Gier, Kersten. Sapphire Blue. (Ruby Red Trilogy series)

Gier, Kersten.  Sapphire Blue. (Ruby Red Trilogy series)   

Henry Holt/Macmillan Children's Pub Group  362p  $16.99  978-0-8050-9266-0  

2012       ms/jr  VG-BN  Science Fiction 

Gwyneth discovers that she is the final link in a time-traveling family and a major key to solving the mysteries of the “Circle of Twelve”. Readers will enjoy the intrigue, romance, historical settings, and fast-paced trips back into various time periods.          

Gwen’s family has long been involved with time travel. They always knew that one female in each generation would inherit the gene for time travel based on her birth date.  It seems the family thought it was to be Charlotte, Gwyneth’s cousin, but Gwyneth’s mother disguised her birth date in hopes that she did not have the gene.

It was a baptism by fire for Gwyneth to the Secret Society of “The Guardians” and the intriguing adventures back in time (accompanied by Gideon de Villiers, her partner) to find blood samples from deceased members of The Circle that need to be read into the chronograph.

The author has created a series that will intrigue readers, with its believable characters (Xemerius, the gargoyle ghost; James, the ghost; and Leslie, a schoolmate and best friend), its romantic interludes, and its suspenseful adventures back in olden times.  It seems that Gwyneth Shepard is not an everyday, normal girl after all.  But she needs Gideon to save her from the fate that is not explained in the cliffhanger ending of the book.

Sapphire Blue is the second book in the series.  The series will end with the third book, Sapphire Green.              

Time Travel–Fiction, Adventure-Fiction                     --Linda McNeil