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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I've been reading the Outlander series for a few years now, getting in a book here and there when I can since they're so long. But I, quite honestly, never really planned on reading the Lord John series. And no, it's not because Lord John is gay, I really couldn't care less about that and actually I think it makes him a more interesting character given the time period that these take place. My reasons were simply because they didn't have Jamie and Claire in them and I wasn't sure I wanted to read a Gabaldon-long book that didn't have them in it.
But, when I realized that the books in this series are significantly shorter than the Outlander series, I decided to give them a go and I'm glad I did!
Gabaldon is a very wordy writer, and that is very much the same in this book. She takes great care in the phrasing of things and sometimes it can seem a little too contrived. With Outlander I feel like her books are long enough and focus more on the characters than the story or a mystery that it usually works in her favor. But the Lord John series is more of a mystery and while John is a fascinating character, the series (as of yet) isn't so much character-driven, but rather follows John on various murder mysteries he's trying to solve as part of his job working for the Crown.
So if there's one downfall to this book, it's that Gabaldon's writing style makes it a bit hard to keep track of the various clues and the story can feel a little bit scattered and disconnected. Even in the end, I was confused by a few of the details that didn't quite fit in my head.
Having said that, though, I found the book to still be really enjoyable. Lord John is one of the better characters she's come up with and I find his no-nonsense, quietly confident manner to be appealing and even amusing at times. He's gotten very good at hiding his preferences and it's made his character quite interesting to watch.
The mystery itself I didn't entirely solve, although I did have my suspicions. But, again, there were so many ins-and-outs with it that it was a little bit over-complicated. But the journey was still a fun one.
Aside from John I'm surprised to say that I've developed a bit of a liking towards Harry Quarry. I wasn't expecting that, but I find him to be almost a good comic relief, although in a very subtle way. He's a good counterpart to John in terms of having a partner in crime though.
Overall I'm glad that I've decided to poke through this series before moving on to the next Outlander books. While perhaps not directly related to the Outlander series (at least not yet), they are entertaining and I simply love the world within these books -- even without Jamie and Claire it's like saying hello to an old friend.
But, when I realized that the books in this series are significantly shorter than the Outlander series, I decided to give them a go and I'm glad I did!
Gabaldon is a very wordy writer, and that is very much the same in this book. She takes great care in the phrasing of things and sometimes it can seem a little too contrived. With Outlander I feel like her books are long enough and focus more on the characters than the story or a mystery that it usually works in her favor. But the Lord John series is more of a mystery and while John is a fascinating character, the series (as of yet) isn't so much character-driven, but rather follows John on various murder mysteries he's trying to solve as part of his job working for the Crown.
So if there's one downfall to this book, it's that Gabaldon's writing style makes it a bit hard to keep track of the various clues and the story can feel a little bit scattered and disconnected. Even in the end, I was confused by a few of the details that didn't quite fit in my head.
Having said that, though, I found the book to still be really enjoyable. Lord John is one of the better characters she's come up with and I find his no-nonsense, quietly confident manner to be appealing and even amusing at times. He's gotten very good at hiding his preferences and it's made his character quite interesting to watch.
The mystery itself I didn't entirely solve, although I did have my suspicions. But, again, there were so many ins-and-outs with it that it was a little bit over-complicated. But the journey was still a fun one.
Aside from John I'm surprised to say that I've developed a bit of a liking towards Harry Quarry. I wasn't expecting that, but I find him to be almost a good comic relief, although in a very subtle way. He's a good counterpart to John in terms of having a partner in crime though.
Overall I'm glad that I've decided to poke through this series before moving on to the next Outlander books. While perhaps not directly related to the Outlander series (at least not yet), they are entertaining and I simply love the world within these books -- even without Jamie and Claire it's like saying hello to an old friend.
I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment in the Lord John series! John had never been my favourite, but in my most recent reread of the Outlander series, I've come to enjoy him a lot more. It's quite different from Outlander, as it primarily focuses on the mystery aspect. The mystery in this one was entertaining and there were quite a few funny parts as well - Lord John innocently sets out to determine whether his cousin's betrothed has syphillis or not, and finds himself drawn into investigating a murder and ultimately, !
There were a few references to Jamie and Claire, but they are not crucial to the overall story, and almost unnecessary in my opinion - Lord John is interesting enough to stand on his own, and I certainly look forward to reading the next in the series!
Spoiler
uncovers a spy connectionThere were a few references to Jamie and Claire, but they are not crucial to the overall story, and almost unnecessary in my opinion - Lord John is interesting enough to stand on his own, and I certainly look forward to reading the next in the series!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Comfortable read. More like this
I’m not a fan of mystery novels and this is the main reason for my 3 star rating. With that being said, it was nice seeing Lord John in a deeper way. Would I read it again? No.
medium-paced
The author says this was intended as a short story or side plot to the Outlander series and it certainly feels that way - it doesn't really stand on its own as a novel. Fortunately I've read the Outlander series so I found it to be an interesting little mystery.
Lord John was never my favourite Outlander character, but I think I like him a bit more now that I understand him better.
Lord John was never my favourite Outlander character, but I think I like him a bit more now that I understand him better.
Not as engrossing as the outlander series for sure. But interesting mystery and a nice glimpse into lord John's life.