Umm... There is a pre-revolution revolution. There are some kids, and there is some murder. There is also Jacobite gold and some nature-related disasters. Aaand the rapist gets away. Again. But only after he gets shot in the you-know-what. BAM! 1200 pages, right there.

OKAY... Giving this one another shot.

I cannot get through this book. Diana Gabaldon gets so wrapped up in her own stories that it becomes a detriment to the reader. She must have like 20 research elves looking up obscure and useless details for her to meticulously add to the text. Please get over yourself and go back to writing something that I cared about. Seriously. Your backstory is KILLING ME. It seems that the author has included so many elements in this book that it becomes overwhelming. The combination of a pre-revolution revolution, kids, murder, gold, disasters, and a rapist's escape is just too much. And the fact that the book is 1200 pages long doesn't help. I tried to give it another chance, but I just couldn't. The author's excessive focus on her own stories and the inclusion of unnecessary details make it a difficult read. I hope she can go back to writing something more engaging and relevant.

I was afraid to continue with the saga, as with the fourth book it could have been the end of the saga. However, Diana decided to follow through with it and I am delighted.

Perhaps this book is slower than the previous ones, but it is no less interesting for that. What a beautiful love story! What an adorable main couple and what a charming secondary couple!

My favorite character in the saga? Without a doubt, Jaime. He has completely enamored me with phrases like this:

"When the day comes that we must part, if my last words are not 'I love you', it will be because I didn't have time."

This man leaves me speechless.

If you like the saga, you must give the TV series a chance. It's a wonder!

I love this series,

but the books are extremely long. The audiobook lasts for 56 hours!

That's equivalent to about five normal books. It's going to take a significant amount of time to get through it.

Since I usually have a single-minded focus when it comes to reading, I typically start a book and finish it without interruption.

However, I found this one rather tedious, to put it mildly. While reading/listening to this book, I felt the need to vary my reading experience by reading other books simultaneously as I made my way through this one.

Gabaldon packed a lot of content into the story, and the narration seemed to go on and on about things that were completely unrelated to the main plot. It was like she had a "kitchen sink" approach, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink.

But that appears to be her style, and since these books have sold millions of copies, it clearly works for her. She's sort of like the Tom Clancy of historical-romance, although I didn't think this book was particularly romantic. The story is divided into nine parts, each of which is long enough to be a standalone novel.

Like a Glucose Tolerance Test,

Only Recommended for Absolute Die-Hard Fans

A glucose tolerance test is a test given to a pregnant woman to determine if she has gestational diabetes. The test requires the poor pregnant woman to drink an excessive amount of a glucose drink that tastes like a sugared soft-drink. Then, the glucose levels in the blood are measured at different intervals after the glucose has been metabolized by the body. It's not so much the substance but the quantity of the sweet drink that is difficult to stomach, especially after fasting for eight or more hours. Remembering it makes me a little queasy.

Anyway, that's what this book reminded me of.

I understand that letting Diana Gabaldon write freely without a strict editor worked well in the past, but there's always an exception to a rule, and this seems to be it.

I adored the first four books in this series and have given them as gifts to my best friend, my mother, and my mother-in-law. I thought they were wonderful and couldn't praise them enough.

However, I'm struggling to find something good to say about this book. I have plenty of criticism instead. My dilemma is where to start and when to stop. I think I could go on and on.

First, there is no valid reason for this book to be 979 pages long as almost nothing happens. There is no unifying story thread to draw the reader in. There are a few interesting mysteries, but they occur suddenly and are resolved quickly. There are two exceptions that will obviously be continued in the next book.

I loved these characters before reading this book. I read in The Outlandish Companion that Diana Gabaldon, when asked how she keeps all the details of her characters straight, said that they are like real people to her and she wouldn't forget things about someone she knew. Well, I think she must be suffering from some form of long-term memory loss because she forgot many details.

For example, Duncan has only one arm, and Jamie is left-handed. I couldn't understand how these two things could be forgotten. There is a scene where she describes Duncan being carried to bed by Jamie and Major MacDonald with "limp arms about their shoulders." There's another place where she describes Jamie's injured right hand and how it makes writing difficult for him. He's been left-handed in the previous four books and is again at the end of this book, but somehow he's using his right hand to write in the middle of the book? There were many other inconsistent details, but I won't list them all here.

I also thought that Gabaldon really victimized Roger to the point of annoyance. I thought she completely changed Brianna's character and failed to develop or reveal the character of the rest of the family. Fergus seemed like an afterthought, as did Lizzie and Marsali.

The preoccupation with all things scatological was excessive, and the phrase "comically blank" used to describe someone's facial expressions was overused to the point of becoming a catchphrase. And one more thing, there is a scene where Jamie and another man have an altercation, and the man calls Jamie a c***. I'm not offended by the c-word, but its use in this situation was completely out of place and made the entire scene seem false.

I was so disappointed by this book that I'm not sure if I will read the next one.

As a reader and fan of the Outlander series and the first four books, I really want to know "What the heck happened?"

I think this installment has been my least favorite within the series up to this point.

Nevertheless, I did still have a certain level of affection for it. However, I felt that it dragged on a bit at times. In contrast, the previous books seemed to breeze by for me.

One aspect that I particularly enjoyed was the addition of the new characters. They truly brought a fresh dynamic to the story, adding an extra layer of depth and interest.

Moreover, witnessing the evolution of Jamie and Claire's relationship was truly a beautiful thing. Their bond continues to grow and develop in such a captivating way.

Despite all of this, I still can't help but wish that this book had packed more of a punch. For me, it simply wasn't as spectacular as the other books in the series. There was something lacking that prevented it from reaching the same heights.

Overall, while it wasn't my favorite, it still had its redeeming qualities and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.

Finally, I've finished this hefty tome, and now I can finally catch up on the show!

This novel is absurdly long. It's so long that entire chapters could likely have been omitted without sacrificing anything in terms of the plot or character development. We encounter the Fraser's right where "Drums of Autumn" left off, at the Ridge in NC. There, Bri and Roger are getting married, and the militia is gathering. Stephen Bonnet serves as the evil villain in this installment. He is just so menacing that I would even be willing to go through the stones for a chance to punch him in the crotch.

Rounding it up to a solid middle rating, as this was unnecessarily lengthy and had some rather unbelievable escapes.

”When the day shall come, that we do part, if my last words are not ‘I love you’, ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time”.

Ay, Outlander, amor de mis amores. I truly believe that if you have been following me for a while, you know that I love this series and these books with all my heart. I adore the stories of Jaime, Claire, Brianna, and the others. These were the books and the series that made me love Scotland with madness and passion, truly. They are pure magic. And, although the last two take place in the New World, the spirit of the Highlands is still there.

The Fiery Cross is an extremely long book and, in my opinion, overly mundane. Claire and Jaime continue to work on their settlement in North Carolina, harvesting, giving land to other people, and trying to stay on the good side of the Governor. And Bree and Roger remain in the past, raising Jemmy, dealing with the traumas that both have survived, and wondering if, at some point, they can return to their own time.

How is it possible that in a 1400-page book there are very few moments of action and scenes that break that daily routine? Well, look, Diana Gabaldon manages it. I know that she loves her characters even more than we do, but that doesn't mean that we want to read every moment when Claire goes to collect herbs or every time Brianna's boobs hurt from breastfeeding her son. There are moments when that daily routine and those very mundane parts can get quite boring.

It is not until after page 900 that several episodes begin to occur in which there is real tension, the lives of certain characters are in danger, and there is such anguish that it is impossible not to continue reading to see what will happen. But, again, someone who is not a fan of the saga will never wait until page 900 of a book for the pace to pick up.

Definitely, The Fiery Cross is a book that is not up to the level of the others, but that is undoubtedly necessary to get to the sixth in the saga. Which, moreover, from what I have heard, is one of the best, so I can't wait to read it.

Audio reread (at 2x). 2.5 stars.

This is a rather long and meandering book that perhaps has a plot. It sets up the family on Fraser’s Ridge and follows their lives for approximately a year. There are story lines related to medicine and the military, and a great deal occurs within its 1400 pages. Some notable highlights include:

• Clare establishes a penicillin factory on the mountain.

• Jamie develops a foot fetish.

• Bree takes on the persona of the Professor on Gilligan's Island.

• The family seems to have an unhealthy fixation on determining who Jemmy's biological father is.

• Sadly, Lord John only makes an appearance in correspondence.

• Ian mysteriously returns.

• Clare begins experiencing hot flashes.

• Jamie turns 50 but is okay with it as he still gets morning wood.

• Then there is poor, poor Roger. I am convinced that Diana Gabaldon dislikes him.

I enjoy complaining about this book. In a series of 8 books (for now), there is bound to be one that is not as good as the others. It’s not really a bad book; it’s just not as excellent as the rest and is probably 500 pages too long. That being said, I have a great love for this series. I adore Jamie and Clare. Whether it’s good, bad, or ugly, I am deeply invested in it.

Rating relative to the series overall.

This was far too long, an excessive length indeed.

I believe that a part of this author's allure lies in the fact that there is always a certain meandering between the crucial scenes. However, in this particular book, it seemed as if she was simply droning on and on about nothing of significance.

Consequently, I frequently found myself distracted, my mind wandering to other matters instead of engaging with these rambles.

Nonetheless, I still took pleasure in the narration and the humor that was interspersed throughout. Additionally, I feel that I have gained a much deeper understanding of Claire.

We come to know her not merely as Jamie's lover but also as a healer, a mother, and a unique individual in her own right. She has now firmly established herself as my favorite character within the series.

Finally, I derived enjoyment from reading about life in the colonies.

I earnestly hope that the sixth book in the series will be more focused. Otherwise, I may be compelled to abandon this series altogether.

Finally, I completed the fifth book in this series (sometime this month), and now I'm moving on to the review part - YAY!

I truly wish these books were significantly smaller. They demand an enormous amount of time to read and fully absorb all the information presented. I require time to determine my feelings towards the book, its characters, storyline, and everything else. Additionally, the plot definitely dragged on. For more than half of the book, I simply didn't care about what was happening. It seemed as if I was reading an excessive amount of unnecessary information.

"The Fiery Cross" focuses on Brianna, Roger, and Stephen. Oh, look! Another triangle with a touch of awkwardness. Then there are the details about Brianna and her boobs - I was extremely annoyed throughout this book, as you might have guessed.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I have liked (perhaps even loved) most of the books in this series. However, this one was a toss-up. It should have been a much more concise book with far more interesting details. Diana included unnecessary drama and page after page of worthless content. You could probably skip numerous chapters without missing anything significant later on.

Unlike most of the book, the ending was considerably better and actually piqued my interest. The ending is what compels me to read the next book - which I already know is not a short one. I just hope it's a great deal more interesting.

I am done.

I must say, while this wasn't a bad book, it was a real struggle at many points. Why did it have to be so overly long? What was the purpose behind such excessive length? Seriously, there was a single day described in the book that seemed to last longer than the entire narrative of The Great Gatsby. If only Claire hadn't been constantly recalculating the eggs and the bread, and instead just focused on making the damn breakfast, that day's description would have been at least 40 pages shorter. It's quite frustrating at times.

However, I will be reading on. Despite the series having many flaws, it still manages to be quite fascinating. There is something about the story that keeps pulling me in, making me want to know what happens next. Maybe it's the unique characters or the complex plot. Whatever it is, I can't seem to put it down, even though I find myself complaining about its length and some of the repetitive details.

I did enjoy this book, yet not in the same way as the other ones. It had a rather slow start, which made me a bit impatient at first. However, as I delved deeper into the story, it gradually picked up the pace and became more engaging, especially towards the end.

I don't really have a liking for Roger. Although I did feel bad about the unfortunate events that befell him, my interest lies more in reading about Claire and Jaime. Their relationship and adventures are truly captivating. And then there's Brianna and Roger, but for some reason, their story doesn't grip me as much as that of Claire and Jaime.

Overall, despite its initial slowness, this book has its own charm and managed to keep me hooked until the very end. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story will lead in the next installment.