☀ You can borrow and read Ruby Red free below. ☀
This humorous ebook about time travel is not only an adventure and a mystery, but also a light yet compelling romance. Kissing — really enjoyable kissing — is as far as we go, which is fine since the heroine is only 16 years old, and her love interest is almost 19.
Yes, the book is aimed at a young adult audience, but it still works for any age because the characters are appealing, the storytelling is smart, and the plot is intriguing.
the first book in the ruby red trilogy
Kerstin Gier originally wrote Ruby Red in German, and it has been translated into 17 languages. It’s the first book in the Ruby Red Trilogy, followed by Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green. We’ve read the entire trilogy, and all the books were enjoyable and kept our attention, no problem. And the love story, which starts strong and heats up nicely despite the inevitable misunderstandings and heartbreaks, ultimately turns into something quite original.
One of the things that makes this book series special is the fluid way the past and present interweave. Gier is a bit of a magician as a writer, seamlessly joining past and present, reality and fantasy, and keeping all the threads straight and appealing. The books’ integration — the weaving of the story lines among the three volumes — is exceptionally well-crafted and artfully serves the charming tale.
an ebook that has fun with time travel
While the time travel logic in the book(s) makes sense, characters are still able, for example, to bring objects through time with them — so that the heroine, Gwyneth, is able to take a photo of Lord Brompton with her mobile phone and show it to him, in the late 18th century. She wasn’t supposed to — it was against the rules — but the space-time continuum didn’t mind.
“How you do it I don’t know, but that’s the best trick I’ve ever seen. Oh, what’s happened now?”
Lesley was on the display. His lordship had pressed one of the keys.
“That’s my friend Lesley,” I said, wishing I could see her in real life. “I took the picture last week. Look, there behind her is Marylebone High Street — her sandwich came from Prêt à Manger — and there’s the Aveda shop, see? It’s where my mum always buys her hair spray.” I suddenly felt terribly homesick. “And there’s part of a taxi. A kind of coach that drives along without any horses —”
“How much would you want for this box of tricks? I’ll pay you any price you ask, any!”
“Er, no, really, it’s not for sale. I still need it.” Shrugging regretfully, I closed my box of tricks — I mean, my mobile — and slipped it back into its hiding place inside my bodice.
An Unusual Take on Time Travel Novels
Gwyneth has inherited the time travel gene that runs in her (very extended) family — but there is a mystery about her birth that has led to her being unprepared to deal with it. So when she starts time-traveling, she has to learn a lot, really fast. Fortunately — or perhaps not? — the Guardians have been managing this family time travel situation for centuries, and have all the facilities to prepare the travelers for sudden trips through time — provide authentic clothing, lessons in fencing and Latin, and lots of information and tactical support.
Moreover, this secret society has a chronograph that allows the family’s time travelers to travel deliberately so that they don’t travel spontaneously, with all the dangers that can bring. The chronograph needs a small amount of the traveler’s blood in order to work, and when the chronograph contains the blood of all 12 travelers, the circle will be closed, as decreed by ancient prophecies. There is considerable speculation and disagreement over what will happen then and whether it is a good thing, or not.
And also, the romance. Of course, all is not smooth sailing. For one thing, there’s cousin Charlotte, who has laid a prior claim to the green-eyed time-traveler Gideon. But Gwyneth knows that, whatever the challenges, there’s no life she’d rather have than her own: It’s heady stuff, time-traveling with your dashing, very-distant-cousin every day, having fascinating and alarming adventures, trying to solve a compelling mystery before something very, very bad happens.
We all held our breath. It really did look as if Gideon was going to kiss Charlotte.
Borrow or Buy This Ebook about Time Travel
You can borrow and read the ebook Ruby Red free via the nonprofit Internet Archive or buy* it from Amazon.
More Books by Kerstin Gier You can borrow for free
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