Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment!
Review: Wow! Diane Gabaldon must have been getting intense pressure to publish to allow The Fiery Cross out of her hands.
I am a big fan of this series. The first three books in the Outlander series were some of the best adventure/romance I had ever read. They were true to the drivers of romance and adventure but in an unconventional way. They are smart books that keep you reading far into the night. I had the feeling when i was reading Drums of Autumn, the last book in the series before The Fiery Cross, that Diane should wrap it up. It was still entertaining, but the two couple were now settled down. Sorry, romances get less interesting then, no matter what you do. I thought Diane should give us one more book and finish it off. The time travel themes, the Scottish independence themes seemed to be heading somewhere and I was curious where they would go. I thought we might end up with Jamie in the 1960's and I thought that would be entertaining.
However the Fiery Cross seems to go nowhere. It is slow moving, the characters seem annoying (never thought that would be possible). The conflicts are whinny personal likes and dislikes or not explained (who are the regulators and why should we care if Jamie fights them?). Is it really likely that younger men would be making passes at married Claire at fifty plus? And that Jamie still has a full head of red hair at 40 even though he spent 10 years in a 1700's prison (I don't care how many vitamen C filled thistles he ate--again, not bloody likely).It could be the ending makes up for it. Unfortunately, I never got that far. At about page 500 I decided to bag it.
Rating: 
Summary: Still Going!
Review: I agree with the other reviewers that Gabaldon's books look very long and it sometimes feel like climbing Mt. Everest just to open another one. But the only book of the five I found overlong (with a couple hundred pages worth cutting in the beginning) was "Voyager"--and then, BOOM, right in the middle I found people not seen since the first book and I was back to turning every page as quickly as I could. And it was *so* clear that the last one wasn't the end, with so many loose strings left to tie, that I've been awaiting this one, whatever length.
I also have no problem with the idea that it is a presentation of history--of early life in (pre-)America--because history so often comes to life more clearly in the daily lives of people than in dry history books that cite dates and conclusions with no details on the way people actually lived or the different forces at work, the varying opinions, that led to what we memorize in school. (I will never forget memorizing the date of the "Diet of Worms" at an early age--with no idea of what it was about, but full knowledge of the improbable name: that summarizes to me how history was taught. And that WWI was caused by one assassination, with no preceding difficulties?)
Gabaldon has already covered very well the different Scots and foreign opinions about Bonnie Prince Charlie and Culloden, whereas history books simply (incorrectly) record Culloden in a sentence as a loss of unified Scotland to the British.
In this book she shows some of the mounting resistance to the crown of England while covering those not interested in the crown or resistance, people not much affected until they're drawn into militias: the very different views, which in fact marked the American Revolution we now learn as a de facto unanimous revolution of the people in general, which it was not; nor did the Founding Fathers agree on much after the revolution when trying to develop a new form of government. ;-)
But that's kind of a side point, in response to another review. I am personally fascinated by the details of average citizens' lives, from what one did before toilet paper and diapers (and a postal service, let alone email) to the state of medicine at that time, seen through the eyes of a woman who learned medicine in a different age.
This eagerly awaited book did not let me down. While "Dragonfly in Amber" probably remains my favorite of the series, the only book I thought seemed "short of steam" was "Voyager"--and that one recovered its steam before the end.
Anyone who has read the Sassenach Chronicles this far can't stop now!
Rating: 
Summary: WHAT HAPPENED?!
Review: If you are as rabid a Jamie and Claire (and Gabaldon) fan as I am and have been waiting for this book for over 4 years as I have, I'm afraid I have some bad news - this story is completely flat! I thought maybe the events of September 11th had colored my perspective (in realizing what is truly important) but, in reading other reviews, I find I'm not alone in saying that The Fiery Cross is definitely a let down! While the dialogue between Jamie and Claire in Outlander through Drums of Autumn was sexy, poignant, heartfelt, sometimes angry, and sometimes hilarious, some of the dialogue in The Fiery Cross is just embarrassingly syrupy and saccharine. In short, I don't like this Jamie - he's hardened and sarcastic at times; I'm getting really fed up with Claire being looked on as a witch in every book and every country she's in (does she ever get past this?) and Roger and Brianna just need to grow up! I found The Fiery Cross definitely "filler" material and I hope "Sons of Liberty" doesn't take 4 years to complete.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved it.
Review: I've been reading the reviews and I can't believe some didn't care for this book! I love all the details--I want to hear them all. I don't know how I will be able to wait for the next book. I have lots of predictions about how things will work out and I can't wait to see if I'm right. I only hope Diana is keeping track of all the loose ends through all the books so she can wrap them up in the last book. And I pray she won't do what Jean Auel has done (make me wait more than 10 years for the next book). Anyway, this is probably my favorite book after the first (Outlander).
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I eagerly awaited this new novel in the series and bought it sight unseen. That was a mistake. I found it slow, plodding and it didn't hold my interest. The first 150 pages didn't move out of a single location and rehashed the same story line over and over. I'm not sure what happened to the writing. After 200 pages I gave up.
Rating: 
Summary: Stirred, not shaken
Review: Diana G. has become a prisoner of her own success. The other four books were so innovative that she'll find it hard to measure up to them. TFC contained Diana's usual excellent writing, but there was very little narrative drive; few questions to compel me to turn the pages. I knew there was war coming, but it never arrived. I knew Stephen Bonnet was a threat, but he never arrived until the last minute, then the scallawag got away, feeling like a cliffhanger just to drive me to buy the next book. Jamie still has the power to make me cry, Claire is still . . . Claire. But the pages of this one don't fly because there is no looming threat to keep the reader engrossed. But I hold great hope for King, Farewell--and will be happy to have the story finally finished.
Rating:
Summary: missed the mark
Review: wonderful tale of frontier life, but face it, claire and jamie are old now, bree is a shrew, and there are far too many baby scenes in this book. maybe the last book will have more action, and less wandering around the woods chopping fire wood. what really annoyed me was the action in the last chapter, that should have showed up much earlier in the book, and given us something to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Once more with feeling
Review: I waited forever for this book to be published and when I received it I just looked at it for a week before picking it up to start reading it. It was not an all nighter, yes I could have done it like I've done Clancey's books but I didn't. I took it one bite at a time and savored it like a vintage wine. It was good to see Bonnet get it where it hurts and I have wondered about Ian for four years, at least one question is answered. It is good to see the mature love between Clare & Jamie the feelings for each other seem to get stronger with each book. I hope she ties them all up in the next one, which I hope does not take another 4 years to write. My favorite was Outlander followed by Voyger, I personally did not like Drums of Autumn but I ploughed through it, for those of you who would give up due to the length of this book my advice is to keep on reading.
Rating:
Summary: Long-awaited Sequel Not Worth Waiting For
Review: I've read all of Galbaldon's books. Like many I was captivated by the first and second book and I eagerly awaited each subsequent edition. In her sequels Galbaldon never quite captures the magic of the original story. With each book, I've been increasingly disappointed. I had hoped that, after waiting so long for The Fiery Cross to be finished, it would recapture the essence of the first book. Sadly, it doesn't. This book is written as if everything was an afterthought-- "oh, yeah, I almost forgot to include something about ____" -- rather than a well-crafted plot. As a result, it is a rambling story of too many people of too little consequence held together with bits on herbal remedies, biology lessons, and celtic phrases. I wish she had stopped with the first three books.
Rating:
Summary: Good, good, good
Review: I just finished the long long book. I have read several reviews knocking it. Yes it is long, no it's not always a "easy" read. But if you are interested in the day to day details of life in the mid 1700s this is hard to beat. Telling the story from other view points, Roger and Bree, adds another deminsion to the book. Really hated to finish it, felt like I was saying good bye to good friends
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