Rating: 
Summary: Everyone has failures...
Review: ...and this is IT for Diana Gabaldon. I am flabbergasted that anyone could give this book five stars. The first three, yes...but this? I would have given it a turkey if I were able to.
With about 400,000 words in this colossal book, I would guess only about 100,000 of them are worth reading. The book is so tedious in excessive detail--like Ms. Gabaldon has researched and now all of us must pay for it. Usually I don't mind tons of detail about historical things (after all, this IS a historical romance) but only if the details are relevant to the story. This book seems to have tons of things in it that Diana found interesting, so she put them in without thinking if they were useful in driving the story forward or not.She has a really disjointed plot here. She should start using an outline. And in the next book, pray to God that the baby is both weened and potty-trained (without the detail about THAT experience, PLEASE). The fact that there are TWO more books before she will finally end this story makes me want to cry for the fate of what was once a beautiful set of books. At least next time I'll be wiser.
Rating: 
Summary: Consideration...
Review: I quite liked Fiery Cross. I have read the first four books repeatedly, but this one was a different book for the series. Up to this point, we learn many things about the characters Jamie and Claire (and some of Roger and Brianna). But in Fiery Cross, those characters LIVE. We are given insight into their real lives, and a good sampling of settlements in the southern American region. The fact is that Diana Gabaldon had to have a segue into what will be the Revolutionary War (and there is a lot of setting up to that one!) If she went right into the battle that would have left my tastes a little raw. It is good to see the relationships build with the characters in the new world. Up until now, Jamie was familar with his surroundings and Claire had to learn everything. Now Claire and Brianna have a better advantage, but they are all discovering things together. Ok, this sounds a bit psychological, I know. I do, however, think that in Fiery Cross, Gabaldon has done quite a good job of linking the first books with what will come with the Revolutionary War. And Gabaldon still has her gift for descriptive writing! And to say that it was a history lesson, well what of her books hasn't been an excellent history lesson? I have more interest now in colonial America than I ever did before. To be fair, I will say that the ending left me a little dry. In the past, the first four left me with electricity pulsing under my skin, anxious for the next, unable to let go of the characters for any other book. This time, I am curious and would like to know what happens next, but at least I can wait without dying to know. I expected some sort of cliffhanger, like the whoppers she left us with in each of the others. That would have made the book four-star. It isn't five-star because it would have to be Outlander caliber for that. I did enjoy the historical aspect of the book, though.. and seriously, Jamie and Claire are in their fifties. They can't jump into the heather every five minutes like they used to (but they certainly do still have a good sex life!)
Rating: 
Summary: T'was Worth Waiting For
Review: "The Fiery Cross" is the fifth book in the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon. One might think that by the fifth book of a series containing books that top over six hundred pages each the story line might be lacking in vitality, but not so with this series! I first discovered Diana's books when I was browsing the public library and checked out "Outlander". Fortunately, as soon as I finished this amazing book, the sequel "Dragonfly In Amber" had just been released and I searched five different library branches to find it. By the time the third book, "Voyager", had been released, I decided to buy them because these were books that deserved to be read not just once, but many times over. The fourth, "Drums of Autumn," sits in my bookshelf, autographed by its incredibly talented author. The "Outlander Series", as it is known, is a phenomenon. Diana Gabaldon has millions of fans, some of whom discuss her books and the characters in them daily on websites, e-mail lists, and in person. She's got a website (...) which contains excerpts and what she terms a "methadone list" of books for fans to read while they wait for her next release. There's one yet due in the series, and another "prequel"...and I wonder what these devoted fans will do when the story ends! For those not yet indoctrinated into the fascinating saga of Jamie and Claire, it's important to point out that the books transcend genre. They're known in most circles as romance, but Diana's books don't quite fit the mold because they contain a huge thread of serious historical research with an interesting pinch of science fiction/fantasy. You see, Claire, our heroine, stumbled through a set of standing stones in the late 1940's and ended up in eighteenth century Scotland. Fortunately, she was rescued by a handsome young outlaw-slash-clan laird, Jamie. The life Diana breathes into historical events captivates readers, but it's the depth of emotion experienced by the two passionate lovers Jamie and Claire that keeps us rapt. These two never get a moment's peace, yet they rise to their adventures and are enmeshed in a constant web of intrigue that never dulls. Romance novels typically involve young folks, and Diana doesn't disappoint in this regard. Though our main characters, Jamie and Claire, have reached middle-age by the time "The Fiery Cross" occurs (Jamie celebrates his 50th birthday), they are still vibrantly and deeply in love - and lust. Their daughter Brianna and her husband Roger are important characters as well, and in this fifth novel we continue to experience the depth of their love, mingled with tragedy and mental anguish, the joy and pain of parenthood, and the challenges that come with time travel, pride, and newly discovered family ties. The book begins rather slowly. I was disappointed at first, fearing that the enjoyment I'd found in the last four novels would end. But about halfway through the book it picked up and I had a very hard time putting it down in order to tend to my other responsibilities! "The Fiery Cross" is, once again, one of those books in which the reader finds herself compelled to speed along, knowing that when she reaches the end she'll feel bereft and longing for more. No matter which loose ends are tied when the last page is turned, the reader will want more. After reading Diana Gabaldon few other novels will satisfy.
Rating: 
Summary: Nicely written and a good storyline. What more can you want?
Review: Despite lots of other people who has reviewed this book, I hadn't gotten my hopes too high on another brilliant book. BUT I found the fiery cross to be a great book and although the atmosphere that was in Outlander (Due partly to being in Scotland where things were different e.g clans)wasn't the same, it didn't mean this book didn't have it's own individuality.
I really enjoyed it and I read the whole thing in less than two days.
No one can write the same book over and over again!, and believe it or not that's actually a good thing!
Rating:
Summary: Slow But True
Review: Diana's 5th book in the Outlander series is very slow to start. I believe after waiting 4 years for this book, the anticipation may have spoiled her fans. I found that there were many chapters that she could have deleted (but her publisher probably wanted them). There are other chapters that are very interesting and continue to keep the reader's attention. The book definitely picked up toward the end, and, now, I can't wait for the next one. I would have given Diana more stars, but this book was somewhat disappointing compared with her other stories of Claire and Jamie, Brianna and Roger.
Rating:
Summary: I don't CARE how long it is. I enjoyed the whole thing.
Review: First, it's the rich characterization, the relationships and the beautiful use of language. Then, it's the outdoors and the history. It's the feeling that I'm there. It's the surprises that keep popping up. These are the things that make me love this saga and I find them in this fifth book as well. I appreciate the opportunity to see the passion, companionship and trust of a middle aged couple. The characters may not be what YOU want them to be (particularly Roger and Bree), but after a while, you realize that they are growing and developing into themselves. Characters and relationships take time to build and Ms. Gabaldon realistically domonstrates this. I've read many of the other reviews, including the negative, and in some ways see where folks are coming from. As for me, I just sit back, enjoy the ride, and trust the author to make it all fit. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Rating:
Summary: The Fiery Cross
Review: I waited with much impatience for this book to be published and I enjoyed it tremendously. I must be one of the few who think her works have continued to improve from the less enjoyable Outlander to the latest book. I stayed up 2 nights straight to finish it and even my husband quit pestering me when he realized how much it enthralled me. I especially enjoyed the scenes at Aunt Jocasta's wedding and the descriptions of Claire's medical procedures. I can hardly wait for the next one--and I'm sure it will be a long wait because writing this good takes a long while!
Rating: 
Summary: a big setup for the next book
Review: Really really disappointing, though still well written. More like a travel guide to life 230 years ago than a novel. some good moments, but I am really not all that interested in Brianna and Roger. They are too durned perfect. Lots of plot threads got started, but this whole book was a big set up for the next book. Not sorry I read it, but an essential element seems to be missing.
Rating:
Summary: Loved It!
Review: This book was everything I expected it to be. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed every minute, and I was sorry that it went by so fast. It seems a long wait until the next book, but it's always worth it! The Fiery Cross is the fifth book in a series, not the first and not the last. It is rich in detail, sparkling in wit, but more than that, it allows the reader to really become involved with the story and it's characters. This book is a continuation of Jamie and Claire's story, and sets the stage for the final book. Expect lots of loose ends! For those looking for instant gratification; move on. For those looking for literary gratification; start with Outlander and work your way up. And buy in hardback, or you'll wear the covers off!
Rating:
Summary: I'm halfway through, and it is SOOOO boring!
Review: I am the biggest fan of Gabaldon and was so excited to get this book. Oh boy, oh boy, is it a snoozer! The writing is good, and the detail is great. However, there is such a thing as WAY too much detail. I even skipped over and read the end, and it wasn't any better! You know how Gabaldon always says that she writes in bits and pieces and then somehow glues it all together? It really shows in this book. Long, descriptive passages with very little action makes for a very, very slow, almost nonexistent story. It's as though she goes from one extremely detailed sequence to another with really NOTHING happening in the story. Where is the action? The romance? The time travel? The visits from characters in previous novels? The tying-together of storylines across the novels? Alas, it is gone. It is as though it is nearly a thousand pages of descriptive, nauseatingly boring detail in preparation for future novels. (...)
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