Sapphire Blue by Kirsten Gier

Title: Sapphire Blue
Author: Kerstin Gier
Publisher:  Holt & Co
Release Date: October 30, 2012
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 368


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 (gross!), 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. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

 

 

Sapphire Blue was written by Kerstin Gier and translated from German into English. Which is kinda asking for trouble if you ask me. After all, Kerstin Gier is a well-known author in Germany. Which makes me think she can write well. Translators cannot always come up with direct translations and sometimes when they do, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Which is why I'm happy to say that I did enjoy the writing of this novel and it's writing style. The way the book was written was meant to be hilarious. I honestly found myself laughing aloud more than a few times. Besides the hilarity of the novel, it was written nicely. I enjoyed the descriptions, especially the ones of past events.

 

I am sad to say this is definitely the middle book in a trilogy.  It felt very much a filler book to me. Most things were told not shown. In fact, there was quite a bit of  "my cousin's mean", "this happened at school", and "my lessons are so boring". All the action seemed to happen to Gideon. If only the book was written in his pov. However, the pace did pick up at the last third of the book, and I found myself drawn into the story once more. Honestly, I would've enjoyed more action or time traveling and less explaining but there was just enough action to keep me barely satisfied throughout the story. It was enough but it had so much potential. It could've been more.

 

I can't complain about the characters. Gwen was just as hilarious as ever. She was also nosy and completely love-struck with her co- time traveler Gideon (did I really just say co-time traveler?). Gideon was secretive. He appeared a bit bipolar at times, but he always had reasoning behind this. Which leads me to forgive him. James the ghost was just as pompous as he was in the first story. And Gwen's cousin was just as annoying, which added a layer of drama to the story. Lesley was the best friend a girl could ask for. She was sweet, smart, and most importantly loyal. The gargoyle that was introduced in the second book is back to stay. He was actually my favorite character. I found him even funnier than Gwen, if that's possible.

 

I guess you may have noticed a pattern with the characters. I felt that some of them could've been more developed. I mean, Gwen's cousin can't be just annoying. There has to be more to her than that. I'm excited to find out just what there is to her in the next book. Actually, I do feel that Gwen matured a bit. That didn't happen until the end of the story but I am rather pleased that she matured in the end. She didn't mature too much, however, because then the book would lose some of it's hilarity.

 

Gwen and Gideon's love for each other was complex. At first I feared it was headed in the direction of insta-love but it wasn't. They fought more often than not and wanted to trust each other before their relationship went too far. I'm glad for this, even if certain things did get a bit annoying. Like I said, their love is complex and it's still developing. Things remain to be seen.

 

Unfortunately (or is it fortunately... I can never decide), the book had a cliffhanger. I'm now left desperate for more. I need more Gwen, Gideon, and gargoyle. I have to find out what's next. The next book in the trilogy is currently being translated into English, so there's plenty of time to check out the first two books. If you're looking for a break from books that are more serious or if you're a fan of comedies in general, be sure to look into this trilogy. Also, if you're a fan of paranormals, time traveling, and ghosts mixed in with British school life, get this book.   

 

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