sophiewilliams's review against another edition
4.0
Diana Gabaldon's idea of a novella is anyone else's view of a full length novel.
I love the Grey family and seeing Hal and Minnie's early history was a favourite of mine in this.
I love the Grey family and seeing Hal and Minnie's early history was a favourite of mine in this.
kayydotmurr's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to these stories on audio-and honestly I probably would have preferred to read them. The narrator changing and author's notes took away from the normal experience of listening to books, because of the many interruptions, but I'm glad I've 'read' them just to get myself that outlander universe fix. Now if only I had some BEES to read in 2021!
leahsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
There were definitely some positives and negatives to this compilation.
Positives: I liked seeing how the various stories intersected. I especially loved the stories that were told about characters who weren't major players in the main books - like the story of how Minnie and Hal met, and Joan's experiences in Paris. I thought it was really interesting to see how other characters kept popping up and the role that they played in so many stories - like Mother Hildegard and Paul Rakoczy. I think my favorite story was the one about Roger's parents.
Negatives: I'm just going to say it - what is DG's fascination with rape? I totally get that the times in which these books are set weren't always kind to women, but can we PLEASE get a book that doesn't have a rape scene? Why does rape ALWAYS have to be included? Hint: it doesn't. In addition, there was an overly heavy emphasis on John Grey stories. I would have preferred to see more stories involving other characters, since a) he has his own spin-off series, and b) all of his stories kind of seem to have the same plot/different setting. I don't mind him, but the majority of the stories were about him and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.
Positives: I liked seeing how the various stories intersected. I especially loved the stories that were told about characters who weren't major players in the main books - like the story of how Minnie and Hal met, and Joan's experiences in Paris. I thought it was really interesting to see how other characters kept popping up and the role that they played in so many stories - like Mother Hildegard and Paul Rakoczy. I think my favorite story was the one about Roger's parents.
Negatives: I'm just going to say it - what is DG's fascination with rape? I totally get that the times in which these books are set weren't always kind to women, but can we PLEASE get a book that doesn't have a rape scene? Why does rape ALWAYS have to be included? Hint: it doesn't. In addition, there was an overly heavy emphasis on John Grey stories. I would have preferred to see more stories involving other characters, since a) he has his own spin-off series, and b) all of his stories kind of seem to have the same plot/different setting. I don't mind him, but the majority of the stories were about him and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.
aprilthelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I liked and mostly loved all the 7 stories in this collection. I thought the first story was a little slow and not so interesting as say the Joan's story or Roger's dad's. That one made me cry at work. Gabaldon has that effect on me.
ktcrichtt's review against another edition
3.0
As an Outlander fan I was very torn on this one. I absolutely LOVED reading The Space Between, A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows and Virgins. I was really very meh about the others and didn’t bother finishing the Lord John novellas.
fonril's review against another edition
3.0
I love the entire Outlander series. Can't get enough of immersing myself into that world. So why did I struggle so much with this collection of short stories featuring so many familiar and favourite characters? I think maybe they were too short in many cases, the depth of informative description I'm accustomed to in Diana's writing has not time to materialise here in this format.
I'm glad I read these stories as they give a glimpse from another angle of the characters I'm so familiar with and a first time view into the back story of other usually more peripheral ones.
I'm glad I read these stories as they give a glimpse from another angle of the characters I'm so familiar with and a first time view into the back story of other usually more peripheral ones.
catra121's review against another edition
3.0
I...did not enjoy this. I'm honestly not that interested in Lord John's stories as I find them pretty boring. I did enjoy The Space Between and the story about Roger's parenta... but that was about it. I kind of hated the story about Jamie and Ian which I was not expecting. Overall...I was mostly bored. Great for die hard fans and fans of the Lord John series...but didnt do anything for me personally.
sanderc's review against another edition
4.0
While there are variations in quality between stories, as in all collections of short fiction, I must say I found the stories far more captivating than I ever have the main series. I did use the audiobook of this one, rather than reading, and I quite enjoyed the variety of narrators as well.