Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon
John Grey, lord. Here, Gabaldon connects the dots between Lord John’s private and public lives—a jarring family mystery, a relationship with potentially disastrous repercussions, and a battle from the Old to the New Worlds.
It has been seventeen years since the Duke of Pardloe, Lord John’s father, was discovered dead with a gun in his hand and suspicions that he was a Jacobite agent, forever tarnishing the family’s dignity. Unburied spirits from the past are now waking up. Lord John is sure that someone is tormenting the Grey family with secrets from beyond the grave after his brother got a cryptic page from their late father’s missing diary. In order to find someone he may trust, he looks to James Fraser, a Scottish Jacobite.
Lord John’s search will be hampered by war, an illicit relationship, and Fraser’s own secrets, but only until James Fraser turns out the final piece of an amazing puzzle and forces Lord John to decide whether his life is worth upholding his family’s honour.
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon
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- first rate historical novel by Diana Gabaldon
- family mystery, a love affair, and war that stretches from Old World to the New
A perilous journey through 18th-century England with Lord John Grey as he prepares his forces for battle learns the truth about his father’s allegiances and struggles to live as a gay man. The portrayal of John is so vivid in this,
Midway through the Seven Years’ War, Lord John and his brother are both fighting. Secrets from their father’s passing and queries about whether he was a Jacobite traitor resurface as their mother gets ready to remarry. As Lord John investigates the situation, it appears that someone is making fun of the family and threatening him. At the same time, Lord John is becoming interested in his new stepbrother.
Nearly the entire plot of this novel depends on Lord John. I like reading about his life, his family’s difficulties, his sexuality, and how he fits into the historical events of his period. He has a nuanced personality. Despite his unfulfilled passion for Jamie Fraser, he carries on with his life.
The question of whether Lord John’s father was a Jacobite sympathizer and the mystery surrounding his death are the main themes of this book. The book is also about relationships and families, as well as the perils and events that Lord John encounters in his historical time period, even if that is how the story is framed.
Contains one of the rare gay title characters in this kind of fiction, and is a superb blend of boys’ own adventure and period fun. Despite its length, the narrative moves quickly as you follow Lord John’s escapades and sexual liaisons. But below it, all lies a solid understanding of the time period in which it is set.
