Rating: 
Summary: Plodding, not pleasing
Review: I have truly enjoyed the four Outlander series book that preceeded The Fiery Cross. This latest book is a tedious disappointment. It is in dire need of an editor to trim perhaps half of the 1000 pages. The book lacks heart, and it sadly seems as if the author has merely gone through the motions, rather than being animated by her wonderful characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Diana Fires It Up
Review: I have just finished reading the book. It is an awesome story
that is equal if not better than her other 4 stories that she has
written. To me, heer writing is on the same level as Francis Parkman...who wrote "Montcalm and Wolfe"..."The Oregon Trail"..
and Allan Eckert who has written extensively about Tecumseh. One is non-fiction...the other is fiction. In the same vein, "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo, and "The Three Mousketeers" along with "The Count Of Monte Cristo" by Alexander Dumas comes to my mind. Jamie...Claire...Bonnet...Brianna...The Indians.....Culloden....what makes her writing, besides the medical aspect(being an R.N. makes it that much more fascinating)
is that she has succeeded in making history function in a viable
believable form, that sticks in your memory...long after you are
finished with the chapter. It doesn't matter if you have visited
the parts which you read....you visit them with here characters.
You hear the horse clopping like in "Madame Bovary" as the wagon
is going through the townstreets. You smell the various odours of
human...animal...or wastes....Like Auel with her stories one become so attached to the storyline scenerio...that when you have
to put the book down because of somebody or something vying for
your attention...it's a shock to your system to realize that you
have just time-traveled via a gem. I really enjoyed the book..
I recommend wholeheartedly from a literature point of view and
a historical point of view.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't make it to page 100....
Review: It's been said already. I loved the others and got ready to be mesmerized and then plodded through nearly 100 pages - one chapter a night because I was bored to tears. Sorry - the saga is well over for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Too long, not much happens.
Review: What a disappointment! Most of this book was written about tedious daily life. The flashes of interesting action are few and far between. It was all I could do to finish the book. And worse, despite the length of this book, not much is resolved or even tied in well! More happened in one chapter in the Outlander than in this entire book. After so many pages, I feel I have learned little more than I knew from the last book, and have only more questions or loose ends. It is annoying. Also, the method of writing it from not only Claire and Brianna's point of view, but also from Roger's, was choppy and not interesting to me. Save your time and money, and have someone sum it up, or mark the few interesting passages for you to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected, but still good...
Review: I recently picked up "Outlander", the first book in the series, of course. It totally had me hooked. I read that one in only a couple of days and finished the next three in a matter of weeks. And like many other reviewers here, I thought that this was a little lacking in comparison. When the book is actually focused on Jamie and Claire, it is great. The characters we love are still there, and still up to their adventures. But, I agree that entirely too much time is spent on Bree, Roger, and Jemmy. Bree is in mommy mode most of the time, unless it's when she is it know it all mode. Roger is made out to be a big baby who can't do anything for himself. Jem, face it, is a baby and doesn't do anything, but we are still informed of it.I know it sounds like nothing but complaints, but it is still a good book. Now all together, for once, on Fraser's Ridge, life for the Fraser family goes on and it's a story no loyal reader wants to miss.
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: Since I mostly read for enjoyment, I don't like to criticize a book. Whatever it's faults, I usually just go along with it for the fun. But this book--well, I'm not quite half way through it and don't know how much further I can make myself go with this trivia. I'm writing this review when I would normally be reading; I didn't want to read the book, so I came back here to complain. What, should I carry on? Can somebody assure me that the trivia will be justified in the pages to come? Will I think it was all worth the trouble?
Elinore
Rating: 
Summary: Thank God--I thought it was only me
Review: Like scores of other readers I waited anxiously for this 5th installment. Outlander was really the best IMHO, but I've not been too disappointed with any of the subsequent books in the series. However--- I have only read 50 pages of this book and have ignored it for days now! I thought there was something wrong with me--I've never experienced such a lack of interest with any other book in Gabaldon's series. I gave this review 3 stars only because hope springs eternal and I pray the book will get better as I read. I guess I'll attempt to finish reading it, but it seems like a laborious project at present. Zzzzzzzzzz----
Rating:
Summary: Can't get enough............
Review: It happened in August, 2001 when I was travelling and saw Diana Gabaldon's books' for the first time. Since that time I have read the first four books twice and just finished The Fiery Cross last night. I am in mourning. These books have become such a part of my life. I felt like I was in the room with the main characters daily. I love the mature relationship of Claire and Jamie and the respect they have for each other. I wasn't bored by this book. I am too caught up in the series. When routine sets in, something usually happens and we are taken down a new path. Diana's writing style has changed through the years, but can she tell a story and bring her characters alive!
There are many unresolved questions and I eagerly await Sons of Liberty.
I have enjoyed every minute reading this saga.
Rating:
Summary: Gabaldon's done it again!!
Review: Am shocked by the negative reviews here as I found 'The Fiery Cross' to be a real page turner from beginning to end. Was particularly pleased by the way Roger's character was fleshed out and, as a result, he's now one of my favorite characters. As the old saying goes, "there are as many opinions as there are people" ... and, in spite of that, I find it hard to believe that anyone could read this novel and not be captivated by it. In my opinion, Gabaldon's done it again ... and masterfully at that!
Rating:
Summary: "I've had a wonderful time, but this wasn't it."
Review: ...seems appropo for this most unfiery experience. Diana, you are so right "The Fiery Cross" is not a romance. For one, there's nothing romantic about Brianna's bulging leaky breasts flapping in the wind. Absolutely nothing wrong with it just not particularly romantic. And for two, there's no doubt Jamie and Claire have a deep abiding love each other but what romantic moments they seemingly had can only be described as passionless and robotic in nature. I can't believe that is what passes for Claire's midlife romance with Jamie. Rather anticlimatic to say the least. You are also right about it being a fantasy novel. Its pure fantasy to suggest there was anything even remotely resembling a plot to carry the book. There were moments when the story, albeit deceptively, seemed to take off but those moments quickly fizzled. Yes, I know there was Roger's hanging but having read that incident and other apparent high points as excerpts eons ago they rather lost the element of surprise or shock value, if you will. After suffering through 899+ pages of mind numbing detail of what amounted to absolutely nothing in particular I'm tempted to suggest that since this book isn't technically Scottish then its crrrap. Too simplistic a description to be sure but you've given precious little to work with here. I've been thoroughly captivated by your previous books. I respect you and your talent too much to lie or gloss over how this one book made me feel. Having said that, I can't believe you are at all content much less satisfied with how this book turned out. I'm seriously hoping you were suffering temporary writer's block and your next book will measure up to your previous body of work, namely Outlander. In a recent CNN review about Outlander you are quoted as saying "Look, pick it up, open it anywhere and read three pages. If you can put it down again, I'll pay you a dollar." If this applied to "The Fiery Cross" as well then I seriously doubt you have access to the amount of dollars it would take to fulfill such a promise.
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