Reviews

Lord John and the Hand of Devils, by Diana Gabaldon

bibliophilelinda's review against another edition

4.0

This is a collection of short stories that take place either before or after "Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade." Great stories, with the second novella, "Lord John and the Succubus", the only with a vague supernatural feeling to the tale. Witty and well-written.

willemijn2302's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

auntblh's review against another edition

4.0

These are good but I prefer the Outlander series.

lgiegerich's review against another edition

3.0

I might like Lord John Grey better than anyone else in the Outlander universe.

amydavid's review against another edition

3.0

Three novellas, widely uneven in quality.

ancequay's review against another edition

3.0

I binge read the entire Lord John series in a few days of vacation (thank you grandparents for taking care of the little boy!), so they all kind of blend together. They were pretty well-written, per usual with Ms. Gabaldon, but I got the sense occasionally that she’d done a little too much immersive research in the time period and was out of touch with what a typical reader might know. (Kind of reminded me of Georgette Heyer’s books getting mired in period slang.)

Additionally according to her website these books are stand alone and can be read in any order, but they definitely refer to prior events and are much better enjoyed in order.

I wouldn't have read these if I wasn't already attached to the characters thanks to Outlander, and I don't think crime/mystery is going to become my genre of choice any time soon.

mojja's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

shireen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

elvenavari's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not a huge fan of short stories. For some reason, they struggle to hold my attention moreso than an actual novel. In any case, I did enjoy these stories though The Haunted Soldier was my favorite. I love Lord John and seeing him as an early...Sherlock Holmes amuses me to no end. I also like seeing his relationship with Jamie from his POV.

courtvallee's review against another edition

2.0

2.5 stars. I didn't dislike these stories, but I didn't find them very compelling and I think the novels are much better. Some entertaining bits as usual, but this was definitely my least favorite Diana Gabaldon book I've read.