A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander) by Diana Gabaldon
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Book Reviews of A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander)
Book Review: Great conclusion, with more to come
Summary: 5 Stars
An avid bookworm, I was fortunate to discover this series just a few weeks ago. I have been reading it non-stop ever since. As a die-hard science fiction and fantasy fan, who loves good writing, strong female characters, exciting plot twists and is interested in going into nursing in order to practice wholistic medicine, this series was the perfect escape. No waiting for the next book to resolve the cliffhangers of the last -- 7 are already in publication. Having read 6 of them in as many weeks, I have been able to fully dive in and enjoy the characters, setting, and amazing story telling which weaves in historical events so realistically you can't wait to find out what happens next.
In this book, Claire and Jamie continue their romance and adventures while making room for the younger generation. I was very gratified to see Roger plus he was more consistent in character with the nobility he was portrayed with when he was introduced in Voyager. I was also glad to see Brianna be so enterprising, if still a bit clueless about 18th century expectations of women. Speaking of, why can't Claire just wear a cap and get on with it? It seems odd to me that these two strong capable women wouldn't see the necessity of a little camouflage to avoid drawing comment, conflict and suspicion.
That being said, I love these characters far too much to be overly bothered by such things. I just want them to keep themselves out of harm's way! But of course, if they did, their adventures would end. And that would be a very sad day.
What is wonderful about this book is how it resolves so many of the conflicts and mysteries laid out over the course of this novel, and the one before it. Who is Jemmy's biological father and is it important to know the answer? Why did Malva do what she did in the latter part of the book? There's a terrific series of whodunits that you think will never get resolved, and the whole thing ends with a cliffhanger. Like I said, I feel really fortunate to have discovered this series with the 7th book newly out. I can't imagine how the early fans were able to bear 3 and 5 year waits between books.
Book Review: How on earth does DG continue to write such a great saga?!
Summary: 5 Stars
ABOSAA is a very richly woven saga that was an enjoyable read from page 1 all the way through page 979. I continue to be in awe of DG's ability to write so much detail and to portray characters that are so believable. The Outlander series is one that I can immerse myself in and actually feel as if I am walking in Claire's shoes. Description is so authentic that you can almost "smell" what she is describing. Just when you believe a scene is too intense or disturbing, DG breaks up that emotion shortly after with something so witty that you laugh out loud! There are very few authors that can do that.
I only discovered the Outlander series a year ago and paced myself over the last year to finish the six books that have been written thus far. These are definitely books that I will read again, not only for the wonderful story, but to help recall some of the characters and link some of the subplots. There is also some very fascinating historical data in this book about colonial America and the emotions and skirmishes prior to the Revolutionary War - if only my history books in high school had been so fascinating .....
This book is full of exciting plots and subplots. Roger and Brianna become stronger and feistier characters, but still don't overshadow our amazing Jamie & Claire. ABOSAA is among the best of the series - you will weep, you will be disgusted, you will shout with anger, you will laugh, and you will be in love with these characters. There is obviously nothing above 5 stars, so I will settle for that rating.
(If you want an additional treat - listen to the unabridged audio version of this book too. The voice actor, Davina Porter, does an awesome job depicting each of the characters. She reads with a full range of emotions. I love hearing "Jamie" pronounce some the the Gaelic words on audio.)
Book Review: I hope that this is not the last!
Summary: 5 Stars
Am I the only male reader of this series? An English Brit with an American wife I feel some sort of 20th (21st?) century kinship with Claire having lived in England, Scotland and now in France and America. To my mind this has been a wonderful series of books and this one perhaps especially so because many situations have been cleared up but as one previous reviewer asked where did Brianna and Roger get the money from to buy their property in Scotland (perhaps from Roger's adoptive father's estate).
From the start of the series I have been astounded by the breadth of imagination which Diana Gabaldon has shown in this series. I am a voracious reader and love to get my hands on a long book that holds my attention from start to finish and I would recommend this book and all of the previous ones to anyone whether they like historical novels or not, although one has to accept the idea of time travel albeit accidental!. I found the start of the first one a bit slow but from then on have read each book with an 'unputdownable' attitude. What perhaps has made this series more enjoyable for me is the fact that I have visited many of the places in which the action has been set, from Scotland and Culloden, to Paris, the West Indies and America and last year the site(s) of the Battle of Saratoga and I have been very impressed with what I believe has been the historical accuracy that she has shown. As a Brit I have also been assuaged by the fact that it was not only the Brits who were the 'nasty ones' at the time of the American Revolution!
My only fear is that it is probably the last but I sincerely hope not
Book Review: An enthralling historical adventure!
Summary: 5 Stars
A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the sixth installment in the time travel/historical adventure series by Diane Gabaldan. The central character is Claire Fraser, a 20th century woman who accidentally traveled back in time in the 1940's and ended up in 18th century Scotland. She returns to her own time pregnant from her true love, and then returns again to find him 20 years later. Now Claire is settled with her 18th century husband and is building a life in the 18th century from 1771-1776.
Claire, her husband Jamie and her daughter Brianna live on an enormous property in the mountains of North Carolina. The rigors of frontier life from a 20th century perspective are detailed in an interesting and captivating manner. Claire is a trained surgeon and works to provide medical services using 18th century tools.
The difficulty and danger of 18th century life for both men and women is the theme of this enthralling adventure novel. Strangely enough the first time I picked this book up, I did not read beyond the first few pages, but upon the second try I thoroughly enjoyed it and could not put it down. Gabaldan's writing continues to develop. She writes beautifully and lucidly both in her description of the natural world, as well as in her intense portrayal of relationships. The main character, Claire, continues to develop as a person and physician in a way that makes the reader feel they have grown along with her. This sixth book of the series is more adventure and historical novel than romance and is the better for it. Highly recommended!
Book Review: A Exceptional Followup!!! 5 Stars
Swept away, back in time, the author does not hold back as she captures the 1700's in great detail, the way they were. She doesn't sugar coat it. There is cruelty. There is violence. Amongst it all there is love, deep love. It was a bit longer than I traditionally like; however, you can't please everybody ;). The author writes in great deail, HUGE detail! lol Just the same, there are certain parts in which you can't put the book down, you just can't. You have to know what happens next, even if it's bedtime and you have to tape your eyes open to read it ;)Gabaldon talks about witchcraft and shows us how easy it was for people to label something or someone as witchcraft just because they didn't understand it. Makes you wonder, if we don't still do a little of that today. After all with all this reinvented law of attraction stuff, why not? I can quite imagine being in the 18th century and just talking about the law of attraction, let alone using it. I'm sure I too would have been labeled a witch and burned at the stake... anyhoo. Diana Gabaldon has a way with words and you can envision yourself in the characters shoes! The ride she takes you on is quite amazing. It's almost uncomparable!
This is definately the best of the series so far! All you unanswered questions are answered here! Roger, BRianne, Claire, and Jamie!! All I can say is WOW. The characters can't get any better than this!!
Happy Reading!!