Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red Trilogy, picking up where Sapphire Blue left off, as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.[3](Macmillan)
Characters
Gwendolyn Shepherd
Gwendolyn Sophie Elizabeth Shepherd (Gwyneth in the English translation) is the 16-year-old protagonist of the series. She is the daughter of Grace and Nicolas Shepherd, born on October 7, 1994. She lived a normal childhood, believing her birthday was on October 8 instead, leading her to think she was not the one to have inherited her family's time travel gene. Though, as she later finds out, she did inherit the time travel gene over her cousin Charlotte, and is the last of twelve time travelers, known as the Ruby. She has, differently than the rest of the Montroses, straight dark hair and blue eyes. Gwendolyn is said to be very clumsy, always accidentally dipping the tie of her school uniform in her lunch and tripping over her own feet. Her father, Nicolas, died of leukemia when she was seven years old and her grandfather died when she was six. She has two younger siblings, Nick and Caroline, and her best friend is Lesley Hay.
Gideon de Villiers
Gideon is the current male time traveler, the eleventh in the circle, also known as the Diamond or Lion. He was born in 1992 and is 19 years old. He has a flat in London, but has lived with his uncle Falk de Villiers since he was eleven years old. His father is dead and his mother has moved, together with his younger brother Raphael, to live with her new boyfriend, Monsieur Bertelin, in France. Gideon attended a boarding school in Greenwich, where he was captain of the school's polo team and is now studying medicine at the University of London. Together, with Charlotte, he has been prepared for time travel his whole life, resulting in him being very talented and smart, as well as being arrogant and underestimating Gwendolyn, leading him to behave disrespectfully towards her at first, as he thinks she is not good enough for time travel. However, as the series progresses Gideon warms up to Gwendolyn substantially and eventually falls in love with her.
Grace Shepherd (née Montrose)
Gwendolyn, Nick, and Caroline's mother. Like all Montroses, she has curly ginger hair and blue eyes. Her behavior is often very mysterious and she knows more than she lets on. She also helped Lucy and Paul escape with the stolen chronograph by letting them stay several months at her house in Durham, where she had lived with her husband and children until the death of her husband.
Charlotte Montrose
Gwendolyn's cousin and Glenda's daughter, who was believed to have inherited the time travel gene initially, and so has been prepared for her role her whole life. She is very talented at everything she does and is described as exceptionally beautiful and charming. She is also very arrogant due to the high praise for her abilities since she was young. She holds a grudge against Gwendolyn for taking all of the attention away from her and talks Gwendolyn down every chance she gets. She is also in love with Gideon.
Lesley Hay
Also known as Leslie in German and in some translations, Libby. Gwendolyn's best friend, who also attends St. Lennox High School. She has freckles and blonde hair and is the only one outside of Gwendolyn's family who knows about the time travel secret. At first, she helps Gwendolyn find out the mystery, gathering information from the internet and books. She is very smart and helpful, and encourages Gwendolyn. She lives with her parents and her dog Bertie in an apartment in North Kensington.
Falk de Villiers
Gideon's uncle and Grand Master of the lodge. He is described as looking like a wolf, having amber eyes and dark hair streaked with the white of old age. He had been in a relationship with Grace when they were younger and still holds a small grudge against her for choosing Nicolas over him. He seems to still have feelings for her.
Lucy Montrose
The daughter of Gwendolyn's uncle Harry, and Gwendolyn’s cousin. She ran away from home when she was 17 after falling in love with her time travel partner, Paul de Villiers, when together they uncovered the mystery as to what happens when the blood of all twelve time travelers are fed to the chronograph. Wanting to prevent this at all costs, they escaped to the year 1912 with one of the chronographs. Because of this, they will never be able to return to their own time and are stuck in the past forever. Lucy is 18 years old and is the tenth in the circle, also known as the Sapphire or the Lynx. She has ginger hair and blue eyes like all the Montroses, and is very petite. In the third book, Emerald Green, Gwendolyn finds out that Lucy is her mother.
Paul de Villiers
Falk's younger brother and the ninth in the circle, he is the black Tourmaline gem or the Wolf. Together with Lucy, whom he had fallen in love with, he stole the chronograph and escaped to the past, never being able to return again. Like his brother, he has dark hair and amber eyes. In the third book, Emerald Green, Gwendolyn finds out that Paul de Villers is her father.
Count Saint-Germain
Born in 1703, he is the founder of the Lodge and was the first time traveler to invent the chronograph, allowing him, and future time travelers, to prevent uncontrolled time jumps. He is the fifth in the circle, and is known as the Emerald or the Eagle. He seems to have telekinetic abilities and is able to read minds. Essentially, he is the antagonist of the book series.
Others
Lady Arista Gwendolyn's grandmother, who is very strict and always reprimands her and her siblings. She prefers that Charlotte was the Ruby.
Glenda Montrose Gwendolyn's aunt and Grace' sister, like her daughter she is very arrogant and stuck-up. She also prefers that Charlotte was the Ruby, and holds a grudge against Grace for keeping the secret of the real birth date of Gwendolyn, as well as stealing the attention away from Charlotte.
Lord Lucas Montrose Gwendolyn's deceased grandfather, the former Grandmaster of the Lodge. Gwendolyn travels back in time to visit him on multiple occasions, as he is critical in helping her uncover the mystery of the chronograph and stopping the Count’s evil plans.
Madeleine Montrose Gwendolyn's great aunt and Lucas' sister. She occasionally has visions of the future.
Nick Shepherd Gwendolyn's younger, 12-year-old brother. Grace and Nicholas’s son.
Caroline Shepherd Gwendolyn's younger, 9-year-old sister. Grace and Nicholas’s daughter.
Lady Margret Tilney Gwendolyn's great-great-grandmother, who was born in 1877 and died in 1944. She accommodates Lucy and Paul after their escape in 1912 and is the eighth time traveler, known as the Jade gemstone or the Fox. Gwendolyn also visits Lady Tilney multiple times in her quest for answers.
Miroslav Alexander Leopold Rakoczy Also known as the "black leopard", he is the bodyguard of the Count and is described as having black, lifeless eyes. He is known to have experimented with various drugs and comes from Transylvania.
Mr. Bernard The butler of the Montrose household. It is later revealed that he is a descendant of Lucy and Paul’s second child (Gwendolyn’s blood sibling), who was born in 1912 when they were living under the assumed name of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard.
James August Peregrin Pympoole-Bothame The school ghost who is Gwendolyn's friend. He was born March 31, 1762, but died at the age of 21 of smallpox. He is not aware that he is dead and consistently believes that he is merely dreaming.
Mr. Thomas George A member of the inner circle of the Lodge, and one of the only members Gwendolyn likes and trusts to some extent. He was the assistant of her grandfather and later his best friend, which explains why he supported Gwendolyn when she and her mother first came to the Lodge.
Dr. Jakob White The Lodge doctor and also an inner circle member. He always wears black suits and is exceptionally rude and grim towards everyone, because of his young son's death several years before the events of the first novel. Due to Gwendolyn’s ability to see spirits, she occasionally sees the ghost of his son, Robert, near his father.
Mr. Whitman Gwendolyn, Lesley, and Charlotte's English and History teacher at St. Lennox school and also an inner circle member. He is described as being a womanizer due to his good looks. Lesley and Gwendolyn seem to be the only ones immune to his appeal, as Lesley always humorously compares him to a squirrel, because of his large brown eyes. Mr. Whitman is later revealed to have been the temporary immortal Count of St. Germain in disguise.
Madame Rossini The costume designer at the Lodge. She is French and speaks with a recognizable accent, which grows thicker when she is angry. Madame Rossini is in charge of dressing the time travelers in authentic outfits so that they do not stand out when they travel to the past. She favors Gwendolyn as the Ruby over Charlotte and frequently calls her a "swan-necked beauty".
Raphael Bertelin Gideon’s younger brother who had been living in France with their mother and her current boyfriend. Later in the series, Raphael helps Gwendolyn and Gideon on their adventures. He is also a love interest of Gwendolyn’s best friend Leslie.
XemeriusThe demon that follows Gwendolyn around after he witnesses her and Gideon kissing in the church he was haunting. While called a demon, he is more accurately described as a cat-like ghost that can talk. He becomes very helpful for spying on people to get information for Gwendolyn, as she is the only one that is able to see him.
Lord Alistair The arch-enemy of the Count Saint-Germain who is the head of the Florentine Alliance, dedicated to eradicating the line of time-travels whom he believes are demons. Lord Alistair is followed around by the ghost of his ancestor, Conte di Madrone, who founded the Florentine Alliance. Only Gwendolyn can see the Count with her special ability. Lord Alistair repeatedly tries and fails to kill Count Saint-Germain.
The Circle of Twelve
| Time Traveler | Gemstone | Animal | Tree | Alchemical Quality | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancelot de Villiers
1560–1607 |
Amber | Frog | Beech | Calcinatio | A flat |
| Elaine Burghley
1562–1580 |
Opal | Owl | Walnut | Putrefactio et mortificio | A |
| William de Villiers
1636–1689 |
Agate | Bear | Pine | Sublimatio | B flat |
| Cecilia Woodville
1638–1684 |
Aquamarine | Horse | Maple | Solutio | B |
| Robert Leopold, Count Saint-Germain
1703–1784 |
Emerald | Eagle | Oak | Distillatio | C |
| Jeanne de Pontcarreé/Madame d’Urfé
1705–1755 |
Citrine | Snake | Ginkgo | Coagulatio | D flat |
| Jonathan and Timothy de Villiers
1875–1944 1875–1930 |
Carnelion | Falcon | Apple | Extractio | D |
| Margret Tilney
1877–1944 |
Jade | Fox | Linden | Digestio | E flat |
| Paul de Villiers
* 1974 |
Black Tourmaline | Wolf | Mountain Ash | Ceratio | E |
| Lucy Montrose
* 1976 |
Sapphire | Lynx | Willow | Fermentatio | F |
| Gideon de Villiers
* 1992 |
Diamond | Lion | Yew | Multiplicatio | F sharp |
| Gwendolyn Shepherd
* 1994 |
Ruby | Raven | Birch | Projectio | G |
Reception
Popularity
The Ruby Red Series had gained worldwide popularity after being published in over 27 languages, including German, English, Chinese, Czech, Danish, French, Greek, Hungarian, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Norwegian.[8] More than two million books in the series have been sold in Germany alone.[9] In America, Ruby Red won the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults award.[10]
Reviews
The Ruby Red Trilogy has received acclaim from many well-known sources in both America and Germany. The following are a few reviews of the first book, Ruby Red, as highlighted by Macmillan.[11]
“Humorous, romantic and suspenseful, the plot is fast-paced and impossible to put down . . . . The final romantic cliffhanger will leave you thirsty for the next book in this ‘jewel’ of a series.” –Justine magazine
"Gier succeeds on her own terms, keeping the reader moving along, forward and backward in time, and ending with a revelation and a cliffhanger. Both will leave readers anticipating the publication of the next installment, ‘Sapphire Blue.’" –The New York Times Book Review
“What makes this such a standout is the intriguingly drawn cast, stars and supporting players both, beginning with Gwen, whose key feature is her utter normality… Adventure, humor, and mystery all have satisfying roles here.” –Starred, Booklist
“The characters in Kerstin Gier's stellar story come fully to life, and veteran translator Anthea Bell (who translated Cornelia Funke's Inkheart books) preserves the book's abundant humor . . . . There’s something here for everyone.” -Shelf Awareness
“As she narrates this fast-paced puzzler, Gwen convincingly conveys the bewilderment, fear and excitement of a teen rooted in the present but catapulted from her school-girl routine into the past. Bell’s deft translation captures an engaging heroine with a cell phone and a sense of humor, an emerging romance and a complex, unresolved time-travel mystery spanning four centuries.” –Kirkus Reviews
“This first installment of a trilogy will soon find a new crop of fans in the United States. It’s a fun, engaging read that will be an easy sell for teens wanting to time travel with a delightful narrator.” –School Library Journal
“…Gier's characters and plotting are first-rate, creating an adventure that should leave readers eager for the rest of the trilogy.” –Publishers Weekly
“A smart, entertaining read . . . Gwen, an outsider in her own family, is the perfect spunky, skeptical heroine.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“An extremely appetizing mix of mystery thriller, science fiction and romantic adventure that readers will most likely devour in one sitting.”—Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung
“Thrilling and witty.”—Radio Bremen
“Guaranteed to be addictive.”—Badische Neueste Nachrichten
“As soon as you have managed to open this wonderful book, you won’t want to close it anymore! Superbly romantic, witty and—thank God—only the first part of this emotional time travel trilogy.”—Daisuki
“A sophisticated and adventurous fantasy story with a sense of humor.” —Nordbayerischer Kurier
“Bestselling author Kerstin Gier has written a romantic and funny story that will captivate readers until the very end. Truly mesmerizing.” —Kölnische Rundschau
- )
Adaptations
Ruby Red
A movie based on the first book, Rubinrot, was released in Germany on March 14, 2013. Maria Ehrich was cast as Gwendolyn, Jannis Niewöhner as Gideon, and Laura Berlin as Charlotte. The film was directed by Felix Fuchssteiner, and the screen play was written by Katharina Schöde and author Kerstin Gier. It was mainly shot in Germany but also in a few locations in London. The film was produced by Lieblingsfilm/Munich, mem-film/Berlin, in co-production with Geißendörfer Film and Fernsehproduktion/Cologne, Tele München/Munich. The original version of the movie is in German, but subtitles have been developed in English.[12] Rubinrot was nominated for the International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA) for Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film in 2013, but did not win.[13]
Sapphire Blue
The sequel to Rubinrot, Saphirblau, has been made into a movie as well, released in Germany on December 18, 2014. Many of the actors, actresses, producers, and screenwriters are the same as those of the first movie.[14] The movie was released earlier in Luxembourg and Austria, on August 14 and 15, 2014, respectively.[15] Like Rubinrot, Saphirblau was filmed mainly in Germany.
References
- ↑ Gier, Kerstin (10 May 2011). Ruby Red. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR). pp. 1–336. ISBN 1429921218. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Kerstin, Gier. "Sapphire Blue". Macmillan Publishers. Henry Holt and Co. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Kerstin, Gier. "Emerald Green". Macmillan Publishers. Henry Holt and Co. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Gier, Kerstin (10 May 2011). Ruby Red. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR). pp. 1–336. ISBN 1429921218. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Gier, Kerstin (30 October 2012). Sapphire Blue. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR). pp. 1–362. ISBN 0805092668. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Gier, Kerstin (8 October 2013). Emerald Green. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR). pp. 1–464. ISBN 0805092676. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Gier, Kerstin (30 October 2012). Sapphire Blue. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR). pp. 1–362. ISBN 0805092668. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Template:Internet source
- ↑ Template:Internet source
- ↑ Kerstin, Gier. "Sapphire Blue". Macmillan Publishers. Henry Holt and Co. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Gier, Kerstin. "Ruby Red". Macmillan Publishers. Henry Holt and Co. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ↑ "Ruby Red (Rubinrot)". German Films. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ↑ "Rubinrot". IMDb. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ "Sapphire Blue (Saphirblau)". German Films. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ↑ "Saphirblau". IMDb. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
External links
- Ruby Red. Macmillan. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- Sapphire Blue. Macmillan. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- Emerald Green. Macmillan. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- http://www.rubinrot-derfilm.de/ (Official movie site)