It’s time for another combined review! This time I’m going to talk a little bit about Emerald Green and Allegiant, both the last in their respective trilogy. There will be no spoilers, except for in the synopsis, naturally, and that’s only if you haven’t read the previous books. So all of you who have yet to read these lovely series, you have been warned. :)
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Do not read the synopsis if you have yet to read Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue. You will be spoiled!
Title: Emerald Green
Original Title: Smaragdgrün (German)
Author: Kerstin Gier
Published: October 8th 2013 (First December 8th 2010)
LPages: 447 (Hardcover)
Series: Edelstein Trilogie #3
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.
This stunning conclusion picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.
Review:
So far in my life, I haven’t read that many books about time travel, and this series is by far my favourite. The whole idea is so unique and fun, and I don’t regret a single minute that I spent on it! One thing is for sure — this is one entertaining trilogy.
Gwen is one of my favourite female characters right now, and she didn’t disappoint in this book. She kept being her quirky, fun self, and what I loved the most is how she is so untouched by what other people seem to think is weird. Her comebacks are hilarious as well, and at one point I almost shouted “you go girl!”, but then I didn’t because there where other people in the house….heh.
Like in the previous books, I still had kind of a problem with the fact that oh-wait-they-met-two-weeks-ago, but I tried not to think about that too much. It didn’t exactly stop me from rooting for Gwen and Gideon either. ;)
Overall it was a really fun book, and definitely a great ending to the series. Sure, I would have wanted a little bit more time-travel, and some small details could have been better resolved, but if you have read and enjoyed the previous books, don’t hesitate to pick it up. :) You won’t regret it!
If you want to know more about what I think about this series, check out my reviews of Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue. :)
4/5 Moustaches
Quote:
“Oh, shit!” I said again. There where two circular patches on my cheeks. “I think I have some kind of allergic reaction.”
“Only caused by rage,” was Lesley’s diagnosis when I told her what I saw. “How about your eyes? Are they flashing dangerously?”
I stared at my reflection. “Yes, sort of. I look a bit like Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter. Rather threatening.”
“That sounds okay. Listen, you go out now and flash them at everyone for all you’re worth, right?”
I nodded obediently and promised to do just that.”
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Warning, there will be some spoilery spoilers if you haven’t read Divergent and Insurgent!
Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
Publication Date: October 22nd 2013
Pages: 526 (Hardcover)
Series: Divergent #3
Synopsis from Goodreads:
One choice will define you.
What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
Review:
Allegiant, the last book in the wonderful-ness that is Divergent. To say the least, my hopes were unbelievably high, but I was also very, very scared. My experience with trilogy enders haven’t been the best in the past, especially not in this particular genre, and I prepared myself for the worst.
Nothing could have prepared me for this.
I have to admit that the first days after I had finished Allegiant, I was angry, and I felt incredibly betrayed…cheated, even. After a while, though, I found myself seeing the necessity of the things that happened. I understood that in some ways it was the only option, and that anything else wouldn’t have felt entirely right (though it still would have made me way happier).
Therefore, I have to make it perfectly clear that this didn’t affect my rating of the book….not that much at least. There were other things, though…
First of all, the split PoV. Before you say anything, yes I know that it was needed for the story, but I would have prefered it if Tobias had kept some of his mystique, and I also think his and Tris’s voices were a bit too similar.
I also found the pacing kind of slow and uneven at times, and I would have appreciated some more action. I wasn’t overly fond of how it ended either, and I’m not talking about “the thing”. I’m talking about the resolution to the whole series, how some of the things we’ve been wondering about for the past years were explained, and how they were solved. Not everything made sense, not in my eyes at least, and that bothered me.
Don’t get me wrong, though. It may seem like I thought it was bad, but I really did like this book…I just didn’t love it. Divergent is, according to me, still the undefeated winner when it comes to this series. Allegiant is absolutely worth reading, though, no doubt about it. I recommend it to every fan of the series out there, but I just think it could have been better.
3.5/5 Moustaches
Quotes:
“He still smiles all the time, but now his smiles look like they’re made of water, about to drop down his face.”
“Being honest doesn’t mean you say whatever you want, whenever you want. It means that what you choose to say is true.”
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