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The Fiery Cross (Paperback)

by Diana Gabaldon (Author) "I WOKE TO THE PATTER OF RAIN on canvas, with the feel of my first husband's kiss on my lips ..." (more)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 880 pages
  • Publisher: Century; New edition edition (6 Nov 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0712678239
  • ISBN-13: 978-0712678230
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 284,379 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #11 in  Books > Romance > Classic & Contemporary Authors > Gabaldon, Diana

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

To describe Diana Gabaldon's novel The Fiery Cross as epic barely does it justice; this massive successor to the much-acclaimed Drums of Autumn weighs in at nearly a 1,000 pages, and is squarely aimed at those readers who want to enter the world of a book and remain thoroughly immersed for a lengthy period. It's essential that such a book can offer riches: riches in dense, complex plotting, riches in larger-than-life protagonists, riches in sheer story-telling skill. Gabaldon, thankfully, has it all.

After a list of acknowledgments that is long enough to tell us that this is an author who takes her time, we are plunged into the Colony of North Carolina in the year 1771, with a volatile society not under threat from Britain so much as from a bitter internal conflict. The divisions are between the colonial aristocracy, secure in their wealth, and the disadvantaged pioneers, carving out a rugged living in the shadow of the mountains of the west. Caught between them is Jamie Fraser of Fraser's Ridge, who is at ease with both sides. But Jamie's wife is the beautiful Claire, unable to integrate in the manner of her husband, always out of place. Her ability to discern the future warns of the pending revolution, and in the bloodshed that follows, the love of Jamie and Claire will be tested in the forge of war.

Gabaldon's canvas frequently evokes the epoch-spanning South of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, but Gabaldon is very much her own woman: this is romantic writing, but tempered with a steel edge that makes for an exuberant, turbulent blockbusting read.--Barry Forshaw



Review

The fifth of Gabaldon's magical historical sagas begins in 1770. Claire and Jamie Fraser and her daughter Brianna with her husband and baby son are starting a new life in the back-country of North Carolina. Well-born Jamie, courtesy of his friend the Governor of the Colony, holds the title to a large grant of rugged, uncultivated land in the mountains which he plans to tame, and share with his fellow-exiles. In return he must raise a regiment of fighting men, something which makes him uneasy - he's seen enough of war. Claire, though, knows that another one is coming - and soon. Ever since she learned to 'travel through the stones' from one century to another she's been both helped and plagued by what seems an unnatural prescience and the stored memories of other lives which have given her an education and abilities others lack. Medical experience in the 20th century has endowed her with the skills to heal the sick and injured, but not access to the drugs and equipment she sometimes needs. Even ordinary life in the mountains, with its extreme weather conditions and aggressive wildlife, brings new challenges every day, among them the sheer slog of keeping everyone alive and healthy - and reasonably clean. But if the land they live on is exacting it is also beautiful, and there is a lot of laughter, music, companionship, stimulating talk and conjugal love: tender, erotic and uninhibited. But as time passes Claire becomes increasingly anxious about the coming War of Independence. In the end they must make a choice between the war and another journey through the stones which could be almost as dangerous; and will inevitably lead to yet another unknown place and time. Long as it is, the novel's exuberance, invention and thought-provoking ideas never diminish. It's the kind of book that takes over your life - and stays with you. (Kirkus UK)
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Customer Reviews

42 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (11)
3 star:
 (12)
2 star:
 (3)
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Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (42 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
70 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book!, 6 Nov 2001
By A Customer
I waited 4 long years for the fifth book in Diana Gabaldon's time travel series and finally the wait is over! Often in a series, the first book is excellent and subsequent books can be disappointing; not living up to the reader's expectations. Not so with Diana Gabaldon's books. Every one has been a gem!

Fiery Cross is the continuing story of Claire and Jamie Fraser. In the first book, Cross Stitch, Claire is a WWll nurse who unwittingly steps through a crevice in time, back to 18th century Scotland, in 1743; a couple of years before the battle of Culloden. Jamie Fraser is the gallant Highlander she stumbles upon and eventually marries; leaving behind a husband in the 20th century.

Fiery Cross opens the day after the previous book, Drums of Autumn, ends. It is October 1770, and Jamie and Claire are contentedly settled in the backcountry of Fraser's Ridge,North Carolina with their daughter, Brianna and her husband, Roger (also from the future) with their son, Jemmy. Through Ms. Gabaldon's superb narrative, we witness the beginnings of dissent towards the British hold over the Colonies, the dangers and hardships of living in uncivilised territory, and secrets from 30 years before.

There are quite a few surprises revealed in this book and some questions from previous books answered. Is time travel inherited? Did Louis of France REALLY send gold for the ill-fated Scottish cause? Are there other time travellers? And many more. Read the book to find out!

I was not disappointed at all with this book! It had everything - romance, intrigue, comedy, drama, history, danger. The author's meticulous descriptions of even the tiniest details draw the reader right into the story; making you feel like a casual observer of all the goings-on.

This book is excellent and the wait was well worth it! Diana Gabaldon has surpassed herself! Roll on book six, hopefully not in another 4 years!

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars not nearly as good as the others/but still jaimie and claire, 20 Jun 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: The Fiery Cross (Paperback)
i would recommend this book to any fan of the series but they must be forewarned that it is not nearly as good as the others because of a complete lack of plot.
i personally read all 4 of the earlier ones in one go but i stopped and started three times for this one...
of course it is entertaining as gabaldon's books always are ,with intresting characters and dialogues but still it wasn't the same
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Fiery Cross as the beginning of the end., 14 Mar 2004
By Mr. R. J. Waring "Jude" (Bristol, South Gloucester United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Fiery Cross (Paperback)
I started reading this series of books at the beginning of January. It has been difficult to put the books down. The characters are very finely drawn and each has an appeal of its own. But of course we are all drawn to the main characters and in Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp we have enigmatic, heroic but also very humane characters. Jamie Fraser was fantastic from the start, but the art of Gabaldon has meant that he has become more clearly drawn as a hero of his time. Like Claire, we are drawn to his flame and we expect him to live up to our expectations. So far, he has not disappointed.
Writing in the first person, Claire has been our immediate contact with this new, though ancient world. Her honest and clear descriptions of events have meant that the reader has trusted her perceptions. I have been thrilled with how quickly unforeseen circumstances and events are presented to the reader, and left us stunned with the impact. I have also so relished how she has brought experience and (Historical) knowledge from her old world and tried to let it have bearing on her new.
Fiery Cross was great in that it drew lots of threads from previous books together. Made us fear for Jamie and Claire, because of what was ordained, but at the same time let them get on with ordinary life in 18th century America. I didn't expect to, but loved the development of the characters of Brianna, Roger and all.
I expect that Diana Gabaldon knew that Jamie's description of Claire as 'an Old One' would keep people like me drawn to her books.
As I said to my husband "I feel like they are old mates. I just want to see how things turn out for them".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't be put off....
Before buying this book, I read the reviews here and was quite worried that I would not enjoy it. I need not have feared. Read more
Published 8 months ago by AnetteF

3.0 out of 5 stars Not same quality as previous books
I came late to this series and have therefore had luxury of reading them all when all 6 books are published. I read books 1-3 in a heartbeat and couldn't put them down. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Thomas Covenant

4.0 out of 5 stars The fiery Cross

I must say i was a little dissappointed with this book where as with the others i just couldn't put them down this one i had a job to get into. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mrs. N. J. Sime

2.0 out of 5 stars Let's not do the time warp again
Here's a little experiment for you to perform at home. Starve yourself for a couple of days, then cook your most favourite meal and lay it on the table in front of you. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Dr Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story that loses pace
I fell in love with Jamie and Claire in the first book in the series and have followed them avidly since. Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2006 by L. R. Macklin

4.0 out of 5 stars Slow-moving continuing saga of pioneers in N Carolina
I won't bore everyone by repeating the gist of the story here because others have already done that fairly concisely. Read more
Published on 8 Nov 2005

3.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying, but a big long winded
I had mixed feelings about this book - having thoroughly enjoyed the previous 4 in the series, I was surprised at how long it took to get into the story. Read more
Published on 1 April 2005

3.0 out of 5 stars Burnt to Ashes
The Fiery Cross is the fifth in the Outlander series about Claire and Jamie Fraser and their daughter Brianna. Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2005

2.0 out of 5 stars Sorry, but this book is dull, Dull, DULL!!!
I have enjoyed all the previous 'through the stones' books, and so looked forward to this mammoth read. Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2005

4.0 out of 5 stars A hard slog, but worth it
After waiting for years for the next exciting chapter in the adventures of Claire and Jamie Fraser, it took a very long time to get involved in the story again. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2004

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