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roulettegirl 's review for:
The Fiery Cross
by Diana Gabaldon
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.