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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
Long book that didn't really have much of a plot - bored by half way through.
adventurous
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I will have a book hangover so bad after this. Even if Diana would have made this a 2,000 page book, I would have *happily* read the crap out of it. Looking forward to/dreading reading the final book of my favorite series!
Continuing adventures of Claire, Jamie, their extended family along with the extended family of Lord John Gray.
Pros: I find the Grays and MacKenzies more interesting. One intriguing revelation, which may or may not be true, reaches back to a character seen in Book 2 as well as a novella. Might actually open up some fantastical possibilities for the younger man if true.
Cons: Slow start due to repetitive details from previous books needed for exposition for anyone foolish enough to start with Book 9 of a series instead of Book 1. A tedious amount of quotidian detail that serves no purpose whatsoever in driving the plot forward. Self indulgent writing thanks to a fan base that doesn’t have standards.
Also reminiscent of my academic days, with American academics being particularly guilty of overuse of jargon and writing for each other, rather than writing to be accessible to a wider audience without dumbing it down.
Did the overall narrative need this length? No. Could have cut 200 pages without affecting the outcome of the novel.
I’m no longer on the bandwagon, having found good fiction writers who give enough details to make a novel interesting, yet keep the pace chugging along. At this point, I do want to know what happens next, but please Madame Author - get to the point. I just pray the final book isn’t as long-winded as The Fiery Cross. I want to see the saga wrapped up, but can do without the excess and hype.
Pros: I find the Grays and MacKenzies more interesting. One intriguing revelation, which may or may not be true, reaches back to a character seen in Book 2 as well as a novella. Might actually open up some fantastical possibilities for the younger man if true.
Cons: Slow start due to repetitive details from previous books needed for exposition for anyone foolish enough to start with Book 9 of a series instead of Book 1. A tedious amount of quotidian detail that serves no purpose whatsoever in driving the plot forward. Self indulgent writing thanks to a fan base that doesn’t have standards.
Also reminiscent of my academic days, with American academics being particularly guilty of overuse of jargon and writing for each other, rather than writing to be accessible to a wider audience without dumbing it down.
Did the overall narrative need this length? No. Could have cut 200 pages without affecting the outcome of the novel.
I’m no longer on the bandwagon, having found good fiction writers who give enough details to make a novel interesting, yet keep the pace chugging along. At this point, I do want to know what happens next, but please Madame Author - get to the point. I just pray the final book isn’t as long-winded as The Fiery Cross. I want to see the saga wrapped up, but can do without the excess and hype.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is difficult to write, but I had a hard time deciding between two and three stars for this book. By far my least favorite of the series. It felt more like small glimpses pieced together rather than one full, cohesive story. I did like the way Gabaldon explained and refreshed memories of past characters/situations that came up again. It was helpful without being a retelling. It’s interesting to finally see just how much of the past books/storylines are coming back to create an even bigger picture, and I am glad that the story didn’t follow battles and armies up and down the east coast again, but so much of this book felt like deja vu because the situations have occurred before. I spent a lot of time reading a few pages, getting bored and taking a break before pushing through. Disappointing!
Boring from the beginning to the end, nothing happening other than the usual Gabaldon stereotypes: people incessantly raising one eyebrow and speaking "softly".
Typical example of series that has run out of steam and imagination.
Not to mention the sex scenes between a pair of 60 year-olds (kinda disgusting to even try to imagine, let alone read about).
I definitely will not read the next one (it looks like there's going to be a next one).
Typical example of series that has run out of steam and imagination.
Not to mention the sex scenes between a pair of 60 year-olds (kinda disgusting to even try to imagine, let alone read about).
I definitely will not read the next one (it looks like there's going to be a next one).
This is not the best in the series. Great characters and setting as always. But it read more like a book of short stories than a novel. There just didn't seem to be much tying it together. Now, I'll read a short story collection by Gabaldon anytime, so that's not a deal breaker. However, I also felt like Lord John was nowhere near as entertaining as usual. Since he is one of my favorite characters, that bothered me. And Claire wasn't given very much to do at all. Finally, no spoilers, but the last big drama in the book felt kind of manipulative, given the title and all. I'm not sure why it was even in there, to be honest. Hopefully, the next volume will be "tighter" and wrap up some of those loose ends.
Book 9. Definitely enjoyed it. You can see some of the threads that make up this very long story are being neatly tied off; I think book 10 may be The End (and yes, that was deliberate).