Rating: 
Summary: Long, slow journey
Review: I was very disappointed in the latest Jamie/Claire installment. It was long, tedious and just not worth the effort. I enjoyed some of the scenes immensely, however, the parts I enjoyed could have been told in 300 or so pages and not 900+. If you are an avid fan, you will need to read it, but if you've only felt so-so about the whole Outlander saga, then don't bother. I really hope the next book is at least half as good as Outlander - then it will be a fantastic book.
Rating: 
Summary: Go Away, Roger, Brianna and Jemmy!
Review: I waited for this book for five years, and I rushed to the bookstore and bought the day it came out. Now I wonder why I was in such a hurry. If all the details about lactation weren't in here, this book would be about 400 pages shorter. After every other page contained "Brianna's breasts ached with milk" or "she pressed Jemmy to her breast," I quickly tired of reading about Jemmy and Brianna's breastfeeding patterns. I think if Jemmy didn't exist, the book would be ten times better. I understand that the question of his paternity is a significant element to the plot, but I am so bloody sick of Roger and Brianna not being able to have sex because he's just there, taking up space, crying, needing to be fed, and generally not adding anything to the quality of the novel.Boring Roger and Crying Jemmy and "I Can't Enjoy Sex" Brianna are the least of the novel's problems. I wasn't truly excited by the book until literally page 500, when the murder mystery took shape. I thought, "Finally! The novel gets exciting!" Little did I know...The murder mystery was ignored for the next 400 pages, and then all of a sudden resolved in maybe 10 pages. The end, with the revelation of who Otter Tooth was, and the return of Ian was vaguely interesting, but so many issues remain unresolved! John Grey, one of the series's finest characters, was only in the book by means of one or two letters--we never actually see him in person. Willie still doesn't know who is father is, and Roger and Brianna aren't aware of Willie's true paternity either. We still don't know who Jemmy's father is, and we still aren't sure if Roger and Brianna are going to make it as a couple. We know Jemmy can travel through the stones--that's great, but since the bloody family is never going to leave, that littls genetic trait will be of no use at all. The really significant questions--what was Jamie's ghost doing outside of Claire's window way back at the beginning of Outlander? Will Jamie and Claire die in the fire? (I'm guessing not, but at the rate things are going, maybe it would be better if they did)--have not been answered. I hate to sound bitter, because I love this series like I love no other works of fiction, and I'll be reading Sons of Liberty as soon as it comes out, but this was truly a let-down. Maybe I'll just re-read Voyager over and over, sans the first 300 pages, so I can have some nice reading free of Roger and Brianna.
Rating: 
Summary: In Romance--the most eagerly awaited book of 2001...
Review: The Fiery Cross by talented storyteller Diana Gabaldon was the most eagerly awaited romance novel of the year--and let me tell you, the wait was worth it! (at least in my humble opinion) This historical novel does not disappoint!
Rating:
Summary: What Happened?
Review: Having read the all the books in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and the Outlandish Companion, I could hardly contain my excitement when The Fiery Cross was finally released. However, if this had been the first book in the series I would never have read the next four. It's already been said many times in the other reviews I have read here that the book is slow and plodding so I won't bother. The biggest annoyance to me was the way a scene or topic was developed up to a point and then dropped. The next chapter began with something entirely different and I was left hanging wondering what on earth happened. The love between Jamie and Claire is still enchanting but there is no doubt that it has moved on to a different level. I saw glimpses of the Jamie from the previous novels but he doesn't seem to be the same man he was. I haven't liked the character Brianna since she was first introduced. I like her less in The Fiery Cross. She is a spoiled brat and treats Roger like she doesn't really love him at all. Roger walks around on eggshells because he's always afraid of making Brianna angry. Roger's character was developed more in this book and I seem to like him more when he isn't with Brianna. Unfortunately, Roger seems so intimidated by Jamie that he barely speaks to him or perhaps he's competing with Jamie on some level. Even having said all that I will still read the last installment of this wonderful series and hope that it is more satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Outlander has Left the building...
Review: I am a massive James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Frasier Fan if ever there was one, and I have told hundreds of friends, family and passing strangers to read the first 2 books ('Outlander' and 'Dragonfly in Amber') but PLEASE! This Fiery Cross is SO BORING and I am so disappointed I can't tell you. The first 15 chapters didn't even get us out of the FIRST DAY! How many babies' diaper changes can you describe in intimate gooey detail before you feel you've exhausted that scenario as a writer? I want to know where the heck the story is in this book?
It feels like so many of her fans from all over the planet have given her so many little interesting tidbits of daily life from long ago that she patchworked them all together, not wanting to leave any out. The pages are drowning in daily minutia and Claire is so full of herself. All I want is the fire between Jaime and Claire. I want the survival instincts that made my pulse pound and the pace that made me come back for more. That is NOT here.
Diana, 'Outlander' was INCREDIBLY SPECIAL. All the details and Gaelic served to season your first books. This one is a stew where all you can taste is the salt and pepper. Next time, less words, less diapers and bannocks, more heart, more story!
Rating:
Summary: The Fiery Cross
Review: I have loved all of Diana Gabaldon's previous books in this series, however, this book was boooooooooooooring and was almost impossible to finish. I did finish it, though, 'cause I didn't want to have wasted my money. I was completely disappointed in this book and hope that the next in the series is better. I'm glad I'm not alone in my judgement of this latest installment.
Rating: 
Summary: Still a wonderful writer, but does it have to be so BORING?
Review: I've been reading the other reviews, and thought I might as well add my 2 cents. I read the first chapter of FC online before I ever got hold of the book. When I finally had it, the first 400-500 pages were great. Sure, it was a little sluggish, but I trusted Diana to have something happen eventually. But when it finally did, I almost didn't care. Diana's a fabulous writer; I'm sure everyone agrees. But isn't the point of novels to entertain? If it takes me a month and a half to read the newest in my favorite series and I constantly complain to my friends about how whiny Brianna is and the excessive details, something's wrong there. In short, I love Diana. Drums I didn't care for, but it seemed like FC got back on track. It has mostly, but the long stretches of NOTHING happening are getting kind of old. I'm on page 700 now, and I don't if I'll finish it anytime soon, simply because it's too freaking dull. With a new character seeming to appear every other page, and a crisis with one of the main characters every 100 pages, it just seems like a soap opera.
Rating:
Summary: Is there an editor in the house?
Review: How far the mighty have fallen. Outlander was an imaginative, unusual historical romance full of fabulous characters and compelling storylines. Unfortunatey, with each novel in the never-ending saga of Claire and Jaimie, Gabaldon seems to stray farther and farther from this marvelous beginning. With The Fiery Cross she has entered free-fall. Because I was disappointed with Drums of Autumn, I did not buy this book, but borrowed it from my library. Thank goodness ... it is unreadable and irritating. Gabaldon, who achieved much notoriety from this series, has obviously made the mistake of believing her own publicity. The book needed a mighty editor wielding an even mightier pen. Look elsewhere, gentle readers.
Rating:
Summary: No magic
Review: There is no magic in this book. I don't mean travelling through stones type magic. I mean the magic that hooks you and makes you read the book over and over. I'm half way through, and if I didn't have so much emotion invested in these characters from the previous books, I'd stop reading it right now. I certainly won't be re-reading it. The book is historically accurate. Overall it's well written. The details of life at that time are well explained. Perhaps the small details of life in pre-revolutionary America need to be told. But not in this book. Not in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Finished at last
Review: I started this book on November 5th, and finished it today, December 20th, 7 long weeks of forced reading. It's been a long time since I have forced my way through a book this boring, especially for 979 pages. After having devoured the previous 4 books in days, wishing that the story would go on forever, this one did, unfortunately! Although I will still wait eagerly for the next volume, I will drop it like a hot potato unless it is significantly better than this one! What a disappointment to have another formula writer run out of material.
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