This is an extremely challenging book to review.

Not only is it over 1400 pages long and took me more than a month to read, but it's also by Diana Gabaldon.

She crafts captivating accounts of history, trivia, mythology, a wonderful love story, science fiction, and people with remarkable detail.

In certain sections, I was eager to breeze through the details and reach the core of the story, while in others, I relished every single word.

That's the charm of her writing; you must read each and every word and soak up every detail because it will resurface (perhaps 700 pages later, but it surely does) and hold some significance.

I also appreciate the fact that she doesn't squander time on backstory. Instead, she plunges you right into the action where the previous book ended.

She repeats a few of the crucial details, but for the most part, she allows the reader to read between the lines or draw on their own recollection of the previous books.

It makes for a truly engaging and immersive reading experience.

Finally finished this book. This was book 5 and I just couldn't get connected to the story line. I have devoured the other 4 books in this incredible series and have completely accepted all of the many leaps of faith that DG asks of us as readers. But this time around, it was a different story. I felt like the first 24 hours of the novel lasted for nearly 150 pages. The Gathering, which ate up so much of the book, was, in my opinion, rather boring. I've noticed that DG has a tendency to start books in this way.

I also have to admit that I can't get into the Brianna and Roger storyline. Maybe it's because nothing can compare to the Jamie/Claire relationship. However, I will say that I like Roger far more at the conclusion of the book than at the beginning. Most likely because Jamie seemed to like him better too.

I need a break before I embark on the last one in this series. I'm not sure if I'm ready to say goodbye to these characters just yet. But I know that I will eventually have to.

Guys!! Omg! I have finally finished TFC. I can't believe it!! I am sooo happy! I've been reading this book for the past 14 months! Yes, you read correctly, 14 months!

This book was by far the weakest book in the series. It was extremely descriptive to the point where you would go like "are you for real?" "Is this possible?" "Hurry up for Gods sake"!! "Why do we need all this unnecessary crap!!" That Gathering lasted forever!! 100 pages in and we were still having breakfast, geez!!

The first half of the book was so so so boring and tedious. It was nothing but details about the war, the regulators, and the militia. Omg!! I was crying out of frustration and even trying the audiobook didn't help. (Even though Davina Porter does an excellent job at narrating, I highly recommend trying the audiobook. It might work for you). There was no plot whatsoever and the pace was very slow. It could still have really worked if it was 400 pages less.

I really wanted to quit but my love for the characters and the series kept me going and I couldn't be any happier! The second half of the book was sooo good! The pace was a bit faster but still slow and the main focus was again our favorite characters which kept me reading and reading. Some events that happened in the second half of the book reminded me of the first book and I was like "yaasss we're finally back woohoo!" A big event that took place... wow, speechless!! Wasn't expecting it at all, it was amazing! A bit shocked though at what happened to a certain character which was so interesting and frightening.. Diana likes to make her characters suffer, oh gosh!

I give the first half of the book 2 stars but the second half 4 stars!! Overall my rating 3.5 stars.

I am sooo happy because I didn't want to quit the series. I love these characters so so much and now I will continue on reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes, woohoo! This is proof of how much one can love the series. If you get passed TFC, then nothing can stop you! I can't wait to see what happens from here on. I felt sooo emotional at the very end that proves love conquers all. So if you are reading this book, have faith, don't give up, keep reading. It gets better and better. You won't regret it!

While I still have a great fondness for these books, it has dawned on me that there seems to be less and less going on in them. It's not to the point where they have become truly tedious just yet, but the potential for that to happen is definitely present.

Nevertheless, just like with every other aspect, I wholeheartedly relished the storylines of Claire and Jamie, Brianna and Roger, and all the individuals who surrounded them. These tales may not be considered great works of literature in the traditional sense, but they are highly entertaining and filled with suspense. They have the ability to draw the reader in and keep them engaged from start to finish.

Despite the slight concern about the decreasing amount of action, I am still looking forward to seeing how the stories will unfold in the future and what new adventures and challenges the characters will face.

Reviewed on: Ashes Books & Bobs.


It has been more than three years since I completed Drums of Autumn, and I have finally finished The Fiery Cross. I've discovered that blogging and the general hustle and bustle of life have made it more difficult to commit to long books, and these books are huge! I began The Fiery Cross last year but abandoned it around 400 pages in, with the intention of picking it back up but never finding the motivation. This year, I decided to commit myself to these behemoths, or at least as much as I can through audiobooks.


Before starting to listen to this book, I was worried about how the audio would work for me. I wasn't sure if the narrator's voice for Claire and Brianna was suitable. However, as I listened, I soon realized it didn't matter much. The narrator, Davina Porter, has an amazing ability to keep track of the voices for each character. I always knew who was speaking, even if their name hadn't been mentioned yet. After listening to 55 hours of her bringing these beloved characters to life, I can't say enough good things about her excellent narration. It truly felt like I was watching a movie in my mind!


“Blessed are those who eat greens, for they shall keep their teeth. Blessed are those who wash their hands after wiping their arses, for they shall not sicken. Blessed are those who boil water, for they shall be called saviors of mankind.”


Despite the fact that it has been more than three years since I read a book in this series, I was amazed at how easily the storyline came back to me as I listened. Naturally, there were a few details I had forgotten or the significance of a certain character to the events taking place, but Diana Gabaldon does a great job of refreshing the reader as the book progresses. I was able to jump right back in as if almost no time had passed at all. In fact, it seems不可思议 that it has been so long since I finished the fourth book. I think this is a testament to just how epic these books are. They stay with me, obviously partly due to the time invested in them, but also because the story is such a rich experience.


“He had learned early on the trick of living separately in a crowd, private in his mind when his body could not be. But he was born a mountain-dweller, and had learned early, too, the enchantment of solitude, and the healing of quiet places.”


There was a significant portion of this story where very little seemed to be happening, which I think contributed to my inability to finish it the first time around. However, it was nice to be able to settle into a routine with the characters. It seems very rare for Claire and Jamie to have what seemed like eons of time with little drama surrounding their family life. Nevertheless, as the story advanced, there were quite a few of those jaw-dropping, stomach-sinking moments that I had become accustomed to. My only real complaint about this story was the few time jumps that didn't seem to offer as much of an explanation for past events as I would have liked. This made parts of the story feel rushed, while other less interesting plotlines had many more pages (minutes) of detail.


“…well, if women’s work was never done, why trouble about how much of it wasn’t being accomplished at any given moment?”


The great thing about this was just how much I had missed spending time with Claire and Jamie and all of the many secondary characters as well. They feel like real people to me now, and I miss them frequently in my life when I'm not reading the books. I'm hoping to use my next Libro.fm credit, which luckily hits my account today, on the next book in the series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I'm eager to use this abundance of time to make progress on the latter half of the series. Somehow, I know these final few books will tear my heart to pieces along the way.

This book commences at The Gathering, a place where all the Scots converge to see how everyone is faring and what has been transpiring. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg of the numerous events that unfold within these 1443 pages. The blurb might lead you to believe that the book predominantly focuses on the war, but that is not the case.

Wow! There are countless major happenings in this book, including one shockingly unexpected event. I simply could not fathom that Diana Gabladon would do that to Roger. Although she set things up well, it was still incomprehensible!! I constantly wonder why she did it...I have a hunch, but I'm unsure if it will ever be addressed.

I adored Jamie and Claire, as well as Roger and Brianna and little Jemmy. I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing about their family activities. I found it highly amusing how Roger was always observing Claire and Jamie as an example of a good marriage.

It was wonderful to see Jamie and Roger finally growing closer. I felt they were already headed in that direction, but I detested what occurred to make it even more so. (Poor Jamie)

There are also an abundance of humorous lines. I particularly loved the part where Claire is showing Jamie things under the microscope and he doesn't realize it's his sperm he's looking at:

“I’ve never seen such a thing, Sassenach. Ye’d told me about the germs, aye, but I never in life imagined them so! I thought they might have wee teeth, and they don’t—but I never kent they would have such handsome, lashing wee tails, or swim about in such numbers.”

I must admit that I was initially hesitant to start this book solely because of its length. However, once I began reading, I was delighted to be back in Jamie and Claire's world. That doesn't mean there weren't issues, as there were.

There's no way to sugarcoat this....it's extremely long. And it's truly difficult to determine what could be edited because with all of DG's books, the seemingly insignificant details often resurface in a significant way. This time, not so much. There were several storylines that were built up to be major and then simply ended without further explanation. I have no idea if they will be addressed in future books.

I think one of the problems is that frequently, the family will split up....for example, Jamie will be with Roger when something occurs, and when they return to Claire and Brianna, you would expect some explanation or what they might do, but no, nothing. It's very frustrating, or perhaps I'm just expecting too much.

Also, there are an increasing number of characters, and it's becoming more challenging to remember everyone. I think that DG did a decent job for the most part, but suddenly, someone would appear, and it would take a while for her to remind you of who they are.

There are also numerous points of view, and while I didn't really mind, I just wish it was clearer at the beginning whose perspective it was. Sometimes I found myself having to go back and reread.

All in all, perhaps not the best book in the series, but definitely one in which many major events took place. It took me some time to get through it, but I'm glad I did.

Cover Talk: Not a huge fan, but one thing I can say is that at least they are consistent.

Favorite quotes: (again, I could list many more, but I'll try to just mention my favorites)

♥ “No matter what,” he whispered, “no matter where. No matter whether you’re there to hear or not—I’ll always sing for you.”

♥ “Let the dead bury the dead, Sassenach,” he said softly. “The past is gone—the future is not come. And we are here together, you and I.”

♥ “There may come a day when you and I shall part again,” he said softly, at last, and his fingers brushed my lips, light as the touch of a falling leaf. He smiled faintly. “But it willna be today.”

♥ “He’s a man,” she said, “and that’s no small thing to be.”

♥ “You’re beautiful to me, Jamie,” I said softly, at last. “So beautiful, you break my heart.”

♥ \\"I love you, a nighean donn. I have loved ye from the moment I saw ye, I will love ye ’til time itself is done, and so long as you are by my side, I am well pleased wi’ the world.”

♥ “When the day shall come, that we do part,” he said softly, and turned to look at me, “if my last words are not ‘I love you’—ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.”

In the fifth installment of the captivating Outlander series, time-traveler Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and her eighteenth-century husband, Jamie, have successfully established their homestead on Fraser’s Ridge in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

The colonists' grumblings against British tyranny have already begun to surface, and Jamie and Claire are reluctantly resigned to the fact that the American Revolution is inevitable and there is nothing they can do to prevent it.

Although Jamie sympathizes with the colonists, for the time being, his allegiance lies with William Tryon, the Governor of North Carolina. It was Tryon who granted Jamie a land grant of 5000 acres in North Carolina, despite the fact that Jamie is Catholic and such a grant was forbidden at that time.

When Governor Tryon appoints Jamie as Colonel and asks him to put down a forthcoming rebellion by the colonists (known as the Regulators) at Alamance, Jamie follows Highland tradition and calls together his fellow clansmen by burning a large cross, which is referred to as the Fiery Cross.

Accompanied by Claire (who acts as the field surgeon) and Roger Wakefield, Jamie’s son-in-law, they embark on a journey to Alamance, where a brief but brutal skirmish takes place.

This installment delves into the interesting issues of the eighteenth century, encompassing everything from the everyday mundane activities to medicinal herbs and treatments, Highland superstitions, and a diverse array of characters, both savory and otherwise. The time period adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

The love story between Claire and Jamie, as always, remains in the forefront and continues to unfold as they age with each book. Overall, this installment is highly recommended.

Good lord.

Here we have a book that is a whopping 980 pages long, and yet it seems to be about... nothing. There are only these brief moments that are /almost/ something. It could have been something, but there is just so much nothing in between setting up a potential something and actually accomplishing that something. In fact, I forgot it was even a thing and completely didn't care because I was just way over it, what with all the forgetting and such.

Oh, wait. I guess some things did happen. People woke up in the morning. They cooked their meals. They ate. And then they went to sleep at night. In between those rather unexciting stories, babies crapped. And they also made a lot of popping sounds when they stopped nursing. All pulling away with a milky pop. I think they nursed these kids for an eternity! Claire is constantly running her tongue along her teeth as she checks out how everyone else's teeth are rotten and falling out. She has such beautiful teeth! Beautiful teeth! Beautiful teeth! Ummm... oh yeah, people stink. There's a lot of medical stuff following Claire around. There are maggots, and there's mold. Oh, and a bad guy got shot in the balls or something, but... I have no idea what ended up happening to that dude. Maybe I forgot. Or maybe I got distracted with the engaging stories of body smells, popping babies, and moldy maggots.

It's entirely possible.

SO. MUCH. AWESOME.

Just...SO MUCH AWESOME.

The first 20 - 30% of this work was a little slow-paced for me. It didn't quite grip me as tightly as I would have liked at the beginning. However, as I delved deeper, especially towards the end, it made up for that initial slowness tenfold.

There were moments that brought tears to my eyes. There were times when I thought my heart was going to stop, such was the intensity of the emotions it evoked. And there were also those wonderful moments when I simply couldn't contain my happy feelings. Oh, the end of chapter 108! It was truly a magical moment.

This series just seems to keep improving with each installment. JAMMF has officially claimed the top spot in my heart. I can't get enough of it.

4.5 HUGE stars! It's an absolute must-read for anyone who loves a great story filled with excitement, emotion, and unforgettable moments.

I finally completed this book.

It took me approximately three years to do so. Well, I read the last half within the past month, but only because I compelled myself to persevere.

Ever since I initiated this series, I've been aware that Gabaldon has a tendency to be overly verbose, but at least it usually led to some conclusion.

In this particular book, I had the impression that nothing occurred - or at least, for around 95% of the book, there was a lack of significant events.

I have no desire to know the intimate details regarding medical treatments, ailments, or the traversal through the vast and uninhabited wilderness of eighteenth-century North Carolina: it simply isn't interesting!

I'm pleased that Claire and Jamie love each other, but I don't require you to expound on it in a rhapsodic manner for dozens of pages.

Certainly, I hope that the next book is a bit more filled with action, because after reaching 5,000 pages into this series, I feel a pressing need to know how it concludes, but good heavens, this has been a torturous journey.

So far, this book is by far the weakest one in the series.

It seems to drag on and on interminably.

In fact, it took me approximately four times as long to complete this particular volume compared to the other four.

There is simply an abundance of unnecessary drama that feels forced and detracts from the overall flow.

The interesting parts are extremely scarce, like precious gems hidden among a mountain of rubble.

However, they are just sufficient to keep me hooked and reading.

And I must admit that by the end, I was finally engaged enough to have a desire to read the next installment.

Thankfully, it didn't completely turn me off.

Nonetheless, there were numerous elements in the book that really didn't need to be there.

This is the very first time while reading this series that I've truly felt a pressing need for better editing.

You will choose to read this book mainly because you are already deeply immersed in the story and have a vested interest in the characters.

And although there is just enough substance within the book to retain your attention, on the whole, it is an exhausting read and a bit of a letdown.

The Fiery Cross: Outlander, Book 5 (audiobook) by Diana Gabaldon, read by Davina Porter, truly deserves 5 stars.

As the story has now shifted to North Carolina in 1771, it has become even more captivating. It is utterly fascinating to witness how the author has seamlessly integrated the narrative into the events leading up to the Revolutionary War. The characters are so well-developed and engaging that I can't help but fall in love with them. What's truly remarkable is that despite the book's substantial length, which is a 55-hour audiobook, the author manages to keep me completely engaged throughout. I often find that books half this length could do with some shortening, but not in this case. Gabaldon's storytelling prowess shines through, making this a truly unforgettable listening experience.

I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves historical fiction, engaging characters, and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.