This review will not only be on The Ruby Circle but the series as a whole. While reading this series, I felt as though I liked it more than Vampire Academy, mainly because I liked Sydney more than Rose at times and adored Adrian. But, once I finished The Ruby Circle I realized that while I liked the characters more I didn't like the plots more. There were too many secondary characters that all were crammed into the last book and some that were even cut out (where were you Angeline??). Plus, the romance between Sydney and Adrian fell flat for me. I loved them when it was a will they/won't they but once they get together, the just stay together. Aside from physical distance and personal demons, they are a strong couple though the last few books. I really wanted to see Sydney actually brainwashed by the Alchemists and see how Adrian figures out how to get her back mentally. There was also the little thing of Adrian loosing his edge in the last book.
As for The Ruby Circle standing alone, the plot was way too fast for me. Everything happened so quickly that I felt like I was watching a movie on fast forward. It suffered from too much going on with too many connections. Why would the Warriors play nice with Alicia? Everything was too convenient to have a nice happy ending. All in all, the book was a bit of a let down.