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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
*Loved it* Like a comfy old pair of slippers, all the familiar faces, some new locations, not really moving on far. Some beautiful moments, and very readable. Can't wait for book 10!
Let's be honest, my love for these characters is such that I would read a book of their shopping lists and enjoy every minute of it.
Another great installment in the series. The constantly-changing perspectives were sometimes a bit jarring, but there are a LOT of loose ends to tie up as the series nears a conclusion in the next book. I love all the time Diana takes to include the tiny details that make me feel like I'm right there with the characters. That means I'll be missing them until book 10 arrives, but the pain is worth it.
Bees is the 9th (of a planned 10) main book in the Outlander series. Holy carp it was long. The audio (at a slightly increased speed) was 48 hours. In other words, I drove all the way from Minnesota to Las Vegas and only got half way through.
It was…pretty good. It didn’t feel like it moved as quickly, it didn’t have to quite the same vibe in the relationships, but it was good and engaging. I didn’t really feel like it was a true Outlander-style book until the final 100 pages. And now I need book 10.
[Spoilers] I wanted to love this book... And I did truly like the book. But... The first part drolled on and on and on. Sometimes painfully.
The next parts and all throughout the book were a bit more riveting but compared to the first part, went so fast (months passed between chapters) that I was caught off guard at times. The last hundred pages went so fast it was almost upsetting that the book was over. I felt like less could have been spent on the mundanity of life in part one and more time spent on the rest of the book.
The next parts and all throughout the book were a bit more riveting but compared to the first part, went so fast (months passed between chapters) that I was caught off guard at times. The last hundred pages went so fast it was almost upsetting that the book was over. I felt like less could have been spent on the mundanity of life in part one and more time spent on the rest of the book.
650 pages of filler, 150 pages of actual plot progression, and 10 pages of action.
Long book but nothing really happened until the last 200 pages or so.
I absolutely love spending time with Jaime, Claire, Ian, William and Brianna so I can’t complain, but the plot itself was rather meandering.
I absolutely love spending time with Jaime, Claire, Ian, William and Brianna so I can’t complain, but the plot itself was rather meandering.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: childbirth, stillbirth
I was so excited to read this book. I think at this point, 12 years into my love affair with Outlander (I was introduced to the books late which meant I only had to wait for MOBY and Bees), I'll read anything about Jamie and Claire. I did really enjoy the opportunity to revisit Jamie, Claire, and the vast quantity of other characters that make up the Outlander world. The descriptions of daily life in early America and the effects of war were fascinating, to a point. However, I felt that at 900 or so pages, the pace was quite plodding in places and lacked the breathless anticipation of "what's going to happen next?" that the previous books had. (Voyager remains my most favorite; I've reread it twice). I appreciate the meticulous research that goes into writing a historical novel, but I think this book could have been about half as long. Still, I'm already looking forward to the final installment.