Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
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Book Reviews of Dragonfly in Amber
Book Review: The adventures of Claire and Jamie continue
Summary: 4 Stars
In the opening of book two, we begin with Claire Randall back in Inverness in 1968. With her beautiful red-headed daughter in tow, she returns to the Scottish Highlands in search of the fate of the men of Lallybroch after the uprising of `45 and the battle of Culloden. Frank has been gone two years. If Claire altered the date of Black Jack's death, how is it that Frank could have existed? How and when did she return through the stones?
Jamie and Claire have set for themselves what seems an impossible task, which brings them into the circles of nobility and aristocracy in Paris. Rendered a bit tamer than book one by Claire's first pregnancy, the passion and excitement of the first book are missing, as polite society and royal politics are just not as exciting as adventures on the open Highlands. I did not find myself on the edge of my seat often, compared to book one, throughout the first two thirds of the book. The new characters here, unlike "Outlander," are lacking in depth. The most interesting people to show up are the characters from the first book. Although Ms. Gabaldon again succeeds in bringing history to life, she gets bogged down a bit in the mundane, the action is sporadic, and it gets a bit tedious.
However, the action picks up toward the end (a long time to wait), with unexpected twists and turns, and if you stick with it, oh boy will you be rewarded! The last 200 pages are whipped into a frenzy that rivals book one. Pages fly by, and the last third of the book more than makes up for the rest. The intrigue and suspense are back, and it ends with two twists that will have you just dying to start book three. If you loved "Outlander," you cannot go without reading this continuation. All in all, overall, this was not as good as "Outlander," but it was a satisfying read.
Advice: don't start the series with this book. Read "Outlander" first.
Book Review: A Good Second Chapter of the Outlander Series
Summary: 4 Stars
"Dragonfly in Amber" is good second chapter of the "Outlander" series. If you enjoyed "Outlander" you are sure to enjoy the continuation of Jamie and Claire's story. All of the characters from the first novel are back, with more romance and political intrigue than ever.
At nearly a thousand pages, this book is longer than "Outlander", but generally the pacing is good and the action comes fast, so you keep reading. I did feel like the third quarter of the book dragged a little bit, but all in all I really enjoyed the read.
I would not recommend that a reader new to the "Outlander" series start with this book, since there is very little flashback to the first book, and you really need the background of the first book to understand what is going on in "Dragonfly."
Book Review: Keeps getting better
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm utterly enthralled with the story of Jamie and Claire! Their story just keeps getting better and better with each book.
Although longer than Outlander, I didn't find Dragonfly boring, even the historical parts. I've never been a real big fan of the 18th Century but I find myself totally immersed in the time period thanks to Gabaldon's series. As I said in my last review, I love the characters she's created and have laughed, cried, sighed, and fumed throughout her books. I especially cried during this one, at the beginning and toward the end.
What I find especially fascinating is how she totally brings the past to life. I feel as if I KNOW such real life personages as King Louis the XV, Lord Lovat, and Bonnie Prince Charlie. After reading each book I Google some of the places mentioned in her books, from Inverness to Culloden. I've always LOVED history, and feel that she makes that time period extremely interesting by how she tells the story of the Jacobite uprising. Any lover of history should delve into these books. I admire the research that must have went into them to bring them to life.
I've started VOYAGER, and so far it is turning out ot be even BETTER than the first two.
Book Review: This series is one of the best of all time
Summary: 5 Stars
I keep having to replace various books in this series as people borrow and I never get them back. I reread this series about every 3 years. I always learn something new and it's always interesting. Excellent author.Book Review: My favorite in the series
Summary: 5 Stars
I could write a million pages about how good the books in this series are. SERIOUSLY! Diana Gabaldon, the most masterful story teller of our generation, brings the sequel to "Outlander" to even higher standards than the first, and probably my favorite of the series (or maybe it is tied evenly with "Voyager"; I'll have to figure that out the next time I read the series through). The adventures and sorrows that take place in this book are so spectacular that you can't even breath during it, afraid that you'll miss something. The scene where Claire offers herself to the King of France in order to get Jamie released from prison is so saddening (yet a decision that I thought she made correctly) that I had to stop for a moment to take it all in (and she did this soon after miscarring her baby by Jamie, nearly dying from it). Then later after Jamie is released and he rejoins her, she is just so overwrought with sadness that she can't even look at him, her emotion of the baby just too great. I wept at that part, especially when she was able to pull through and embrace him. Then at the end, there is the "scene"...THE "SCENE" when Jamie forces her to cross back through the time portal, knowing that he and the battle of Culloden are both doomed. Jamies love for Claire is so great that he would rather lose her forever to a different time (and the new child she carries in her womb) then leave her unprotected and with an uncertain future after his death. Jamie and Claire are the "Romeo and Juliet" of our time, there is no doubt about that. I can't wait for the final two books in the Outlander series, said to be in the works (they better get here soon!) To conclude this review, every woman with a wanting for romatic literature, that is more well written than any other romance or historical fiction, you must read these books, over and over and over again.