Customer Reviews

The Scottish Prisoner: A Novel (Lord John)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Diana Gabaldon's THE SCOTTISH PRISONER is at least as much Jamie Fraser's story as Lord John Grey's. It takes place in 1760, during the time when Jamie was at Helwater, and it fills in many of the details of a time in Jamie's life that readers of the OUTLANDER series know very little about.

THE SCOTTISH PRISONER is very much a character-focused, character-driven book, but there's plenty of action, and the story seems very well-paced. The structure of the book, with the alternating points of view between Jamie and Lord John, reminds me in some ways of Diana Gabaldon's novel Voyager (Outlander) (and I think it's effective for the same reason). Just as in the parts of VOYAGER that deal with the search for Jamie, and Claire's decision to go back, we as readers have some idea what's coming, we're rooting for it to happen, and when it finally does, it's enormously satisfying.

As a reader, I want to see John and Jamie reconcile and resume their friendship, and although that's not the whole focus of the plot, it makes me hypersensitive to the smallest gesture that indicates progress is being made there. ("They're smiling at each other!" "He said, 'Call me John'! FINALLY!" etc.) There is a sense of the pieces of their relationship falling into their rightful place, particularly in the last part of the book, and that's very satisfying to me as a reader.

John and Jamie's adventure in Ireland was highly entertaining, and kept my attention throughout. I see now why it was necessary to take both of them out of their normal environment before they could begin to re-establish any sort of relationship. Clearly they couldn't do that at Helwater, let alone on Hal and John's turf in London. Ireland is neutral territory, so to speak; it gives them a way to begin to interact as equals, and once that happens, once Jamie starts to let go of the hostility, anger, and depression, and begins to relax a bit and let down his guard around Lord John, the chemistry between the two of them really starts to shine through, and that makes the story even more fun to read.

The scenes with Jamie's young son Willie are terrific -- all of them. Diana Gabaldon has a real gift for writing about young children in a way that's quite natural and believable. We see Jamie's relationship with Willie evolve very gradually over the course of the book, and by the end of the story, it's hard to imagine how Jamie will ever be able to leave his son. Seeing them together in SCOTTISH PRISONER makes their eventual separation, in VOYAGER, even more heartbreaking.

And speaking of separation....

The constant reminders of Claire's absence, the way she is never far away from Jamie's thoughts (or dreams), are just heartwrenching. I kept wanting to assure him, "Don't worry, she's fine, you'll see her in a few years."

There's plenty for Lord John fans to enjoy in this book, too. Many of the major characters from the Lord John novels appear in THE SCOTTISH PRISONER, including Tom Byrd, who is one of my favorites. It's interesting to see how Jamie interacts with all these characters. His reactions to seeing John's brother Hal and Harry Quarry were particularly memorable.

(Just as a side note: Diana Gabaldon has said that you don't need to have read any of the Lord John books and stories in order to enjoy THE SCOTTISH PRISONER, but I think the story will have a lot more depth if you've read Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, at least.)

I really wish I could think of a way to communicate to the fans at large, especially those who don't normally read the Lord John books, how much I think they're going to want to read this book. There's so much in this story that will appeal to even casual OUTLANDER fans. I think it would be a real shame for people to dismiss this book on the basis that they don't like Lord John, or don't want to read gay sex scenes, or whatever.

In my opinion, Diana Gabaldon has done everything she possibly could in SCOTTISH PRISONER to make the point that

a) This is all one immense, interrelated story.

b) The boundary between "the OUTLANDER series" and "the Lord John books" is largely an artificial one, created by the publisher or the marketing people or whoever.

c) People who choose not to read the Lord John books (for whatever reason) are missing important pieces of both the overall story, and the relationship between Jamie and Lord John in particular.

I think it's going to be really interesting to see how readers react to this book, and I honestly do think that readers who dismiss it because they think it's going to be "just another Lord John book" are going to be missing out, big time.

Absolutely fantastic. I absolutely love Jamie Fraser and absolutely love John Grey, so to get an entire novel with the two of them was an absolute treat. If you're not an already established Gabaldon fan, don't bother reading my review - but do immediately seek out her novels!

I won't go into the details of the plot, I'm sure others will, but I will say that this book does show how Jamie and John's relationship evolved into a real friendship, given the differences in their current stations, past differences, and vastly different political positions. The plot also gives us a greater understanding of Jamie's life at Hellwater and his relationship with those there. We also get to see how John's involvement with the guardianship of Willie began. The bulk of the plot revolves around Irish Jacobites, which was interesting, especially as we watch Jamie struggle with his conscience and loyalties regarding whether or not to support them knowing the historic outcome of their efforts. By far, this is the best Lord John Book to date!

I have read other critiques of this book on Amazon, where readers complained that this wasn't a "Jamie and Claire" novel. Well, yes, in fact, this isn't a Jamie and Claire book, it takes place during Jamie's time at Hellwater (Voyager). However, anytime you spend with Jamie, and have the chance to hear his internal thoughts and ponderings, is time you spend with Jamie and Claire, since his thoughts are rarely far from her. I was touched how often he reached for her in his thoughts, and in his sleep - especially when he knew he would never see her or 'the child' again. Very touching.

And John! He is such a marvelous character, one of the most valiant, honorable men in all of fictional history, but also complex and vulnerable. I'm a woman most drawn to men, who are...well, real men. Strong, sure, honorable, clever, handsome, and convicted. John has all of these characteristics, as well as a strong love for someone I love too - Jamie Fraser. How could I not feel a strong affinity for this incredible character?

Fantastic, fantastic read. I will certainly reread this book again, and soon. Can't wait for the release of Written in My Own Heart's Blood (Outlander book 8), especially now that my understanding of the genesis and depth of the friendship between John and Jamie now has greater depth.

Gabaldon, author of the immensely popular Outlander series, features the moody and passionate Jamie Fraser in this adventure set during his parole as a prisoner of war after the failed Jacobite Cause. It is 1760 in England, the once committed Jacobite bowing to the terms of his misfortune and at the mercy of fate, banishment from country, the forfeit of wife, the love of a son he cannot claim. Enter Fraser's appointed parole officer, Lord John Grey, who requires Fraser's assistance in obtaining proof of the traitorous actions of a British officer. A poem written in the language of the Scottish Highlanders in hand, Grey and Fraser embark on their secret mission to Ireland, seeking more information about what may be hidden in the text, as well as proof of the British officer's transgressions. Unexpectedly accompanied on the journey by the wily Tobias Quinn, Jaime's former comrade-in-arms in the Cause, Fraser is hard put to honor his word to Grey while keeping his prior association with Quinn a secret, the aging soldier inspired by yet another plan to further what Fraser believes a futile cause.

Caught between past and present, Jamie is forced into daily contact with Grey, aristocrat, soldier and sometimes spy, facing treachery along the road, the incessant persuasion of the old Jacobite warhorse and the chronic aggravation of sorting through his feelings about Lord John, the two men are forced to work in tandem, brothers in arms, for survival and the success of their mission. (Through the tensions between Grey and Fraser, Gabaldon illustrates the complicated nature of their relationship, past resentments poisoning the present, threatening a new-found respect.) There are swordfights and near-escapes, flaring tempers and acts of bravery aplenty to satisfy thrill-seekers, as well as a historical perspective from England to the centuries-old traditions of Ireland, steeped in folklore and myths amid the political machinations of ambitious and patriotic men, not always complementary. Satisfying, albeit but a taste of the Outlander series, this chapter of Fraser's life adds dimension to his evolving relationship with Grey, the melancholy Scot yet to find peace in a tumultuous world. Luan Gaines/2011.

I always look forward to anything Diana does, as she is an excellent writer, and an entertaining one.
This book felt a little thin on the plotting and characteristic painting of scene that she is so marvelous at, but then, the standards for her are way higher than many others, because of this expectation. She has a one of a kind eye, and voice.

I also got the audio, as usually, the audio versions are so wonderfully done. It is amazing that I do not get tired of listening to the story come alive through the usual narrator, Davina Porter.I presume that since there are few female voices to speak of in this book,it made sense to have a male voice. I could not listen to it, as the two gentlemen sound precious and whiny rather than the noble and manly persons they are supposed to be. Because I really like the characters as people, I had to put down the audio version. I would not spend my money on that, but hope to wait for a better one in the caliber of Jim Dale, or Frank Muller, both capable great English, Irish and Scottish voices.

For Jamie Fraser devotees, The Scottish Prisoner is like a gift from the Gods. Not only does the exiled Scot play a significant role in this latest Lord John adventure, but he also appears to be largely in control of the action. For those familiar with the Outlander story, Jamie is from necessity, sojourned at his Majesty's pleasure in the wilds of the English Lake District, where as part of his parole after Culloden, Jamie must eke out his days as a groom on Lord Dunsany's estate at Helswater. When Lord John Grey and his brother, Harold, Duke of Pardloe acquire a secret and highly dangerous document, they need help to translate its Irish Gaelic contents in order to resolve a potentially volatile situation.

Jamie Fraser, enigmatic Scotsman, and traitor to the crown, is the one man Lord John knows who can be trusted to decipher the Irish Gaelic contents of the documents. Removed from the protective safety of Helswater, Jamie is at first a reluctant conscript, and yet once drawn into the mystery surrounding the documents, we quickly see a return of the Jamie Fraser of the early Outlander novels, where the bold and fearless warrior, with his heart of gold, and arteries of steel is back in the midst of the action.

Diana Gabaldon's skill as a writer turns this adventure story into a series of violent escapades, from sword fights and treachery, to pistols at dawn, but throughout the narrative, she blends quite seamlessly the story of two very different men, forced together by circumstances, and whose shared history creates more questions than it does answers.

For me this book worked on several levels. As a continuation of the Lord John books, the story was a well thought out adventure, both fast and furious in equal measure, and a commendable continuation of the Lord John catalogue. On the other hand, as a fully paid up member of the Jamie Fraser appreciation society, this book allowed a rare glimpse into Jamie's hidden time at Helswater, where the loss of his beloved wife Claire runs like a silken thread throughout the narrative,and as ever his love and need of her is palpable and painful. His constant prayer that she and their child be safe, is heart breaking, and utterly believable. On a lighter note, his burgeoning relationship with his son William is a joyful glimpse into Jamie's role as protector, teacher and fatherly mentor.

At the end of the novel I felt a sense of loss, and yet, inordinately grateful that once again due to the skill of this talented author,I had been allowed a rare glimpse into the imagined life of this charismatic Scottish prisoner.

In many ways I find Lord John to be a more interesting character than Jamie or Claire. So I am delighted to have read this book, which features both John and Jamie, during a period that is not covered by any of the other books, and develops their relationship into one of friendship, rather than one of mistrust.

Of course, John is gay, and that is definitely one of the things I love about him. When I first read a Lord John book, I was shocked (in a good way) to find a gay character in a historical novel, when I expected, and usually would, find simpering girls ISO "true love" combined with a title and money. John is gay, without apology, but with an under layer of concern that if he was found out, things would not go well for him.

But the fact that he is gay is not what this story is about, except to the extent that he has to remember not to scare Jamie off, because he needs Jamie for this mission, and to the extent that Jamie has to live with his knowledge that John is very much attracted to him, but won't take advantage of it of it because of the sense of honor they share. Jamie's past experience with a gay man did not include that sense of honor, and Jamie was badly used.

The gist of the story is well summarized in other reviews. Jamie is summoned to assist John in a mission that requires both Jamie's warrior skills and his knowledge of Gaelic. There is a trip to Ireland, a lot of doings in London, including a dual, and plenty of chances for Jamie to escape from his continued imprisonment (and otherwise behave badly), but Jamie chooses not to take advantage, because it would dishonor him. Jamie and John come to understand one another better, and develop a friendship that could not have occurred otherwise.

There is one love scene between John and a minor character, which is tastefully done, but if you object to this sort of thing, could easily be skipped over. I think Gabaldon must have added it in to remind us of who John was, and to further develop another plot line that was presented in an earlier book.

I enjoyed this book greatly, and an glad to have read it because it filled a hole in the development of John and Jamie's relationship and answered a question raised in one of the books set in America.

Stop me if you've heard this one before - An Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walk into a conspiracy...

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice...", Grey's dying friend tells him shortly before leaving behind several documents detailing a regimental major's corruption and treason, knowing Grey would not fail to take up the cause. If you haven't read "Lord John and the Custom of the Army" you might want to catch that first (from the Warriors anthology of short stories) to understand the full scope of the events that catapult Lord John Grey into a quest to bring a fellow soldier who committed atrocities in Canada during the Seven Years War to justice.

Even before his parolee, once and future friend Jamie Fraser, is pressed into helping him by his brother the duke, and the squirrelly Toby Quinn tags along as a guide, Grey knows that he's about to unearth a hornet's nest. When he stumbles across an old family rival, Twelvetrees, events take on a different twist and subtly begin spinning out of control, and in such a way that Grey, Fraser and Quinn won't realize until it's far too late that the price for the secrets they uncover will be paid in blood.

However, it takes a Jacobite to know a Jacobite, and Fraser, already full of distrust and misgivings, and harried by his old friend Quinn, finds himself walking a tightrope between helping the Greys and betraying old allegiances, until both men find themselves in the center of a political storm of conspiracy and betrayal.

Underneath it all, John Grey juggles his family and personal relationships, from the warmth of his relationships with Hal's family, Byrd, Quarry and Von Namtzen, to the open hostility of Edward Twelvetrees, to the often fractious odd half-friendship with the suspicious Fraser. When that friendship goes wrong, it's horribly, horribly wrong, but when they recover the common ground that once made them friends, even as bittersweet as it is, it shines. Jamie enters the story only wishing to get done with it so he can return to the fragile life he's cobbled together in the years following his conviction. In the end, Jamie lays his loyalty, honor and life on the line to stop a repeat of the bloodshed that once robbed him of everything he holds dear, and, knowing what the cost to his friend will be, John's only means of stopping him is to do the same.

While the Lord John series can be read independently of the Outlander series where he is a "guest star", knowing the full story of why Jamie reacts the way he does is best learned from the first three (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager) of these novels. I always recommend reading the Lord John series in the correct order, since these novels and short stories build neatly upon one another. They are, in order:

Lord John and...
The Hellfire Club (Hand of Devils)
The Private Matter (novel)
The Succubus (Hand of Devils)
The Brotherhood of the Blade(Novel)
The Haunted Soldier (Hand of Devils)
The Custom of the Army (Warriors, anthology)
The Scottish Prisoner (This novel)
A Plague of Zombies (Down These Strange Streets, anthology)

While Gabaldon is more known for the heftier Outlander novels, Custom of the Army and Scottish Prisoner are an excellent read, and I kind of consider them a continuation of the same story. John Grey is a complex and enjoyable character, whose innately Quixotic sense of honor and justice from the moment of his introduction in Dragonfly in Amber might waver, but never falters. I would not be surprised to find these two works (Custom/Scottish Prisoner) made into a movie - it now ranks as my favorite Lord John novel.

Having read all of Diana Gabaldon's novels, including the Lord John series, in one fell swoop during the past year, I made certain to be the first at my public library to check out The Scottish Prisoner. It was an enjoyable immersion, to be once again alongside two of the three best-developed characters from her Outlander series, Jamie Fraser and Lord John Grey. Gabaldon's historic settings draw me in. Her characters reside in those settings realistically and she maneuvers the reader through the main plot and subplots with aplomb. This novel is not a mystery, though, or barely so, but an adventure involving Jamie Fraser and Lord John as they seek to stop an embryonic Irish Jacobite plot. Lord John is a fascinating character with all the attributes of a humorous and gentle man, unless provoked into fighting a duel or when in battle (he is, after all, an army officer). You would want him as your friend. Jamie Fraser is . . . well . . . Jamie Fraser, one-half of a great love story, now in nadir along with his soul, while he resides in England as a paroled Scottish prisoner. Gabaldon's fans know from her Outlander series that matters will right themselves soon, so we tolerate his anguish, depression and irritation. Feel sympathy . . . want to pat him on the shoulder and whisper, "Just wait." Reading of the ups and downs of Jamie's and Lord John's friendship in this book -- one of the missing pieces -- is now better understood. Except for their different sexual proclivities,they bear the same code of honor, and so they do understand and mostly trust each other. A few earlier reviewers may have confused Lord John with Black Jack Randall from the first couple of books of the Outlander series -- there is nothing cruel in Lord John's character. It is Gabaldon's gift for dialogue - witty, thoughtful, sharp as a rapier's point -- that makes her such a delightful author to read. May she write for many years to come.

Author of The Wolf's Sun
A Devil Singing Small

I've been waiting for this book for a while, hoping that it was the book where John and Jamie would kiss and make up, because Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Lord John Grey) did not leave me with warm feelings about Jaime. And reading a series where you hate the alleged romantic lead can get very tedious. Unfortunately as an Outlander reader I knew it would not be the book where John gets over his helpless crush on straight guys who are just not that into him and goes to live with a hot German aristocrat who appreciates his awesomeness.

I have found that I much prefer the lighter tone and faster pacing of the Lord John novels to that of the main Outlander series, which can get a bit overwrought and too religious. It's not that the books lack seriousness, just that Lord John's POV is far more entertaining for me.

It is true that if you're looking for a book where Jamie and Claire bang on a hay stack or something this isn't the book for you. But if you have even a passing famiarity with the time line of the Lord John novels and the Outlander series in general you would know that before you even cracked it open, so the buyer need not beware. This book is exactly what anyone could reasonably expect it to be.

Note: I would very much suggest that people read the short story Custom of the Army before reading The Scottish Prisoner as it contains background information for the book and Plague of Zombies afterwards. Since it was published first I ended up reading Plague of Zombies beforehand and it does contain at least one spoiler/thing that made no sense until I finished The Scottish Prisoner.

I am not a fan of Lord John or his series, but the promise of Jamie Fraser featuring prominently in this book convinced me to buy it.

I wish I hadn't.

Ultimately, I didn't feel that we learned as much about Jamie's time at Helwater as expected. Although Jamie is featured, this is still very much a Lord John book. For fans of the Outlander series, do not read this expecting it to be like Outlander. Although I knew better than to expect that, I came to realize that Jamie without Claire = dull and sad. It is the interaction between them, and not either character alone or with others, that is tantalizing and at the heart of why people love the Outlander series (of which I am a huge fan).

The central mystery did not hold my interest and even with Jamie Fraser tidbits strewn throughout, I had a hard time making it to the end of this book. The one plus to making it all the way through is that (POTENTIAL SPOILER) we learn how Jamie and John managed to rebuild their friendship after the events at Ardsmuire and their massive blow-up at the end of a previous Lord John book. Still, I could have learned that from skimming the book at the library -- like I do with all the other Lord John books.

Lord John fans will probably love this book. As for the rest of us ... well, there is always book 8 of the Outlander series!