Outlander Series discussion

I am currently reading "Fiery Cross" and I am having a really hard time getting into it. I have loved all of the "Outlander" books so far and have even thought that the books got better further in the series. I loved "Voyager" and "Drums of Autumn" more than "Dragonfly in Amber." Just wondering what other people's opinions of "Fiery Cross" might be??? I'm kind of sad that I don't love this book as much as the others...I'm not dying to read it like I was with the others.

Keep going....I liked Fiery Cross and then you get ABOSAA...It is amazing. I think there are small parts in every book that I like a little less than other parts that I truly love. But all the books have so much detail that you can not miss out on and understand things that happen later on! I think you will like the end!

Thanks ladies. I think I'm having a hard time right now because they are at the Gathering and tons of new characters are being introduced. There hasn't been a lot of Jamie and Claire interaction yet and those are the parts I generally like best.

Suzy, The Fiery Cross was my least favorite also on the first read through.....something about the Gathering that got tedious for me. Keep reading though as quite a lot of important stuff happens in TFC.
I liked it much better on subsequent re-reads of the series. Now Dragonfly is my least favorite of the series (the Paris court stuff bores me)

Hi Suzy,

I am reading the series for the first time and now about 1/3 of the way through Echo. I love them all...but I am glad to hear you say your least favorite is Dragonfly...Mine too!!! A lot of folks like that book the best...The Paris court bored me plus I found it hard to understand!!! But there are parts in each one of the books that is a little slower for me....but even the slow parts are still really good! And most of the time you need the info somewhere else in the series!

I agree the gathering is so long. But the rest of the book is great keep reading!

Also had a hard time with Fiery Cross... maybe becoz I read all those spoilers from Diana's before going into it.

But Fiery Cross sets up a lot of character for ABOSAA... I only appreciated FC after reading ABOSAA. Actually found myself going back to it after.

If Echo is a twin of the next book, FC and ABOSAA is the first set of twin-books for me.

I just finished Fiery Cross last night. Whew! Now that I'm done the gathering seems like such a small part of the book. However when I began reading, it did seem like it took a while to get through. Definitely keep going. The characters go through so much and DG has an amazing ability to pick up threads you forgot she left hanging several books ago. I do think we need a glossary of characters in the back of each book! Overall, loved it.

ABOSAA I think is even better than Fiery Cross...enjoy your reading!

I'm just over 1/2 way through now and I'm loving it just as much as I've loved the other books. It' just took me a little longer to get into. I don't want this series to ever end!

Me Too! But I finished Echo yesterday and I am having withdrawal pain. I felt lost last night not being able to read and be with Claire & Jamie. But in DG web site it says it takes her 2 to 2 1/2 years to write one. So I think I have awhile to wait!!! Guess I will have to re-read very soon!

Terri - I understand your pain. Even though I have 2 books to go, I'm already feeling sad that the story will eventually end and that I'll have to wait at least 2 years for another book. After reading these books, I don't know if I'll ever be able to read other books again. They'll never live up to DG and Outlander!

Suzy, I have felt like that this series has made reading other books difficult also. the characters seem flat and I miss my Jamie ;o)

I’m just at the part in FC where they leave the Breardsley cottage and are in the woods on their way back to meet up with Roger & the militia. Jamie just smiled in his sleep when Claire touched his hair.. sighhhhh.
That whole situation with the nasty cottage and the wacky Fanny chick threw me off! Is this going to be something of importance later on? Just curious since it seems like such an ichy, weird storyline.

Eva wrote: "I’m just at the part in FC where they leave the Breardsley cottage and are in the woods on their way back to meet up with Roger & the militia. Jamie just smiled in his sleep when Claire touched his..."

Oh, yes it is important. Nearly every character shows up later in the book(s). It is truly amazing how DG is able to thread characters and storylines through her books. Every character and every event (major or minor) becomes relevant later. I think that is why you have to read the books over and over. One always overlooks some detail in each reading.

Yes, that sweet Jamie smile does reassure us along the way. I imagine it takes every mother emotionally back to her own baby(s).

Of course! I should have known that!!!! That's one of the things I love about Diana's writing. I was just wondering because it was a bit distrubing and yucky as a stand alone element in the plot....

and you're right...the smiling-in-the-sleep thing gets me every time!

Suzy wrote: "I am currently reading "Fiery Cross" and I am having a really hard time getting into it. I have loved all of the "Outlander" books so far and have even thought that the books got better further in..."

Firey Cross was my least favorite book the end is kinda of neat a Breath Of Snow And Ashes is awsome keep going

I have no plans of stopping but this one is taking me longer to read, for sure. Oh well... the longer I take to get to Echo, the less time I'l have to wait until the next one ; )

It was definitely my least favorite of the series. I found the series when Outlander was first published (unlike most of you which are able to read one right after the other) and then have read each one in turn as they came out.

I re-read the first three (which are still my favorite part of the series, with Outlander being the top favorite) but stopped the re-read after Voyager, because I wasn't crazy about Drums and didn't like Fiery Cross that much.

But maybe I should give the complete series another read-- I know I forget things from one book to another that are important, given the amount of time that passes between books. When Outlander came out, my oldest son was a baby and now he's in college.

Drums was one of my favorites for me it went Outlander,breath of snow,drums,echoe,drums,voyager,dragen fly,fiery cross

I felt the same way in starting The Fiery Cross, but I'm half way through now and really enjoying it. I'm going to try to pace myself and read some other books in between so that I get to Echo in Bone when it comes out in paperback in June. I've heard so many people saying that there is a lot unresolved at the end of Echo...a cliffhanger if you will, and I'm a bit nervous to get there because of that..knowing that she won't have the next one out for a couple years.

I just read the part about the sperm that they see with the microscope.... sooooo funny!!!! It was a very comical and well written scene.

Eva wrote: "I just read the part about the sperm that they see with the microscope.... sooooo funny!!!! It was a very comical and well written scene."

That was good, there sre many good parts in this book, and most of them important for later...

I finished Fiery Cross just a couple of days ago and I did really enjoy it. It hasn't been my favorite in the series so far, but very good non-the-less. I'm looking forward to A Breath of Snow and Ashes, but I'm going to read some shorter books in-between. I'm not sure I'm ready to embark on another 1,400 pager just right now. I know I'm not going to be able to pace myself enough to not have a ridiculous wait for book 8, but I wish that I could. Two years is a long time to get the next part of the story. I just got Echo in Bone in the mail yesterday. I know me, I say I'm going to wait, but next week I'll probably read and finish ABOSAA and then I'll just have to read Echo...This is why I have a love/hate relationship with book series. I love to have more of the characters and plot, but I hate the wait!

I know what you mean about Jesse about the long books. I have a couple of books that I want to read, but they're over 600 pages so I keep putting them at the bottom of the stack.

Jesse wrote: "I finished Fiery Cross just a couple of days ago and I did really enjoy it. It hasn't been my favorite in the series so far, but very good non-the-less. I'm looking forward to A Breath of Snow and ..."

I loved ABOSAA, definatly one of my fave's in the series.

I just finished FC!!!! It was different than the other books, but really good none the less. DG really did leave things hanging though... the French gold story line just left off... and what happened to Ian and his family... she never mentioned it. Thank goodness I don't have to wait 3 years to find out!!!
Now I have to go update my fav quote thread after reading the last paragraph...

I just started Fiery Cross (I'm not even to the wedding yet) - I haven't read any of the comments above for fear of learning out something too soon (lol), so I don't know if anyone else thought this upon beginning book #5 - but there is a lack of Jamie in the pages I've read so far. I like Claire a lot, but it's Jamie that keeps me reading! Plus I'm getting sympathetic hypothermia from the constant rain and drizzle! That said, I have to tear myself away from reading it, just like with the first four!

Susan wrote: "I just started Fiery Cross (I'm not even to the wedding yet) - I haven't read any of the comments above for fear of learning out something too soon (lol), so I don't know if anyone else thought thi..."

Fiery tends to lean more towards Bree and Roger, and the surrounding characters. Jamie and Claire tend to take more of a back seat in it, I found anyways. It kinda reminded me of, extremely well written 'filler'.. prologue to the next 2 books. ABOSAA is more about Jamie and Claire again... (Was actually one of my fave's from the series..)

Well, I'll have that to look forward to! On p. 206, and we're still at the Gathering! lol

Susan wrote: "Well, I'll have that to look forward to! On p. 206, and we're still at the Gathering! lol"

Ya, it does have some extremely important things happen in this book... Well worth the read, at any rate. But a definate different feel.

the gathering really dragged on and on - time flies in these books generally but yet there are over 200 pages of one day!

I am finding this book a slow start too- I will keep on going!

That's my next Outlander book to audioread.

Susan wrote: "I just started Fiery Cross (I'm not even to the wedding yet) - I haven't read any of the comments above for fear of learning out something too soon (lol), so I don't know if anyone else thought thi..."

That's really funny! I too felt damp and cold while reading the beginning of Fiery Cross. I did love the book and loved ABOSAA even more.

Because of this thread I have picked up Fiery Cross again. I was laughing because I am in Florida and it was our rainy season when I first read it and I too remembered feeling like I was inundated with "WET". Well I kid you not that I picked up the book two days ago and it has not stopped raining!

I think it kind of helps to put feelings into the book when the weather matches and because of the weather I do have a huge craving for tea instead of my normal coffee. I am surprised to feel so as Claire has been running around for the first 30 pages trying to get her first cup of coffee since she woke up on the last day of the gathering.

One more thing ..... I was laughing so hard .... does anyone remember Jamie's dream he was having when Claire woke him up first thing when the book started. To jog memories it was about the horse and the Irish! LMFAO!

The book started so Dreary that I think my mind was reading along the lines of Dreary and my mind never processed Jamie's whole dream before. It really is so funny to me. Please read that part over again if you can't remember. It was such a great laugh out loud moment, the kind when family looks at you and is envious because you can read! =)

I forgot about that Heather, that was hysterical. I've read the book twice but will do the audiobook next as soon as it comes from the library.

Carolyn have you been able to get audio's from you Public library?

My Library here carries nothing of DG's and so I never though about putting in a request.

The public library is where I get most of her audiobooks. They're really expensive otherwise. Although every once in a while you can get an Outlander unabridged for about $20.00 on Ebay, most of her audiobooks are over $100.00. I still have a cassette player in my house and car so I'll buy the used cassettes which are usually a little cheaper. The narrator is so good, I think you'll really enjoy them.

Thanks Carolyn. I did bite the bullet and bought the first four audio's about 2 1/2 weeks ago and should be getting them shortly. Merry Christmas for me for the next two - ten years but I did shop everywhere first and was finding no breaks. It surprises me to hear of anybody finding anything of DG's and the library. South Florida is the worst!

I've tried the library in my town and they do have the latest book in audio, but always the abridged version because there are less CD's and it's less expensive for the lib to purchase : ^ (

I just received a comment in my email about how slow the beginning of Fiery Cross is, and having just reread most of it, couldn't agree more. I decided with this book, that DG is writing in 'real time', thus 200 pages for a single day. I actually skipped to the end, reread the last couple of chapters and started the next book! Lots of info that is important here...

Carol

Heather wrote: "Thanks Carolyn. I did bite the bullet and bought the first four audio's about 2 1/2 weeks ago and should be getting them shortly. Merry Christmas for me for the next two - ten years but I did shop ..."

Eva wrote: "I've tried the library in my town and they do have the latest book in audio, but always the abridged version because there are less CD's and it's less expensive for the lib to purchase : ^ ("

Heather, I heard the abridged narrator is boring. I love Davina Porter, she does Jamie's voice so well.

Eva, I was really surprised by the prices. I even tried audible.com and they only have the abridged versions available. The problem I do have with the library copies are that there are lots of skips sometimes. If it's a good part in the story, I feel like screaming. That's why I try to get my own copy.

Carolyn and Eva Thanks! That is exactly what I have coming. Davina Porter! I came across this sight when I googled "what to read after DG's Outlander", and that's how I found goodreads.com and I joined.

LOL, well after reading thread after thread looking for some new author or some great recommendation of what to read after DG's novels and with the help from everyone here, all I was able to decide was to GET THE AUDIO'S BY DAVINA PORTER. LOL again, I ventured really far.

I got the first 3 audiobooks on audible.com on their first 3 months for $7.95 deal(they definitely have the full versions not only the abridged)...paid $14.95 for 2 extra months to get DOA and EITB. I got TFC and ABOSAA from my local library on CD format and uploaded them to my ipod...kind of a PITA since it entails uploading 45+ cd's but I'm totally addicted to the audiobooks....loves how Davina does Jamie's voice!!

oh just realized Carolyn was talking about TFC. It is abridged at Audible. That and ABOSAA are still under a different contract and the only place to get it unabridged is at Recorded books (expensive) or buy/rent a CD or tape version.
Diana has said they will be on audible as soon as the previous contract runs out but hasn't really said when that will be.

I'm addicted too Trish. When I listened to the Lord John books, the narrator did Jamie's voice a couple of times and I kept thinking,"That's not Jaime!". Davina does a great job with male voices.

My library just notified me that Fiery Cross is available for me to pick up today - yea!

Rub it in Carolyn, go ahead! :0)Enjoy!

I haven't listened to the Lord John books yet...not sure my library has them I'll have to check

I just finished TFC and am on ABOSAA...I'm at the abduction part....get there already Jamie!

tough to listen to....

Thank you for this thread! I am new to this group (group, website - everything!) and immediately wanted to talk to someone about Fiery Cross! I am having the SAME problem and was wondering if I was crazy! I have *loved* each of the other books and was beginning to get sad that I wasn't loving FC! Now that I've read some of the comments, I'll continue to plow through in eager anticipation of ABOSAA. THANKS! :o)

Melissa, keep plowing through! I have actually liked it more on subsequent readings. I think that the first time through you have that feeling of anticipation, wondering what comes next. Once you already know you can enjoy the book for its details. I've had different feelings about each book on subsequent readings, so I wouldn't even want to choose a favorite. I did find the Paris parts boring the first couple of times, but more recently I didn't find it so bad. I have YET to get through EIB, though! I suppose I'll take my own advice and plow on through!