A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) - A Review

Good evening, all! I found myself having a quiet Sunday and in the company of my latest read. I didn't have a lot left to finish, so I decided to shut out the world (and ignore a god awful headache) and get serious about the home-stretch of book six in the Outlander series. My apologies if this review doesn't make 100% sense, but I'm going to place the blame on the dull ache of migraine. Here we go...

It's of no surprise that tonight's review focuses on A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. As I've stated previously, these books (and the show) have consumed me mind, body, and soul. I'm head-over-heels for all things Outlander! 

I did ponder taking breaks in between each installment in order to reel in some of my emotions and also tackle something simpler for a little while, but I couldn't bring myself to leave my favorite Scot and his Sassenach. 

As usual, five stars for this phenomenal series to date! These books are quite an investment to  commit to delve into, but once you do, it's like you're the time-traveler and you're consumed by another world. 

Within six books and thirty plus years gone by, I've traveled the world with Jamie, Claire, and have watched them establish their family (which has become quite extended). From battle of Culloden in the Highlands of bonny (bonnie?) Scotland to the royal French court at Versailles, sailing on ships to the Indies, and landing on the shores of the early American colonies on the eve of a Revolution. 

It can't be said that Diana hasn't done her research. From the herbs and medicines Claire uses in her surgery, to the Gaelic that Jamie speaks to Brianna and his kinsmen, the events of the period, and more, not a detail is spared between the pages. Kudos to her for being so utterly thorough! 

This book, as with the previous, is crammed to the gills full of love, romance, battle, murder, pirates, politics, family, and both physical and emotional adventures for the reader. It's bittersweet for me to be approaching the end of this series (for now.. I know at least one more book is coming at some point). I feel like a well-established member of the Fraser family and I don't want to part with them to go back to my own time and another literary world. This family will be with me for quite awhile and it's going to be a hard adjustment to returning to life after them. Only two books left to go... so, forward, march! As my laird would say, Tulach Ard! 


My Final Rating: Five of Five Stars

The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5)- A Review

Good morning! I feel like I just gave an update, while at the same time, feel like I've been absent a bit. Life and work continues to interrupt my reading, but what can I do? I just make the best of it and enjoy my time with my characters when and as much as I can. So, without further ado, let's get on with the review. Are we really shocked that I'm discussing The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon? I didn't think so. It's the fifth in her Outlander series, and I'm in for the long haul.

As I'm sure I'll state every time, I adore this series. Even though this particular installment moved slower for me than the others, (hey, it had to happen sometime), it was not without its own thrills.
Keep in mind, when you read Diana's books, they are extremely detailed (seriously, she's even published companion books to serve as aides if needed while reading the series). Every word and punctuation mark is thoroughly researched and thought out, so when you fall into this world, you are thoroughly invested. That being said, heading into book six, these books have consumed me mind, body, and soul.

The birth of talk and ideas that led to the American Revolution are stirring, and Claire and Jamie find themselves in the middle of it along with their children and grandchildren. There's also a thieving, murdering pirate on the loose, an aunt with secrets from the past, murder, the return of beloved characters that were thought gone, and much more. When you open a novel of Mrs. Gabaldon's, you get your money's worth with romance, bloodshed, conflict, adventure, history, family, friends... you name it, it's in there for you to enjoy (I've even learned a bit of Gaelic and dabbled in colonial remedies).

I adore seeing Claire and Jamie as grandparents just as much as I love Brianna and Roger as parents. These characters I met in books one and two have grown like family to me and I've enjoyed the journey they've taken. They've all come such a long way, and while I still have three books left to enjoy them, (plus the series on STARZ.. who's complaining about some Sam Heughan action?) I will be thoroughly devastated when my time comes to part from their company. Considering Diana is still writing, my fingers are crossed I'll be with the Frasers and Mackenzies for a long time yet.

Aside from my above blurb of a paragraph, I've decided to keep this post rather short. Even though the books are so involved, and they've been out since the early 90s, I'm going to refrain from throwing in too many spoilers. I know more and more people are discovering these books now that the show is on television, so I don't want to ruin your own journey with the Fraser and MacKenzie clans.

Though most of this book discusses the day-to-day of life on Fraser's Ridge, there is plenty more to be offered. Several people have stated that this book drags on and is quite mundane. I can see their points, but for me, it just made it more real. Diana tells a fantastic story that includes the extraordinary, but also dabbles in everyday living. Not all eight books are going to be packed to the gills with non-stop drama, and I'm fine with that. I do enjoy the down time I get with Brianna and Roger or Claire and Jamie when they get to just be together at the end of the day and discuss their lives. That's where I really get to see what makes their characters and what keeps them together through the hard times and the good. There are no outside distractions during their quiet moments, so when I come across them in the story, I fully embrace that time as I play silent witness. That's what keeps me coming back to these stories and so eager to begin the next.

If you have not read this series yet, what are you waiting for? I'm not even done with all eight novels yet, but I can already say, it has skyrocketed up to my top five favorite book series. Don't hesitate! Go to your closest book shop and pick these up! Jamie and Claire are waiting to meet you!

My Final Rating: five out of five stars

 

Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4)- A Review

Hi all! I know I recently posted, but like I said, in getting back from my excursion overseas, I really wanted to catch up on my reading, and I couldn't seem to put my latest installment down. Therefore, I have another review to get to, which I'm really excited about. Ta da! Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon has stepped up to the plate, and it's a home run for sure! 

In reading other reviews for this, it seems that as people move on with the tale of Jamie and Claire Fraser, they're getting bored and find a lot of these massive books to be filler and insignificant to the plot. Luckily, I'm not having this issue, and I hope it never comes to me. This story just went places I never thought it would go. I've spanned foreign lands and oceans with Jamie and Claire only so we could settle in America, far away from our stunning Scotland Highlands and see how they're eclectic band of characters mesh with their only daughter, Brianna.

That's right! Their lone child from back in book two, Dragonfly In Amber is all grown up and looking harder than ever into the history of her real father, Jamie Fraser. With the help of family friend-turned-lover, Roger Wakefield, they uncover some startling truths and (long-story-short) find it necessary to try to pass through the stones at Craigh Na Dun as Claire had done in order to save Brianna's parents from a doomed fate.

As usual, there's tons of conflict, romance, faces old and new, and amazing amounts of history. I do miss the rolling greens and magic held among Lallybroch and Inverness, but I'm interested to see where the rough terrain of the founding colonies takes this family and their friends. What I have to say I enjoyed most in this book, was feeling Jamie meet his daughter for the first time and how their relationship blooms. It's the one good thing he thought he'd never get out of his life, and all he wished was that she was safe and happy, so knowing he becomes a significant role to her was really moving and emotional to experience.

Life has interfered slightly once again, so book five is progressing slowly for me. However, as I do read, I have to hope the focus stays primarily on Jamie and Claire. These books tend to have a lot going on, so while they're fantastic, I miss the intimacies the Fraser's marriage offered to us in the beginning. I adore them so much that I never want to leave them as background players to a monster of a story. I will let you guys know as soon as I'm finished! 

My Final Rating: five out of five stars