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nmcannon 's review for:
The Fiery Cross
by Diana Gabaldon
Another year, another Outlander novel; this time The Fiery Cross. The term "novel" is applied very loosely here. This fifth installment in the series feels more like a collection of slice-of-life short fictions set in colonial North Carolina.
The two big overarching arcs are the pursuit of Stephen Bonnet and the plot against Jocasta. One could argue that pre-Revolutionary War jitters and the Regulators count as an arc too, but so much of that is derailed that I didn't. Anyway, with Fraser's Ridge established, Claire, Jaime, Brianna, and Roger are free to go on all sorts of fun adventures like getting properly married (in Brianna & Roger's case), collecting Ridge tenants, solving murder mysteries (complete with Southern Gothic flair), searching for penicillin, performing coolio surgeries, celebrating Hogmanay, attending Jocasta's wedding, fighting the battle of Alamance, bear hunting, and surveying. For reference, the book begins a few days after Drums of Autumn ended, on the last day of the Gathering in October 1770. The Fiery Cross ends October 1772, with burying the Mohawk time traveler and Jaime writing a letter to Ned about Laoghaire's mysterious night time visitor.
All of this is done with Gabaldon's usual panache and trademark chaos generation. The characters set out to do One Thing, but an Unexpected Something interrupts, and now this story is about Something Completely Different. Five books in the series and the poetry of language and absolute adoration of the characters are undiminished. The Fiery Cross is notable in that I think Gabaldon learns the trick of seamlessly switching POV to third person, and she learns how to make the switch truly meaningful. Roger and Jaime's relationship is deepened marvelously, and readers get to witness that by being in their heads. Speaking of Roger, I still don't like him. I will begrudgingly admit that his efforts to improve himself aren't wasted.
The lack of strong, overarching plot in favor of hundreds of subplots will and has disappointed readers, but I didn't mind. Like Gabaldon herself, I'm in love with these characters and want them to go on forever. Once I started thinking of The Fiery Cross as a short fiction collection instead of a novel, I enjoyed it even more. It's 1,000+ pages of pure literary dessert for fans. I look forward to the television adaptation and A Breath of Snow and Ashes already.
The two big overarching arcs are the pursuit of Stephen Bonnet and the plot against Jocasta. One could argue that pre-Revolutionary War jitters and the Regulators count as an arc too, but so much of that is derailed that I didn't. Anyway, with Fraser's Ridge established, Claire, Jaime, Brianna, and Roger are free to go on all sorts of fun adventures like getting properly married (in Brianna & Roger's case), collecting Ridge tenants, solving murder mysteries (complete with Southern Gothic flair), searching for penicillin, performing coolio surgeries, celebrating Hogmanay, attending Jocasta's wedding, fighting the battle of Alamance, bear hunting, and surveying. For reference, the book begins a few days after Drums of Autumn ended, on the last day of the Gathering in October 1770. The Fiery Cross ends October 1772, with burying the Mohawk time traveler and Jaime writing a letter to Ned about Laoghaire's mysterious night time visitor.
All of this is done with Gabaldon's usual panache and trademark chaos generation. The characters set out to do One Thing, but an Unexpected Something interrupts, and now this story is about Something Completely Different. Five books in the series and the poetry of language and absolute adoration of the characters are undiminished. The Fiery Cross is notable in that I think Gabaldon learns the trick of seamlessly switching POV to third person, and she learns how to make the switch truly meaningful. Roger and Jaime's relationship is deepened marvelously, and readers get to witness that by being in their heads. Speaking of Roger, I still don't like him. I will begrudgingly admit that his efforts to improve himself aren't wasted.
The lack of strong, overarching plot in favor of hundreds of subplots will and has disappointed readers, but I didn't mind. Like Gabaldon herself, I'm in love with these characters and want them to go on forever. Once I started thinking of The Fiery Cross as a short fiction collection instead of a novel, I enjoyed it even more. It's 1,000+ pages of pure literary dessert for fans. I look forward to the television adaptation and A Breath of Snow and Ashes already.