The Fiery Cross (Outlander)

I am a very well-read person. (I was going to say man, but in today's woke culture, genders have become obsolete.) We're talking thousands upon thousands of books. Yet I have never--ever--read a 1400+ page novel. Until now, when I just put down THE FIERY CROSS, the 5th installment of Diana Gabaldon's amazing Outlander series. And I enjoyed every second of the experience. Gabaldon continues the story of the budding settlement at Fraser's Ridge--of Claire and Jamie Fraser, of newly-arrived time travelers Brianna and Roger MacKenzie, of adopted family members Fergus and Marsali. Day to day life was often difficult and harsh in the North Carolina mountains, yet the Fraser clan found a way to persevere. In order to maintain his grant of 10,000 acres from the governor, Jamie must form a militia of settlers to fight the Regulators--a band of fellow settlers opposed to the government's taxes. Fortunately, the "fighting" is minimal, yet the Revolutionary War is looming, just three years distant. Which prompts the question: With war on the horizon, should Roger and Bree go back through the stones--provided toddler son Jemmy can also travel? And while the question is pondered, is there another threat looming? (Stephen Bonnet, anyone?) This question is answered at the very end of this enormous story. I got ahead of myself by watching the Starz TV series Outlander Season Five . Having now finished the actual book the show was based on, I was amazed at how completely different both vehicles are--in so many important aspects. This was by far the biggest departure from Gabaldon's story than any of the preceding novels; I wonder why. In particular, I would love to know the motives of the showrunners to end the TV season with the brutal assault of Claire--when there is no such attack in the book, and the leader of the assault is a character who is barely in the story. It makes me more disappointed in the series than the novel, but I digress. **SPOILERS!** I know I am enjoying the skill and talents of a literary master (mistress?) when I come upon events in the story where I could literally not stop reading. These page-turning experiences were, to me, more prevalent in THE FIERY CROSS than in the previous installments, beginning with the horrific suffering and carnage in the Beardsley cabin. The murder--and subsequent autopsy of the body by Claire--of a slave woman at River Run, and how the event climaxed, was another. Finally, the hanging of Roger by British soldiers, and his miraculous survival, followed by his snail-crawling recovery, kept me busily turning pages. (I had to continue to apologize to my employer for being so late returning from my lunch hour.) Gabaldon has pulled off a literary faint accompli with her Outlander series. Millions upon millions of fans can't be wrong. And the 5th installment, the 1400-page (turning) THE FIERY CROSS, is more than worthy to take its place in this series. I very much look forward to the next installment. ~D. Mikels, Esq.

This review is for the entire series. To those who rate it low b/c it is "too long"...did you not notice that before beginning it? To those who say there is too much sex...it IS technically classified as "romance"...skip the sex scenes, it won't take away from the story. To those who say there are inaccuracies (historical,factual)...it is a novel written for entertainment purposes with characters who are not all-knowing, not a history book for educational purposes. To those who say there is no plot...you may want to work on your reading comprehension skills. Ok. When my husband first brought this book back with him from Iraq (donated to the USO)and he told me he was reading a historical-fiction/romance/fantasy/time travel book, I teased him. I thought no way could such a book be an actual worthy read. I am a constant reader. I have to always have a book. So, when I was in-between books, I picked up this book just to pass the time. Don't make the same mistake I did..DO NOT be fooled by the genre. Don't make the mistake of thinking that these are typical bodice-ripping Highlander trash-romance...they are not. They are real literature. I do not enjoy romance novels, though I will read one if it is the only reading material available. I have to say that this series of books, though they do contain sex scenes, is NOT romance. They are a complex tale full of an entire cast of well-developed characters. I have been on the discussion boards that center around this series. Most of the women seem to be in love with (at least the idea of) the main male character, Jamie. As proof of how good the story told and the writing in this book is, I need to say that the physical description of him (and some parts of his personality) are a complete turn-off to me. He is pretty much the opposite of what I like. However, you don't need to be attracted to a character to enjoy reading about them and to grow to admire and care about them. The love story between Jamie and Claire is quite inspiring, so much so that my husband and I actually got matching tattoos inspired by the books. These stories are so well-written and in-depth, that I read them aloud to my children (simply not reading the child-inappropriate parts aloud) and all of them, from my 7-year-old daughter to my 18-year-old son, are as captivated as I am. These books weave the tale of well-developed, multifaceted characters, exploring their personal growth, interactions and relationships with one another, their people in their communities, and some well-known historical figures, all within the context of various historical time periods. From Jacobite-era Scotland to pre-revolutionary North Carolina (and many places in between), you will follow a brilliantly-written, gripping saga and you will be a part of a world you won't want to leave.

Au vu des commentaires, j’avais peur de commencer ce livre en disant qu’il allait être terriblement long et ennuyeux. Le livre est arrivé, il avait la taille d’un petit dictionnaire, et en cette période de confinement je me suis dit que c’était quand même une bonne chose, car comme je lis assez vite, au moins j’étais assurée d’avoir de la lecture pour un petit moment. Je ne l’ai pas encore fini, mais je ne le trouve pas si planplan ! Il se passe quand même énormément de choses, il y a plein de petites intrigues dans l’intrigue, c’est vraiment d’une richesse narrative incroyable. Pour le moment je ne me suis pas encore ennuyée une seule seconde.

新品同様で満足です。

Het boek is fantastisch.

Nota sulla spedizione: il libro è arrivato leggermente ammaccato ma ho preso questa edizione per risparmiare e onestamente non mi è importato granché. Per quanto riguarda il libro, ero stanca di spendere il doppio per i libri in italiano e ho scelto l'edizione in lingua originale...ed è stata una scoperta. Oltre al prezzo imbattibile, (7€ contro i 18€ dei due libri corrispondenti in italiano) mi son resa conto della limitatezza della traduzione, che non sempre riesce a trasmettere tutte le sfumature e le descrizioni che invece rendono questi libri così intriganti. In inglese è molto più bello, più dettagliato e interessante. Insomma, se ve la cavate con l'inglese, lo consiglio a pieni voti.

The suspense doesn't slacken, the turn of events totally unpredictable and the historical details give you the feeling of being right then and there with the Frazer-MacKenzie families! Totally recommended!