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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
After about 100 pages it became more of a chore than a pleasure to read. I loved what I've read so far of Outlander series and Lord John Grey in it and I was looking forward to reading this series but it was lacking something for me.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This felt too long. It could have been a lot shorter. I got bored.
This was my first introduction to the Lord John Series and I thought it was very good. Nothing too over the top but a good read if you've ever ben fascinated with the character from Outlander and his origin.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I gave this book a 3.5 rating, but decided to round up instead of down because 3 stars just wasn't enough. I was really captivated with Lord John's character in the Outlander books, so I was excited to start a series with John Grey as the main character. It's really impossible to compare this series to Outlander because it has a totally different tone. This is definitely more of a mystery novel than anything. Don't expect any titillating John Grey romance.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
I generally enjoyed this book, but it's not what I would call good. There were some really high points and bits that made me keep reading, but it wasn't until more than halfway that I got really invested and interested, only to be quite bored and let down by the last chapters. For some reason, the last thirty pages are spent in a weird blend of dialogue and exposition that just didn't work. Suddenly Gabaldon was using 'the Cornishman' to refer to a character we've been familiar with throughout the entire novel, and proceeded to explain the solution to whatever mystery Grey was trying to solve in a bizarre, melodramatic fashion.
That, amongst other strange choices, really made me hate the last couple of chapters. I don't know. I've never read any Outlander novels but certain parts of this book were so convoluted and poorly assembled that I had no idea what was happening, while others were really enjoyable. The historical accuracy is great and I loved the attention to detail, and a lot of characters were well fleshed out and believable, while in the context of the story I felt like I knew very little about them or how they connected. It's sort of a whodunnit novel as well, but at the end I felt just as lost as I had in the beginning. The resolution had been so long and muddled in its approach that I must have missed half of the important details and by the time the book was over I was just glad to see it done. As good as all the characters were, there were just too bloody many of them to keep them straight in my head and honestly so few of them had anything to do with the mystery that I couldn't tell you what happened or why.
Weirdly enough I do intend on trying another one of this series, but more out of the hopes that the plots improve since I like the main character and the setting. I also failed to read the short story beforehand, so that might have helped somewhat. Fingers crossed, because I really do admire Gabaldon's attention to detail and the research she's put into gay life in the 18th century.
That, amongst other strange choices, really made me hate the last couple of chapters. I don't know. I've never read any Outlander novels but certain parts of this book were so convoluted and poorly assembled that I had no idea what was happening, while others were really enjoyable. The historical accuracy is great and I loved the attention to detail, and a lot of characters were well fleshed out and believable, while in the context of the story I felt like I knew very little about them or how they connected. It's sort of a whodunnit novel as well, but at the end I felt just as lost as I had in the beginning. The resolution had been so long and muddled in its approach that I must have missed half of the important details and by the time the book was over I was just glad to see it done. As good as all the characters were, there were just too bloody many of them to keep them straight in my head and honestly so few of them had anything to do with the mystery that I couldn't tell you what happened or why.
Weirdly enough I do intend on trying another one of this series, but more out of the hopes that the plots improve since I like the main character and the setting. I also failed to read the short story beforehand, so that might have helped somewhat. Fingers crossed, because I really do admire Gabaldon's attention to detail and the research she's put into gay life in the 18th century.
adventurous
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
Diana Gabaldon begins the story of Outlander's Lord John Grey in Lord John and the Private Matter. In 1757 Grey finds himself appointed by the Crown to investigate the murder of a fellow comrade and determine whether he was a traitor. The story takes us through London high society, brothels and secret hideaways, searching for the possible killer or killers on a ship heading to Bombay, India.
I have read some of Gabaldon's other stories on Lord John Grey and I enjoy getting to know this character more outside of the Outlander books. It gives more depth to Grey and helps you understand his actions when coming across him in the Outlander series.
I have read some of Gabaldon's other stories on Lord John Grey and I enjoy getting to know this character more outside of the Outlander books. It gives more depth to Grey and helps you understand his actions when coming across him in the Outlander series.