Claire Randall's saga as an outlander continues. The tales of her first mistaken trip to the highlands of 18th century Scotland seeming so distant, this 20th century nurse now resides in colonial America with her husband, Jamie Fraser. Previously, Claire and Jamie worked to help their daughter, Brianna, and son-in-law Roger, both from the 20th century, settle into life at Fraser's Ridge. The Fiery Cross begins with Brianna and Roger making their marriage official and baptizing their son.
Such idyllic domestic life cannot last, for the year is 1771, and Claire is all too aware of what lies ahead; what is oracular knowledge to those around her is simple history to Claire. She knows that a bloody conflict for the independence of the American colonies is coming. When Jamie is called upon to form a militia to put down the seeds of rebellion in North Carolina, he is all too aware that he will be eventually be forced to betray his king. An intricate plot weaves around the Fraser clan, as they perch on the precipice of war.
The Fiery Cross is the fifth novel in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, the prolific author who has written seven Outlander novels, an Outlander graphic novel, and several spin-off works following the Lord John character from her third novel "Voyager." Gabaldon started the Outlander series in the late 80s when she was a professor of Environmental Studies at Arizona State University. Initially it was an exercise to see if she could write a novel (and quite a successful exercise we might add). Since then her publishing success has allowed her to work as a writer full-time, with her latest Outlander novel, "Written In My Own Heart's Blood," forthcoming. She currently lives in Phoenix with her husband, and has three grown children.
"Having seen the TV Series of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Books 1 & 2, and having listened to Books 3 & 4 while waiting for these books to be released on TV, I had to continue this wonderful saga with her Book 5 - The Fiery Cross. I love the way Diana's Scottish/ C18th English/Colonial American humour, intrigue, pathos & empathy is brought to life in Davina's audio performance. I find the story enthralling & enchanting as Diana's web-like connections both within & between Chapters, Sections & Books both fill-out & surprise me from the Plot Summaries that I have already read of all the Books (up to No. 8) when deciding how much I needed to get these audiobooks in order to find some approximation of the TV Series' version of Book 1 & 2. I both can't wait & dearly hope that the visualisations of Books 3-8 will encompass the settings, characters, actions & emotions revealed in the audiobooks in their TV series that drew me in so inextricably with the first 2 Books' TV series."
—
Thomas (5 out of 5 stars)