Rating: 
Summary: Greatly enjoyed
Review: There's a saying: Those who can, write. Those who can't, critique. Well, I'm a writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Fiery Cross. No, Brianna is not my favorite character, though I see traits in her that remind me strongly of Jamie. Yes, this is a slow-moving book, full of vignettes. I still enjoyed it much more than, say, Drums of Autumn. Does this mean Drums is a lesser book? No, it means my taste runs more to Fiery Cross. It's a very subjective thing. And as a writer I know that, despite the myth that there's an "unwritten contract between writer and reader," the book is NOT written for the reader. The book is written because the story lives inside the writer's head and has to be told. The story is what it is. It may be too slow for you, or too detailed, or too this or too that, but it wasn't written for you. It was written for itself. Some of the reviews were obviously written by other writers who wanted to take swipes at what they see as a competitor; I view them in the same light as the People reviewer who blamed Gabaldon for the typos in the book. In the Fiery Cross, some threads were tied up and others were unraveled. What role will the Frenchman's Gold play in the next book? What will Bonnet do? What about the other time-travelers? The saga of Jamie and Claire is a long tapestry of which we can see only one portion at a time. Until we see the whole, we have no idea how all of these threads are woven together and what future crisis springs from a tiny detail in the previous book. Jamie's lovely and marvelous sense of whimsy was once more apparent in this book, as well as his uncanny ability to keep several balls in the air. Claire is as intrepid as usual. Roger is coming into his own. Ian will probably figure largely in the next book, though of course no one knows. I for one can't wait for the next view of the tapestry.
Rating: 
Summary: Tired of it all...
Review: The molten tresses, the leaky breasts, Claire's potty-mouth, Roger's mooning and Brianna's whining. ENOUGH. Fiery Cross could not have been a bigger letdown for me. Sloppy, plot-less,repetitive and well...BORING! Does 4 best-selling books really entitle an author to put out 900-plus pages of meandering moanings and historical detail that glare out at you as "I researched this, so I have to use it!"? And where the heck was the editor and publisher??? Were they just so happy to get the book into there hands after such a long period that they rushed through the publication? I mean, did anyone actually READ this dreck before it went to press??? Obviously not. I wish I hadn't. I wish Diana Gabaldon would move on with the mysteries she wants to write; she's obviously lost her perspective on the whole Jamie/Claire saga.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Maybe I built my hopes up too high, I don't know, but this book was not what I'd hoped it would be. I'm surprised so many of the reviews here mention problems I had with the book. Did it have to be quite so long? No; I saw much that could have been cut without consequence to the work. In addition to being too long, I was disappointed that nothing much is resolved. This book felt like filler, like DG had time to kill before the Revolution and so we got snippets of daily life. I love that Claire and Jamie are still in love; I still enjoy their relationship. I liked that Roger gets some development, but kept wondering how much hell the man could get himself involved in. It's one thing after another. Gabaldon doesn't have to use such tricks to keep me interested. Outlander is the best, an A+ book; I'd grade this one a C.
Rating:
Summary: Diana is a Master Crafter of beautiful words.
Review: Diana's writing is as beautiful and carefully crafted as ever. If you are a true historic novel buff, you will love her careful attention to the details of life in the 1700's. But Diana, what made your other books so great was that they weren't about ordinary life, but about high adventure and supernatural elements. Where did that go? This book is a transition book, and I agree with many reviewers that it lacked a lot in plot (did it have one?) The first 150 pages could have been summarized in 50 and not have been so torturous to the reader. I enjoyed the scenes of child raising, being in that situation myself currently, but Brianna for all she tries is a brat. How can you have a romance between Brianna and Roger when she acts like she can hardly stand him? Sure she seems worried when he is missing or hurt, but I think that is only because she doesn't want to be a single parent. And why is Roger such a clueless, thoughtless idiot. Its hard to get behind a guy that makes such dumb mistakes (again and again.) I have no problem with the length of the book, the longer the better, but I did feel cheated that after 800 pages the good part finally starts. And of course it was all cliff-hangers. And for heaven sakes kill Stephen Bonnet, he was annoying from the beginning. I hope that all we hear from him in the next book is that he died somewhere from infection. But whatever you do don't pass this book up, if for only that the next book must surely tie up the piles of loose ends. And of course If you are a true fan you will need it in hard cover to go with the rest of your Outlander collection.
Rating:
Summary: Simply dreadful...took a month to read.
Review: First four books: I didn't sleep, didn't eat, didn't think of anything but getting back into the books to continue on Claire's journey. Wished I could make a living spinning tales as well as Gabaldon. Fiery Cross: Couldn't stop falling asleep and forced myself to read a chapter or section each night to justify the expense. Relieved that it wasn't me that wrote it...would have been embarrassing to compare with the previous volumes. If you don't care about plot or character development and like to wallow in the fragmented details of pre-Revolutionary NC, wilderness medicine, breast-feeding and potty training, you may enjoy this. If you are accustomed to Gabaldonian wit, adventure, and creativity woven into a "can't put it down" story...pass this up or wait for the paperback. This is dull, plodding, tedious stuff! Buy a history book. Buy a homeopathic desk reference. They will be more exciting. Suspect the other reviews saying the last 100 pages are really exciting...not in the book I read. I lost interest after the only likable character Lord John Grey wandered out of the action early on. It goes downhill from there...I didn't like any of the characters, even Jamie and Claire, by the bitter end. I just didn't care anymore for a single one of them... Sad.
Rating:
Summary: Why can't I get into this one?
Review: That is the question I keep asking myself every time I pick up "The Fiery Cross". Unlike the first four books in the saga of Jamie and Clair Frasier (which I read voraciously, barely taking my hands off of them until I was finished) this fifth installment is just not as engaging.
Rating: 
Summary: A Dazzling Fifth Book in a Great Series
Review: Although the first 150 pages are a little slow, once past that the story really gets going. I found Diana's writing on par with the past books in the series, and her love of detail really shows in this. Many readers here have been complaining about reading about day to day life in colonial America, but I think this is where Diana's brilliance lies - she uses the detail to shape her characters and bring them to life, and she is remarkably accurate in her depiction of colonial life. Sorry people, but women in the 18th c. generally spent the majority of their lives either pregnant or nursing, and they weaned their children late because formula did not exist. Diana isn't going to shy away from showing that and I admire her for that. What she writes is true to the characters and the time period, and not just to please her readers.
And for the readers here complaining that it's a boring book - are we reading the same book? I'll admit some of the detail in the beginning was difficult to get past, but once past it, I couldn't put the book down! It's an absolute page-turner. And it's not a typical romance (which I don't read anyway), so maybe if you're used to formulaic plots, stock characters and uninteresting storylines, you won't like it. But if you enjoy full flesh-and-blood characters and fascinating plots, you'll love it as much as the first four (and DO read the first four before tackling this one or you'll be lost).
P.S. I find it interesting that the majority of people who write bad reviews here keep themselves anonymous. Hmmm.
Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment!
Review: Galbadon's latest book is not as engaging as her previous four, which I thought were five-star books. AFiery Cross is a very big disappointment! It goes on and on with no real action or building of tension. So dull, I can't finish it. Has Ms. Galbadon run out of ideas? Too much biology in this book, too. She certainly has done her research, however.
Rating:
Summary: Still Good
Review: I felt like a had to write a review. So many people are comparing this book to her other books instead of this book on its own. The beginning is a little slow but heats up about a third of the way into the book and keeps going. Diana Gabaldon has a remarkable way of describing her characters and their surroundings that you feel you are there. The amount of reasearch that has gone into this book is amazing and seems historically accurate. I think this is a great book on its own, and another great book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Wait!
Review: We've waited for a long time for this book and it was well worth it. I was afraid that I had built it up in my mind so much and was so anxious that perhaps the book would actually be a let down....but I was wrong. I enjoyed Bree and Roger...their precocious little boy is a darling...and Jamie & Claire are as wonderful a couple as they were when they first met in Outlander. I highly recommend this series of books. If you haven't read Outlander or the other books, I suggest you do that first, if you are new to Diana and her series. You will come to love her characters and they will become a part of your life that you just won't want to part with.
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