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emalderwood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
After where the last book left off I was honestly disappointed.
The writing was engaging and prose was good(?) as always with Gabaldon but I felt like this was Fiery Cross 2.0 - it went on and on about the domestic life plot lines and left us hanging the majority of the book on the big action pieces like the whole plot with the attackers that Brianna and Roger just dealt with, and also a pretty cool and exciting plot with Lord John that showed up in the last couple chapters only to wait until the next book. Don't get me wrong, I like the domestic plots and the character growth plots too, I just felt like more balance would have been great.
I will also say I'm... not liking Diana's lack of Black representation. She mentioned in her afterward about some corrections to accurate depictions of the Indigenous cultures she included and I appreciate her stepping up her efforts there. But given the history of the battle they're in and the sheer number of side characters introduced, I would think there would be more opportunity to bring in some Black characters that are on the Frasers' side. Instead we got the return of an old Black character in a very malevolent manner showing up as an antagonist, a mixed man presenting as Big Bad who wants to... stop slavery? But for some reason by trying to make the British win? (WHY is Gabaldon seemingly always on about the British rule being better for oppressed peoples?) and no other big characters to balance that out.
For people who were supposedly friends with a Black man in the 1970s, and who are willing to get involved in risking their lives in a whole war, you would think someone would be even a little interested in helping any of the enslaved folks... I get that's not the main plot Diana wants to feature but with the many other random sideplots and things the cast get into outside of the war I feel it's just laziness or a choice to not bother with Black people. Except of course as antagonists.
I'm just about to throw the series out the window if she doesn't find some way to redeem the absolute nonsense of that last 'big bad plot' reveal of 'Black man travels back in time to end slavery early by making the Americans lose the civil war and is definitely evil and is going to threaten to get a gay man outed and killed to achieve his ends.' If Gabaldon could put a bit of the effort she puts into describing home life into educating herself on racist tropes that would be GREAT, THANKS.
The writing was engaging and prose was good(?) as always with Gabaldon but I felt like this was Fiery Cross 2.0 - it went on and on about the domestic life plot lines and left us hanging the majority of the book on the big action pieces like the whole plot with the attackers that Brianna and Roger just dealt with, and also a pretty cool and exciting plot with Lord John that showed up in the last couple chapters only to wait until the next book. Don't get me wrong, I like the domestic plots and the character growth plots too, I just felt like more balance would have been great.
I will also say I'm... not liking Diana's lack of Black representation. She mentioned in her afterward about some corrections to accurate depictions of the Indigenous cultures she included and I appreciate her stepping up her efforts there. But given the history of the battle they're in and the sheer number of side characters introduced, I would think there would be more opportunity to bring in some Black characters that are on the Frasers' side. Instead we got the return of an old Black character in a very malevolent manner showing up as an antagonist, a mixed man presenting as Big Bad who wants to... stop slavery? But for some reason by trying to make the British win? (WHY is Gabaldon seemingly always on about the British rule being better for oppressed peoples?) and no other big characters to balance that out.
For people who were supposedly friends with a Black man in the 1970s, and who are willing to get involved in risking their lives in a whole war, you would think someone would be even a little interested in helping any of the enslaved folks... I get that's not the main plot Diana wants to feature but with the many other random sideplots and things the cast get into outside of the war I feel it's just laziness or a choice to not bother with Black people. Except of course as antagonists.
I'm just about to throw the series out the window if she doesn't find some way to redeem the absolute nonsense of that last 'big bad plot' reveal of 'Black man travels back in time to end slavery early by making the Americans lose the civil war and is definitely evil and is going to threaten to get a gay man outed and killed to achieve his ends.' If Gabaldon could put a bit of the effort she puts into describing home life into educating herself on racist tropes that would be GREAT, THANKS.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, Homophobia, Pregnancy, War, Death, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, and Medical content
Moderate: Slavery, Colonisation, and Terminal illness
savshanae's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Sheโs done it again, ladies & gents ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ
I love every character, I loved every moment, and of course, she left us on a cliffhanger.
Iโm not sure how Iโll tide myself over until the next and โfinalโ book!
I love every character, I loved every moment, and of course, she left us on a cliffhanger.
Iโm not sure how Iโll tide myself over until the next and โfinalโ book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Blood, Murder, War, Violence, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Deportation, Misogyny, Sexism, Chronic illness, Grief, Gore, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Classism, and Vomit
Minor: Suicide, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Ableism, Antisemitism, and Terminal illness
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