Book Review: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Title: Dragonfly in Amber

Series: Outlander #2

Genre: Historical Romance, SciFi, Fantasy

Format: paperback

Pages: 947

Published: July 1, 1992

Where I got It: My shelf (Used book store that I am blanking on the name of)

Summary: 

From the author of Outlander... a magnificent epic that once again sweeps us back in time to the drama and passion of 18th-century Scotland...

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....

Review:

I read book 1 ages ago, and I meant to go back, but just never did. I've been watching the show and loving it, so it was the push I needed to continue the series. 

We continue watching young Claire fight to try and stop the war, and "modern" Claire goes back to where it all began with her daughter in tow. 

I know this book was written in the 90s, and there is a show about it, but I don't want to spoil anything! 

The duo timeline was fun. We are mainly in the "flashback" following young Jamie and young Claire fleeing to France. There is still hope to change the future, but it seems like fate has other plans for them time and time again.

I enjoyed it. It was long and sometimes long-winded. But I gobbled up each page. There were some stretches of time I had to take a break. It is emotional, especially because you know what is coming. An impending doom for sure. Yes. I teared up a time or two with this one. 

The author does such a great job bringing the worlds and the characters to life! You just want all your beloved characters to live happily ever after. 

Can I say something...controversial? As much as I liked this book and the other one.........I think the show is better. There are some little changes they did that just worked better. Some character development that I really liked. Not saying this is bad, but the show is just a smidge better. I still want to read book 3 one day, though!

Honestly, I think I might do the audio of it. I want to try it!

But yes, this was good, but it is a heavy read. Length and emotions. You need to read book 1 first for sure or have at least watched season 1 of the show. 

All-in-all, it was lovely coming back to Claire and Jamie. It felt like old friends. I do so love them both. 

4 stars. 

Reading Challenges

-  Reading Romance Challenge #4 (series I meant to go back to)

Audiobook Review: OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon

Author: Diana Gabaldon
Narrator: Davina Porter
Title: Outlander (Outlander #1)
Genre: Historical Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Fiction
Pages: Audiobook
Published: June 1st 1991
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

By far the longest Audiobook I have ever listened too. I’m glad I listened to it though. 

I tried reading the book a few weeks ago before even attempting to listen to it, but the first chapter did not grab me, so I decided to try the audio version next. I was hooked right away. Sure, the beginning is looooooooooooooong and took forever for anything to really happen, but the narrator was good and kept me hooked. 

I get WHY the beginning was long and took forever, but I just wanted Claire to be tossed into the past so we could get our story started. Frank is okay, but we all know that he is nothing compared to Jamie ;) However, I did feel bad for Frank and for Claire. They did love each other and had been married for a long while, so it was sad to completely be Team Jamie. Frank is a boring, but a good man. 

Oddly…it took me a while to fall for Jamie. Sure, he seemed like a hottie and brave and nice and etc, but, like Claire, it took me a while to really warm up to him and fall for him. Not sure why. I actually enjoyed just going along with Claire as she fumbled with getting used to this country and time period. Thank goodness Frank had been a total history nerd so she remembered some of his ramblings so she was able to fit in sometimes. It took forever for any romance to happen, but it did seem to be okay. It didn’t bug me overly much. 

There were a LOT of areas that dragged ON and ON, but the author did well overall to keep such a long book trudging along. I did enjoy the fact that yes this is a romance, but there is a lot going on. I worried at every page about Jamie and Claire and some of my side characters. 

SPEAKING of side characters….I want Jenny’s story!!!! Maybe there is a short story or something out there, but I want to see her story. She was my favorite side character. I would want her to be my bestie in this world. She kicked butt. 

SO the narration was awesome. I really loved her voice. She really brought the characters to life. She did well with switching accents on the drop of a hat. There were times she slipped with going from Scottish to English, BUT you can easily say that Claire would’ve picked up a touch of an accent while being around it NONSTOP. This narrator really made me hooked to the book and I am glad I decided to give up reading and just listen. It was an adventure indeed!

I was worried about the ending since I knew there are other books, however, I must applaud the author. No real cliff-hanger. Nothing of the sort. She left it so you can be content with just reading book 1. I am shocked!! But I really did love it. A good ending. I am curious about book 2 and how all that will unfold. We shall see. I may just listen to book 2 especially if it is by the same narrator. I’ll check. 

In the end, I really enjoyed this book. I am happy I decided to listen because I enjoyed it more than when I tried reading it. The story had been meh, but the narration got me past the hump and hooked to the story. The beginning could’ve used some slimming down, but I get why it was long. It gives the reader a chance to know Claire and Frank in normal life. I get it, but eh get to the time traveling bit! But yes. Good story. Good characters. GREAT ending and GREAT narration. I highly recommend this book. I’ll give this 4 stars overall.