The Fiery Cross

Rating:
Summary: Nothing but ashes; fire long gone out
Review: I put this book aside half way through reading it because it had become a cliched burden. After surgery and having to spend one week in bed while full of pain killers, I did return to finish reading it since I lack television. If not for the pain killers I am not certain that I would have ever finished the overly drawn out book.

(...). I hope that this is the final book she writes as it is ashame to waste so many trees.

Gabaldon's characters have become caricatures of themselves. Sex and outrageous incidents are over used, ad nauseam. Lines such as, "Storm the place," only add to the frustration of reading the book. Alacrity seems to be the only noun that Gabaldon can think of when describing the emotional state with which a character, any character, acts. This word is used approximately every fourth page.

(...). Gabaldon is at her best when writing of the day-to-day life of her characters; 20th century time travelers trying to adjust to life of a different era and the growth and changes of relationships amongst family members. This book, at 979 pages long, is approximately 600 pages too long.

I hope that Gabaldon and her editor do some soul searching before publishing anything further in this series.

As for me, I am returning to Thomas Hardy and James Joyce.

Rating:
Summary: A True DG Fan
Review: I just have to say for those who are giving this book less than 4 or 5 stars, are you a true DG fan? Any of her books are more than worthy of 5 stars. I'd give them all a 6 if I could. The continuing story of Jamie and Claire is what I wait for. If you want them to go back to Scotland and back to Lallybroch, then read Outlander, DIA & Voyager over again. These books are meant to be continuous and move on with their lives. Remember, it is fiction and things will be a little unbelievable, I mean, ahem, it is a time travel novel, no? She has every intention of making these characters more than fantastic. Take the fiction at face value, rather than trying to make it reality. Enjoy them for the wonderful works of fiction they are.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: I am a huge Diana Gabaldon fan (loved every book in the Outlander series except this one). This book was very hard to get through. I bought it in hardcover and have picked it up several times but can't get past 200 pages. Will someone please tell me what happens in the end of this book? I want to read the next one in the series (whenever that comes out) and I want to know what I missed in The Fiery Cross.

Rating:
Summary: Fiery Crossing I would call a very mixed blessing.
Review: It was wonderful to finally get to move on with Claire & Jamie. Sadly, it moved slowly, cumbersomely and not far enough. After 200+ pages they were still at the clan gathering. Anecdotal incidents did little to advance one of the most romantic relationships I've ever enjoyed reading about. The further development of their unique love story got lost in the mundane. The jumping from one unfinished subject to another, toward the end of the book, was especially distracting. I never noticed that technique in the earlier books. A book I anxiously waited years for, ended up partially read on my nightstand, while I read other books.

It was still a good book, just not on the same level as the first three. I have most loved the interaction between Claire & Jamie, and I look forward to the ending of the story, hoping Diana can finish with the flourish she did in her first books. Also, there is so much she could do with Roger & Brianna. Her series is still my very favorite, and I hope she will continue writing even after the Frasers are done.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Continuing Saga
Review: This book is excellent. I cannot wait for the next one that she is working on tentatively titled "A Breath of Snow and Ashes." I have read every one of her books in the order of being written and I lose myself in her stories. I would recommend this author as well as her series to anyone who loves to read historical romance with the time travel twist.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent continuation of the series.
Review: Gabaldon continues to amaze me. Her stories always have amazing twists - just when you think they'll live happily ever after, something else happens. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Rating:
Summary: The Fiery Cross
Review: I liked the book ,but, not as much as the first two. This one is too repetative ,and it left me with to many questions at the end. It seemed as if the writer was in a hurry to finish. What had happened to Ian ? Will there be another book about Claire and Jamie. They have become part of my life and hope to read more of these two. The next, could answer all the questions about Clare and Jaime , Ian and Jenny ,Will Jamie see Scotland again, or his sister and what about William? I ordered the next book about Lord John, But truley hope there will be another about Claire and Jamie..
Looking forward to the next book. Thanks Mrs Gabaldon !! An Avid fan.....

Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Enjoyable
Review: I read all 5 novels in last 4 months on the recommendation of a coworker. While waiting for her to bring in this installment (The Fiery Cross), I read many of the reviews here. I was very disappointed since most of then said that the book was slow, boring and had no real storyline. When I started reading the book, I almost had a sense of dread because I thought it was going to be difficult to get through. This worsened because the first 150 pages were all about the events of one day and that has been complained about at length. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. I found this installment to be "thoroughly enjoyable." It wasn't, in my opinion, boring or slow. I enjoyed it immensely and am now waiting with baited breath for the next book in the series, The Breath of Snow and Ashes. I'm sure people's opinions differ. All I will say is that if you enjoyed the previous installments, do yourself a favor and read this one and formulate your own opinion. If I wasn't borrowing this book from my coworker, I might not of bought it based on the reviews and that would have been a mistake.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: I am a huge Diana Gabaldon fan (loved every book in the Outlander series except this one). This book was very hard to get through. I bought it in hardcover and have picked it up several times but can't get past 200 pages. Will someone please tell me what happens in the end of this book? I want to read the next one in the series (whenever that comes out) and I want to know what I missed in The Fiery Cross.

Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: I've actually read the outlander series about five times and consider them the best reads other then the Dark series by Christine Feehan.Diana Gabaldon has a great way to tell stories they reach out and grab you from the start and don't let go until the last page.
A hugh fan,
Stephanie R.L