Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

Title: The Fiery Cross
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Release Date: November 6, 2001
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 1443
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, & Drums of Autumn
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 5 Stars

The year is 1771, and war is coming. Jamie Fraser’s wife tells him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveler’s certain knowledge. Claire’s unique view of the future has brought him both danger and deliverance in the past; her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through the perilous years ahead—or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes

It seems that no matter where they go Jamie and Claire have a war following them. First it was the war in Scotland, and now this. I absolutely love Diana right now, because each of her books are not only easy to read - despite how thick it is - but they start leading into the next book, which leads to a bigger conflict that's going to happen. It makes a person just devour them.

Brianna and Roger are so cute together, and despite the whole issue with finding out who Jemmy's real father is - Bonnet or Roger? - the reader can see that they could be just like Claire and Jamie, expect they grew up in the same time period, 20th century. Jocasta is really digging into my skin. She's a Mackenzie and for those that remember the earlier books that means that she cannot be trusted. And this whole business with missing treasure and Hector just adds more of not to trust about this woman.

As for Jamie and Claire, I just have to say that I have never heard of Herman Husband or the War of the Regulation. But like her other books she makes her reading both informal and as accurate as possible, while still adding fun. And it must have felt like a low blow to Roger when his grandfather five times removed thought he was making moves on his wife (and it didn't help that he kissed her either) and ended up getting hanged. I was thinking that he really would have died, but somehow Jamie always saves the day. There's just something about the way he does that, the natural instinct he has to save others, it just makes someone fall in love.

Gabaldon continues to bring in some new characters, and somehow we're all still able to keep track of what's going on.

This book also helps wrap up some story lines that were in DRUMS OF AUTUMN and helps bring in new mysterious, with intricate characters, and the ending leaves so much more in the coming books!

As said before if you've made it as far as book four, continue with this one. The words come so naturally and the story, while complicated, can be followed. Gabaldon is a genius.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

good to read your blog

Canada said...

Fiery Cross is admittedly a "bridge book" between the first 4 novels and the final one. My bet is that Ms. Gabaldon knows exactly what will be in the last book and chose a few segments to put out as "cliff hangers" in the end of Fiery Cross. Then, she filled in the first 2/3 of the book with the results of her research, adding vignettes of daily life and a few tidbits of the storyline to keep readers going. The result is a meandering book with very little forward motion. Parts of it are painfully drawn out and add very, very little.