Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Lord John Grey) (Hardcover)

by Diana Gabaldon (Author)
Key Phrases: Brotherhood of the Blade, Percy Wainwright, Sir George (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Woodman masterfully reads Gabaldon’s latest historical mystery. His light British accent and occasionally delicate tones make protagonist Lord John Grey’s rare bouts of passion and anger seem even more profound. Grey’s regiment is wintering in London, and his mother’s upcoming marriage rekindles an old mystery about his father’s death. Grey’s investigation leads him to Hellwater, where Scottish Jacobite James Fraser is being held on parole. Woodman reads Fraser’s lines with a light and occasionally ferocious Scottish accent, reminding listeners of his prisoner status. From Irish soldier hooligans to Grey’s Prussian friends, the characters receive distinct treatments. Listeners may find some provocative homosexual sex scenes a bit disturbing, but this shouldn’t bother Gabaldon’s legion of fans. --Jessica Moyer --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review
“Gabaldon provides a rich, abundantly researched, entirely readable portrait of life among the English upper classes in the 1750s. From London’s literary salons and political intrigue to fearsome battle scenes in the Seven Years’ War, her writing is always vivid and often lyrical.” — The Washington Post --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385337493
• ISBN-13: 978-0385337496
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,353 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 2 in The Lord John Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good historical fiction, September 3, 2007

By	David W. Straight (knoxville, tennessee United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Curiously, this novel brings to mind Laclos' superb Dangerous Liaisons--the surface veneer and manners of the 18th century gentility, and the much seamier interior beneath the surface. Gabaldon is definitely NOT your traditional historical romance writer: you are not going to get a nice drawing-room novel of heterosexual romantic love. There is a romance, but I doubt it will appeal to the Rosemary Rogers crowd. There's a lot of historical flavor and detail, some mystery, some battlefield action in the Seven Years' War.

The novel is also not gay fiction. There are a few sex scenes, but the main element is the life of the gentry in London and in the regiments, the manners and the underside of life. You don't see the heroines in Jane Austen's books doing the laundry: here, the faithful manservant Tom always seems to be concerned about the stains on Lord Grey's clothes--London was not a place where you could stay clean for long.

Gabaldon's novels are an acquired taste. Here, you'll find elements reminiscent of Austen, Dickens, and Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. If you want a hard-core mystery, this isn't it. If you want pure battles, try Sharpe or Hornblower. Gabaldon can draw from different genres successfully. I remember buying a used paperback in the Outlander series: the previous owner had carefully inked out all of the sex scenes (heterosexual in that series). The owner had liked the historical romance aspects, but not the rather explicit sex. Gabaldon is not going to sugar-coat her work to please a particular group--that's a rare ethic nowadays, and a highly commendable one. An enjoyable read!

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gabaldon Delivers Again, October 7, 2007

By	Tamela Mccann "taminator1" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Diana Gabaldon's latest book, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, gives us another look at one of the peripheral characters in her wonderful Outlander series. Lord John Grey, formerly in charge of Ardsmuire Prison where Jamie Fraser was held, is now back in London and on a mission to restore his dead father's good name. We learn that Grey knew his father hadn't committed suicide all those years ago, but that the story was missing several pieces to determine exactly what did happen. Lord John follows the cold trail and discovers what did occur when he was a child of twelve, though much more is woven into the storyline than this short review can reveal. Suffice it to say that Lord John's life in the military and his family play major roles in helping him get to the bottom of a secret that's been taunting him for years.

Yes, Lord John is a homosexual. Gabaldon made that adamantly clear in her Outlander series, and it is an essential part of his character, but it does not define him as a man. The homosexual love scenes are indeed graphic and I'm unsure as to why Gabaldon decided they were so necessary to advance her plot. Some insight is given into Grey's character through them, however, and one of the main themes of betrayal certainly is shown through the relationship between Grey and Percy. Even less clear to me, however, is why Grey felt the need to confront Jamie about his own homosexuality toward the end of the book; it's not a spoiler to say that the scene in question left me scratching my head as to what exactly was accomplished, other than to make sure we had another glimpse of our favorite Scot.

In general, this is a well-written book that is not overly verbose as Gabaldon is sometimes accused of being, and the plot itself is tightly woven. I loved the characters, even the minor ones, and I was reminded of why Lord John was so compelling when I first met him in Voyager. Gut-wrenching at times, violent at times, and definitely emotional, this is a good entry in the series and an engaging historical mystery. Recommended with the caution that you won't find all the answers you're looking for, but definitely will enjoy the journey.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gabaldon Does it Again!Diana Gabaldon has created another masterpiece with Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. The chara, September 24, 2007

By	Jesse V. Coffey "The Red Haired Celt" (Paris, Kentucky USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Diana Gabaldon has created another masterpiece with Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. The character of Lord John Grey has a new book with a new mystery to solve and a new love that comes into his life. Originally one of the minor characters in Gabaldon's successful Outlander series, Grey was one of her favorite characters. She decided to give him his own set of adventures and those have taken off too.

Brotherhood of the Blade is the sequel to Lord John and the Private Matter. Both books dovetail nicely into the Outlander books, but you really don't need to read them to know what's going on. Gabaldon manages to fit any exposition neatly between the comings and goings of the two novels without making it so blatant as to bore the reader.

John and older brother Hal are being taunted with pages from their late father's journal--pages that seem to insinuate that their father was a traitor and that his death avoided what was to be a family scandal. John is forced to go see the one man who might have a clue to the issue--Jamie Fraser, a convicted Jacobite officer that John is only too familiar with. Near misses by would be assassins only strengthen John's resolve to solve this mystery--even though Hal and their mother want it to remain dead and buried with the late Duke of Pardloe. Add an unexpected romance, another death in the family, and the regiment's coming departure for the Prussian war and this book is rife with intrigue and action.

Gabaldon has created a wonderful sequel, one that far surpasses the writing of the first. The characters are intricate and multi-layered; John Grey more so in this book than in the previous. The action is full of surprises, tense and never slowing. The battle scenes carry the smell of smoke from the realism. And Outlander fans get a few scenes with their beloved Jamie Fraser.

On a scale of 5 stars, I give this one the full five--for action, adventure, believable and interesting characters. A great story well crafted. Bring on more Lord John Grey--with a new book in November; Lord John and the Hand of Devils. I can't wait!