Comments on: REVIEW: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon

By: Jayne

Jayne — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:11:18 +0000

Jennifer I love books that completely suck me in. Books that suddenly I’m 200 pages further into it and it feels like no time has passed because I’ve been so totally immersed in it. Ones that when I stop, I have to shake my head and slowly come back to myself and realize I’m not in the world the author has created.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:06:20 +0000

I know Sula, 302 pages is a novella for Gabaldon! I went to her site and she was discussing writing these books and how a publisher asked her to submit something under 300 pages and she thought, (something to the effect of) “Heck at 300 pages I’m just getting started.”

I wish some scenes had been set in the Lavender House (the male brothel) but alas, none were. However LJ does think a lot about his lifestyle and we see him having to make accomodations and think about how he’s going to live and not get caught. And, well, I won’t spoil it but the issue does come “out” in the open later in the book.

I recently read another historical (WWII) that featured some homosexual characters and it was fascinating to read about life in gay NYC during that era. It was called “Fragments of Light” by Vicki Gaia.

By: Jennifer McKenzie

Jennifer McKenzie — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:11:36 +0000

What followed was an intense four days of me fitting in snatches of reading time whenever I could despite having to work 10 hour days at work and sleep sometimes. I read. I devoured. I inhaled. I had to know what happened next. I cursed when it was the last second I could leave for work and not be late. In other words, I liked the book.

Now THAT is a wonderful thing for an author to hear! Jayne you make me want to try this one out.
Awesome.

By: sula

sula — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:59:40 +0000

Jayne, a 302 page Gabaldon? Practically a short story, that. ;) I look forward to reading the LJ book and seeing how much or how little of Outlander comes through. To be perfectly honest, I never really warmed to LJ in his first few outtings (no pun intended) in the Outlander series. Maybe I feel too loyal to Claire to even stand the thought of anyone else wanting Jamie (except for me of course…I’m allowed to want him. lol). But when I read LJ and the Private Matter I quite liked it because he was there on his own terms and not as a small actor in Jamie’s story. Being able to get inside his head and find out what made him tick was fascinating as was the descriptions of gay life in that time and place. Definitely looking forward to this installment.

By: Ann Bruce

Ann Bruce — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:15:26 +0000

Since I enjoyed LJ and the Private Matter (was I the only one?), I should really enjoy this one. Then again, I pre-order this woman's Outlander series in hardcover months in advance.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:56:37 +0000

Keishon, I didn’t have much trouble getting into this novel even though I haven’t read the first one. I did puzzle over John’s older brother’s title and the fact that his widowed mother styled herself as the Dowager Countess instead of Dowager Duchess but it gets explained after a while. Other than that, I was fine.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:54:09 +0000

Sula, you’ll have to see if there’s a lot of Outlander references in this book. I kept reading it thinking that fans might catch more of the subtleties of this world than I did but not knowing them didn’t affect my enjoyment. The next installment, Lord John and the Hand of the Devils, includes 3 novells. At 302 pages (yes we have the arc for it too), it’ll be a breeze to whip through. ;)

By: Jayne

Jayne — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:48:02 +0000

Jorrie, OMG, someone else who doesn’t inhale the Outlander books as soon as they’re released! I’ve always meant to go back and try the next story *Drums of Autumn?” but whenever I think of starting back up with a 700 page per book series, I wilt.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:44:40 +0000

Marg, IMHO Jamie really wasn’t needed in this book. He only has a few scenes though so I could deal with it okay. John does recall an earlier scene involving Jamie and Claire that took place when he (John) was a young man in the English Army.

By: Keishon

Keishon — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:45:14 +0000

Could I dive right into this one without reading the first book?