| Title | : | The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0440221668 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780440221661 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 1443 |
| Publication | : | First published November 6, 2001 |
The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) Reviews
-
I don't think any author is in love with her characters and her own writing as much as
Diana Gabaldon. To the point that she is convinced that absolutely everything she writes about them has to be in her books. Who cares about the plot and moving things along and putting in her novels only events that would advance the plot? Not Diana!
I've loved the Outlander books for a while, in spite of their fragmented nature and sometimes convoluted story lines, but this time even the most dedicated fan would notice that There is hardly any plot in it! I am still trying to figure out what the purpose of this book was, my only guess is to lead to the confrontation with Stephen Bonnet? But then, hundreds and hundreds of pages in
The Fiery Cross are dedicated to the events that have nothing to do with the main story line of it. At least 2/3th of the novel could have been cut out because the only thing that happens there is that Jamie, Claire and Roger have to go on some militia business and then come back (twice!). During these trips nothing important takes place, except, of course, they meet some random people. And don't get me started on Brianna's breasts. If all the bits about her breasts being swollen or leaking milk and her wanting Roger to suckle on them were taken out,
The Fiery Cross would have been at least 100 pages lighter. And another 100 pages lighter without little Jemmie pooping in a diaper or otherwise.
Certainly, we, fans, have a fair amount of patience for Gabaldon's long books and a lot of love for the characters and scenes in their lives, but, come on, a novel is still a novel. If there is hardly any forward motion in the story, no danger, no intensity, if you can skip hundreds of pages without missing anything vital, and the author is preoccupied with indulgently recording every occurrence in her characters' lives, important or not, she might as well call her work fanfiction. Or a soap opera with no end in sight.
Interestingly enough, even after spending a year! reading
The Fiery Cross and dropping it so many times I can't count, I still couldn't bring myself to give it less than 3 stars and I already have the next book in the series loaded onto my iPod. This crack has a firm hold on me. For now. -
So far, the weakest book in the series. This book dragged on and on and on... It took me about four times as long to finish this one as it did the other four. There was just a lot of unnecessary drama. The interesting parts were few and far between, but were just enough to keep me reading. And I will admit, by the end I was finally engaged enough to want to read the next one, so it didn't turn me off completely. There were just a lot of things that didn't need to be in the book. This is the first time reading the series that I've really felt a need for better editing.
You will read this book because you're already deeply involved in the story and invested in the characters, and there's just enough in the book to keep you, but on the whole it's exhausting and a little disappointing. -
When I finished this, my knee-jerk reaction was to give it a 4 star. However, after some consideration, I have to be honest with myself and say it was really just a 3 star read. The Fiery Cross is the 5th book in the Outlander series, a fantasy/romance/historical/time travel/everything-but-the-kitchen-sink series which began when Claire Randall, on a second honeymoon in Scotland, is thrown back in time from 1946 to Scotland during the Jacobite uprising that ended tragically at the battle of Culloden. While stuck in the past, she of course falls in love with a Highland warrior named Jamie Fraser. Through four long-ass novels, they've been separated and reunited and managed to get themselves right smackdab in the center of any significant historical event taking place in the 18th century, Jamie's natural ability to lead heightened by Claire's knowledge of what the future holds. In The Fiery Cross, Jamie and Claire are now living in America with their daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Roger. Jamie finds himself in the role of "laird" to a group of Scottish immigrants who populate his land grant known as Fraser's Ridge.
I freakin' love these novels and that's why it pains me to say that I'm suffering from PTDGD (Post-Traumatic Diana Gabaldon Disorder) at the moment. Gabaldon has always written massive tomes stuffed full of historical detail and it's clear that this woman does her research, which sets her novels apart from the typical offerings of historical romance. This isn't just costume drama. However, I don't think I've ever read a novel in which so much happens and, yet, nothing really happens. The novel is so focused on the minutiae of day-to-day life (pigpens are built, militias are gathered and disbanded, fields are plowed, laundry is done, buffalo are hunted) that any narrative momentum is nil. It just doesn't go anywhere. There are rumblings of the American Revolution in the distance, but no real battles (other than a brief interlude in which Jamie gathers together a militia to help the governor put down the Regulators) and the one driving narrative thread--the hunt for Stephen Bonnet, who raped Brianna in an earlier novel--fizzles with no real resolution (clearly to be picked up in the next novel). Admittedly, all of the mundane tasks of daily life are vividly brought to life and readable because the characters are so likable, but Gabaldon can certainly beat a dead horse. As evidence, I offer the following:
1) She repeatedly overuses some words/phrases (sardonic, gimlet eye, wry smile, and everyone's mouth twitches at the corner with suppressed amusement at some point in the novel). Everyone's eye color is commented upon in every other paragraph. Details that diehard fans should be aware of by now are tediously repeated.
2) I read more about breastfeeding than I ever wanted to--Brianna's breasts spend so much time hardening between feedings of her offspring, Jemmy, they should be given their own novel. And I won't even comment upon the milk-sodden love scene. Let's just say it gave a whole new meaning to "Got Milk?" Blech.
3) Why does Roger MacKenzie still listen to Jamie? Sure, I know Jamie is his father-in-law and Roger wants to impress him, but Jamie is constantly sending Roger out on dangerous solo errands to give Roger (who is from the future) a chance to prove his manliness in a time when men are defenders, providers, apparently tireless lovers, etc. However, Roger always almost dies during his undertaking of these tasks. He is hung, nearly burnt to a cinder, beaten to within an inch of his life--how much more must Roger endure? Just let him stay home for a couple of chapters. Sheesh.
4) The alternating point of view is vexing to me. Some chapters are told in 1st person from Claire's point of view (and these are definitely the more interesting chapters, especially since you are reading about historical events from the perspective of someone who is conflicted about what knowledge she brings from the future and the dangers of revealing too much; it's easy to forget that there's a time travel element when Claire isn't narrating), but others are told in third person from other characters' perspectives. Most of these are told from Roger's point of view. Strangely, we never really get anything substantial from Jamie or Brianna's point of view.
5) Some chapters seem shoehorned in just because they were too darn cute to leave out. In particular, these chapters serve to show how clever someone is or how adorable little baby Jemmy is. Don't care. Don't give a shit. Move on.
And then there's James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser himself (or Himself, as he's often called in the novel, denoting his social position of laird). God, is there anything this man cannot do? As much as I love the character of Jamie, it's becoming increasingly obvious to me that he's female catnip (although he does not sparkle; he's the anti-Edward Cullen and yet they both share a similiar function--to make women long for men that do not exist and would probably be endlessly exasperating if they did). First off, he's the physical embodiment of masculine perfection: tall, well-muscled, blazing red hair, piercing blue eyes, fills out a kilt quite nicely (if you know what I mean--and if you don't, read the book. Gabaldon will make it quite apparent). He's a fierce warrior and yet a well-educated intellectual who is just at home in the courts and palaces of Europe as he is on a battlefield. He's multilingual and can read Latin, Greek, French, etc. and quote from high literature at a moment's notice. He can be a brutal or tender lover (depending on whatever Claire's in the mood for). He can be a man's man and then inexplicably lapse into shy boy-like behavior and whisper sweet nothings. Men of the world, give up. Compared with Jamie Fraser, you fail.
Despite all of this, I still enjoyed the novel. The relationship between Jamie and Claire has somewhat mellowed, although not in a bad way. There's still plenty of ridiculously hot sex between the two, but the relationship isn't marked by the fear of Claire going back to her own time through the stones. I also enjoy the good-natured vulgarity that runs throughout the characters' speech and the humor with which Gabaldon writes. And for all of my bellyaching about all of the details of 18th century life, I will concede that if anyone can make it interesting, it's Gabaldon. I will be reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes, the 6th book in the series, but I'm definitely going to need a lengthy respite between the two.
Cross posted at
This Insignificant Cinder -
I DID IT. I FINISHED THIS HULKING BEAST OF A BOOK.
The Fiery Cross is the fifth book in Arizona (woot) author Diana Gabaldon’s time-traveling historical fiction saga. I have enjoyed all the books up until this one, some with reservations, but still enjoyed. They all felt like they had strong backbones, and even though they were long, most of the stuff stuffed up in there had a point. Not so with this fucker.
Since the book is soooooo looooooong, I’m going to respond by being more concise than I would usually, just to get my point across here.
- – -
HOW TO WRITE A TURGID HOT MESS OF A BOOK, IN FIVE EASY STEPS!
1. Don’t have an outline or any other sort of plan going in. Narrative arcs are not important, and neither is change. Just have your characters do thing after thing after important thing for a whole novel and it doesn’t matter if you have something to tie it all together by the end. You can even switch genres halfway through your novel. It will totally not be confusing or frustrating at all! It is totally okay, even encouraged! to have your reader not be able to identify more than three or four parts that were actually important and relevant.
2. Describe in great detail meals, bowel movements, sweaty clothing, every poopy diaper, regular updates on the breasts of a character who is breastfeeding (a little swollen, leaking milk, rock hard, empty, etc.). Include extended excerpts from dream journals that hint at character arcs but never actually turn into anything. No detail is too small or insignificant. (DON’T EVEN MISS ONE!) EVERY SMALL DETAIL AND ACTION YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CHARACTERS DO WILL MAKE YOUR NOVEL EVEN LONGER AND HOTTER AND MESSIER. Don’t listen to those people who tell you that most of the things in your novel should connect to the central storyline or theme. Don’t listen to the people, even your readers, who will tell you that these moments are nice every now and again, but not all the time. Your novel should be mostly these moments, like we’re following your characters around in a neverending documentary of their every waking moment over a period of years.
3. Make your novel as long as possible. Longer=better. More=better. Drown these people in words. Their hands should be black with ink and their wrists ache by the time they’re finished. Never mind that pesky writing advice that says the more times you do something, the less impact it will have. Never mind all those people who praise concise writing, or get off on variation. Your characters are special, and the more time you let your readers spend with them, well, they should just be grateful, dammit.
4. When you’re at the thousandth page of your manuscript and have been teasing your reader mercilessly with the promise of a plot for hundreds of pages by this point, make sure to take one last completely pointless trip into the woods so your characters can deal with a mystical fucking white ghost bear* because in previous books the natives had given them portentous names like The White Raven and Bear-Killer, so they’re the only ones who can help, obvs. Have the bear be killed in a freak storm by a giant bolt of lightning while your characters coincidentally watch. The whole episode should take up at least seventy-five pages and have no bearing on the plot whatsoever.
*Or equivalent thereof.
5. Make sure to fit in the actual important bits towards the absolute end of the novel, after your reader has already checked out emotionally from the book and couldn’t actually give a flying saucer about any of it anymore. Just really make sure to bury completely the really interesting bits of your novel in absolute mundane as shit stuff so your reader can’t even find it!
- – -
Voila! Follow this formula, and even your most diehard reader will think twice next time about purchasing your books. Again, don’t listen to those people with common sense. Turning away readers is an excellent way to make money. -
And the story continues. ♥
Listening to these audio books back to back, they are starting to run together. I think I mentioned this before, but it's like one big, ongoing Outlander movie or something. I don't know if what I listened to was something from the other book or vise versa.
Here's what I know. Everyone is living together at Fraser's Ridge. Jamie gets called into the army by the Governor and Roger is with him. There is some fighting but I think there is more to come.
And sweet baby Jesus, if Roger didn't go through hell. I mean he did do something stupid. I thought it was stupid. You can't do that stuff back in the day, you could hardly do it now. But, when he saw someone he knew he should have just waved and went on about it. But no, he has to be an idiot and go over and talk and what not, in the middle of people wanting to start a war. Then it just gets horrible from there. Luckily a man came and got Jamie and Bree and Claire in the nick of time to save him. They thought he was dead and my heart was on the floor until finding out he was still barely alive. At this point I would have been thinking, the hell did I come back to this damn arse time in history. Alas, it took some time but Roger got better.
And that slimy Stephen Bonnet is still out there somewhere and they can't seem to get their hands on him. And now there is another person they need to beat down, William MacKenzie. And of course he's kin so the hell.
I remember listening a lot about all kinds of babies and goats and horses and craziness and funny stuff. At one point I didn't who what freaking kid belonged to who!
And Ian, he comes home with wolf, Rollo. =)
This book was a massive tome to get through but listening to the audio with the wonderful Davina Porter narrating is wonderful. She does the best job, ever!
You would think a book that just goes on about random stuff during the majority of the book would be boring but I they aren't to me. There is just something about them. And I'm still so happy to know that Jamie and Claire still love each other as much as they always have. I still really wish they didn't miss 20 years together though. It still gets to me, but I digress.
Now, onto the next . . . .
MY BLOG:
Melissa Martin's Reading List -
And so book 5 comes to an end. I started reading this series on June 16th and they have consumed me for all of my summer holidays. I swore I would take a break after each one but could not. They are long, they are detailed, all the names get a little confusing sometimes. I suppose I, myself, could be accused of jumping on the bandwagon, what with the TV series airing last night in the USA. Maybe so, but as I have had the books on my kindle and some of them in paperback for some time now (certainly before the glorious casting of Jamie Fraser), I feel I can join the legion of true fans, those of you who started reading this series when it was first released, many moons ago.
To be honest, I am not sure where the last book finished and this one started. All I knew is that I wanted to read more about Jamie and Claire and their journey in the New World.”Let the dead bury the dead, Sassenach,” he said softly. “The past is gone - the future is not come. And we are here together, you and I."
I was lucky enough to see the first episode of the TV series and it was wonderful. I thought it stayed verra true to the book and I am sure that is what Ms Gabaldon and the fans wanted. Jamie is perfect. He is soooo romantic. He is tough too but he has a heart of gold.“D'ye ken that the only time I am without pain is in your bed, Sassenach? When I take ye, when I lie in your arms-my wounds are healed, then, my scars forgotten.”
We did not study a lot of American History in school. We did learn about the obvious major historical moments, The American Revolution, the Colonial period (och, aye, anything where the British are trying to take over, us Irish are verra interested). I do like history and am very proud that my son is starting his first year in University (IN SCOTLAND) to study history.
I think this book was over a two or three year time spam. I sort of know because Jamie was the same age as me when the book started and he did then turn 50. Even a fifty year old Jamie is a fine figure of a man.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered to me.
“If you say so.”
“Do ye not believe me? Have I ever lied to you?”
“That’s not what I mean. I mean—if you say it, then it’s true.
You make it true.”
But this was not just Jamie and Claire’s journey. We had Roger and Brianna - I love Roger. What the poor man had to go through. Bloody hell, I nearly gave up at one stage when one part was happening.
ROGER?
BRIANNA?
There is still a lot more to happen in this adventure.That ballocks, Stephen Bonnet is still out there, or is he? God, I hate that bastard. He would have to be Irish, wouldn’t he. Here is who I imagine the toad would look like …
I will have the Gandy Police on my case now! Och, bring it on - I have Jamie on my side!”There may be a day when you and I shall part again,” he said softly, at last, and his fingers brushed my lips, light as the touch of a falling leaf. He smiled faintly. “But it willna be today."
Off to find my next read. It will be a hard act to follow this one.
And how could we forget "wee Jemmy"?
-
Like a Glucose Tolerance Test,
Only Recommended for Absolute Die-Hard Fans
A glucose tolerance test is a test given to a pregnant woman in order to determine whether or not she has gestational diabetes. The test is administered by forcing the poor pregnant woman to drink a, beyond human portion, of a glucose drink, something that tastes like a sugared soft-drink. Then glucose levels of the blood are measured at different intervals after the glucose has been metabolized by the body. It's not the substance as much as the quantity of the sweet tasting drink that is so difficult to stomach and that it has to be consumed after fasting for eight or more hours. It's making me a little queasy remembering it...
Anyway, that's what this book reminded me of.
I understand that letting Diana Gabaldon run wild without a heavy handed editor worked like magic in the past but there's always an exception to a rule and this would have to be it.
I loved, Loved, LOVED the first four books in this series and I have given them as gifts to one of my best friends, my mother and my mother in law. I thought they were fabulous, I can't say enough good things about them.
I'm having a hard time thinking of something good to say about this book, I do however have plenty of criticism. My dilemma is where to start...and then, when to stop, I think I could go on and on.
First, let me say that there is absolutely no reason for this book to be 979 pages long, almost nothing happens. There is no unifying thread of story that draws the reader along in this story, there are a few interesting mysteries but they happen somewhat suddenly and then are resolved rather quickly. There are two exceptions that will obviously be continued in the next book.
I loved these characters going into this book. I read in The Outlandish Companion that Diana Gabaldon, when asked how she keeps all the details of her characters straight, said that they are like real people to her and she wouldn't forget things about someone she knew. Well, I think she must be suffering from some form of long term memory loss because she forgot plenty.
A few things that were huge, beyond forgiving in my opinion: that Duncan has only one arm, that Jamie is left handed. I couldn't understand how those two things could ever be forgotten. There is a scene where she describes Duncan being carried to bed by Jamie and Major MacDonald 'limp arms about their shoulders'. There's another place where she describes Jamie's injured right hand and how it makes writing difficult for him, he's been left handed in the previous four books and he is again at the end of this book but somehow he's using his right hand to write in the middle of the book? There were so many other details that were inconsistent but I'm not going to try to list them all here.
I also thought that Gabaldon really victimized Roger, to the point of annoyance. I thought she completely changed Brianna's character and failed to develop or reveal the character of any of the rest of the family. Fergus seemed an after thought, Lizzie and Marsali as well.
And the preoccupation with all things scatological was over the top and the phrase 'comically blank' used to describe someone's facial expressions was used so often it almost became a catch phrase. And just one more thing I have to get off my chest. There is a scene where Jamie and another man have an altercation and the man calls Jamie a c*** (the c-word). Let me say that I am not offended by the c-word but that the use of it in this situation was just completely incongruous and gave a false ring to the entire scene.
I was so disappointed by this book that I'm not sure I will read the next one...
As a reader and fan of the Outlander and the first four books in the series I'd really like to know "What the heck happened?" -
Y no le pongo dos estrellas porque quiero mucho a los personajes, nada más.
Cuatro meses para terminar el que para mi es el libro más aburrido de la serie, tremendamente descriptivo y cansado.
No logré conectar con la historia :( -
Okay don't judge me: aber ich glaube, dass es nie ein Outlander-Buch geben wird, welches von mir weniger als 5 Sterne bekommt 🤷🏼♀️ sorry not sorry, aber ich bin einfach so ein Hardcore-Fan dieser Reihe schon seit Band 1 😍🤷🏼♀️
Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass dieser Band ein wenig ruhiger war als die 4 Vorgänger. Es ging etwas weniger um Krieg/Schlachten, sondern viel um Familie und zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen. Dennoch kam die Action hier keineswegs zu kurz. Meiner Meinung nach ist Gabaldon, was den Spannungsverlauf angeht, eine echte Meisterin: immer wenn man anfängt zu denken "och jetzt könnte aber mal wieder was passieren" passiert irgendetwas! Ich lese also in permanenter Furcht um unsere Protagonisten 😱
Apropos Protagonisten: wer liebt sie nicht - Jamie und Claire? Sie zeigen hier wieder wie grandios verschieden sie sind und wie perfekt sie vielleicht grade deswegen harmonieren. Für mich ist Claire einfach die beste Protagonistin, die je der Feder eines Autors/einer Autorin entsprungen ist. Allein in diesem Buch hat mich ihr selbstironischer Humor mehr als einmal zum Auflachen gebracht. Eine herrlich clevere, charmante Frau!
Neben einigen Lachern gab es für mich aber auch wieder viele Stellen an denen ich die ein oder andere Träne verdrücken musste, vor allem am Ende. Das Ende ist dieses Mal zwar kein offensichtlicher Cliffhanger, aber es sind aus dem Laufe des Buches noch so viele Fragen offen, dass man den nächsten Band trotzdem wieder nicht erwarten kann 😱😍 -
Went something like this:
50 chapters of camping and sexual frustration where nothing really happens.
Nothing happens, repeatedly.
50 chapters of a wedding with a LOT of sexual frustration followed by a murder most foul, an autopsy, and sex in the stables (FINALLY!)
More nothing happens.
50 chapters of a large scale battle.
Confrontation where guy gets his balls shot off. Maybe.
Ending with us waiting for the revolution to happen.
Throw in a couple of major characters almost dying (okay, she really got me with the bit about Roger, I'll admit it...)
Also, a lot of assgrabbing. Which is probably better than the spanking. But still. EVERYBODY is grabbing butts here. What is up with that?
I question why I keep reading these books but they keep me just entertained enough to keep going. Also there is some self loathing involved. -
Second read- 2021
Reading along with the show but I fell behind— forgot how massive (but wonderfully written) these books are. Definitely have to finish this one and read the next to catch up... winter is a great time for big books!!
First read- 2008
Although I really do love this series-- but book 5 seemed to go on and on and on without really moving the story forward that much... certainly not 1,000 plus pages worth. That said, Gabaldon is a master at weaving characters, historical fiction details galore and yet gives you just enough to want to read more.
Looking forward to the next installment-- just hope it is a little less heavy on the colonial life details. I know more than I ever wanted to know about changing diapers and gutting animals in pre-revolutionary America. -
Audio reread (at 2x). 2.5 stars.
This is a long meandering book that might have a plot. It establishes the family on Fraser’s Ridge and follows them for about a year. There are medical and military related story lines, and a lot happens in 1400 pages. Some highlights:
• Clare sets up a penicillin factory on the mountain.
• Jamie develops a foot fetish.
• Bree takes on the persona of the Professor on Gilligan's Island.
• The family seems to be an unhealthy obsession about knowing who Jemmy's biological father is.
• Sadly Lord John only shows up in correspondence.
• Ian mysteriously returns.
• Clare starts having hot flashes.
• Jamie turns 50 but is ok with it because he still gets morning wood.
• Then there is poor, poor Roger. I am convinced that Diana Gabaldon hates him.
I like to complain about this book. In a series of 8 books (for now) there is bound to be a stinker. It’s not really a stinker, it’s just not as good as the rest, and probably 500 pages too long. That being said, I love this series. I love Jamie and Clare. Good, bad or ugly, I am invested in it.
Rating relative to the series overall. -
Gabaldon invests much time and descriptive effort in this novel, which ties off many threads left dangling in DRUMS and introduces the reader to a plethora of new characters. The novel continues where DRUMS ended, at a a gathering of some of the Scottish colonial settlers. Brianna and Roger are set to marry and have their son, Jemmy, baptised. When a proclamation arrives from the Governor of North Carolina, everyone is put on notice that rebellion will not be tolerated against the British King. While local sheriffs wreak havoc on the matrimonial plans, those within the group are able to make some alternate arrangements, just as a missive arrives for Jamie. The Governor has tasked him to create a militia to quell dissent in the Colony, less a request than a directive. As everyone returns to Fraser's Ridge, Jamie begins making the necessary arrangements. An eventual battle ensues, pitting the militia against a group of Regulators, bound to fight against Britain's continued rule in the area. Roger becomes embroiled in events and suffers greatly for it, which draws the Frasers in closer to him, showing their familial strength. Brianna and Roger must also struggle with everything that relates to Jemmy and their larger relationship. Gabaldon shifts the romantic and relationship focus to the next generation of characters, putting Brianna, Roger, and Stephen Bonnet into a veritable parental triangle, as Roger struggles with Jemmy's potential parentage, going so far as to learn a little genetics from Claire to understand implications. Roger and Brianna must wrestle with much of the same issues Claire and Frank did years ago. Where Gabaldon left much of the awkwardness of the Claire-Frank-Jamie triangle to small crumbs in VOYAGER, a thorough exploration takes place herein, with some interesting insight to enlighten the reader. Claire's knowledge of history can be both a blessing and curse, as she watches Jamie prepare for the early stages of the War of Independence, sure to divide the colony and keep everyone on their toes. As old enemies return to tie off their storylines from novels past and new foes begin to lay roots for long-standing hatred, Jamie and his family grow closer through peril and tragedy, exemplifying that the family fabric can withstand much strain. With ghost bears and wild boars, snake bites and attempted executions, war drums and Scottish folk songs, the novel offers many a vignette to educate and entertain. Told in a way only Gabaldon could, the reader is in for a long and twisted story, but never left to drift too far off the beaten path.
Some have commented that this book was a turning point in the Outlander series, as it dragged on and began to derail the built momentum. To those readers, I would acknowledge the freedom of expression, but also remind this posse that this is not a series for the feint of heart or easily bored. Much of Gabaldon's content does play a key role in later missives, as the reader will have discovered in this novel. While seemingly minor topics appear in the narrative, they become central with the reemergence of characters, or new spins on their placement in the larger narrative. There were sections of the book that did take up much space and might have been trimmed or edited out, but something tells me there is a reason for their inclusion and the reader can skim all they like, hoping a re-read is not necessary at a later point. That said, this being a re-read for me, I took away so much more than I had the first time around. The story's underlying history begins its necessary heating up and will only get stronger and more interesting as the series progresses. Gabaldon, like perhaps George RR Martin, can see the mighty forest for the acorns currently scattered on the ground, and for that we owe her the true benefit of the doubt. She's shown that she is in control and trust has long-since been earned.
Kudos, Madam Gabaldon, for pressing on with your longest novel to date. Its content, though dense for some, proves highly attractive for the Outlander obsessed.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/ -
This is a hard book to review. Besides the fact that it's over 1400 pages and took me over a month to read... it's Diana Gabaldon. She writes fascinating accounts of history, trivia, mythology, a great love story, science fiction and people with great detail.
In some places I wanted to hurry through the details and get to the heart of the story, and other places I savored every word. That's the beauty of her writing, you have to read every word, absorb every detail because it will come back (maybe 700 pages later, but it does come back) and it has some importance.
I also love the fact that she doesn't waste time with back story, she throws you right into the action where the last book left off. She repeats a few of the important details, but for the most part lets the reader read between the lines or call upon their own memory of the previous books. -
Why oh why is this book so bloated?
No detail is too insignificant to include in this hefty tome. The plot itself - whatever tiny bit of it is there - is relegated to the back burner. The bulk of the pages seems to be taken over by the tedious depictions of breastfeeding and dirty diapers and then more breastfeeding and leaky breasts and diapers and more breastfeeding. And buried somewhere in the relentless onslaught of tedious minutia of the 18th century daily homesteading life there are hints of events that could have made a fun adventure story - but by the time you get to then you are too exhausted and bored to care.
A good editor with a relentless red pen for this book would have been a godsend.
(Continuing to slog through this series only to keep up with a TV show. That’s unheard of for me). -
”When the day shall come, that we do part, if my last words are not ‘I love you’, ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time”.
Ay, Outlander, amor de mis amores. Creo que, si llevan un tiempo siguiéndome, saben que amo esta serie y estos libros con todo mi corazón. Adoro las historias de Jaime, Claire, Brianna y los demás. Estos fueron los libros y la serie que me hicieron amar Escocia con locura y pasión, de verdad. Son magia pura. Y, a pesar de que estos dos últimos sucedan en el Nuevo Mundo, el espíritu de las Highlands sigue ahí.
The Fiery Cross es un libro tremendamente largo y, en mi opinión, excesivamente mundano. Claire y Jaime siguen trabajando en su asentamiento de Carolina del Norte, cosechando, dando tierras a otras personas e intentando mantenerse en el lado bueno del Gobernador. Y Bree y Roger siguen en el pasado criando a Jemmy, capeando los traumas que ambos han sobrevivido y pensando si, en algún momento, podrán volver a su tiempo.
¿Cómo es posible que en un libro de 1400 páginas haya poquísimos momentos de acción y de escenas que rompan esa cotidianidad? Pues mira, Diana Gabaldon lo logra. Yo sé que ella ama, incluso más que nosotros, a sus personajes, pero eso no quiere decir que queramos leer cada momento en el que Claire se va a recoger hierbas o cada ocasión en la que a Brianna le duelen las boobs por estar amamantando a su hijo. Hay momentos en los que esa cotidianidad y esas partes tan mundanas llegan a aburrir bastante.
No es sino hasta más allá de la página 900 cuando empiezan a suceder varios episodios en los que realmente hay tensión, las vidas de ciertos personajes están en peligro y se siente tal angustia que es imposible no seguir adelante para ver qué sucederá. Pero, de nuevo, alguien que no sea fan de la saga nunca va a esperar que llegue la página 900 de un libro para que el ritmo se levante.
Definitivamente, The Fiery Cross es un libro que no está a la altura de los demás, pero que, sin duda, es necesario para llegar al sexto de la saga. Que, además, por lo que he oído, es uno de los mejores, así que no puedo esperar para leerlo. -
This review can also be found at
Carole's Random Life.
Anyone who knows me knows how much love I have for this series. I really enjoyed listening to this book. I have recently listened to the first four books in the series after having read them years earlier. This was the first time that I have experienced this book and I was a little nervous about listening to it instead of sitting down with a book but I think it worked out well in the end.
So much happens in this book! That is really kind of normal for this series but this book has so many things going on. I guess that really should be expected since this book is also really long. It is like 3 or 4 books if you just compare page counts. There were a few sections of the book that I did think went on a little longer than was really needed. The book starts out at a gathering and I wasn't sure that they would ever leave but they did in the end and the book did start to really pick up steam quickly.
All of the characters that I have grown to love over the years were back in this book. Jamie and Claire are getting a bit older and it is really nice to see watch them grow over the course of the series. It is refreshing to see a couple that have been married for a long time still have the passion and love that Jamie and Claire have for each other. Brianna and Roger go through a lot in this book. In a lot of ways this book isn't very kind to poor Roger. Jemmy is growing up and his personality really starts to shine through in this book.
I really enjoyed the narration of this audiobook. I think that Davina Porter does a fabulous job with this series. In this book, she is able to give a unique voice to all four of the main characters. She is able to convey a lot of emotion during her narration. I found myself not wanting to stop listening because I had to know how things would work out.
I would highly recommend this book to others but I do believe that this is a series that needs to be read in order so please start with Outlander. The ending of this book really was exciting for me and I came really close to moving directly into the next book in the series. I can't wait to read more about Jamie and Claire!
Initial Thoughts
I feel like I deserve some kind of reward for finishing this audiobook in a month. 55 1/2 hours is looong!
This book started out slow for me but picked up eventually. There were a lot of new developments and some heartbreaking moments. The last part of the book was fascinating. I can't wait to read more of Jamie and Claire but I will probably take a break for a bit first. -
Honestly, I must be crazy to dive into another re-read over my weekend rather than crack open one of the other million new reads that await me. But here I am having given myself over to 979 pages of my least favorite book in the Outlander series.
Major Warning: If you have not read the four preceding books or if you have only watched the first three seasons of the television show..don't peek at this review. Spoliers are ahead
First a confession, I haven't read this book as many times as its predecessors. In fact, this might be only the third time I have ever gone back to book 5. Because not a lot of major plot development occurs in comparison to its predecessors.
Let's review...
Outlander 20th century woman finds herself back in 18th century Scotland. Falls in love with sexy virgin, has to be rescued many, many times from Highland superstitions and sadistic English officer who actually bears a striking relationship to 20th century husband. Possibly more than one person has also come through the stones.
Dragonfly in Amber shocking beginning, glamorous France, heartache, strife, Rising, horrible separation.
Voyager He's alive. She goes back. Lots of secrets. Constant action. A prophecy is at play.
Drums of Autumn new life on America, Brianna finds out something. Roger runs after her. A dastardly villain named Stephen Bonnet stirs up trouble for the Frasers. More reunions, questions, family.
So then we get The Fiery Cross and I swear that Diana Gabaldon is one of my favorites, but I still think she almost killed me with this book. IMHO, it's the A Feast for Crows for the Outlander series. Most of the time is spent on the war of Regulation in North Carolina, a point of history that neither Claire nor Brianna remember from Bree's textbooks and is part of the colony's history. Yet, it wasn't nearly as exciting as some of the other stuff that happens around that time frame especially for dear Roger.The first seventeen chapters are taken up at the Gathering, there is plenty of running around looking for people and our two main couples dashing into bushes for sexual interludes. A theme that basically runs all through the novel. The Stephen Bonnet storyline is still going strong and Roger almost gets killed by one of his direct ancestors. Perhaps the saving grace of the novel is that Jamie and Roger's relationship gets stronger and DG cooks up a great scene for Claire, Brianna, and the very underused Marsali. Oh and Jamie turns 50! Basically this book could be referred to as the "bridge" because the characters of the Beardsley twins and the arrival of Tom Christie and his family to the Ridge are basically all going to be relatively important in book 6, A Breath of Snow and Ashes.
Based on my opinions and this re-read my 3.0 star rating holds strong. I am also watching the show and hope that the show's writers will bring their A game to giving this story a little bit of oomph come Season 5. -
The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5), Diana Gabaldon
The Fiery Cross is the fifth book in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century doctor Claire Randall and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books contain elements of historical fiction, romance, adventure and science fiction/fantasy.
Claire, the heroine of Outlander, figures in The Fiery Cross as a reluctant oracle and wife to Jamie Fraser, her 18th century partner, and faces the politics and turmoil of the forthcoming American Revolution. As the preceding novel, Drums of Autumn, concluded with Jamie Fraser and his wife Claire helping their daughter and new son-in-law, from the 20th century, settle into life on Fraser's Ridge, The Fiery Cross picks up the story-line exactly where it was left - with Brianna Ellen Randall Fraser and Roger Mackenzie about to make their nuptials official and baptize their son Jeremiah. With the American Revolution only a few years away and unrest brewing, Jamie is called to form a militia to put down the beginnings of rebellion in North Carolina, and risk his life for a king he knows he must betray soon. Gabaldon delivers the endings to several strands of story-line she had woven through Drums of Autumn; mysterious plots and characters are revealed in the course of this intricate plot and at the end, the Frasers and their family are poised on the edge of war.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهارم ماه مارس سال 2018 میلادی
عنوان: بیگانه: کتاب پنجم: صلیب آتشین؛ نویسنده: دایانا گبلدون؛
داستان غریبه: کلِیر رَندال فریزر در سال 1945 میلادی در خلال جنگ جهانی دوم، یک پرستار جنگی و البته متاهل است که تصمیم میگیرد برای تغییر حال و هوای جنگ همراه با همسرش، فرانک رندال به دومین ماه عسل خود در اینورنس، اسکاتلند بروند. در آنجا کلیر با رفتن به مکانی مقدس با سنگهای ایستاده و دنبال کردن صداهایی عجیب که میشنود، ناگهان خود را در سال 1743 میلادی در اسکاتلند مییابد؛ زمان زندگی جد همسرش، بلک جک رندال، جاییکه در آن جنگ داخلی گروه جکوبایتها برپاست و یک جنگجوی شجاع اسکاتلندی به نام جِیمی فرِیزِر که کلِیر با او آشنا و کم کم، مجبور به ازدواج با او میشود، اما چیزی نمیگذرد که عاشق و دلباختهٔ یکدیگر میشوند ...؛ در این کتاب پنجم زندگی روزمره با چنان جزییاتی ارائه شده، که تمرکز خوانشگر روی داستان سفر از یادش میرود. ا. شربیانی -
Well, I finally finished The Fiery Cross.
*sigh*
I absolutely LOVE these books. This installment was no exception.....
I found that this installment had so many deep emotional scenes, that when i finished, I felt that i had connected to the characters, emotionally, more then ever before.
Starting with The Gathering, when Jamie calls his people out, and they all hold hands. The wedding scene between Roger and Brianna was both hilarious and touching. The various incidents at the Gathering really set up so much for the story. I love how Diana Gabaldon weaves the tale with details so deep, and how it all comes together in the end.
My complaint after "Drums of Autumn" was that, while i cared about Roger and Brianna, i didnt feel as emotionally connected to them, as i did with Jamie and Claire. In fact, i didnt really like Brianna very much. In Fiery Cross, i found that the deeper exploration of the relationship between Roger and Brianna was very satisfying. Roger especially, gave a whole new facet to the face of the family living at Fraser's Ridge. His brush with death, when he was hanged, was especially heart wrenching. The loss of his voice, and his constant doubts as to the paternity of Jemmy, and his own marriage really made me sympathize with him.
The atomosphere of Frasers Ridge is intoxicating. The natural beauty she describes. The danger. Fraser's Ridge is a character in itself.
I love these characters. When Roger almost died, before i realized that he was alive, i put my head down and cried. it was horrible!! but so well written, and thats the beauty of this author. His reaction to his "almost death" was heartbreaking for the entire family and as a reader, you felt it yourself.
Wee Ian!!! I honestly didnt think we would ever see him again. I thought for sure he would turn up dead, or only mentioned in memory. I was thrilled when he came back. Because i enjoyed this character so much, i was thrilled that he now knows the family secret of the stones.
"I knew you weren't a wee fairie Auntie Claire!"
my favorite quote. -
I read this as soon as it came out. Had to have it in hardback because I couldn't wait for paperback and had to have my own precious copy. Wish I had waited or borrowed it from the library. I was so excited to see what Claire and Jamie were up to, but it was a very slow read, explaining every little thing in detail. I mean, I love to read books that don't gloss over the not-so-pretty parts of the day, but explaining that a child needs a diaper change, and it's unpleasant aroma, over and over and OVER again is ridiculous and boring. They didn't go anywhere for most of the book, staying in one place this time whereas in the other books they were hardy and seasoned travelers, falling into tons of mischief. This was a big disappointment, especially since the rest of the series is such a huge success! Read it anyway, just to get you to the next book in the series.
-
Now that I’m finally reading ahead of the TV series, I’m finding these epic tomes to be even more rewarding as I’m eager to find out what happens next to the residents on Fraser’s ridge.
Set during the early 1770’s Gabaldon expertly brings to life the colonial America setting perfectly.
Every aspect of day to day life is laid out with so much detail that the story’s main focus from the 20th century time travellers helps highlights even the small insignificant details and gives a fascinating context to their experiences.
Whilst of course the various ‘scrapes’ that some find themselves in really helps pick up the pace during this volume.
Gabaldon clearly loves the period and it’s quite obvious that she is happy to let the narrative take its time, as this book only covers a 24 month period!
I’m learning so much from an era that I’m not overly familiar with amongst characters that I’m so invested in that I’m more than happy to take my time with this adventure.
Another gripping and richly rewarding segment in the series. -
I think this has been my least favourite out of the series so far. I did still love it but I thought it dragged a bit whereas the previous books flew by for me. I especially enjoyed the new characters they were added, it really gave a new dynamic to the story. And seeing Jamie and Claire’s relationship evolve is truly beautiful. I still wish it had packed more of a punch though, it just wasn’t as spectacular as the other books in the series for me!
-
Where do I start with my review of “The Fiery Cross”, the fifth (and possibly the l-o-n-g-e-s-t) book in Diana Gabaldon’s wildly popular “Outlander” series, which is also a highly-rated television show on Starz? How do I put into words the massive thoughts and emotions running through my head after finishing this grand opus of adventure, honor, love, and family? I think it starts with, “My name is Scott and I am an Outlander fan…”
Over last two years, I have devoured the first five books in this unbelievably well written series. It has so many elements, including historical, time travel, mystery, adventure, and yes, romance. Each of the first four books were epic and overwhelming with rich background, complex plotting, and strong dialog. Each one builds on the multi-layered mythology of the prior one. And each one just seems to build on and be better than the previous one. I can only speak for myself, but I am living proof that men can read and enjoy the Outlander series.
As many are already aware, Claire Randall is a 20th century doctor who survived going through the ancient stone circle back and forth in time multiple times. There she met Jamie Fraser, an 18th century Scot who was involved in the Jacobite uprising against England and they were forced to marry. She later returned to the present to bear and raise his child when he was assumed killed in battle. Twenty years later, when their daughter, Briana is grown, Claire discovers he survived and she risks everything to return through the stones to Jamie. Together again, they find themselves building a new life together in the wilds of the North Carolina colony. It doesn’t take long for Brianne to join them in the past so she can meet her father, and she is followed by Roger, a close family friend who is in love with her. After a lot of Shakespearian drama and intrigue, they both eventually join Jamie and Claire in building a family homestead on Fraser's Ridge.
“The Fiery Cross” begins where the last book – “Drums of Autumn” – ended, with Claire, Jamie, Brianne, and Roger attending a Scottish clan gathering in which Brianne and Roger are about to baptize their son, Jeremiah, as well as make their wedding vows legally official. The clan gathering goes on for about 200 pages, introducing a bunch of new characters and setting up and foreshadowing plotlines that will come to fruition throughout the book.
The rest of the book covers 2 years, from late 1770 to late 1772, as the war for independence approaches and Jaime finds himself unwillingly pulled into service as a militia leader to protect and defend England’s sovereignty. Most of the activity involves our four heroes – Claire, Jaimie, Brianne, and Roger – as they try to balance the political unrest and work to create a community and family home that they hope will survive the upcoming war. Bad things continually happen to both Roger and Jaimie (especially Roger) as a plethora of characters are introduced throughout, some to pop up again in key moments and others that remain in the background. For the most part, this outing provides some sub-plots and demonstrates the everyday challenges of surviving frontier life, and move the readers forward to the war for independence.
“The Fiery Cross” is a massive read, clocking in at 1,443 paperback pages. Patience and attention are required of the reader, especially with the beginning, when a lot of time is spent at the “celebration” setting up future storylines and conflicts for our protagonists. In being completely honest, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first four, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love certain moments, because I certainly did. The primary reasons for ranking it lower than the first four, was that the story built slower (much slower) at the beginning, and focused more on various sub-plots and particular moments with our characters rather than having over-arching major plotlines. I think the primary reason for that is, to be bluntly honest, is that this book serves as a transition for our four heroes from all of their let’s-overcome-all-of-the-conflicts-and-challenges-of-getting-together-and settling-down--as -a-united-family to that of preparing to fight the war for independence. That’s why many of the storylines are really short stories all wrapped together into one very long, long (did I say long?) book.
And what I find most ironic about Gabaldon tying a bunch of diary and journal type of events together is that she finds ways to creatively make it work for the most part. There several golden moments between Claire and Jamie, Brianna and Roger, Brianna and Jamie, and Roger and Jamie, that are mesmerizing and connect on an emotional level.
The strength in this book (and the series as a whole) is how well Gabaldon elevates love and conflict in the relationships of father/daughter, mother/daughter, and especially husband/wife. She creates conflict through secrets, good intentions, and a lack of willingness to open up to demonstrate lessons learned the hard way in the “Outlander” world. After the physical pain that Roger suffers through in this and the last book, I am starting to seriously worry that Gabaldon doesn’t like him, because he seems to be paying a harsh price to stay alive.
In my opinion, Gabaldon is an excellent writer that has mastered several strengths, including plotting, setting, character, and dialog. Her plotting is well-planned, multi-layered, detailed in whatever time period is involved, and full of many twists that lead to have future development opportunities. She grabs your attention and requires use of almost every one of your senses as you delve into her world. Her characters are rich and complex. Each have their own unique personalities, motivations, and attributes. You cannot stop yourself from loving the good guys and hating the bad guys, but every character is beyond three dimensional, with real strengths and flaws. You can clearly picture them standing next to you and engaging in conversation.
In my opinion, her ability to write scenes and dialog is probably her greatest skill as a writer. Although this book doesn’t have as many of the wonderful and pivotal pay-off moments as the previous ones, Gabaldon still finds subtle ways to pull you in and keep your undying interest. Her characters converse and provide information that pushes and propels the plot forward. Their conversations flow with a certain rhythmic quality that stands out above most writers.
Overall, “The Fiery Cross” serves its purpose to transition the characters forward from settling the American frontier to participating in the war for independence, and does so in pretty creative and imaginative ways most of the time. Although I find it be a little less awesome than the previous four books, primarily due to lacking a stronger overarching storyline, Gabaldon still proves her worth in delivering a stronger outing than most writers could pull off.
For me, she has found the magic for creating unforgettable characters that I have come to know and deeply care about. I am not afraid to admit that I have shared some deeply personal moments with them, including laughter, struggle and challenge, pain and sadness, and tears of joy in the things that matter most in a family. I cannot wait for the journey to continue in her next book, “A Breath of Snow and Ashes” … -
This book starts off at The Gathering which is where all the Scots come together to see how everyone is and what's been going on. But that's only the tip of the iceberg of what all happens in these 1443 pages. The blurb makes you think that the book is a lot about the war but it's not.
Wow! There are so many major things that happen in this book and one extremely shocking event. I just couldn't believe that Diana Gabladon did that to Roger and while she set up things nicely, it was still incomprehensible!! I keep wondering why she did that...I have an idea but I'm not sure if it will ever be addressed.
I LOVED Jamie and Claire and Roger and Brianna and little Jemmy. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing about their family activities. I got a big kick out of how Roger was always watching Claire and Jamie as an example of how a good marriage should be.
It was great seeing Jamie and Roger finally getting closer. I feel they were headed that way anyway but I hated what happened to make it even more so. (Poor Jamie)
There's also sooo many funny lines. I especially loved the part where Claire is showing Jamie things in the microscope and he doesn't realize it's his sperm he's looking at:
“I’ve never seen such a thing, Sassenach. Ye’d told me about the germs, aye, but I never in life imagined them so! I thought they might have wee teeth, and they don’t—but I never kent they would have such handsome, lashing wee tails, or swim about in such numbers.”
I do have to say that I was apprehensive to start this book solely due to the length but once I started reading, I was happy to be back in Jamie and Claire's world. That doesn't mean there weren't problems because there were.
There's just no way to sugar coat this....it's wwaaayyy too long. And it's really hard to say what could be edited because with all of DG's books, the little things tend to come back in a big way. Not so much this time. There were several things that were made up to be this big story and then just ended with nothing else being said. I have no idea if they will be addressed in future books or not.
I think one of the problems is a lot of the times, the family will split up....for example, Jamie will be with Roger when something happens and when they get back to Claire and Brianna, you would expect some explaining or what they might do but nope, nothing. It's verra frustrating or maybe I'm just expecting too much.
Also, there are more and more people and it's getting harder to remember everyone. I think that DG did a good job for the most part but all of a sudden, someone would pop up and it took a while for her to refresh you with who they are.
There are also a lot of POV's and while I didn't really mind it, I just wish it was clearer in the beginning of who it was. Sometimes I found myself going back and rereading.
All in all, maybe not the best book in the series but definitely one that a lot of major things happened. It took me awhile to get through it but I'm glad I did.
Cover Talk: Not a big fan but one thing I can say is at least they are consistent.
Favorite quotes: (again, I could go on and on but I will try to just put down my favorites)
♥ “No matter what,” he whispered, “no matter where. No matter whether you’re there to hear or not—I’ll always sing for you.”
♥ “Let the dead bury the dead, Sassenach,” he said softly. “The past is gone—the future is not come. And we are here together, you and I.”
♥ “There may come a day when you and I shall part again,” he said softly, at last, and his fingers brushed my lips, light as the touch of a falling leaf. He smiled faintly. “But it willna be today.”
♥ “He’s a man,” she said, “and that’s no small thing to be.”
♥ “You’re beautiful to me, Jamie,” I said softly, at last. “So beautiful, you break my heart.”
♥ "I love you, a nighean donn. I have loved ye from the moment I saw ye, I will love ye ’til time itself is done, and so long as you are by my side, I am well pleased wi’ the world.”
♥ “When the day shall come, that we do part,” he said softly, and turned to look at me, “if my last words are not ‘I love you’—ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.”
-
The Fiery Cross is the fifth book in a series written by Diana Gabaldon about Clare Fraser, who can travel through time by touching stones (think stonehenge). The first time she time travelled, it was an accident. She travelled two-hundred years backward to the 1740s and met the love her life, Jamie Frasier, a Scottish highlander. Their love story has developed through out each of the books as Gabaldon details the historical setting that surrounds them. In The Fiery Cross, the year is 1771 and the unrest and dissatisfaction of the colonists in the New World are humming. Even though the author uses almost 1,000 pages, the story progresses less than a year through time. That's an awful lot of information, in my opinion, without anything really happening to the characters. Jamie continues to lead, Clare continues to freak out everyone by practicing 20th century medicine in the 18th century, Briana continues to nurse (I couldn't believe how often the author had to point that out to us readers. Her breasts are hardened with milk again????) and Roger continues to be a complete fish out of water. In fact, I believe this book gets read solely because it is part of a series where the reader is already attached to the main characters. Separate it from the other books, and The Fiery Cross is unnecessarily wordy and quite dull.
This book came out four years after the previous book in this series, Drums of Autumn. Four years. I finished Drums of Autumn only few months ago and I was constantly confused by the many, many unimportant names of characters Gabaldon throws at her readers. Who? Is this important?
Turns out, not really. My theory as to why she bothers making it so complicated is that she is trying to convince the masses that these books are much more than fantasy romance, but legitimate historical fiction. She makes her point. Gabaldon clearly has done a lot of research about the living conditions, medicinal remedies, and political atmosphere of the pre-revolutionary war colonies. She included it all and then some. Lots and lots of digression about medicine that Claire Fraser would not have learned or remembered from her med school days. They do not teach microbiology stain techniques, or pathology to the extent that she would be the expert she always ends up being. Gabaldon seems to forget that Clare was a surgeon, and since she rarely gets to do surgery, the author flaunts what she's learned about medicine elsewhere in the book and always uses Clare as her medium. I find it annoying. Clare wouldn't know all of that stuff and making her some sort of superbrain takes away from the realness of her character. Why can't Claire just be wrong...or simply not know? She's pigeonholed her greatest characters. Jamie must be uberbrave. Claire must be ubersmart. Throw in some nookie a few times and you've got your book.
This took way too long for me to read. It simply wasn't very interesting. Until, of course, the very end. Around page 920, she finally threw in some of her good stuff - the time travel stuff. Genuine conflict and not just a side story that takes you somewhere for 100 pages without a purpose. Darn it...I'm going to have to read the next one! -
There is so much happening in this novel. We start off with a Scottish Gathering. Jamie, Claire, Brianna, Roger, Jemmy, Fergus, Marsali, Germain and Joanie are all there to renew old acquaintances and to form alliances. There is to be two weddings (Brianna and Roger, and Duncan Innes and Jocasta Cameron) and three baptisms (Jemmy, Germain and Joanie). While at the Gathering, Lt. Archie Hayes issues a proclamation about the Hillsborough riots -- to bring those who participated in it to justice. Lt. Hayes also gives Jamie a summons from Governor Tyron to raise a militia to fight against the Regulators. Jamie shows the letter to Roger, who will be riding with him. Germs of dissent are growing in the colonies, but how much in North Carolina is the unclear question.
Jamie and Roger seem to take the brunt of ever situation. Stephen Bonnet is still in the middle of the triangle between Roger and Brianna. The question of Jemmy's parentage, whether it is Roger or Stephen, is a haunting question. Claire's knowledge of history is both a blessing and a curse (as one reviewer referred to it). The love between Jamie and Claire is still rock solid. We also get to see the ups and downs of Brianna and Roger's marriage, and we watch it grow stronger. And a beloved character makes an appearance, possibly staying.
As I said in the beginning of this review, there is a lot happening in the novel. The characters are so we'll drawn they feel like family and friends. We witness what drives them, what impedes them and what helps them grow. The plot is so tightly woven the skeins of the subplots seem seamless, though some are unraveled. The history is well researched. The descriptions and settings make the reader feel like they're right beside the characters, experiencing life in the 1770s. This is a most excellent novel. I highly recommend the Outlander series is read in order to get the full experience. Now to re-read the next novel, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. -
In the fifth installment of the Outlander series, time-traveler Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and her eighteenth century husband, Jamie, have established their homestead on Fraser’s Ridge in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Grumblings among colonists against British tyranny have begun, and Jamie and Claire are resigned to the fact that the American Revolution will take place and there is nothing they can to do stop it. Although Jamie sympathizes with the colonists, his allegiance, for the time being, lies with William Tryon, Governor of North Carolina, who gave Jamie a land grant of 5000 acres in North Carolina, although Jamie is Catholic and this was forbidden at the time. When Governor Tryon appoints Jamie Colonel and asks he put down a forthcoming rebellion by the colonists (called Regulators) at Alamance, Jamie follows Highland tradition and calls together his fellow clansmen by burning a large cross, referred to as the Fiery Cross. Accompanied by Claire (acting as field surgeon) and Roger Wakefield, Jamie’s son-in-law, they journey to Alamance, where a brief but brutal skirmish takes place.
This installment addresses interesting issues of the eighteenth century, including everyday mundane activities, medicinal herbs and treatments, Highland superstitions, and a wide array of characters, savory and otherwise, made all the more intriguing by the time period. The love story between Claire and Jamie, is, as always, in the forefront and continues forward as they age with each book. Recommended. -
3.5!
