Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: The Fiery Cross: International Edition: Outlander, Book 5

Top positive review

Arguably the best book I have ever read.

Reviewed in Australia on 28 February 2020

Naturally this is a very personal perspective but until Gabaldon came along my favourite of all time was Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'. I'm sure this must horrify those who cannot imagine comparing two such disparate pieces of literature. But quite simply I cannot put 'Outlander' down. Time and time again I find my mind wandering and wondering about what it was like in the early days of settlement in America. The subtle and sometimes not so subtle dichotmy between the 18th century and the late 1960s is fascinating, especially how Claire in her role as a healer deals with it. The honesty of admitting privately that in the 18th century these is absolutely nothing she can do to save a person's life and yet know that ca. 200 years on and it would be a no-brainer.

Unfamiliar as I am with the Celtic language I find some of the conversations and especially the witicisms pass me by - but we are getting there. It's pleasing to be challenged and treated as an intelligent reader. Gabaldon's understanding of the human condition, her empathy for her characters and her readers is sublime. The author is very skilled at conveying a sense of the excitement and fascination of what it was like to inhabit those woods at such a time as she portrays along with fine details of daily life. This takes time hence the multiple volumes but it reads anything but turgidly. In fact it is Gabaldon's ability to immerse the reader in the joy of the detail and yet become a 'page-turner' that is so unusual. I for one hope that 'Outlander' continues for my lifetime.

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Jade Cruz

Disappointed with quality of materials used for the book!!!!

Reviewed in Australia on 30 September 2020

Quite happy at first because the books are bigger than what I expected but then became very disappointed as the book is made from such low quality materials. The cover is really, really thin cardboard and also the pages are cheap paper, super thin. It's like school textbooks from when I was young, books to be thrown at the end of the year. What a shame as I wanted these books to last a lifetime. Amazon, what the heck?????
Storywise - I'm sure it is amazing as I love the Outlander series.

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From Australia

Jade Cruz

Disappointed with quality of materials used for the book!!!!

Reviewed in Australia on 30 September 2020

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B Tallents

I think the author is stretching and padding up the ...

Reviewed in Australia on 9 September 2017

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I think the author is stretching and padding up the story too much, so much so that it was loosing the plot.

One person found this helpful

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Iso Crazy

Oh, thank god, it finally ended

Reviewed in Australia on 20 May 2016

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I have invested too much time to give up on the series now but this book just rambled on and on with very little plot.

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pdarby

Unbelievably slow

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 July 2021

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I did read reviews about this book before buying it, but if I want to get to book 6 then I have to go through this. Lets just say I was warned that it was slow and dull.
Approximately 1400 pages long, this was always going to take some commitment, but really I'm tempted to say 'to hell with the whole thing - next book as well'.
This book starts with a gathering (no spoilers so don't worry) for some weddings. I'm now 162 pages into it and still those weddings have not happened. There have been a few discussions, a few scene setting bits etc. but really the bits that feel consequential could probably have been covered in 20 - 30 pages.
Overly descriptive for no reason. Long because it can be, but not with any real added value, and the pace of the first few books has been completely lost. An audio book abridged version might be better if it exists.

One person found this helpful

Karen Anderson

Long winded

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 June 2022

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Having read the first four books I was looking forward to this one but was disappointed. It was slow to start and got slower. After reading about the changing of dirty nappies and breast feeding for the umpteenth time I got fed up. The descriptions of the seasons and the landscape were beautiful but didn’t take the story forward. I felt the characters of Bree and Roger got a bit lost at times and I struggled with their story, it just seemed flat. I hope the sixth book is better and picks up a bit.

Kindle Customer

Boring and repetitive.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2020

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There was an awful lot of the same domestic nothing repeated in this book without much actually happening. Jamie and Claire getting intimate, Brianna getting intimate , Brianna breastfeeding, Brianna's wet patches, Jemmy's nappies, Jemmy's howling, everyone fancying Claire, Jamie or Brianna repeat, repeat repeat-it's a big book, occasional diversion that led nowhere, lots of rain. Even when something happened, the repetitive themes were still there. The end.

One person found this helpful

CC97

Missing pages!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 February 2017

Verified Purchase

This would have probably got a four or five star rating if all of the pages were there, I've managed to read maybe 2 to 3 continuous pages before i hit a blank one and lose track of the story - again and again. I'm about 30% through the book yet at least 20 pages have been blank, if I'd bought the actual book from a shop I'd be taking it back as it feels like the pages have been ripped out. As I'm quite a fan of the Outlander series I feel really dissappointed and I'm currently looking for my new literary fix.

2 people found this helpful

addicted to reading

Love "Outlander", this book, not at all!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 September 2020

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Before I write anything else, I have to say that I love "Outlander". However, this books is so slow, it drags and it's prolix in some many parts!!! Why do we have to read a full detailed description of an authopsy? It has never taken me so long to read a book like this one. I read all the previous ones in 6 weeks, this one took me 8 months!! And during lockdown as well! Sorry, Diana Galbadon, but I'm having second thought if I'm going to carry on reading the other books in the series!

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Hard Going to Start

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 July 2016

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The first 200 or so pages were dare I say it........repetitive and boring. Then it started to heat up a bit once Claire and Jamie were brought back into the story. Still working my way through it but not a book I couldn't put down. Taken me 5 weeks to read 50% and usually with these books I have read them in a couple if weeks. I will persevere. I am sure it will be worth it.

15 people found this helpful

divna marinovic

Not the best I've read in the series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2018

Verified Purchase

Two promises of war action which amount to nothing, constant references to Brianna's breasts and for goodness sake, Roger yet again gets nearly killed and isn't man enough to say no more, that's it, too bloody dangerous round here I'm off. Now I have been a fan of these books so far but I do hope that the next one has more substance as this left me wondering at the end why did I bother?

One person found this helpful

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The Fiery Cross: International Edition: Outlander, Book 5

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