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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I tried multiple times to get through this book and I just couldn’t. It’s dense and very political compared to her previous books. I get that it takes place leading up to the revolution, but still there is a lot of political detail that just drags on and on. It made me so sad, because I LOVED the first few books of this series.
TOO MANY WORDS. The ending was worth it, but page after page of descriptions of snake bite treatments, stray kittens, and herbs and plants made me want to go back in time myself...to help her edit this down to say, 200 pages.
Diana slays me. Such beautiful writing of love and loss.
Made it 25% of the way and was just so bored I had to stop.
I am saddened that this wasn't a five star read for me. It took me a very long time to get through it and I found myself skimming quite a bit. I am not alone though, I have read several other reviews that feel as I. While I really enjoyed the last few chapters, the rest just felt unnecessary. I care not to read about Brianna and her lactation, nor her breasts. Poor Roger, I think this man has suffered enough. There wasn't near as much Jamie and Claire. I did enjoy seeing Roger and Brianna grow as a couple, and seeing Ian come back to the family, along with the book he brought. It was fascinating learning about the other travelers.
Just...thank GOODNESS that's over... that was... Like... WHAT?
WHAAAAAT?!
Okay. Sorry. Let's try that again. I was just so frustrated with this book. There would be little bits of things that sounded like they MIGHT turn into a plot... but it just never happened. This whole book was a mess with tiny flashes of brilliance thrown in -- just sparks here and there. The conversation between Jamie and Claire about sperm was brilliant. Jamie asking his grandson to roll his tongue accidentally was brilliant. Little things here and there would make me perk up, but...
I mean...
They got attacked by FOUR SEPARATE ANIMALS...
FOR NO REASON. It lead up to nothing. It accomplished nothing. I am...just so frustrated.
WHAAAAAT?!
Okay. Sorry. Let's try that again. I was just so frustrated with this book. There would be little bits of things that sounded like they MIGHT turn into a plot... but it just never happened. This whole book was a mess with tiny flashes of brilliance thrown in -- just sparks here and there. The conversation between Jamie and Claire about sperm was brilliant. Jamie asking his grandson to roll his tongue accidentally was brilliant. Little things here and there would make me perk up, but...
I mean...
They got attacked by FOUR SEPARATE ANIMALS...
FOR NO REASON. It lead up to nothing. It accomplished nothing. I am...just so frustrated.
I always feel as though I’m living these characters lives. At times the storyline is a little slow, and others I couldn’t put it down. I’m always amazed at how such a slight detail early on cam seems rather insignificant, but later on has such large part of the story.
I'm industriously working my way through the series again in anticipation of the next installment, which is due out next week! Might even like the series better the second time around. All kinds of things I had forgotten, or that I missed the first time around.
Another wonderful listen!
Another wonderful listen!
It took me a few days to get used to the reader's voice because I am such a huge fan of the show...but once I adjusted I really enjoyed listening to it.
Diana Gabaldon fell so in love with the characters she created and the period research she conducted that she forgot to include any actual plot in her fifth novel. The Fiery Cross is a behemoth of a book. The hardcover edition is almost a thousand pages, the paperback almost fifteen hundred. And yet, it takes about half the book for even a whisper of plot and momentum to occur. Even then, the characters vaguely and oh-so-slowly move toward conflict and resolution while Gabaldon discusses Brianna's breasts, Jemmy's bowel movements, Claire's cultivation of pencillin, and Adso the cat - over, and over, and over.
A few character arcs arise, only to be brushed aside and forgotten about. Roger's depression, Claire's mysterious nighttime visitor, just to name a few, are described and fretted over, and brought up over and over and then - dropped. No resolution, no more mention, just done.
Near the end I'll allow it gets a bit more interesting. Once they are actively hunting Stephen Bonnet, sure - you get your intrigue and your swashbuckling and your what-have-you. But it shouldn't ALL HAPPEN in the LAST TEN PERCENT OF THE BOOK! For Gods sake, get an editor and work on pacing!
I've been reading these books back to back, and I'm usually so invested in the story that I finish each book in 5 days or less. This one took me over a month, and it was a struggle the entire time. I actually let the loan expire because I was so sick of all description with no action. I FORCED myself to finish it over the Thanksgiving holiday (and the Monday after) because I knew if I didn't MAKE myself read it, I'd avoid it until the loan expired again.
I'll give the next book a try. I borrow them from the library, so its no skin off my back. But if you purchase your books I wouldn't blame you if The Fiery Cross turned you off the series completely.
A few character arcs arise, only to be brushed aside and forgotten about. Roger's depression, Claire's mysterious nighttime visitor, just to name a few, are described and fretted over, and brought up over and over and then - dropped. No resolution, no more mention, just done.
Near the end I'll allow it gets a bit more interesting. Once they are actively hunting Stephen Bonnet, sure - you get your intrigue and your swashbuckling and your what-have-you. But it shouldn't ALL HAPPEN in the LAST TEN PERCENT OF THE BOOK! For Gods sake, get an editor and work on pacing!
I've been reading these books back to back, and I'm usually so invested in the story that I finish each book in 5 days or less. This one took me over a month, and it was a struggle the entire time. I actually let the loan expire because I was so sick of all description with no action. I FORCED myself to finish it over the Thanksgiving holiday (and the Monday after) because I knew if I didn't MAKE myself read it, I'd avoid it until the loan expired again.
I'll give the next book a try. I borrow them from the library, so its no skin off my back. But if you purchase your books I wouldn't blame you if The Fiery Cross turned you off the series completely.