Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I've always liked Lord John and I particularly enjoyed this because it so aptly describes his life both as a British Army officer and a homosexual in a time when being discovered as the latter can result in a death sentence. I'm looking forward to more Lord John books.
Listened the second time around and still got a little lost.
Okay - I would have given this one 3 1/2 stars because it was better than I expected. If you are familiar with Gabaldon's books, her past books have been centered around Jamie & Claire who everyone adores. Lord John, is actually not a very nice character when he is first introduced but Gabaldon must have some type of fasination with him because this is the 2nd book dedicated to him (but at least Jamie is there a few times). One thing I liked about this story is that it steps back to an early part of Jamie & Claire's story. Plus, I actually like Lord John a bit better and the writing is good. One warning: the sex scenes do not "fade to black" until you have a really good idea what is going to happen.
This is the first time ever I have read a book that contains explicit consensual homosexual intercourse. Being straight, I didn’t find the idea appealing nor I could understand how in Japan there’s a whole trend on straight women reading homosexual (man w. man) manga.
Thus, I only started reading the book because I want to read Outlander’s seventh book and I wanted to understand what’s what with Percy and John.
I LOVED the book, even the sexually explicit parts and the sexually explicit thoughts.
Gabaldon’s writing is so perfectly done, so studied, so conscious about what she writes, that she shows everything just as it is. It is sex, it’s an act of passion, sometimes an act of love, and as long as it is between consenting adults, it doesn’t really matters who does it, you just get engrossed in the reading and you go with the flow.
As a matter of fact, you get so attuned to John’s feelings that this is the only time throughout my Outlander’s romance in which I have disliked Jaimie. The way he talks to John… jeez… even as I know what’s happened to him and even as I know that was the kind of treatment homosexual people received by then (And Gabaldon’s has never been one to sugarcoat things), it stills makes my blood boils.
All and all, it shows you that the very good relationship John and Jaimie have by the third book was hard earned and was not as peachy and smooth as one assumes, which really makes a lot of sense.
Thus, I only started reading the book because I want to read Outlander’s seventh book and I wanted to understand what’s what with Percy and John.
I LOVED the book, even the sexually explicit parts and the sexually explicit thoughts.
Gabaldon’s writing is so perfectly done, so studied, so conscious about what she writes, that she shows everything just as it is. It is sex, it’s an act of passion, sometimes an act of love, and as long as it is between consenting adults, it doesn’t really matters who does it, you just get engrossed in the reading and you go with the flow.
As a matter of fact, you get so attuned to John’s feelings that this is the only time throughout my Outlander’s romance in which I have disliked Jaimie. The way he talks to John… jeez… even as I know what’s happened to him and even as I know that was the kind of treatment homosexual people received by then (And Gabaldon’s has never been one to sugarcoat things), it stills makes my blood boils.
All and all, it shows you that the very good relationship John and Jaimie have by the third book was hard earned and was not as peachy and smooth as one assumes, which really makes a lot of sense.
I never tire of this author, she is an incredible story teller and this one was particularly unique.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another mystery for John to solve with an interesting cast of characters to help him along the way. I loved being able to see the start of John and Percy's relationship.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, War
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Vomit
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
warning: spoilers follow!
I think this is definitely the best of the Lord John books so far. I'm really delighted to see a mainstream bestseller write a vividly sexual queer romance. Heaven knows we've seen Lord John show enough repressed desire, but it's lovely to see him with a lover and in more explicit detail than I expected.
The mystery plot was a bit more convoluted than I considered necessary, especially since I'd completely forgotten who the villain was by the time he arrived at the end -- hundreds of pages after his last mention. I'm still not even sure what his motive was -- was he going to expose someone, or was he merely framed as a conspirator? I'm afraid it's a muddle.
But! I can say that the scenes set in Prussia were fabulous. Gabaldon has a real knack for writing 18th century warfare. And unlike most hero-books, the men on the field simply felt like ordinary men. No one came off as larger than life or patterned off a superhero. They just seemed like regular guys who happened to be scared shitless AND fighting a gruesome war. And that was refreshing to me because the lack of fear dehumanizes a character and I wanted all these people to feel human.
I love Stephan like a much-loved thing. I want Percy to grow the hell up, but I don't trust him to. And I really loved the darker turn of John's character at the end, where he does have secrets and a much looser morality than we've seen before. I hope Gabaldon will stick around in this universe for a while -- and I hope that book sales figures will encourage her publisher to let her.
I think this is definitely the best of the Lord John books so far. I'm really delighted to see a mainstream bestseller write a vividly sexual queer romance. Heaven knows we've seen Lord John show enough repressed desire, but it's lovely to see him with a lover and in more explicit detail than I expected.
The mystery plot was a bit more convoluted than I considered necessary, especially since I'd completely forgotten who the villain was by the time he arrived at the end -- hundreds of pages after his last mention. I'm still not even sure what his motive was -- was he going to expose someone, or was he merely framed as a conspirator? I'm afraid it's a muddle.
But! I can say that the scenes set in Prussia were fabulous. Gabaldon has a real knack for writing 18th century warfare. And unlike most hero-books, the men on the field simply felt like ordinary men. No one came off as larger than life or patterned off a superhero. They just seemed like regular guys who happened to be scared shitless AND fighting a gruesome war. And that was refreshing to me because the lack of fear dehumanizes a character and I wanted all these people to feel human.
I love Stephan like a much-loved thing. I want Percy to grow the hell up, but I don't trust him to. And I really loved the darker turn of John's character at the end, where he does have secrets and a much looser morality than we've seen before. I hope Gabaldon will stick around in this universe for a while -- and I hope that book sales figures will encourage her publisher to let her.
First read September 2007.
This was a good Lord John book. I wish she'd get on with Claire and Jamie, but maybe this is a way for her to recharge her batteries. It was a fast read (one great afternoon) and very fun. And it did deepen the Jamie/Claire storyline by telling a little more of the backstory. It takes place while Claire's back in "our" timeline, raising Brianna. Jamie's out of Ardsmuir, and is working as a groom on a farm where (ahem) the lady of the house has just died giving birth to a son, and her husband died the same day.
Fun read, great bit with a dog.
This was a good Lord John book. I wish she'd get on with Claire and Jamie, but maybe this is a way for her to recharge her batteries. It was a fast read (one great afternoon) and very fun. And it did deepen the Jamie/Claire storyline by telling a little more of the backstory. It takes place while Claire's back in "our" timeline, raising Brianna. Jamie's out of Ardsmuir, and is working as a groom on a farm where (ahem) the lady of the house has just died giving birth to a son, and her husband died the same day.
Fun read, great bit with a dog.