An Echo In The Bone (No:7 Outlander Series) By Diana Gabaldon.

Book: An Echo In The Bone

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Rating: 8.5/10

What a read! I think I am quite shell shocked upon finishing ‘An Echo in The Bone’. There is really no other way to put it. I literally sat in my reading chair with my mouth agape for at least fifteen minutes following completion of the seventh novel in the series. My mind could not believe what it had just read. I must have looked quite bewildered, as even my partner asked if I was alright, to which I responded by prattling on about my perplexed experience with the ending of this book. My partner’s eyebrows were raised higher and higher, as I mentioned one or two of the novel’s outrageous happenings towards the end of the novel. A week has now passed and I am still unsure as to how I should write this review. In truth I wanted to give this book a 9/10 in rating, however having read back over my notes that I have taken whilst in the depths of reading the novel, I was obliged to lower the score in line with some of it’s negative aspects, which I simply cannot overlook. Needless to say Mrs. Gabaldon has left this novel with quite a cliffhanger, so much so that I am fighting the urge to pick up the next book straight away. However the rational side of me does realise it might be quite some time before the next installment will be released, so as a result I do not want to rush through the series. So without further delay I shall begin the review of this fantastical novel.

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER AS THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

This novel begins as the War of Independence finally breaks out, and with that new pathways are forged for the beloved characters of this wonderful book series.  ‘An Echo In The Bone’ is told through four different plot perspectives: Claire and Jamie, Lord John Grey and William, Brianna and Roger and Young Ian Murray. The story starts off with a bang, literally,as Claire and Jamie decide what is next for them following the burning down of their home on Fraser’s Ridge, at the end of the last book. Jamie and Claire discover the hiding place of Arch Bugg’s Gold and bury it in a safer location. After the untimely shocking death of Mrs. Bugg, and with a vengeful Arch Bugg on Ian’s tail, as well as a need to escape the impending war and bloodshed, Claire and Jamie decide it is time to return to Scotland and bring young Ian back to his family, while also picking up Jamie’s printing press to bring back to America. However knowing these two characters, their path to Scotland isn’t an easy one as they find themselves dragged into a war they wanted no part of.

The reader then sees the perspective of Brianna and Roger, who having returned to modern day Scotland so little Amanda can have a life saving operation, are struggling to settle into modern day life. They have chosen Lallybroch to settle with their children- Jem and Amanda, which was a nice touch by the author in my opinion. Both Brianna and Roger are struggling with what roles they need to play, Brianna returning to work as an engineer and Roger unsure of whether or not he should return to his training as a reverend. The reader witnesses the daily battle these two characters have within themselves and also with each other as their expectations of each other cause some major tensions e.g. Roger expected Brianna to stay at home with the children, and Brianna expected Roger to have made a decision regarding what career path he wants to take. Frustration is evident in these chapters of the book, however the one saving grace for Brianna and Roger, are the letters from Claire and Jamie that they found when moving into Lallybroch, as it appears Claire and Jamie purposefully hid them away for Brianna and Roger to find. Through these letters, they hold a link to the past and the events that befall Brianna’s parents. I had many issues with the story line of Brianna and Roger, but I will explain further down in the review.

We also have the perspective of Ian Murray, who has returned to Claire and Jamie’s side in the last novel. Ian is still at battle with himself, he is somewhat of a loner, not feeling that he belongs with the ‘Mohawks’ or his own people. Ian also has the added complication of Arch Bugg following him, intent on seeking revenge on Ian for the accidental murder of his wife. Arch has promised Ian that when he has something/someone worth losing, he will see him again. Indeed the stalkings of Arch Bugg do add a sinister theme to the background of the novel. Ian Murray is also torn between his desire to be reunited with his family in Lallybroch, and his fear that they will not accept him, for the old Ian is gone and will never return. Also added into Ian’s story line, is the somewhat odd addition of a love story between himself and the Quaker, Rachel Hunter. Although an interesting love affair, I must admit that it felt almost as if the author added this in an attempt to tie in the whole Arch Bugg storyline, again I will explain my issues with each perspective further down.

The last perspective through which the tale of the novel is told, is through Lord John Grey and his son (or Jamie’s biological son) William. William is intent to gain military advancement in the War of Independence, to make his father proud but also to further himself and to get ‘a piece of the action’ so to speak. William is your typical young man, who begins the story, quite the innocent soldier, eager for adventure and freedom, but by the end of the book, his character is now weathered by the evils of war, and has become slightly disillusioned about the war in general. His path quite often crosses with that of the Fraser’s, and I found it quite interesting how William is quite slow on picking up on what is going on, and the connection he has with Jamie Fraser. I found it odd that he didn’t remember meeting Ian Murray at Fraser’s Ridge, for example. William also finds himself having romantic notions regarding Rachel Hunter, the Quaker to whom Ian Murray has also developed feelings for. I predict quite the love triangle occurring in the next novel, although I think Rachel’s heart, unfortunately for William, lies with Ian.

Lord John himself, whilst trying to keep an eye out for William’s safety, finds himself in the middle of a mystery or two involving a character called Percival Beauchamp, and his mission to seek out Fergus Fraser, as it seems he could be an heir to a fortune instead of a child of a prostitute. Lord John also has the task of searching for his nephew, who has been injured in battle, with the help of his niece ‘Dottie’ who has a mission of her own to attend to also. A rift has developed between Lord John and Jamie, since Jamie has taken the side of the rebels in the War Of Independence, and Lord John is finding Jamie’s lack of contact quite difficult. 

So now that I have dealt with the plot thus far, I need to begin with all the nitty and gritty stuff, of what worked and what didn’t work with this novel. I will begin with the negative, as I find it is much better to air the many issues I have with these books first and foremost. Many of my twitter followers have expressed to me that this book was their favourite in the series, and for the most part I do indeed understand why, for it is not as unsavoury as it’s predecessor. ‘A Breath Of Snow and Ashes’ was so full of drama, that made me want to fling the book against the wall so many times. This book, although it has its fair share of dramatic moments, it is much more low key.

However….it was almost too low key, in fact the first 500 odd pages were perhaps the most boring first 500 pages in any of the books thus far. I must take issue with the story line of Lord John and William first, as I really felt as a reader I was missing out on something major. As I haven’t read the Lord John series of books, I felt for the first time that I must have skipped a book in between this and the last in the series that explained the background of Lord John’s, in particular, perspective. Numerous times, I found myself scratching my head, trying to recall if Lord John had mentioned a wide range of characters before in previous books, at a loss I continued with no avail. I found his and William’s perspectives to be quite dull as a result, and found myself wishing I could skip ahead to the next chapters. How many times does William need to find himself lost with no idea where his men are?? Why do we need to know about ‘Percy Beauchamp’?? I’m sure these issues may be answered in the next book, but I really must take umbrage with the lack of clarity in which the author has set up certain plots in this book. I do understand the need to give William a perspective, as being the biological son of Jamie, it would make sense that he would be given a bigger role in the books, but Lord John Grey already has his own series in which to have his own perspectives, so I really, really feel that his chapters in the book could have been scrapped altogether, for they had little import and could have been told through the other characters quite easily. It is clear that the author loves the character of Lord John, but really there was no need to give him so much of a centre stage in this book. However it could be a clever way of trying to get more people to read the Lord John series, which is quite a clever tactic to use, I must say. William’s story does eventually, become more interesting but only due to the fact his path crosses with the other major characters and his continuous near bumping into Jamie moments, leaves the reader at the edge of their seat. However I did expect more of William as a character, he isn’t as well rounded as Jamie, or as likeable as Ian, and so I did not find myself rooting for him as much as I should have. I’m hoping that in the next book this opinion will change, but as of yet it remains the same.

There were just too many characters to follow in this book. This series should always put the perspectives of Jamie and Claire to the foreground, as they are supposed to be the most important characters after all. Their love story is paramount to everything else in the books, yet in this novel I didn’t feel like the focus was on Jamie and Claire, it was on all the other characters. This bothers me to no end, I’ve read this whole series for Jamie and Claire moments, and there were very few in this novel. In fact there was probably more moments between Ian and Rollo, than Claire and Jamie. Disappointment doesn’t even begin to cut it. If I wanted to read about Lord John, I would read his book series, I want to read about Jamie and Claire, with the odd dash of Ian/Brianna and Roger, its should not be the other way around. The more I think about it, the more I am inclined to view this book as a filler, a foundation to which all the major Claire and Jamie moments will be developed in the next book perhaps. 

As well as issues of perspectives, there were issues of disjointedness. Due to the huge number of old and new characters in this book, I found myself getting lost at certain stages trying to remember what happened last in each character’s respective story lines and what import was a certain character to the main character etc. Also in other reviews, I have read that some readers found it frustrating, when just getting into a particular character’s story line and finally becoming interested (for example Williams point of view) the story would change back to another character’s perspective. I can honestly say I agree with this, it was one of the most frustrating moments I had with book. 

Another issue I had was repetition and forced coincidences. Let me explain this properly. When I say repetition, I mean repeating of events from some of the previous novels. For example we have returned to the Pirates of the Caribbean scenes from book #3 (Voyager), where we see Claire and Jamie once again, battle the evils of the open water to reach land, come across pirates and survive to tell the tale. We saw this story line already in ‘Voyager’, I understand the need to create drama to entertain a reader, but I literally felt as if I was rereading ‘Voyager’. Even the battle scenes were reminiscent of scenes we have already read in past novels. I may be the only one who has this opinion but the feeling of Déjà vu crept up on me numerous times throughout the reading of this novel. In terms of forced coincidences, I felt the author threw in a number of events/characters to neatly tie up where she wanted to go with certain plot lines, which is fine in the larger scheme of things, but when it is overtly obvious to the reader, it can lead the story becoming too predictable, for example as I’ve already mentioned, the love affair between Rachel and Ian, seemed to be only put in as an after thought to tie up the story of Arch Bugg’s need for revenge. Why not kill Rollo, if Arch wanted to kill someone that Ian loved, Rollo surely would have done the job? There was a scene in which Jamie’s murder of Dougal comes back to haunt him by a completely random new character, an event that really didn’t add to the story in my opinion, and I felt it was just thrown in for dramatic effect. Plus it would have been Jamie’s word against this random Scottish man who claims Willie Culter told him all about the murder, hardly enough evidence to deserve such a reaction. The whole issue of Fergus Fraser’s lineage seemed to just crop up out of the blue as if the author suddenly wanted (after all the times I’ve wished for a bigger plot line for this character) to make Fergus more important and more interesting, which I’ve found is too late an addition to the books. In fact I think a better way of introducing this plot line would have been by giving Fergus a perspective, instead of Lord John perhaps??? Also even though I enjoyed the moments where William came within inches of meeting his biological father, it did feel as if the characters were being forced to appear in the same scenes together. I almost forgot to mention the newest admission of Claire regarding Roger’s father and her suddenly remembering that she had heard Roger’s father’s plane had crashed near standing stones, how coincidental!!! Why this admission now? why does Claire only just remember this is book seven of this series? Although I admit it is quite a clever addition to the story, once again though it is a bit late in the game to be discovering this major part of Roger’s past. 

In regards to issues with characters, where does one start? The first that comes to mind is the issue of Laoghaire. I am still getting so very frustrated over Jamie’s need to know why Laoghaire can be happy with someone else! Who cares! The woman is a psychotic, sadistic, hellbent on revenge, idiot who shot Jamie the last time he was in Lallybroch. And yet here is Jamie once more, seeking out Laoghaire to try to make amends with the deranged woman and to try understand why she can enjoy sex with other men but not with him?? The mind boggles. How Claire is so easy breezy about this issue also is making me even more bewildered. Why any woman would be fine with their husband spending so much time and energy wondering why their ex wife can be happy with other men but not with them, is beyond perplexing. I have to say I was waiting for the moment when Claire would finally have a huge confrontation with Laoghaire and do something interesting, like have a war of words, a little bit of shouting, maybe some slapping perhaps? but no, instead we have a rather anti climatic scene in which Claire successfully manages to get Laoghaire off Jamie’s back, financially speaking, by agreeing to help Marsali’s son, which she would have done anyways, but manages to bring a close to the whole Laoghaire issue quite tidily, and unfortunately without much drama. Yet again, I think I maybe the only reader who wishes Claire was more aggressive when it comes to Laoghaire?

On the subject of Lallybroch, we come to another character I have issues with. The character of Jenny Murray. The last time the reader met Jenny, she had decided to dislike Claire and to call Laoghaire and announce that Jamie had turned up with his first wife in tow, and long have I wondered why Jenny felt the need to do this. The answer the reader is given, is that she knew Jamie would not be gallant enough to inform Laoghaire of his first wife’s return and so decided to take matters into her own hands. Hmmm. Any other readers out there find this explanation a bit silly? I also do not understand why she is so caustic towards Claire. Instead of asking for the truth it seems like she makes up her mind very quickly about people and as a Fraser by blood, is stubborn in her opinions to no end. Her aggressiveness towards Claire is quite shocking, particularly the scene in which she demands that Claire fix Ian Senior, who is dying from consumption. When Claire tries to explain that she cannot help and that she would if she could, Jenny decides to verbally abuse her. No one should treat Claire this way! Ian Senior has been ill for years it would seem, and why Jenny decided after one failed letter that she would give up contacting Jamie and Claire to inform them is beyond me. Surely if she had kept trying to contact them, Claire might have been able to do something to help Ian. So if there is fault or blame anywhere, it lies with Jenny. I feel sad that the friendship that Jenny and Claire once had is so very far in the past and I can’t see it improving much anytime soon. Although I must admit that the idea of Jenny joining the American story line and going with Jamie back to the colonies is bloody brilliant and I look forward to what is in store for her there.

In relation to the characters of Fergus and Marsali, I have gone on at length in past reviews how they should get more bigger plot lines. It is still the case in this book and I am awfully tired of seeing Fergus portrayed in a negative light all the time. In this novel it takes the form of him teaching Germain how to pick pocket, and again abandoning his family to go on the run due to his publishing of political opinions in his newspaper. When it is revealed that Fergus may have been an heir to a fortune and actually have an interesting story line for a change, it is revealed to late in the novel to actually get going. Also as mentioned already, had Fergus been given his own perspective to witness all these events, such as his near abduction and run ins with Percy Beauchamp, this story line might have been more interesting and given Fergus a means through which he could redeem himself. 

I must also admit I had issues with Brianna and Roger once again. It seems modern day life has made them quite boring. Roger was more of a man when living in the past. In the future he has become quite the whinge, perhaps this is quite harsh but I feel as if I was just starting to like his and Brianna’s character when they were in the past, and now they’re suddenly reverting back to their previous annoying selves. A lot of the time I wanted to skip over their chapters, but for the little charming ways of Jem, whose little roguish charm kept me reading. The whole issue of Rob Cameron, though a great end to their story line, it seemed quite far fetched and out of the blue, and would have been better and more believable had it been Wiiliam MacKenzie, Dougal and Geilis’ son who committed the kidnapping in search of the gold. Rob Cameron although I didn’t trust him and knew he was going to commit some kind of horrible act, this ending didn’t really sit well with me. 

The last issue I must address is the ending of the book. Others have mentioned it to be rushed and all over the place, they would be correct, although I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was perhaps one of the best endings to any of her books. It actually made me want to get the next installment immediately and begin reading it. The one issue, which is quite a major one to be sure, is regarding Claire. You would be correct in assuming it is in regards to the last few scenes between her and Lord John, I literally feel so outraged, that Claire on hearing Jamie is supposedly dead, instead of going into an absolute depression with suicidal tendencies as I am sure every reader presumed would happen. She instead acts so nonchalant, and ends up sleeping with Lord John. I really did scream with outrage when reading this scene. What on earth possessed the author to write this scene I’ll never know. I presumed Lord John just wanted to sleep BESIDE Claire and share in her grief over their love for Jamie, but noooooo, it went down a completely different route that no one could have predicted! I’m still quite shocked over a week later. I didn’t think it was possible that it could occur to begin with so that is why is isn’t sitting right for me. It feels awkward and uncomfortable to have read it and then when the alarming moment comes when Jamie does show up alive, his reaction to hearing that Lord John has had ‘carnal knowledge’ or his wife, Jamie appears not to be bothered at all! What the hell is happening??? If i had known this would occur at the end of the book, I probably would have just skipped on to the next one to be quite honest, as I’m disgusted that our beloved Claire Fraser would do this? Even if Jamie had truly died, he wouldn’t have been dead that long before she jumped into bed with another man! I am truly outraged and do not understand where the author is hoping to go with this storyline, and is goes against everything we’ve learned about the characters thus far. 

It is now time to talk about the positives of this novel, as there are many despite what I have written thus far. Mrs. Gabaldon, as I’ve constantly mentioned is one of the greatest historians I have ever read. This novel yielded so much knowledge and information regarding the War of Independence that as an Irish person, I found quite interesting. The information in this book however took the form of more action through bloody battles, which I absolutely loved. The character of Claire comes into her own when facing battles, we see her as Claire the medic, the trauma doctor who keeps her head and is calm under pressure. The numerous battle scenes provided plentiful historic information such as how soldiers lived at the time, how they went weeks without washing, how they were regularly starving and slept in the harshest environments. I was thoroughly riveted by the political battles that occur within the army itself and was thoroughly entertained as Claire asserted herself among the male doctors. Yes other reviewers have mentioned that this was a tad unrealistic but I loved her daily battles to heal the soldiers. The funniest moment was on page 627 when Claire decided to amputate a limb and the other doctors are up in arms about a woman performing such a surgery.

This brings me again to congratulate Mrs. Gabaldon on her genius ability to weave her knowledge of medicine into her stories. Through Claire we see complicated surgeries, herbal remedies and the constant need for sterilisation methods, unknown at the time. Sometimes I feel as though I am reading a medical journal, such is her knowledge. Particular in the scene where she performs surgery on Jamie’s finger, although horribly vivid and ghastly, I was quite riveted to the spot when reading it. Her addition of new characters such as another Dr. Rawlings (the brother of the man who’s journal Claire had kept for years) and the Quaker Denny Hunter, allows the reader to see what medical practices were in place and being used outside of Claire’s medical knowledge. Even the removal of teeth and tonsils, amazed me to no end. Yes they are so descriptive, one feels slightly nauseous when reading about them, but I think I have grown used to the goriness, as it didn’t bother me in this book as it would have in the others. However the issue of General Fraser’s decomposing body and the solution of using maggots to fix the problem was a bit too much even for me.

I know I mentioned that there were way too many characters to follow, however there were quite a few new characters that did make the story a success and I therefore must mention them. Denny and Rachel Hunter are the first to come to mind. It was so interesting to see their story as Quakers develop, and how issues of morals came into play when crisscrossed with the story lines of other characters. For example to be with Ian, Rachel must give up being a Quaker, for Ian would never take to the ways of her people as he does have a taste for blood so to speak. Rachel is a strong character who I really look forward to seeing develop in the next book. It is interesting the love triangle between her, William and Ian and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition. Denny is a lovable character, his dealings with Claire have left me with a batman/robin sidekick image. I really enjoyed his scenes, and although I though it somewhat predictable that Dottie was the woman he loved and that she was going to convert to become a Quaker was a bit obvious, I still loved their story line and thought it added extra charm to the novel. I loved the addition of Hamish MacKenzie (Colum’s son) into the mix, the feeling of kinship was quite apparent in this novel for example the duty Jamie had to return his kin General Fraser, back to his people in Scotland, though a bit coincidental that they were trying to get back to Scotland quickly, it still gave Jamie that extra character development that was needed. Also the mysterious Captain Randall-Issacs has added another twist to the story line and I hope there will be more development into his character in the next book as he is an ancestor of Frank and Black Jack Randall. 

There were many moments in this book that were epic but also brought out the emotional side in me. The death of Mrs. Bugg for example, quite early on in the book was very sad. The biggest loss would have to be that of Ian Murray Senior, I will readily admit I went through a box of kleenex during the scenes of his death and how his loss was felt most deeply by Jamie, who not only lost his brother in law, but his best friend and left wing man. The scene in which Jamie asks Ian Senior if he could bury his amputated finger with Ian, was although slightly odd, very moving. Ian was the steadfast character that saw reason and could calm a storm. Even though he wasn’t a major character in the book series, knowing that he was always there in the background was always reassuring, and any reader would feel his loss deeply. Although it sounds odd to follow up on the death of Ian, with that of the near death of Rollo, it is one I must admit struck me to the core. Rollo has been a constant companion to wee Ian, a loyal friend who has been there with Ian through thick and thin, and I am not ashamed to say that when Ian left him on the ship and feared the worst for his dog, I wept like a baby. Of course I was over joyed when discovering Rollo was very much alive, it still was quite a sad part of the book. This is what makes the author such a brilliant writer, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you go through a roller-coaster of emotions when reading these books.

The supernatural element was played very well by the author through the appearance of William MacKenzie in Brianna and Roger’s time. Although somewhat a background theme in this book compared to its importance in others, it was alluded to in such an excellent way in this book. Perhaps the addition of Claire’s admission regarding Roger’s father was a little late in the story, it still added an extra element of supernatural mystery and a possible future plot line that one simply cannot ignore. Jamie’s dreams and premonitions regarding the future were still as eerie as ever in this book and it would seem like Amanda has inherited this ability, as in the end of the book she dreamed of Jem’s kidnapping. Although the supernatural element can hinder other historical fiction series, I really feel that it is the backbone of this series and adds that extra bit of entertainment value that makes this book work.

Jamie and Claire moments, although few and far between in this book, when they did happen, it reminded me once more of why I love this book series. It’s not just the love scenes that makes their story work so much, its the humour and understanding that lies between these two characters. They know each other probably better than they know themselves, and that is a love that anyone would want to aspire to. I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Claire berates Jamie once again for getting himself into a near death experience and her having to patch him together once more. Another scene which was very powerful, was the scene in which Claire battles with scavengers over Jamie’s body, it showed what a tough cookie Claire is, and how when it comes to Jamie, she will take no prisoners. It is unfortunate that there was not enough moments for these two lovebirds, but I’m hoping the next book will make amends towards this.

Finally in regards to the ending of this book, other reviewers have for the most part hated it, as mentioned previously though, I thought it was bloody brilliant! There are not one but many cliffhangers at the end of this novel, which has made it possibly one of the most exciting endings to any book I have ever read. I think other reviewers were upset due to the fact, usually in her books Mrs. Gabaldon ties things up neatly at the end of her books, so this ending was totally out of the ordinary. We have William finding out who his real father is, Roger and William Buccleigh MacKenzie gone back to the past to search for Jem whilst Rob Cameron turns up and forces Brianna to come with him if Jem is to live, we have Jamie turning up quite alive and the awkward admission of what just happened between Lord John and Claire (which I for one would love to know how this is going to go down), Jenny Murray now in America, Fergus as a possible heir to a fortune and last but not least, where Claire stands now as wife to both Lord John and Jamie. I am practically squealing with excitement as to where the story could possibly go next and although I do not agree with the whole Claire/Lord John incident, I am looking forward to reading the next novel as soon as I possibly can, without wanting to rush through the last book in the series of course as the next one after won’t be released for another couple of years. This is definitely a book to remember, and though it has its negative aspects, it kept me reading and contained the most exciting moments towards the end that I will never forget. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and hope that all my unanswered issues will be solved in the next book.

All these opinions are my own and I would be more than happy to hear any comments/opinions other readers have had, regarding this review. So please leave a comment here or on my twitter page.

As always,

The Avid Reader 🙂

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theavidreaders

The Fiery Cross- (Outlander series no.5) by Diana Gabaldon.

Book: The Fiery Cross.

Author: Diana Gabaldon.

Rating: 8.5/10.

Hello my lovely avid readers. Let me begin by saying that the ‘Outlander’ series by Diana Gabaldon, is quite possibly the best book series I have ever read. High praise coming from me, but it is the truth. Mrs. Gabaldon is most definitely a force to be reckoned with. Her writing style is quite unlike anything I have read before and her love for her wonderful, well rounded characters, really makes this series such a success in my opinion. I really can not recommend these books more. Each one provides an epic tale of love, family, war, tragedy, a touch of supernatural and also one of the things I love most about the series-plenty of history. So without further delay, I would love to share my latest review of ‘The Fiery Cross’. (ALSO PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE NOVEL, SPOILERS ARE INCLUDED IN REVIEW)

I simply adored this instalment of the series. This book follows our much beloved character, Jamie and Claire Fraser, once more as they settle in their newly acquired land in ‘Fraser’s Ridge’ (somewhere in the mountains of North Carolina), with their daughter Brianna, her husband Roger MacKenzie/Wakefield and child, Jemmy in tow. Jamie is now laird to this land, and with this position comes great responsibility, as Jamie now must protect not only his own family, but all the families of the ‘Ridge’. At the beginning of the novel, the ‘Frasers’ are attending the gathering of Scottish highlanders, and paramount to this gathering is the weddings of Brianna and Roger and also Jocasta Cameron (Jamie’s aunt and wealthy plantation owner) and Duncan Innes (Jamie’s friend from his days spent in jail following the rising). It becomes apparent however that all is not what it seems at this gathering, as it appears someone is trying to sabotage the wedding ceremonies as the Catholic priest is arrested.

More drama unfolds as Jamie receives a summons from Governor William Tryon of her Majesty’s army, to form a militia to counteract the violence of the Regulators (who were colonists in America who opposed British rule and were plotting rebellion). Jamie aware of Claire’s warning that the regulators/colonists will eventually gain their freedom through the American Revolution, is torn between his wanting to support the regulators against their British enemy, and also having to play his part for the British Crown, as is expected, since it was Tryon who gifted Jamie with ‘Fraser’s ridge’ to begin with. Therefore Jamie is literally stuck between following his heart and following his head. An interesting note, the novel is named after a tradition of highlanders, calling upon their brethren to join arms by burning a large wooden cross, which is what Jamie does to call his clansmen to join the militia. However, the only major battle we witness in the novel, in relation to the clamping down of the regulators, is the battle at Alamance, (a thoroughly riveting chapter that changed my opinion of the novel completely, which I will explain further down). Throughout the above events also, is Jamie’s determined mission to search for Stephen Bonnet, the man responsible for raping Brianna in the previous novel, and possibly the biological father of little Jemmy, in order to enact his revenge and together he and Roger attempt to carry out this plan, much to Claire and Brianna’s dismay.  

I found the theme of mystery to be so prevalent in the novel. Particular the murder mystery section of the novel, as Jamie and Claire try to solve the case of the murdered slave to determine who is trying to hinder the marriage of Jocasta and Duncan. It’s almost like an Agatha Christie scene, I loved the suspense and detective work within this chapter. Jamie has become quite the detective in this story, through trying to track down the whereabouts of Bonnet, on top of everything else he has to do. It is quite admirable, if not ridiculously stupid. Who on earth would one want to track down a psychotic murdering pirate??? Typical Jamie, always seeking out trouble and trying to get himself killed in the process.  

What I really found so refreshing about this novel also, is the author’s apt description of the grittiness of everyday life in the 1770s. It is not the romantic world I had been imagining in the previous novel, and quite frankly, I now begrudgingly admit I would not like to be transported to ‘Fraser’s Ridge’ any more. Issues such as changing nappies, sanitary needs for menstruation, lack of proper surgical tools, lack of sterilisation methods and clean food are described by the author brilliantly. I applaud her for this, as it demonstrates that even in a world of wonderful characters such as these, daily life is not attractive. Through Claire, we see the dire need for hygiene. even the simplest surgeries for her are a challenge, as with no means of antibiotics, it is simply by chance if the patient survives. This is also refreshing, as one could simply save all the characters from death, but with this novel, we see how difficult Claire is finding practising twentieth century medicine in the 1770s. My heart broke for Claire, when despite all her best efforts, she loses patients.

This brings me to my next point and how much research the author must have done to discover all these unique issues. I am literally in awe of the amount of time and effort that was spent on every historical detail and I congratulate the author most sincerely. I know in other reviews, people have noted that Claire wouldn’t have known about microbiology and how to create penicillin, having been trained as a doctor, but I don’t see why one would complain about this, I think it aided the story brilliantly and it shouldn’t be made into such an issue. Also the issue of genealogy is frequently mentioned in the novel, with Claire’s interest in discovering blood types and who is Jemmy’s biological father. It is also mentioned in relation to time travelling and how genes can determine if one can travel through the stones or not. Such a clever combination of science and the supernatural, in my opinion. I also would like to draw attention to how the author’s background in Zoology can really be seen in this novel, as the reader witnesses a new variety of animal characters introduced, from bears to snakes to species of wild birds, I was so impressed by all the new information regarding these animals and how creative the author was in tying all this into the storyline. This is the beauty of the author’s talent as a writer in my opinion. She is not only an author in my mind but a doctor, a zoologist, a herbalist and an historian. Her knowledge is utterly riveting. 

In terms of characters, the novel is told from the point of views of Claire, Jamie, Roger and Brianna. I found however it was mostly from Claire and Roger’s perspectives and while this was interesting in terms of growing more accustomed to the Brianna/Roger storyline, I did miss Jamie’s side of things and wished there were more chapters for him. Brianna didn’t annoy me as much in this novel as in ‘Drums of Autumn’, I think her new role as a mother has somewhat softened her, and although she still has that fiery temper of hers, it is not hindering my enjoyment of her character this time. Roger’s character definitely played a larger role, although I must say my sympathies lie so much with this character. Since arriving to North Carolina, Roger has been beaten up countless times, made a slave to Native Americans, treated badly by Jamie, and now in this novel, he nearly gets killed countless times including being hanged and losing that wonderful singing voice of his as a result. My heart broke for Roger and I really don’t understand why it’s always his character that unfortunate things must occur to all the time? All the same kissing another married woman was a tad on the risky side. I did love how his friendship with Jamie has improved and how they’ve become partners in seeking out Bonnet. They had some of the best moments in the book for me, especially when Jamie teaches Roger how to fight with a sword. On the topic of Brianna, I understand she is breast feeding, but dear lord the descriptions of her needing to feed Jemmy all time were a bit over the top. I did love the Amazonian aspect of Brianna’s character, here is a girl who represents girl power, she hunts, she shoots, and no one dares question her ability. Although I must say when comparing her to Roger, he often comes out the more insipid character but I feel he is given more redeeming moments towards the end of the book where he proves his manliness.

Claire and Jamie, my two favourite characters of all time and in this book provided me with so many wonderful moments and I literally basked in their love for one another. Such a powerful and passionate love, that isn’t perfect, but their love for one another is so strong that it will conquer all. Diana Gabaldon had some amazing dialogue moments between the two, and some quotes just speak volumes to the reader, such as:

“When the day shall come, when we do part, if my last words are not ‘I love you’-ye’ll ken it was because I didn’t have time.”  or a personal favourite of mine:

““D’ye ken that the only time I am without pain is in your bed, Sassenach? When I take ye, when I lie in your arms-my wounds are healed, then, my scars forgotten.” Sigh.

Now having said all that, I do also notice that although Claire and Jamie have such a beautiful love, it is an all encompassing one, where at times, no one else will get a look in. For example when it comes to Brianna and choosing between her and Jamie, most often or not Claire will always go with Jamie. For example not informing Brianna that she had known about Jamie’s plan to seek revenge on Stephen Bonnet. Or her following Jamie to battle, which I know she is needed to provide medical attention to those who are injured, but at the same time, she still is abandoning her child. I do realise that Brianna is an adult but still, I find myself at odds with my reaction to these things, as I want her to always be with Jamie but at the same time I feel sorry for Brianna. I really would like if there were more mother/daughter bonding moments for these two, as I feel there aren’t nearly as many Brianna/Claire scenes as others. Also, Claire FINALLY informs Jamie of Laoghaire’s role in the witch hunt from the first book. I thought I would be delighted about this, but when she eventually does tell Jamie, it is so anti-climatic and apart from Jamie calling her a few choice words, the matter is soon forgotten about. Nonetheless Claire is an amazing woman, it has to be said. Her need to solve every ailment is admirable and I love her chapters as they are so full of medical and herbal medicinal knowledge, it is like the reader feels as though they are in training to be a doctor. I adore learning about the various healing properties of plants Claire comes across.

Jamie, sigh, is there anything this man cannot do. He is what every man needs to compare themselves to in my opinion, which is tough on men, I must say. Jamie is a hero, he is the best kind of father and he is an excellent laird. However, once again it bothers me that his constant need to help others comes first, when the reader just wants him to be happy, living a simple life with Claire and his family. One moment that really infuriated me, was Jamie jumping to the conclusion that Claire was cheating on him with Philip Wylie! For the love of God, why would anyone cheat on Jamie! What a ninny. Also then to try to seek retribution by challenging Wylie to a game of cards, in which he demands Claire’s gold wedding ring from Frank to play with, is utterly insulting. Ugh MEN!!! For such a smart man, he is a dimwit at times. Another example being his reaction to hearing that Laoghaire is engaging in amorous relations with an unknown man, and being upset that she enjoyed it with this man but not with Jamie. If I were Claire, I would have found the nearest object and bashed Jamie over the head with it. Honestly she was too understanding in this circumstance, I felt her reaction was a bit unrealistic . 

The background characters in this novel were amazing. The character of Philip Wylie both intrigued and annoyed me. His persistent attention to Claire was unnerving at times, but he had a part to play in the story that was quite interesting, although I am still unsure if he is a good guy or not. Jocasta Cameron’s role in this story was so fascinating and I loved the storyline about the gold from the failed uprising in Scotland. I really feel that it tied the plots of the last few books together on the score of the lost treasure. I never could have guessed where the author was going with that storyline. So for me, it was excellent. I also loved how Claire’s little medical diary from Dr. Rawlings, actually became something of import and it was a nice ending to that story. The sudden re-entry of Geilis and Dougal’s son in the midst of the battle of Alamance, was an excellent move by the author. The scene in which William MacKenzie attempts to get Roger killed for kissing his wife Morag, provided such tension and an edge of your seat moment to the story, I felt as if I had gone asleep and reawakened when reading this scene and the rest of the book from this moment onwards. That is how powerful it was. I also loved the colourful collection of characters in ‘Fraser’s Ridge’, the housekeeper Mrs Bug reminds me so much of Mrs Fitz and it was nice to have a maternal character like this in the books once more. 

Once again I will say there wasn’t enough story lines given to characters such as Fergus and Marsali. I really would love if there was a spin off series about Fergus’ adventures, as I think he is such an intriguing character. He goes on all these expeditions for Jamie, that I feel his story hasn’t been properly told yet. Although there was more mentioned of Marsali in this book, I really wish the author had delved deeper into the character of Marsali and how she overcame her hatred of Claire, as this isn’t really explained in the story, save a sentence which basically said all was forgiven. 

What really worked well in this novel for me was the insertion of humour in random scenes. For example when Claire is teaching Jamie about sperm and looking at it under the microscope, this was such a hilarious scene and it allowed the reader to see Jamie almost as an innocent, his disbelief that this is what causes pregnancy was so adorable.

“I just didna ken that….er….that all this daffery was going on. I thought….well, I thought a man plants his seed into a woman’s belly, and it….well…grows…you know-like a seed. Neeps, corns, melons, and the like. I dinna ken they swim like tadpoles” (Pgs 564-565)

Another scene which I found hilarious was Brianna and Claire taking down the huge buffalo. It reminded me of Xena the warrior princess for some reason. Who needs men to do the dirty work! The description of Jamie observing this killing of the Buffalo with his mouth agape was so entertaining. Another entertaining scene was in the midst of Jamie and Claire’s detective work in discovering whether the slave was murdered and by whom, Claire was performing the autopsy of the slave and Jamie is so skittish, proving that even heroes can be scared. Also the involvement of the offspring of the Fraser clan. Jemmy and Germain regularly provided much needed light hearted moments in scenes of seriousness. 

Overall I love this instalment of the series. I was fascinated by the history and the events that are leading up to the American Revolution. As I have mentioned in a previous review, I find American history most intriguing and having studied it in university, it’s so interesting to observe how the author creatively ties this period of history into her story lines so effectively. Having read other reviews of this novel, I do understand others confusion as to what is going on in the novel at times, some events are quite stagnated and it is difficult to remember what id going on at times. I myself found the first half of the novel quite slow moving, there were so many chapters on the gathering that I felt probably could have been shortened.

However, I have a theory that the author does this on purpose, she is creatively building the suspense to lead up to a major event. Sometimes details that are not clear in one of her books, become clear in the next. For example, the skull found in ‘Drums of Autumn’ now has a story to tell in this novel. Random events that occur in this book are there to portray a moral argument or an inner battle a character is having. For example the storyline with the Beardsleys, when reading this chapter, I was so confused as to what this had to do with any part of the plot so far, but it was important, as it provided the reader with the heart wrenching moment when Jamie asks Claire if she wants to keep the child, due to his wanting to give Claire another child without endangering her life through a pregnancy. Claire herself is tempted by the offer but realises that the role of mother has been completed for her already, and that she now must play a different role. This scene deeply affected me and the inner struggle faced by the two characters is so emotive, it was as if I was going through this decision process myself, which is odd, I know. The second half of the novel was superb and I literally couldn’t put the book down. I was so enthralled by all the events that occurred. I also loved how the supernatural element of time travelling was revisited, with the reappearance of wee Ian, (yay, he is one of my favourite characters and I’m so delighted he is back, but also confused as to what has happened to bring him back) who has a diary in his possession that details the story of a time traveller like Claire, Brianna and Roger. 

I therefore beseech all avid readers out there to read this book. Yes it is slow moving but it does pick up pace and it provides such an exhilarating read that one almost feels shell shocked when completing it. Diana Gabaldon succeeds in making any reader crave more and more of her books. I particularly enjoyed the supernatural element is this book and how it was tied into genealogy so effectively that one does not even question it. So please avid readers, be patient with this book, it is fascinating and so worth a read. I look forward to beginning the next instalment of this awe worthy series with great excitement. 

As always, I would love to hear your feedback and opinions on my blog or twitter page.

The Avid Reader 🙂

Twitter: twitter.com/theavidreaders

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (An Outlander Review of book #4 in series)

Book: Drums of Autumn.

Author: Diana Gabaldon.

Rating: 9/10

First and foremost I must apologise to all my avid readers for the lengthy period in which there have been no new book reviews on my blog. I have unfortunately been so busy with work that I regretfully did not have the time to write anything. Also it has taken me quite an age to read ‘Drums of Autumn’, which I do not mean as a negative comment but more as a compliment. I found myself unwilling to complete this book as it was my preference to savour it as much as possible. So without further ado, I shall begin my review.

Diana Gabaldon is a genius. That is the simple truth. She is a master storyteller with the ability to evoke such raw emotions in any reader, and allow one to almost become her characters. This is what sets her apart from authors of this era, I sincerely mean that. Furthermore I think one of the most important things to note when reading Mrs. Gabaldon’s books, is that the woman is also an avid historian. Never have I seen fiction and history so cleverly immersed into one highly evocative masterpiece. Her level of research is evident on each page of her novels and the reader come away from reading having been educated on a particular subject in each of the eras the author visits. This to me personally is what defines a ‘book with a bite’. A book that not only is excellent for its storytelling but also for its ability to educate its reader, in this case educating the reader on the histories of the founding of America. Having only briefly studied this era as part of one module in my American history studies, I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the topic in more detail. This is due to Gabaldon’s ingenuity, she provides her readers with the ability to take an interest in issues arising in her books that they would never have pondered about previous to her novels. Having stated all this, I also realise that no author is perfect. There are moments in Diana Gabaldon’s novels where I do not agree with her plot developments and her portrayal of characters and become increasingly frustrated at situations that develop in her stories that aren’t altogether necessary or realistic. However I have to honestly admit even though she is not a perfect author, she is pretty darn close to being one. Her creativity and imagination are forces to be reckoned with, her writing is a benchmark to what all other authors should aspire to.

Apologies for the waffling, but all of the above needed to be remarked upon before I could begin the review. I shall get on with the actual storyline review now. ‘Drums of Autumn’ continues on from where ‘Voyager’ concluded. ‘Voyager’, unfortunately, ultimately failed for me as a novel, it was a train wreck from beginning to end (as mentioned in my previous review on the novel). I hate to admit that but this blog is a blog of honesty and I do not wish to mislead any of my avid readers. However ‘Drums of Autumn’, I can happily conclude, redeems the Outlander series and Diana Gabaldon’s talent as an author.  Our beloved characters of Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall Fraser have finally been reunited after a twenty year (altogether too long a period if you ask me) separation and have found themselves penniless on arriving in the relatively new colonies of America due to unforeseen circumstances. They are joined her by Jamie’s nephew, Ian Murray (son of Jenny and Ian Murray Snr.), Fergus Fraser (Jamie’s adopted son and protégée) and many old friends of Jamie’s from his prison days. They finally begin to move on with their lives and begin a new chapter of martial bliss. In fact the entire first half of the book deals with the slightly slow paced detailing of Claire and Jamie’s new life in America. Although where other reviewers would criticize this slower pace, I found it utterly beautiful. It chronicles the simplicity of life for Jamie and Claire now that they have finally the time to indulge in each other and are out of danger (somewhat as danger follows Claire and Jamie wherever they go).  

On that note I would like to also highlight a new type of writing tactic employed by Diana Gabaldon, and that is the in-depth detailing of Claire’s experiences as a herbalist and medicine women. I congratulate the author on this fantastic new input to the saga. There was always a mentioning of Claire’s prowess with herbs as a form of medicinal treatment as she deals with medical issues of disease, pregnancies and day to day remedies. Nonetheless in ‘Drums of Autumn’ we are provided with an in depth explanation of treatments Claire uses and I must say it has granted me a new-found curiosity for herbalism. We also witness how Claire and Jamie build a haven from absolutely nothing and take on roles we have never seen them perform before such as Claire as a gardener and food preserver, or Jamie as a builder and architect and farmer. I therefore scold those so-called reviewers for complaining in regards to how slow placed the first part of the novel is and for not understanding that Gabaldon does this as a story telling tactic. If she did not employ this tactic, reviewers would complain about plot holes and how easy it is for Claire and Jamie to set up shop all of a sudden in America. So please my avid readers, patience is a virtue you should adopt at the beginning of this book. 

Historically speaking, as previously mentioned, Gabaldon almost effortlessly creates a backdrop of major historical American issues such as slavery, plantations, the Native Americans, epidemics of the era, pirates, emigrating and issues of religion, that all add to the richness and effectiveness of the plot. Instead of the usual enemy of the English, we are provided with newer, more savage enemies such certain native american tribes, regulators, slave traders, pirates and even members of law enforcement. We also get an in depth look at bootlegging, as Jamie of course begins his whiskey producing business although it does not really explain if this is legal or not. Also the ever present production of turpentine is prevalent in the novel. I found all these historical aspects utterly fascinating and refreshing compared to the previous novels. The beauty of the wilderness of unsettled America is so vividly described by the author, it is as if one is living there and witnessing it’s primitive beauty.  Obviously, all the historical aspects of the founding and establishment of America are so interesting to me, due to that fact that I’m an Irish person reading about the history of another country. I would be interested to see how Americans view this detailing of history and whether they were knowledgeable of these issues already, or like me they came away from the novel feeling thoroughly educated on the subject at hand. I am eager to hear opinions on this.

Now in regards to the storyline of Brianna Fraser and her beloved Roger Wakefiled/MacKenzie. Brianna has been abandoned by her mother, no easier way to put it. She is now trying to move on and act as if both her parents are dead. However her curiosity for her father by blood begins to dominate her every thought. Roger Wakefield, who aided Claire in returning to Jamie in book two and three, has become infatuated by all things Brianna. A slow paced courtship begins between the two, with both characters being too shy to admit their true feelings for one another. I unfortunately must admit in this area of the novel I became increasingly frustrated. I began to ponder if Diana Gabaldon was trying to recreate the awe inspiring relationship of Claire and Jamie, with this more modern couple, but if so then it is an utter mistake as these characters could never touch the level of perfection that is Jamie and Claire as a couple. As the child of Claire and Jamie, Brianna unfortunately has inherited the bad characteristics of her parents. She has the stubbornness of her mother and the close mindedness and quick to ignite fury of her father. I found her character to be spoiled, almost arrogant at times. She seems to only ever think of herself, which is evident on her sudden decision to follow her mother through the stones of Craigh na dún without so much as a thought for poor Roger, who is utterly besotted with the girl and throughout the first part of the novel is almost begging Brianna to settle down with him. Literally the scene where Roger informs Brianna he will not bed her unless she marries him, is perhaps the most cringe worthy moment in any book I have ever read. The reader will feel the urge to knock these two characters heads together on more than one occasion.

However despite this frustrating part of the novel, the reader eventually begins to warm to these two new characters. We begin to see just how far Roger is willing to go to be with Brianna. We begin to see that Brianna’s stupidity at times, is due to her desperation to find out who she really is and where she comes from. I found the chapter in which she meets the Murrays in Lallybroch to be breathtakingly emotive and recognised it as the turning point in my feelings towards Brianna. She finally finds out who she really is and when finally reuniting with her long lost father it is clear that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Brianna is more like Jamie than Claire, this is evident in how easily the two can be inflamed with anger and regularly argue with one another. This also brings me to another point to be made regarding how the author has finally provided Jamie with the family he has always yearned for. He now has the women he loves, a headstrong, Amazonian daughter who is literally made in his image and at last, a land to call his own, free from the hauntings of his past. The reader will find these chapters to be utterly bitter-sweet. I particularly found the shyness, in which Brianna and Jamie try to familiarise themselves and grow accustomed to each other, so charming. 

Although I have a deep love for this book, as it contains the most interesting series of events thus far in the series, I am not blind to it’s negative aspects. Number one is an issue of character development that I had actually mentioned in my review of ‘Voyager’, that of the lack of development of the character of Fergus Fraser. The charming rogue of ‘Dragonfly in Amber’ is almost non-existent in this novel. I was devastated by this as I loved his character in the previous books, and Gabaldon had been shaping him up to be a protégée of Jamie’s, a second in command, one could say. However in this novel, although Fergus has a very brief mention at the beginning of the book before leaving to bring Marsali and his new child Germaine from Jamaica to America. It is as if Fergus has been replaced by Jamie’s nephew, Ian. Although I love Ian and love the relationship between him and Jaime, I feel almost sorry for Fergus that his place beside Jamie has been taken. Fergus is such an interesting character, with his roguish Frenchness (if that is even a word). Fergus always provided a comic scene in previous books and so I have missed him in this novel as a result. Also the character of Marsali could have been adhered to more. She was such a presence and force to be reckoned with in ‘Voyager’ quite literally being her mother, Laoghaire’s daughter in personality also. Her hatred of Claire isn’t evident in this novel and I feel as if I have been cheated out on how their relationship has changed. It is mentioned that Marsali is in charge of monitoring Jamie’s whisky business with little explanation as to why she has this role. It is frustrating to see how little these two characters are mentioned.

Another issue I had with this novel is the issue of human depravity. I am accepting that humanity in this era was less than perfect, I am accepting that violence was commonplace and the role of women was not one any woman nowadays would particularly like to return to. I do however find it very hard to accept the issue of rape in this novel. Brianna for some strange reason decides to try to get her mother’s wedding ring from Frank back for her, and never once considers that meeting up with a pirate in order to purchase it from him, would lead to danger. Seriously? She’s an intelligent girl, who has done the research needed to understand what the protocol is for society during this time. Yet she still manages to get herself into a most horrific circumstance, the scene in which she is raped is utterly devastating. Another point I would like to make is whether there was a need for this rape at all. The story did not really need a rape scene or for Brianna to become pregnant and lead to the ultimate problem of who is the daddy and what will Roger do when he finds out, if he is still alive himself that is. There is enough savage scenes in the novel and I do not think this rape should have occurred at all. Considering the whole issue of rape has been one that is mentioned so many times in previous books in the series, and it is also too close to home with regards to Jamie and his past experience with Jack Randall. I therefore have a huge, elephant in the room, issue with this plot. Why did it have to be included? Was it to ensure the bond between Jamie and Brianna would suffer? Was it to bring the story full circle, examining the human ability to accept a child that isn’t your own blood, as Frank had done with Brianna? I really take issue with this aspect of the story and would love to know what the author was thinking by including it.

This leads me to the issue and pivotal problem of the novel. Why on earth did Brianna not inform her mother or father of her rape straight away and why did she skirt around the issue and was so unwilling to give Roger’s full name as Wakefield and MacKenzie. She ultimately lead Roger to be tortured and enslaved without reason. Also why did Claire, knowing quite well how hot headed Jamie is, not inform him sooner. Why do the characters not communicate properly!! I know if they had, we would not have been provided with such an epic storyline, but I feel that this was exaggerated needlessly and do not feel that half the book should have been dedicated to such silly behaviour. Even the fact that Brianna will not tell her father she has actually been married by hand-fasting is incomprehensible. Instead she would rather he would view her as harlot and someone who ‘lusts’ for men as so eloquently put in the novel. I just do not understand it. Having said that it provides for such dramatic encounters altogether, but it is all quite unrealistic.

Lastly, my final issue with the novel is that of young Ian. He has literally charmed me so much in the ‘Voyager’ and ‘Drums of Autumn’. He is, personality wise, a young Jamie, although maybe not as intelligent. His escapades with his monstrous dog ‘Rollo’ often had me in fits of giggles (particularly the scene in which John Grey’s adopted son, and Jamie’s real son, falls head first into a pile of excrement. All due to Ian’s silliness). He has become a son to Claire too. She mothers him throughout the novel and is often glad of his companionship. I therefore find the conclusion of Ian’s story, becoming a member of a Native American tribe to sacrifice himself to save Jamie and Claire from death and giving up any hope of ever seeing his own family ever again, so overwhelmingly tragic. It genuinely made me quite upset to read it. He might as well have been killed, for in becoming a member of the tribe he has to swear never to speak his own language again or see any of his family again. It is so sad. Jamie has lost a son in Ian, and his loss is felt deeply my Claire also, as Ian provided gaiety and joy to them both. Hope is given towards the end that this is not the last we will hear of young Ian, as he has managed to send a letter to them, but still he will never play such a vital role in the series again. One also begins to wonder just how Jenny, his mother, will react when she hears the news. 

The novel finishes on a hopeful note, with Roger finally returning to Brianna’s side, although one could curse him for his cowardliness, but he finally accepts that the child is his, regardless of blood. The birthing scene was bitter-sweet to in regards to the redemption of Jamie in the eyes of Brianna as she finally forgives him of his wrongdoing and demands his presence throughout the entire birth, allowing Jamie the wonderful emotion of feeling needed by his child. The characters come full circle. We even see a slight thawing of frostiness in Claire’s feelings in regards to John Grey. She begins to accept him as Jamie’s dear friend, and forgives him his feelings towards Jamie. I also loved the relationship between Brianna and John Grey. I applaud the author on this ingenuity of a story line. It is epic. Although I do wish William, Jamie’s son and John’s adopted son had a bigger role, but obviously that will happen in the books to follow.

All in all I was thoroughly enchanted by the new characters in this novel. One must mention one character in particular, the force to be reckoned with, that of Jocasta MacKenzie Cameron Innes, Jamie’s aunt who also shares Jamie’s stubbornness, and who is determined to make him her heir to her fortune and plantation of slaves, regardless of whether he wants it or not. When this fails she then sets her sights on Brianna. And so follows a series of manic but slightly hilarious attempts of hers to achieve her aim. Jocasta also supplies the reader with a in-depth look at slavery, which was touched upon in ‘Voyager’ but in this book it shows how difficult life is for slaves and how easily they can be replaced. Some slaves, however, enjoy their jobs, such as Jocasta’s butler and maid. 

In conclusion, it is evident that this novel is worth every minute spent reading it. It succeeds where ‘Voyager’ did not. It finally provides a happy life (somewhat) for our beloved characters of Jamie and Claire. They have gone through so much together and still remain faithful and loyal to one another. In fact I do have to say for forty and fifty year olds, they are quite, ahem, amorous in their attentions to one another, but I suppose twenty years of a separation would allow for this. It is so wonderful to finally see Jamie’s life begin anew and improve. He now is a laird again, a laird of land he has chosen for himself, supporting his family and dearest friends has provided him with meaning to his life. When he is designing their new home, it is as if watching a child at Christmas, his enthusiasm is addictive. I also had no issues with Claire in this novel as I normally have in past novels in the series. She herself has come full circle as a character. Her dedication to Jamie is so admirable and heart breaking at the same time. Claire’s mission to heal others takes her down the oddest paths but I feel these add to her character. The novel also supplies the reader with accounts of other beloved outlander characters from previous novels and this also helps the novel be such a success. 

It is with much enthusiasm that I recommend this book to you all. Although nothing will ever touch the first novel, ‘Drums of Autumn’ is not one to be missed and I therefore urge all my avid readers to pick it up as soon as you can. Please take everything I have said into consideration, if you have or haven’t read it, as I do believe that other reviewers are wrong in condemning the first half of the novel as boring. It is simply the author’s wish to describe the bitter-sweetness of Claire and Jamie’s new life together, where they can finally settle down and have some much needed peace. I cannot highlight enough how clever Diana Gabaldon is as an author. I literally went through a roller-coaster of emotions reading this book. From happy to devastated, the emotions went on and on. Never have I felt that with any other book series. I am thoroughly excited for you all to read it and do hope you will leave your opinion on my blog or twitter page as I look forward to discussing the issues of the novel with you all.

As always, 

The Avid Reader 🙂

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Attention all Outlander fans!

Its finally here! All Irish fans of the Diana Gabaldon’s world acclaimed book series can now rejoice as they can finally become part of the wonderfully, romantic, Scottish world of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser on the British-American TV drama of this famous book series. RTE2 will be airing the new hit tv series at 11pm on RTE2  TONIGHT and I beseech all my fellow obsessed outlander fanatics to tune in to catch a glimpse of this cleverly adapted series. Having already cheated and live streamed this series since it began in the USA, I have already dipped my toe into it’s wondrous world but that will not prevent me from re-watching the series yet again! If only to witness this magical love story all over again (and the dreamy Sam Heughan in the role of my beloved Jamie Fraser). If that is not enough to encourage you then why not watch it in support of our fellow Irish, the lead female role is played after all by the Monaghan native, Caitriona Balfe. Balfe plays the fiesty, intelligent character of Claire Randall, a world war two nurse who is transported through time to the late 1700s where Scotland is on the brink of rebellion. Watch out for the sizzling chemistry between Balfe and the charming, mischievous, handsome Sam Heughan who portrays Jamie Fraser brilliantly. This series will not disappoint and has provided me with a fantastic visualisation of the famous novel. So tune in folks, its not one to be missed! I dare you all to dislike it 🙂

The Avid Read 🙂

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Voyager- Number 3 in the Outlander series.

Book: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon.

Rating: 8/10

Well….that…..was……interesting. Let me begin by saying this book series has continued to shock me on every single level. However I am not sure if this is a good kind of shock in the case of this book. I avidly raced through this book out of pure perseverance (I read it in 24 hours!) and then found myself reluctant to write a review about it as I feel quite a traitor in the prospect of writing a negative view. I realise I have rated this book an 8/10 but it probably deserves only a 7 or 7.5 but loyalty to the book series and to the wonderful author Diana Gabaldon, keeps me from doing so. The first two books were perhaps my favourite books of all time, that is how much they have impacted on me. If you are an avid fan of adventure, romance, mystery, murder, crime and comedy (with a Scottish twist), then these are simply the only books for you. Diana Gabaldon is a genius, everyone knows that, her writing is pure magic! However, it pains me to admit, I had many issues in this adventure of our much beloved Frasers. The novel itself will take you through a wave of emotions from sighing with pleasure to extreme frustration (to such an extent one wants to throw the book against a wall). This novel should almost be in it’s own series separate to the first two books, it is COMPLETELY different from the previous two and unfortunately this cannot compare to it’s predecessors. I understand there will always be a supernatural element to these books, but I shockingly have to admit there was just too much of this element in this story. Shocking. Without further ado I will begin my review of the third instalment of the Outlander series.

In the electrifying ending of the previous novel, we left our heroine Claire Randall in an altogether aghast state as her historian friend, Roger, had just informed her that her darling Jamie had not perished in the battle of Culloden as she had previously presumed. So with the help of Roger and her Amazonian sounding red haired daughter Brianna, Claire begins to finally track down Jamie’s whereabouts. Now I do realized I am contradicting myself when in my review of the previous novel in the series, I had stated that it annoyed me when people complain about how dragged out some chapters of Gabaldon’s stories are, as often she is doing this on purpose to set up the novel for later important events. In this case I must admit I am of the total opposite opinion. The chapters where Claire is tracking down Jamie are altogether lagging. They comprise of first hand accounts from the characters of Claire and Roger and a whole lot of flashbacks to life after Jamie on Claire’s part. While the flashbacks of Claire’s life post leaving Jamie are interesting, in order to gauge the effect her time travelling has had on her relationship with Frank, they are often too dragged out and I found myself wanting to skip on to the next chapter quite a bit. When Claire finally makes the decision to go back through time to find her Jamie, the reader might find themselves gritting their teeth and raging at her stupidity for not having done this much earlier.

The reader then gets a glimpse of what life has been like for Jamie Fraser since the tragic battle of Culloden. He of course survived, despite all odds against him, and returns home to Lallybroch to be nursed back to health by his sister Jenny (who I have a new found hatred of, but I’ll explain that later). He lives the life of an outlaw, hiding out from English soldiers until eventually after years of hiding in a cave (literally) he decides to give himself up for the greater good of providing his family and home with the money to ensure their survival throughout the famine in Scotland. Jamie is sent to a prison where he strikes up an odd friendship with John Grey (a character who appeared in the last novel) the English warden of the jail. John appears to be in love with Jamie (which I feel personally doesn’t fit well in the story as we already had the character of Jack Randall for this role). Following release from prison Jamie, Instead of getting shipped off as a slave to the Americas, is placed in Hellwater, thanks to John Grey, an estate of friend’s of John’s family which will allow Jamie to once again work with horses while also allowing John the ability to keep Jamie close. Jamie faces many issues at this estate including the stuck up daughter of his employer who does everything in her power to seduce Jamie, resulting in blackmail if he does not bed her. This part of the story is quite dragged out but the most important event that occurs in these chapters is that Jamie fathers a child, Willie. The boy begins to develop a likeness to Jamie and as a result Jamie must leave to seek his fortune elsewhere. So he decides to becomes a smuggler of alcohol under the false name and identity of a printer called Alexander Malcolm. It is in this role that our star-crossed lovers Claire and Jamie finally reunite.

The reunion itself for me personally lacked something. Yes Claire cried, yes Jamie cried, yes they jumped each other’s bones but the reader is left feeling a but uncomfortable. It has been twenty years since these characters were last together, and their reunion is kind of awkward and sheepish. It is clear that both Jamie and Claire have changed, this is most evident in Jamie. Our quick to smile and joke, loveable rogue has instead become quite aloof and there is a darkness to him that seems a bit unnerving. The two settle into each other’s lives quite quickly though and promise to be honest with each other and love one another for the rest of their days. But one always realises that when Claire and Jamie are together, trouble soon follows and it does. Twists and turns are to the fore in the novel and Jamie’s past literally comes back to haunt him much to the reader’s disbelief and utter frustration. Jamie has not been as honest with Claire regarding his past, which confronts Claire on return to Lallybroch. Jamie not only married someone else but he married HER…..Laoghaire!! Yes the little scheming witch managed to dig her claws into Jamie but Jamie promises Claire he has not been living a proper married life and only supports Laoghaire and her two daughters, from a previous marriage, financially. Readers beware, you will find yourself shrieking at the book in utter annoyance throughout these scenes.

In order to rid himself of Laoghaire and pursue a life with Claire that he has always wanted, Jamie and Claire with the help of Jamie’s nephew Ian, embark on a quest for the lost treasure of the Jacobite rebellion, a treasure that came from France and the English are desperate to get their hands on, but Jamie requires in order to pay his debts. Of course this quest would never be easy for our star-crossed lovers and so after the kidnapping of Ian and the loss of the treasure, Jamie and Claire find themselves going across the seas to try reclaim their lost treasure….oh and Jamie’s nephew I suppose. The novel then embarks on a ridiculous but still entertaining journey full of ridiculous pirates, a witch, a slave trade, an unhinged woman, vodoo ceremonies, a serial killer, a random Chinese man who I still fail to see the point of, backstabbing, rape, storms at sea and of course the ever present Scottish charm as Jamie and Claire fight for not only their survival, but their relationship and future also. I do not wish to examine the plot any further than this as I wish the reader to experience the jaw dropping events that are both totally unbelievable and yet one can’t help continuing to read in odd fascination.

I begrudgingly have to admit that I found most events in this novel completely unrealistic and downright ridiculous at times. I felt instead of wallowing in the beauty of the romance between Jamie and Claire, like in previous novels, I instead was immersed in a ‘Pirates of the Carrivbean’ movie with absurd characters who should never have been able to cross paths with the pivotal characters of Jamie and Claire. Certain points of the plot I can’t even begin to understand such as in their search for Ian, Jamie and Claire manage to do a wide range of other things such as go to balls, keep a Chinese man in check and help Fergus (a character from the previous novel) marry, whilst engaging in their usual amorous activities when really they should be focusing their attentions on finding Jamie’s nephew! Not a worry in the world at times with these two. Even the situations that Claire finds herself in, as her outspokenness always gets her in trouble, were altogether absurd and I found myself wondering was I in fact reading the same novel or a slapstick comedy. 

So as to the major issues with this novel. The first for me has to be Claire’s inability to have searched for the records of what had happened to Jamie sooner. For if she had she would have realised he had survived and wouldn’t have wasted so much bloody time away from him. Granted I know that she had a daughter in the meantime and couldn’t necessarily leave her all alone but by God woman, how can you be so stupid! Instead she chose to live an insipid life with Frank ‘the swine’ Randall, who doesn’t just mistreat her, no that would be too easy for the ba****d. Instead, he has affairs left right and centre and then has the audacity to demand Claire to allow him to take Brianna with him on his return to England after he finally decides to pluck up the courage to leave Claire. Well if ever I wished to be transported through a book so I could castrate a character, this was one of those moments! 

Another major issue is that of Jamie Fraser. No doubt he is a loveable rogue, but his desire to help all those around him instead of himself is getting altogether nonsensical at this point. To such an extent does he do this that he manages to land himself in jail, ends up married to an absolute spoiled, whiney, cantankerous woman and then decides to become a smuggler. Clearly without Claire his life means nothing to him but by God, have some dignity man! I don’t understand why life as a criminal was the role Jamie had to turn to. I don’t think this meshes well with background of Jamie’s character across the series either. Obviously he is no saint and can’t be expected to wait twenty years for Claire, and remain chaste, but his entanglements are so over the top in such an eye rolling manner. As mentioned in my review of the previous book, I cannot forgive Mrs. Gabaldon for allowing me to feel such hate for the Jamie at times. His inability to be honest with Claire from the outset is utterly frustrating, He blatantly lies all the time! I do realise that the author does this to rationalise that simply coming back into each others lives after twenty years, is no easy feat, but regularly portraying Jamie in this light is damaging, not only to the character of Jamie, but the romance element of the novel also. At times it appears that Jamie seems to have no respect or care for Claire at all, he does not care how he may be hurting her or how damaging his actions are to their relationship.

As to Claire herself, I found her character quite insipid in this novel. It’s as if all the fight has gone out of her. This is evident in the scenes where Jamie finally confesses his past to Claire. Once the initial dispute is out of the way, Claire forgives Jamie rather too quickly stating that she is guilty of moving on in her life with Frank too, when it is hardly the same thing. And again when Claire finally uncovers the truth regarding Jamie’s other child Willie, Claire seems to accept Jamie’s excuses even after blatantly lying to her for so long. After all they have gone through as characters throughout the series,  I mean they share a child together and supposedly would die for each other, this just does not sit well with me at all. I also think they use sex way too much to cloud over their issues. It also seems a tad odd that at fifty, Claire seems to be as irresistible looking as she was in her twenties, all the power to her and all but is it not a bit unrealistic, she apparently doesn’t even have grey hair.

The final issue I would like to point out is the overuse of characters. There are much too many names to follow in this novel. I in fact question the need for certain characters at all such as Mr. Willoughby, the random Chinese man who seems only exists in the novel to annoy readers or maybe to point out the racial issues that existed at the time. The character of John Grey, I also had issues with. His character appeared before as an English teenage soldier in the previous novel, who is now enamoured by Jamie but thankfully not in a disturbing Black Jack Randall. As to his point in this novel, I have not a notion. I think his character is altogether useless and is almost a main character in the story without deserving to be. I think the author has set him up to be an even bigger character in books to follow but I just don’t understand the fascination with him, maybe the author just wished to have a nice gay character in the story after the sadistic horror of Jack Randall. There was also a re-emergence of many old characters such as the beloved gang from Jamie’s home town. The Murray clan has expanded somewhat as Jenny and Ian senior, have a huge brood of children, who now are grown up and some have children of their own. I think the biggest disappointment is the character of Jenny in the Lallybroch scenes. For some reason Jenny shows animosity towards Claire on her return, and it is in fact Jenny who creates the raucous between Jamie, Claire and Laoghaire and is probably responsible for Jamie getting shot. Her half arsed attempt of an explanation to Claire regarding this is dire. The sudden reappearance of Geillis Duncan, who in the first novel was a friend to Claire but in this novel is the villain, was a disappointment. I felt the author could have gone down so many routes with this character given sufficient development instead of transforming her into a plump, insane witch. There are many more characters that appear over the course of the novel but I have forgotten some already and others I wish I could forget. This is overall problem that arises with all these characters, there are just too many. There is too much going on from the beginning to the end of the novel, and quite often I found myself skipping back over the pages to clarify who a character was.

However once more Diana Gabaldon has a gift, and even with all it’s faults, I still couldn’t put this novel down. Perhaps out of my loyalty to these beloved characters or perhaps through the cleverness of the author who manages to keep you hooked from the outset and throughout. For every fault a character has in the story, they will always manage to redeem themselves towards the end of the novel. The love story that exists between Claire and Jamie is one that any reader would become addicted to. The characters is the story are for the most part brilliantly created and add to the suspense, drama and in some scenes, comedy of the story. Although the twenty year gap in events from the last novel to this one, does provide many issues, it does allow the author to experiment with the development of certain characters such as Fergus for example, who was just a child in the previous novel, who Jamie kind of adopted. But now as a man, Fergus has developed a roguish, handsome appeal that is almost contagious, although I do not think the author spent enough time developing this character. I look forward to reading more about Fergus in the novel to follow.

I hope this review does not put off future readers of ‘Voyager’, the novel still is quite entertaining in a frustrating manner. There is bucket-loads of suspense and adventure to throw at readers, perhaps a major excess of this, but despite wanting to throw the book away at times, I still found myself reopening it again moments later to furiously read on. So my dear avid readers, do give it a go but be knowledgeable on what is to come in the story, as it is truly one hell of a roller-coaster. I await the delivery of the next novel with excitement and cannot wait to delve into Claire and Jamie’s next adventure. 

As always, I look forward to your comments, please leave one below or send me a tweet!

The Avid Reader 🙂

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