An Echo in the Bone: A Novel (Outlander)

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780385342469
• Outfit: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Boldness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and air force to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

In this new epic of imagination, time travel, and adventure, Diana Gabaldon continues the riveting story begun in Outlander.
 
Jamie Fraser is an eighteenth-century Highlander, an ex-Jacobite traitor, and a reluctant rebel in the American Revolution. His wife, Claire Randall Fraser, is a surgeon—from the twentieth century. What she knows of the future compels him to fight. What she doesn’t know may kill them both.

With one foot in America and one foot in Scotland, Jamie and Claire’s adventure spans the Revolution, from sea battles to printshops, as their paths cross with historical figures from Benjamin Franklin to Benedict Arnold.

Meanwhile, in the relative safety of the twentieth century, their daughter, Brianna, and her husband experience the unfolding drama of the Revolutionary War through Claire’s letters. But the letters can’t warn them of the threat that’s rising out of the past to overshadow their family.

Diana Gabaldon’s sweeping Outlander saga reaches new heights in An Echo in the Bone.

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Customer Reviews

Richly drawn, but a bit unsatisfying
I love the Outlander series but this book is not quite up to the standard of the previous books.
It is somewhat disjointed and therefore confusing. But my main criticism is with the ending. The loose ends in all the previous books were 'wrapped up' so that I was left feeling that each could feasibly be where the story would end - each was complete in itself. At the same time they were open enough to allow for sequels. Not so with this one. There are many loose ends in the story which are left hanging like those in any soap opera. Perhaps the story, being of such volume, simply became unwieldy, or perhaps it was just a case of sloppy writing. Gabaldon's research and writing does not exhibit sloppiness in her other books so I suspect it is due to the sheer size in which case, better editing is required.
Unlike some other reviewers I love the wonderful detail of daily life in the eighteenth century that enriches all Gabaldon's writing, particularly the medical details, as I work in the health field. This interesting and richly drawn detail and the thorough research that backs it is what makes Gabaldon's writing stand out from other 'historical romance' writing. Initially I was co-erced into reading this series as I have never otherwise read romantic or historical fiction (and still don't), and this well-researched detail is a significant factor that keeps me coming back. The detail in this book is as fascinating as always.
Overall I enjoyed this book and await the next in the series with eager anticipation. However I felt a bit cheated as I read the closing paragraphs of this volume.

2010-07-28 (Melbourne, Australia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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OVERALL 5 stars because I am enamored of the entire saga ...
My review is a bit unorthodox in that I have had the advantage, just this month, of reading all 7 books back to back, with no prior knowledge about the storyline.

I am loving this romance saga with all its intricate turnings -- clan and family survival in 18th century Scotland and eventually to America, violence and unrest, horrible illness and suffering, filth, superstition, clumsy garb, etc. The overall story unfolds remarkably well for me with few frustrations because Gabaldon skillfully and gradually fleshes out those questions raised by prior reviewers of earlier books in the series.

Here are just a few observations, putting aside preconceived notions as much as possible and totally immersing my consciousness in the author's storyline:

*As to the great initial love between Jamie and Claire -- I have personally experienced great love, so I totally "get it" about Jamie and Claire & their continued satisfying physical relationship and deep personal bond that spans the years. As a long-time survivor of physical abuse, I too, would never condone Claire's beating in modern day. But if one paid close attention, it worked in the context of the timeline.

*It was clear to me the reader from the outset that Frank, approximately 10 years Claire's senior, was a less than stalwart husband who was dishonorable and unfaithful and who put his wife second. Claire undoubtedly had subtle intuitions about this, as any woman might. It just took her a while to figure it out. Frank was a smooth, experienced womanizer who viewed Claire's faithfulness as trifling rather than honorable, and gave greater weight to one's available choices for sexual comfort during wartime. Yes, Claire nudged Frank's existence to the back of her mind when she married Jamie and eventually gave him her heart, but she did so with much greater angst that Frank would have, given his hinted-at extracurricular activities while serving his country (and his fellow women, snerk).

*Side note on the first book: For Pete's sake people, give it a break about the great sex between Jamie and Claire! They were a newly married couple in the midst of turmoil and unrest in the land with Jamie a virgin, no matter other extenuating circumstances. Even into the early 20th century, some couples traveled abroad for months on their honeymoon trip (gee, I wonder what they were doing) before settling down to everyday life. What red-blooded 23 year old male wouldn't be raring to go at a given moment once he discovered the delight of physical union with his wife, who happened to have a healthy sexual appetite herself? That part of the story is a refreshing change from how sexual activity with dozens of partners is viewed so casually today. Jamie and Claire considered their physical union to be something precious, private and cherished between them. Bravo.

I could say lots more here and obviously can't discuss all the separate issues pointed out by reviewers over the years. The violence is disturbing, to say the least. But I am surprised at the uproar about it. Why come down on this author so hard? Horrible violence takes place in films shown in area theatres all the time. And actors are receiving Academy Awards for portraying it! "Somebody" is paying to watch those films and make them successful. Where is the outrage about that?

Enough said. I came late to the game and love the books and am on my second read right now. Can't wait to see what happens with all the cliffhangers in Echo. I am now grinding my teeth at having to wait a year or two for the next installment.

Oh! One more thing. There is something to be said for the Outlander series to be so wonderful that it has dislodged from a first place run of MORE THAN 48 years, another historic romance series that had held my heart steadfast, til now.

2010-07-27 | D. Davis (NE OH USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Lowest rating yet on an Outlander book
I never thought in a million years I'd give an Oulander book anything less that a perfect rating. Verra sad but it's true. I also can't believe how much I was tempted to skim the book (well certain parts for sure) Usually when I read an Outlander book I am so absorbed that the world around me carries on without me because I only have one thing on my mind, the book in my hand.

The William parts of this book were sooooo boring. I am sure that she could have saved on research time if she just had cut those parts in half. Likewise, the same for Lord John.

The book did start to get really interesting towards the end but then the book just ends. Absoutely nothing is resolved. Diana Gabaldon did not need to do that because everyone who reads her epic series would always come back. There was no need to do that to us. I am sitting here heart broken after finishing the book (which was less than an hour ago) and now I am just turning mad. It probably wouldn't be so bad but there is such a long wait in between the books that to me, it was unnecessary.

So long story short, the 3 rating is due to:
1. How badly I really didn't want to read about William and Lord John (or at least how much she added)
2. There were way too many stories going on in one book and it was very jumpy.
3. The fact that this is clearly my least favorite Outlander book.
4. The way the book ended. Huge disappointment.
5. The direction that the story went. I do not like to give spoilers in my reviews but I at one point said outloud "oh you got to be kidding me"

Sad but true.

2010-07-26 (Canada) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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An Echo in the Bone: Outlander series
Although sent from a different provider from the rest of the Outlander series, again, the book was sent promptly and in perfect condition. It was really difficult to leave the Outlander families. GREAT author, really good reading! Thank you, Amazon.

2010-07-23 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A bit of a disappointment!
After the 1st 6 in her series, I was so looking forward to this book! I was disappointed in this one. It didn't quite seem up to par with all of the others. There were actually 3 (or more!) stories going on within the book and it was hard to keep it all straight. Some of the characters seemed irrelevant and I couldn't help but wonder the purpose in her introducing them - usually she brings them back in to the story.

I hated that it was a cliffhanger! It reduces her writing effectiveness to that of a prime TV series! At least for those we only need to wait until the next season - in Gabaldon's case, we'll have to wait two years (or more!) I'm not sure I'll want to get into another 900 page book to be left hanging.

2010-07-23 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel

Description

Diana Gabaldon’s brilliant storytelling has captivated millions of readers in her bestselling and award-winning Outlander saga. Now, in her first-ever graphic novel, Gabaldon gives readers a fresh look at the events of the original Outlander: Jamie Fraser’s side of the story, gorgeously rendered by artist Hoang Nguyen.
 
After too long an absence, Jamie Fraser is coming home to Scotland—but not without great trepidation. Though his beloved godfather, Murtagh, promised Jamie’s late parents he’d watch over their brash son, making good on that vow will be no easy task. There’s already a fat bounty on the young exile’s head, courtesy of Captain Black Jack Randall, the sadistic British officer who’s crossed paths—and swords—with Jamie in the past. And in the court of the mighty MacKenzie clan, Jamie is a pawn in the power struggle between his uncles: aging chieftain Colum, who demands his nephew’s loyalty—or his life—and Dougal, war chieftain of Clan MacKenzie, who’d sooner see Jamie put to the sword than anointed Colum’s heir.

And then there is Claire Randall—mysterious, beautiful, and strong-willed, who appears in Jamie’s life to stir his  compassion . . . and arouse his desire. 
 
But even as Jamie’s heart draws him to Claire, Murtagh is certain she’s been sent by the Old Ones, and Captain Randall accuses her of being a spy. Claire clearly has something to hide, though Jamie can’t believe she could pose him any danger. Still, he knows she is torn between two choices—a life with him, and whatever it is that draws her thoughts so often elsewhere. 
   
Step into the captivating, passionate, and suspenseful world of The Exile, and experience the storytelling magic of Diana Gabaldon as never before.
 

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A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander)

Description

Eagerly anticipated by her legions of fans, this sixth novel in Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander saga is a masterpiece of historical fiction from one of the most popular authors of our time.

Since the initial publication of Outlander fifteen years ago, Diana Gabaldon’s New York Times bestselling saga has won the hearts of readers the world over — and sold more than twelve million books. Now, A Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the extraordinary story of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century wife, Claire.

The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.

With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

Another Great Book in The Outlander Series!!
This is yet another great novel in Gabaldon's Outlander series! She never fails to surprise you when you least expect it! Jamie and Claire continue their lives in pre-revolution America. Gabaldon has something for everyone in these books-romance, history, science fiction, drama, and humor! Can't wait to start An Echo in the Bone!

2010-07-07 | S.Nunemak (Elkhart, IN USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Another lengthy installment by Gabaldon! While I enjoyed this book I didn't think it near up to standard as a few of her past books. The plot was there, the characters also, but some of it rang as somewhat unbelievable to me. I do give her great praise for her title though. "A Breath of Snow and Ashes" just sounds very poetic.

To recap (and possibly a spoiler for those who haven't read the series), Claire, a nurse, had traveled back in time from the 1940's to Scotland in the 1700's. There she meets Jamie and through a series of misadventure, becomes married and then falls in love with him. Pregnant with his child, she comes back to the future when a war approaches that she believes kills Jamie. 20 years later she finds that he lives and returns to the past to find him. Together they head to America where they are joined by their daughter and her betrothed. They have to cope with all the impending dangers of the War for Independence and their own problems as well.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes has many things that happen in it. So much that I can't go into near the detail the book deserves without writing a book myself. Suffice to say that there is numerous kidnappings, rape, pregnancies and the betrayal of Claire by someone she holds very dear. In addition to this, a bit of background and some action is done by Jamie in preparation for the upcoming war. There are some light hearted moments however. Bree develops several "new" inventions to make life easier, they celebrate with friends, and in general stay alive in harsh times.

My complaints on this book being unbelievable at times are just a few. One is the subject of rape. It seems that Gabaldon can't just leave her characters alone in this regard and nearly every character has experienced it now. I know times were rough but I have trouble believing that almost every woman had been raped in those days. Another would be some of Bree's inventions. While she is a smart resourceful person who studied to be an engineer, its seems strange that she should know how to create so many things. The only explanation I have is she looked up how to do these things before traveling back in time, but no mention of that course of action was ever in the books.

Gabladon's writing style is very descriptive. It is usually clear and easy to follow, however, I noticed with this novel that there were some parts that confused me. We'd be at one scene and then all of a sudden the next chapter its weeks? months? later and we are in the middle of some action without knowing how we got there. Eventually further on it would explain what was going on, but it was disorienting at first. The book is mostly from Claire's point of view but it does have some scenes in the third person when she is not present.

Overall I did enjoy this book. It wasn't as good as some of the others but still held my attention overall. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Copyright 2005
980 pages

2010-07-05 | kairosdreaming (Montana) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Are You Kidding Me?
The Frasers' collective inability to vanquish an enemy like the pirate Stephen Bonnet--a drunken criminal with impulse-control problems and middling-to-weak intelligence--went from being odd, to exasperating, to unintentionally comical. If you're going to have your whole group of protagonists individually and collectively menaced over and over by an arch-enemy for the space of three REALLY LONG novels... he should at least be someone WORTH fearing for that long and HARD to defeat in any less time. In this case, it was simply the Fraser's ineptitude and incompetence that ensured this tedious, mediocre villain kept returning again and again. And again.

And speaking of how unable to take care fo themselves the Frasers are... Good grief, how many more times can the members of this family manage to get themselves kidnapped? By now, they have collectively been abducted more times than most modern families go on vacation! It has ceased to be an exciting plot device and by now strongly suggests that they're all just unusually foolish and careless people.

2010-06-23 (USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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A Breath of Snow and Ashes
This is the further adventures of Jamie and Claire and their families. Diana Gabaldon's attention to the details of life in Colonial America is amazing. The story unfolds just like watching a movie.

2010-06-13 (California) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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great service!
Book got here extremely fast, and was in excellent shape. Would definitely do business with them again.

2010-05-27 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Fiery Cross (Outlander)

Description

Crossing the boundaries of genre with its unrivalled storytelling, Diana Gabaldon’s new novel is a gift both to her millions of loyal fans and to the lucky readers who have yet to discover her.

In the ten years since her extraordinary debut novel, Outlander, was published, beloved author Diana Gabaldon has entertained scores of readers with her heart-stirring stories and remarkable characters. The four volumes of her bestselling saga, featuring eighteenth-century Scotsman James Fraser and his twentieth-century, time-travelling wife, Claire Randall, boasts nearly 5 million copies in the U.S.

The story of Outlander begins just after the Second World War, when a British field nurse named Claire Randall walks through a cleft stone in the Scottish highlands and is transported back some two hundred years to 1743.

Here, now, is The Fiery Cross, the eagerly awaited fifth volume in this remarkable, award-winning series of historical novels. The year is 1771, and war is approaching. Jamie Fraser’s wife has told him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveller’s certain knowledge. To break his oath to the Crown will brand him a traitor; to keep it is certain doom. Jamie Fraser stands in the shadow of the fiery cross—a standard that leads nowhere but to the bloody brink of war.

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The fiery cross, once used to summon Highland clans to war, now beckons readers to take up Diana Gabaldon's fifth installment in the Outlander series featuring the time-traveling Frasers. Historical fiction fans who have waited four long years since the publication of Drums of Autumn will thrill to Gabaldon's trademark detail and sensuality, both displayed liberally throughout the nearly 1,000 pages of The Fiery Cross. In this pre-Revolutionary War period, Claire Fraser and her husband, Jamie, have crossed oceans and centuries to build a life together in the bucolic beauty of North Carolina. But tensions both ancient and recent threaten not only Claire and James, but their daughter, Brianna, her new husband, Roger, and their infant son, Jemmy, as well as members of their clan. Gabaldon delivers on what she does best: poignant storylines, empathetic characters, meticulous detail, and searing passion. Savor every carefully chosen word, readers; it may be a long time until the next installment! --Alison Trinkle

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Customer Reviews

Every bit as good!
I loved this book every bit as much as each of the previous four! Diana's way of writing in details that you just don't see any other author do is amazing!! You really feel like you know what it was like in the 1770's. Don't let anybody with a bad review of this book keep you from reading it! It has plenty going on and no, it doesn't talk about diaper changes constantly. I think it mentions it like maybe four times in the entire 1436 pages. My only criticism, if I were to have one at all, is that she seem to really overuse the word alacrity. Who cares!

2010-07-14 (livonia, michigan, usa) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The doorstop that ended my relationship with Outlander
I still remember how excited I was nine years ago for The Fiery Cross. I had torn through the first four books in a matter of days. My mother and my best friend had read them too and we were constantly dissecting the subject of Jamie and Claire and their adventures. I stalked online message boards devoted to the series and even started going to Scottish festivals as a result of picking up an interest in the culture from reading the Outlander series (and watching Braveheart). In short, I was a huge, diehard fan. Even though the fourth novel, Drums of Autumn, did not live up to my expectations, I still enjoyed it and finished it within four days. I considered it the "breather" book and was certain that The Fiery Cross would bring back the adventure and the romance I had fallen in love with. I had it on preorder for months through Amazon and finally the day came when the book was delivered to my door.

Weeks later, the book still sat by my bedside, half-finished. The first "day" in the book took us through 150 pages of rainy, muddy, slow-moving banalities. The passion of Jamie and Claire had been reduced to a mockery of its former self. As a replacement for their epic love, Gabaldon offered in its stead the relationship between the whiny, spoiled Brianna and the extremely nice and sensible but passionless Roger. Brianna delivered her baby and a large majority of the story was given over to the baby crying and pooping and nursing while Brianna nursed and pooped and cried about how hard it is to be a mother (...really?! Who knew!).

The descriptions of the mundane aspects of 18th century daily living go on for pages and pages and pages. In one scene, Claire roots around in the baby's poopy diaper in order to recover a trinket that the baby has swallowed. That scene is a perfect metaphor for the novel as a whole; indeed, the reader may wonder how much more you-know-what he has to dig through in order to uncover the plot. Gone is the magic thread woven through the first three installments of the Outlander saga; that alluring fabric of adventure and mystery is replaced in the Fiery Cross by a diary-like retelling of events more appropriate to a history text than a work of fiction. Gabaldon gives the sense that she has done her research and we are darn well going to listen to what she has to tell us whether we like it or not. Her prose remains poetic, but it's not enough--lacking any semblance of plot, peril, or character development (excepting a brief aside in which she tortures her favorite whipping boy, poor unlucky Roger), the novel falls flat on its rather voluminous face.

I eventually finished The Fiery Cross, but only after sitting down one weekend and literally forcing myself to read the last half of the book. My best friend and my mom never did finish. I used my copy as a doorstop for some years, until the book finally made its way into a thrift store bag. I still have the first four novels on my shelf and have reread Outlander a couple times, but the entire series has lost its appeal now that I know the faded fates of my favorite characters. The subsequent books in the series do not interest me--looking at the size of them, it seems as though they must be even more full of the mind-numbing minutiae that ruined The Fiery Cross and to a lesser extent Drums of Autumn. It does seem that some of her fans enjoy the myriad of small details, looking upon the sequels as a series of sideways-related vignettes, but for those of us who followed Outlander for its passion and adventure and pluck and strength of story, the series is over.

2010-06-29 (Huntington, MA United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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The Fiery Cross

The fifth book in Gabaldon's Outlander series, the Fiery Cross takes places shortly after the ending of the fourth book. As a recap (and possible spoiler if you haven't read the first novels) Claire, a nurse from the 1940's traveled back in time to 18th century Scotland. There, to preserve her life, she marries Jamie Fraser, a Scottish highlander in order to save her life. She grows to love him but is sadly separated for twenty years when she has to return to her own time. When she learns he has not died in battle, she returns through the stones and back in time to find him. After a misfortune of a kidnapping of his nephew they set out for the Indies, but are shipwrecked in Georgia. There they begin a new life, which is somewhat interrupted when their daughter and her boyfriend come back to warn them of something the history books say. They set about making a life in the colonies and turning their farm into a successful place.

This book continues on with the wedding of their daughter and Roger and also of Jamie's aunt and a friend of his. Throughout the novel there are skirmishes with people wanting to be free from the British government and Jamie and Roger are enlisted to help with the British army. Another problem is the issue of Stephen Bonnet, a man who has stolen from Jaime and also raped his daughter. Both he and Roger are bound and determined to find this man and kill him for honor.

As part of the battle between the government and the rebels there is a battle in which Roger is almost killed. He is violently attacked and it leaves him a little less sure of his place in life. But it also helps his character gain more respect from Jaime.

On less gruesome aspects of the novel it shows a great deal of how the Fraser's are surviving in this time and making a living off their farm. From such common tasks as caring for children to slaughtering a hog, Gabaldon goes into great detail so the book can kind of be read as a journal on homesteading life.

Like most of her novels, this one is no different in the amount of detail that is worked into it. It continues to have a fair amount of violence described, but nothing like the first book and it is all believably done. While some of the detail I could have done without (descriptions on what's in a babies diaper) it nonetheless made everything realistic.

The characters continue to flesh out and I was pleased to see that Roger started to become his own man in this novel rather than a repeat of Jaime which I feared he was beginning to resemble in previous books. The rest of the characters, even the side characters also had great attention given to them and it was like reading about a real conglomeration of people.

Overall while this was a good novel. Its not as good as some of the others. Still worth the read if you enjoy the series though.

The Fiery Cross
Copyright 2001
979 pages

2010-06-13 | kairosdreaming (Montana) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Don't let the bad reviews sway you!!!!
Jamie and Clare's life are never boring for me! I definitely disagree with others here: this book is definitely not boring. In fact, there is a lot of drama in this book. Sure, this book doesn't have like a huge event centering it (like the previous books) but that doesn't mean it's uneventful. This book is definitely more centered on character development and the relationships among the characters. I enjoy that this book is simpler than the others: it's nice for Jamie and Claire to have somewhat of a normal life and be happy most of the time. We see more of Roger and Brianna here as well. I enjoyed this read and look forward to more from Diana!

2010-05-15 | KLS (Portland, OR) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Jamie & Claire NEVER Boring!
Jamie & Claire can never be boring to me! Maybe I'm weird, but I love to see them happy - and they are NEVER BORING to me! I agree with another reviewer - their lives are always in such turmoil - it's refreshing to see them halfway stable for a while - and the relationship between Brianna and Roger grow. Diana's characters resonate with me on a very visceral level. I have read and re-read all 7 books and hope there will be (2) more books and that they end happily! (I don't want much do it?!). Her complex and vivid details make me believe that these characters and situations are real - and many of the details are real... Jamie and Claire are as sensual as ever - and yet she makes it all realistic - none of this "Flame and the Flower" type stuff - she said she set out to write a 50 year marriage and she is doing that! I hate novels where the couple struggles to get together the entire book and on page 542 they do and by page 590 the book is done! Voyager is my absolute favorite, followed by Outlander and then Dragonfly in Amber but in truth, love them all.

2010-05-07 | Supernatural Romance Junkie (Sioux Falls, SD United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, Book 2)

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Boldness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and advice to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Inure: New
• ISBN13: 9780385335973

Description

With her now-classic novel Outlander, Diana Gabaldon introduced two unforgettable characters — Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser — delighting readers with a story of adventure and love that spanned two centuries. Now Gabaldon returns to that extraordinary time and place in this vivid, powerful follow-up to Outlander....

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ... and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his....

Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ... in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising ... and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves....

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Customer Reviews

A delicious, satisfying, addicting series!
Finally a series that I want to tell eveyone to read!! I have not read the latest book (Echo), but I have read the first 4. I average a week to a week and a 1/2 per book. I CAN NOT PUT THEM DOWN!

I am so tired of reading about the next great author/series only to find the books are less than 250 pages. I fee ripped off when I find a great book and then finish it in a few days. Or worse, I find a great series that gets really popular - then slowly loses its individuality and creativity. (Sookie Stackhouse, for instance).

Well, redemption abounds! I love this series. And, it gets better with each book.

2010-07-15 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A slogfest of a story
This the 2nd of the Outlander series and I just finished this one. Like the first, it's long, excessively so. What makes this different from the first, however, is that it's really really slow. About a quarter of the way in, I was ready to stop reading it. It didn't appear to be going anywhere and was starting to make me a little angry, to be honest. I felt cheated by the author. I had invested so much time into the first book and she's killing me slowly with the second.

It did redeem itself in the end. The story is well done, but really, half of the book could have been edited out and the story would have remained the same. I didn't realize there's such a following for these books, apparently entire groups formed around them. I would say they are good, but now the end-all be-all. I think they might be slightly overrated.

Having said THAT, the history that goes into the books is actually kind of impressive. It's not really my thing, but if you like hearing about the 1800s Scotland, France, etc... this is probably right up your alley and you wouldn't want to stab your eyes out with a spoon.

I'm debating on reading the third, but will definitely be taking a break from this series to read something a little more light and airy.

2010-07-03 | CandyTX (Austin, TX) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Historical Fiction at it's best
Dragonfly in Amber and it's predecessor, Outlander, succeed because Diana Gabaldon really does her research in regards to the historical accuracy. She lists all of her sources in the book and thanks various historians for advising her. You believe you are in the time period because she is very much aware of what is going on in France at the time. The romance aspect is timeless and the characters are well-rounded and interesting.

2010-06-23 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Outlander's Second sequel
I had already bought all of the Outlander books but in paperback promising myself to aquire the hardcover copies when I was able to. I was a late-comer to this series which helped me having paperback first because I wrote so many comments and observations in the narrow margins of the paperback versions.

I was very pleased with the condition of the book and would order again from this seller. These are all wonderful stories to read and re-read.

Diana Gabaldon does a superb job of developing her characters that you feel you are right there with them as they live their lives through these stories.

Thanks again Amazon for being there for me.

M. Stone

2010-06-10 | Old 1940 Elf (California) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Drgonfly In Amber
Why do the new printings of Diana Gabaldon's books not have the original artwork on the dust jackets? Very disappointing. The books, however, are among my favorites and will be read again and again. She is a master tale spinner and you end up feeling as if you know these people and then miss them when the books is done.

2010-06-02 (St. Augustine, Fl) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Voyager (Outlander)

Description

In this rich, vibrant tale, Diana Gabaldon continues the story of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser that began with the now-classic novel Outlander and continued in Dragonfly in Amber. Sweeping us from the battlefields of eighteenth-century Scotland to the exotic West Indies, Diana Gabaldon weaves magic once again in an exhilarating and utterly unforgettable novel....

Their love affair happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her ... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

When she discovers that Jamie may have survived, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face what awaits her ... the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland ... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that lies beyond the standing stones.

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Customer Reviews

Voyager
This book by Diana Gabaldon was recieved in good condition. It was the most awesome book I have read in a good long time.

2010-07-12 (Abbeville, LA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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So sad....
Outlander is my all-time favorite book. I am so sad that the subsequent books seem to get wosre with each each edition. I will have to stop with this one, but I grieve that I will never get to read the great series this could have been.

2010-06-24 | elizholmes (Alabama, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Awsome read
I loved this book. This is actually the third one, of a so far eight part series, telling the story of Claire and Jamie. Some time ago I started with Drums of Autumn, then ran across A Breath of Snow and Ashes and realized that I wanted to start at the begining. So I ordered all the books that I have not read. I am so glad I did. This is a marvelous story with a lot of history thrown in the mix. I have become very fond of the leading characters who are very human. Amazon has it listed under Romance novels, but I don't think that is a good place for the series. I think more folks would read the books if they were under Historical Fiction.

2010-05-30 | Jan M. (Coppell, TX, US) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Voyager
This, like Dragonfly in Amber the second book, was fantastic. It continued a great storyline and provided plenty of action and adventure, and that ever steady romance between Jamie and Claire.

A larger book, it covers quite a bit of ground in the story of Jamie and Claire's relationship. It starts where Dragonfly in Amber leaves off, with Claire still in the 20th century with her daughter Brianna. They are searching through the history books to see what became of Jamie Fraser, Claire's husband from the 18th century. When at last they find him, Claire must make the decision on whether she will go back in time to seek him out, or stay in the present with her daughter.

Persuaded by her daughter to go to him. She prepares for her journey back in time and once again steps through the stones. Back in the past, she rather quickly finds Jamie and starts on a whole series of misfortunes and adventures starting with the burning down of Jamie's print shop and an unsuccessful smuggling attempt to bring in alcohol. Forced to flee the city, they return to Jamie's home in Lallybroch.

Lallybroch isn't too peaceful however, as Claire learns that in her 20 year absence, Jamie has married again. And not only has he married, but it was to a woman who tried to kill her in the first book. A settlement is reached and Jamie, not having the funds to pay off Laoghaire (the 2nd wife) takes his young nephew to obtain some jewels that are buried off the coast. However, before his nephew Ian can get back to them, he is abducted by pirates.

Because of this, and a promise to Jamie's sister to keep her son safe, they head for the Caribbean. Beset by the British Navy and many other foes, reaching the Caribbean is not easy for them and they are separated numerous times along the way. When they finally reach the islands it still stays dangerous in their quest to save Ian.

Like the other books, this one is mainly written from Claire's point of view. It retains the rich descriptions and wordiness that Gabaldon is known for but the length of the book does not detract from the enjoyability of it.

My only complaint would be that we are reintroduced to a character that was presumably dead in the first novel, but has come back and changed drastically. While Gabaldon gives a plausible explanation to this change, it still seems out of place and a bit unbelievable.

The 3rd book in the series, Voyager, is a great read. However, the first two books should be read before it; this is not a stand-alone read.

Voyager
Copyright 1994
870 pages

2010-05-24 | kairosdreaming (Montana) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Voyager
I havent' enjoyed a novel this much in a long time. The series "Outlander" is an incredible journey into the history of the Scottish Highlands and it's culture. And the best storytelling ever!

2010-05-21 (Albuquerque, NM) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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