Rating: 
Summary: The Fiery Cross
Review: This book was great. I felt like I was right there with the characters as in all the Outlander series. I can't wait for the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: certainly not a page turner
Review: I loved the first four books but this one is a snooze. No plot. No fleshing out of the story. All but the 4 main characters are just names on a page. I never found myself dieing for my kids to go to bed so I could pick up the Fiery Cross like I did for Outlander and the others. The only enjoyment I really got out of this book was that it freshened the characters and plots of the first four stories in my mind. That's the only reason I gave it two stars. Diana Gabaldon should try for quality and not quantity.
Rating:
Summary: I Liked it
Review: FC exceeded my expectations. It was long! and those first 200 pages were drawn out, but it wasn't necessarily meant to entertain the reader. It's allowing the reader an intimate and detailed look into Jamie and Claire's lives and this was what I wanted. I enjoyed living a day in their lives when they aren't trying to stop wars, save kidnapped relatives and survive pirate attacks and hurricanes.Gaboldon tends to end her books with some closure to the storyline, but insinuates towards the next step. This book did the same but Gabaldon ended it with many loose strings that she will pull together in the upcoming books. I can't wait for the next one to see what happens with Bonnet and the Gold. I want to see her continue to develop Brianna, Roger and Ian. The final book will be something very special, I'm sure.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed and Disenchanted
Review: After waiting, for what seemed an eternity, for this book to finally hit the shelves, I was very disappointed. The book, without question, fell short of the previous four in content, character development, plot, action and adventure. It was constantly getting bogged down on details I could really care less about. On the rare ocassion there was something interesting to read, it was over before it began, and sometimes a particular theme was left up in the air completely. I did, however, learn all I ever wanted to know, and more, about potty training and breast feeding. The only thing the book didn't seem to lack was pages. I truly feel it could have been condensed down by three to four hundred pages, without loosing anything important. All in all I was very disenchanted and feel cheated, especially after waiting so long for the next episode in Jamie and Claire's life. We've all come to know and love them, surely their life has more to offer than what Ms. Gabaldon has served up in this latest sequal!
Rating: 
Summary: A tremendous disappointment
Review: I have loved every one of the Highlander series, except this one. It is so disappointing. The book is a struggle to get through. Diana Gabaldon has a reputation for writing long books. Unfortunately, this time, the plot is so thin and underdeveloped that she has to fill it in with useless information in order to get her 900 pages. She would have been better off cutting the words and concentrating on the plot. There is nothing wrong with writing a shorter book if the author doesn't have a complecated plot. In fact, I believe it better if it holds the readers interest, which this one does not do. Sorry Diana, I hope you do better next time. This is the only author I buy in hardbound. That stops now.
Rating: 
Summary: It's still a lot of fun
Review: Having just finished reading this book I was very suprised when I read some of the earlier reviews. I will agree that this book had a slightly different character and pace than the earlier books in the series. However, I don't think the style or plot are lacking. In many ways this a more mature book and it requires the reader to think a little harder. The character development is much improved. I also think the story is much more believable. I enjoyed is as much as the others and will buy the next.
Rating:
Summary: Well Worth The Wait And The Time To Read
Review: I have been eagerly waiting this, the latest, in the Outlander series. It had been so long since the last installment, however, that I had almost forgotten just how much I enjoy these stories. After reading the first page, I remembered all the reasons I love Diana Gabaldon's books. Her writing is beautiful and pulls the reader right into these character's lives. Her descriptions are so vivid, it is like watching a movie unfold rather than having to imagine the scene. For an example of her descriptive writing style; Brianna is a wee bit upset with Roger: "She drew a deep breath through her nose, like a dragon preparing to sear him into ash". No imagination necessary, the scene is there for the reader to view.
It has been almost four years since I read Drums Of Autumn and after about 70 pages into this book, I realized I needed help (my memory is not as good as I thought it was). So, I ordered the Outlandish Companion (rush delivery) to use as a reference to some of the characters and some of the previous pivotal incidents. It was a big help and I would recommend it to fans of this series. There were a few sections (most in the first half of the book) where the pace slowed considerably. At the 'Gathering', I think the author wanted to establish a sense of community, but the descriptions of all the characters here were rather tedious and ultimately not essential. The most interesting parts of the story, for me, were Claire's use of her 20th century medical knowledge and her clever adaptations to her present situation. The use of herbs and medical techniques was more prominent in this book than in earlier stories. I won't make the mistake of giving this book away, as I did with the previous books. I will keep it for reference when the next book is published. It is a handsome book. The pages have a semi-slick feel to them, the print is small but elegant, and at 979 pages, the hardcover edition will almost certainly improve the muscle tone in the arms of the reader. Claire and Jamie are wonderful characters and their charm has not diminished. Now, Brianna, Roger and Jemmy have risen to the same cherished level. I was going to give this book four stars because the pace did slow significantly in a few places, but in considering the Herculean effort of the author to write a story of this magnitude (to say nothing of the entire series), I decided that should count for something. So, five stars it is.
Rating:
Summary: What happened?
Review: What happened to the magic? I realize this is a new world and the past in Scotland is lost, but good grief, couldn't Gabaldon have found some magic here? One of the most exciting times in the new world was this pre-revolutionary decade-readers get the regulators, ad nauseum, and the Boston Tea Party gets one line.Yes Jamie and Claire are in the wilderness but are runny noses that Claire treats the only thing that happened? I love a long beautifully written book that never seems to end, and I don't even mind details of everyday life but this sequel has no magic except in rare spots. The first third of the book is unbelievably plodding and uninspired. Gabaldon's other books sing and soar with life's details but his one is a clunker-Gabaldon forgot about plot and character. Jamie seems an afterthought and Jenny and Ian, and Lord John Grey are all but forgotten. Brianna and Roger are downright dull. The episode with Jocasta Cameron is nothing short of silly and contrived. Rather than read this one all the way through re-read the other four books again and start at about page 700 with this one, then hope for a return to the sparkle and magic of the past stories. Jamie and Claire deserve better.
Rating:
Summary: So many pages, so little plot
Review: I loved the first four books in this series, but "Fiery Cross" lacks the passion and adventure of Gabaldon's previous offerings. While Gabaldon writes well, over the course of a thousand pages she tends to repeat herself noticeably - endless descriptions of breast-feeding and red hair glinting in sunlight, for example. She obviously has done her research -- and wants to use every bit of it. There are lots of detailed explanations of bodily functions and medical procedures, from diapering babies to treating snake bite. While some of these scenes would have added color and a glimpse of 18th century life, it sometimes feels like the book is just a collection of medical studies. Also, while Claire and Jamie (and Roger and Briana) are still cute, without conflict and separation there's not a lot of the longing and anxiety that made the first books so compelling. It turns out happily married people aren't that entertaining. Most importantly, I felt like nothing substantive happened in this book - I could have skipped on to the next in the series and not missed anything. The sick recover, the bad guys get away, and in the end we're right back where we started.
Rating:
Summary: She's Back!!!!
Review: I was so excited when Fiery Cross finally came out. Having read it several times, I must say that I truly loved it. I was very disappointed with Drums, but this book has more than made up for it. I absolutly love every book in this series! It cleared up a lot of questions left from previous books, yet left room for several more to come, I can't wait until another one comes out!
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