*** SPOILERS ALERT!! ***

Normally, I have no qualms with long or short books. It has been a long time since I read a real long book - well, since reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - so I'm not sure if I was prepared to read two in a row. It's like this: sometimes you get a hankering to read chick lit (what? am I the only one?), so you read one or two books and then you definitely need something serious.

Well, I made it halfway through Gabaldon's sequel to Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and I had to put it down. It wasn't that the book was boring, but it was just so long. Too long. I love the characters - the love story between Mary and Alex was so touching - but I had enough. So, after starting it in November, I put it aside and started reading something else. About 9 something elses.

Finally, with the new year approaching, I decided it was time to pick this book up for a final time and finish it!

Gabaldon is a great storywriter. She likes to really get into her characters, showing every facet to their being. So much so that the reader can get lost in these details and the whole flow of the story falters. This book had great action, humour, love, and mystery, but with so much detail I found myself wondering when it would ever end.

The part where I had enough was when Jamie was put in jail. Again. I wondered if there was nothing else in the 17th century that could happen INSTEAD of going to jail.

Though I was saddened to see that Claire had to go through the portal, she was with Jamie's child and I was happy to see that he still existed in their daughter, Brianna's, wild red hair. There is something majestic about her - though her tantrums leave something to be desired. (Though my call is that she goes back in time with Claire and actually grows up … of course, I brought the wrong book with me to continue to read the saga, so I have no idea what will happen!)

I'm curious what happens in the following books. Seeing as I've started reading the series when there are many books published already, I'm sure that Claire and Jamie are involved in all of the books. But Claire is already nearing 50, isn't she? Personally, I liked the idea of young love - her and Jamie, in their 20′s, having adventures. I just can't picture what could happen in the next books. What happened in these last 20 years? Was Claire just waiting for her daughter to grow up? How had Claire not known of Jamie's death - she seemed to be shocked when she saw the gravestone!

With all the detail in the book, I think Gabaldon could have touched on these points. Of course, after finishing it (finally!) I can't wait to crack open the next installment …

… even if it takes me the entire of 2010 to read it!

If you liked Outlander, you should like this book. Just try to read something in between installments to keep your attention span up.

Dragonfly in Amber
By Diana Gabaldon
ISBN: 0-7704-2877-0
Seal Books, 2001
947 pages
Mass market paperback
Historical adventure


20 years ago, Claire Randall came out of the Scottish wilderness, having been missing for almost 3 years. Pregnant and offering an explanation no one believes, Claire returns to an uncomfortable relationship with her husband and to their home in the United States. Now, Frank has passed away and Claire has brought her adult daughter, Brianna, to the place where it all began. She wants Brianna to know who her real father was. But how can Claire make her believe?

I had a brief email discussion with Diana Gabaldon earlier this year when I wrote a review of Outlander, the first book in her amazing and ongoing series featuring the lives and the love of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser: I insisted Outlander was an historical romance, while she claimed she writes historical fiction not romance. Stubborn as I am (my clan are the Skenes), I now see her point. Dragonfly in Amber is a detailed rendering of the politics and events leading up to and including the battle of Culloden in 1745. This was an actual battle that ended "Bonnie" Prince Charlie's attempt to regain both the throne of England and of Scotland.

Outlander concluded with Claire and Jamie Fraser heading for France to try and stop Prince Charlie's rebellion. You see, Claire knows the battle ends in disaster for the Scots in general and for Jamie in particular.

Dragonfly in Amber follows the two lovers as they insert themselves (with the help of Jamie's familial connections) into the French social and political scene of the time. Despite extensive efforts to undermine the Prince's efforts, Jamie and Claire are foiled at every turn until it becomes apparent there's no way to stop the bloodbath they know is coming. The final chapters see Claire returned to modern Scotland and Jamie sent to his fated death.

However, as Claire and the son of a deceased friend do their best to convince Brianna of the truth of Claire's incredible story, a surprise crops up. Their investigations suggest that maybe, just maybe, Jamie Fraser didn't die when and where Claire believes he did. What will come next? You'll have to pick up a copy of Voyager by Diana Gabaldon to find out.

Dragonfly in Amber reminds me of why I enjoy "period" novels-A Tale of Two Cities, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and The Janissary Tree come to mind. Yet, Gabaldon stands on her own. These books don't just tell a story, they reveal to us a strong woman unafraid to fight for what she believes in and who loves in the same "give-it-everything-you-have" manner. Personally, the Claire Randall/Jamie Fraser combination has made my list of top fictional characters.

While Dragonfly in Amber requires some effort (it's 947 pages long), and it, like all large works, will have sections that drag for you, the only criticism I have for this novel is that a map or maps of the areas visited would have been appreciated. It wasn't until I researched the rebellion of 1745 that I managed to get a clear mental picture of where events were taking place.

There are seven books in the Outlander series, the latest An Echo in The Bone was released in hardcover September 22, 2009. My copy is sitting on one of my bookshelves. I can hear it calling…

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009

Claire and Jamie leave Scotland for France to try and stop the rebellion of the Highlands to bring Charles Stuart to the crown. There are so many twists and turns that I could not do the plot justice. This is a great series that everyone should read. There is lots of mystery, romance, lust, intrigue, and suspense. These books are really long, but so worth reading. They will take you away to another time and place.

Claire Randall reveals her story to her daughter Brianna concerning her true heritage. This story pulls you into the lives of Claire and Jamie, and makes you feel all the love and adventure they both shared. As a continuation of Outlander, I found it to be just as riviting. I also recommend this book to someone who loves adventure, and romance.