A review by devlev7
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ve been loving reading the Outlander series. The books are slow but worth it for the adventure and the descriptive, thorough language. In this one, I particularly enjoyed the lengthy details of day to day life on Fraser’s Ridge. It made me want to learn to make beeswax candles and dye clothes and
make syringes out of snake fangs.
I will say, I was wary of the way Gabaldon would approach writing about Native folks and enslaved people in 18th century North Carolina, and I have finished the book still feeling like I’m not sure what I feel about that aspect. It certainly wasn’t the worst approach it could’ve been. She neither ignored the obvious issues of racism and colonization altogether, nor condoned them. But some of the language and plot points were a bit tactless in my opinion. The non-white characters lacked depth or true feature in the plot, with momentary exceptions. The violence of slavery and colonization were lightly addressed, but not witnessed by any of the characters, nor were they much discussed.
I was also a bit disturbed in the evolution of the relationship between Roger and Brianna following their marriage. Brianna is such a dynamic, strong character, and it seemed hard to believe she would defer so much to her husband, or allow others to go to him for final decisions about their family, even when being in the 1700s.
All in all though, I still very much enjoyed the book, the plot twists, the tender moments, and appreciate the depth of research that must have gone into writing it. Looking forward to the next book!
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