An Echo in the Bone: Outlander, Book 7

No spoilers - I promise. I loved this book. Since you're looking at book 7 I will assume you've read the first 6. Here are some questions you may want answered in a review. No, this is not the final installment. Yes, a lot happens in this book. Yes, there is romance. Yes, there is sex. Yes, there is historical detail. Yes, there is battlefield detail. Yes, there is medical detail. So far this should sound like this book is right in line with the series and it is. So, if you've loved the first 6, this book is for you.What is different about this book is there are four story lines. If you've been reading some of the other reviews that I have, you may have other questions. No, this book is not all Jamie and Claire. Yes, there is a story line about Bree & Roger. Yes, there is a story line about William. Yes, there is a story line about Lord John. No, you do not have to read the Lord John series to understand his story (although it adds to it and I did like that series). No, I did not find the crossover characters a plug from the author to read her other series. The author tells you what you need to know. Yes, characters from earlier books are mentioned or reintroduced. Yes, there are cliffhangers. Yes, they are VERY frustrating especially since we care so much and have to wait so long between installments.The book does switch between story lines often and some readers may find it confusing. I did not, but I read this book fairly quickly and that may have helped. The multiple story lines are important even though I, like other reviewers, prefer Jamie & Claire. The conflicts, events, revelations, conclusions, etc. would not be nearly as meaningful or dramatic if only told from Jamie & Claire's point of view.I will agree that the ending did seem a little rushed compared to Diana's usual style. She did wrap up a number of potential unanswered questions, but only briefly. No doubt these will be addressed at length in the beginning of the next book.I found reintroduction or reference of early characters brilliant and entertaining. This series spans 30 years or so and to have irony or karma coming back to bite you is true to the lives we all live. This book is a winner. I laughed out loud and I cried. I think that after you read it, sit back and take it all in, try and get over the aggravation of the questions not answered, and you may find this to be one of the best in the series. I can't wait for book #8. Bring it on!

It would be a completely idiotic statement to say that I was the only person out there anticipating Diana Gabaldon's new book. Not only are there legions of fans for her epic time traveling historical drama but the most recent book, "A Breath of Snow and Ashes" left questions galore to be answered an d more than one storyline to follow up on. But still when the book was finally published I was a little reluctant to actually read it.See, unlike many of its faithful followers, I discovered the Outlander saga when it was already five books and several thousand pages long, and so did not have to get through the many year long breaks in between books and re-introduction of forgotten characters and storylines. But with "An Echo in The Bone" coming four years after "A Breath of Snow and Ashes" I knew I would most likely fall pray to the long term series readers curse-not knowing what the hell was going on for a good chunk of the book. So I put off this book, all the while lamenting that there were not short summaries of each book I could brush up upon.When I finally cracked this open I was a little but lost-there were characters I didn't remember, story lines that had gotten fuzzy and details my brain had lost. But the more I read the more came back-and soon what happened in the first five books didn't even really matter because like its predecessors, "An Echo in the Bone" moves at a breakneck pace and is chopped full with an almost laughably impossible amount of action, drama and romance for every character.When we left our Outlander characters Brianna, Roger Mackenzie and their two children were making the perilous journey back through the standing stones that mark time portals so their daughter could have a life saving surgery only possible in their present (1980's.) Claire and Jamie Fraser, still living in the 1800's and with advance knowledge of the course of the American revolution because of Claire's peculiar life path, are planning on joining the rebel cause for freedom-but first they must abandon their home in the backlands of North Carolina and head back to Scotland to retrieve Jamie's printing press. Jamie may be a soldier born but this war he feels he cannot fight-not knowing that his illegitimate son, William (an English Lord) is fighting as a lieutenant in the king's army. And there is Jamie's nephew Ian to return home to Scotland-who after his conversion to and marriage as a Mohawk is understandably afraid of what his family might think. And Lord John Grey (William's step father) lurks about England, France and America, picking up obscure and often dangerous information through the different countries shadow intelligence agencies.All of the books in this series posses an almost ridiculous amount of soap opera like drama (multiple kidnappings, pirates, magical rights...pretty much if you think of it, its happened) and in some books the endless stream of high drama gets a little silly. But in this chapter of the saga it all plays out as normal. There's a war in the past after all, and in the present Brianna and Roger are trying their best to reconcile themselves back to modern living, and to having left those they loved most behind by two hundred years.This book is told through first person narration from Claire and third from Jamie, Brianna, Roger, Ian, William, John Grey and even Jem (Brianna and Roger's son.) Also included are letters from Claire and Jamie to their future living loved ones and correspondence between other characters. Making this by far the most diverse Outlander book to date in terms of perspective-which is a real treat.So we have action, adventure, and lots of drama, romance, and multiple perspectives-by any measure this is a good book. Gabaldon has always been a better writer with each book and her historical detail really immerses the reader in an atmosphere, which while not always pleasant, is always fascinating. And then there's her trademark tongue in cheek humor, which can make you leave even the most serious and poignant moments smiling. And as a dog person to the bone I can't help including that this book has the most respectful (but not stupid or sappy) description of the kind of love and attachment that binds a person and dog together.So when I started this book I was concerned I wouldn't remember enough to understand it and by the time I finished I wanted to go back and re-read all the books (and the Lord John Series too.) Even if you remember almost nothing about the first books you can enjoy this one-there is just so much that happens! Previously minor characters have bloomed, earlier mysteries are in the process of being resolved and the whole series seems like its winding down to a bang up-and highly unpredictable- finish. But hopefully that will come in less than four years. With an ending like the one in this book I'm not sure I can wait much longer!Five stars

`Echo' is told from several POV's - Jamie and Claire's, as has been the tradition since `Outlander'. Brianna and Roger have narrated since their appearance in `Voyager', and in `Echo' they tell their story from the year 1980 where they reside in Lallybroch. John Grey also lends his voice, offering a very different perspective from the British intelligence side of the war - more a battle of wits, connections and subterfuge than sword and musket.New narration is lent by young Ian - whose story until `Echo' has been shrouded in mystery, only briefly revealed in an exchange with Brianna from `A death of snow and ashes' when he lamented his time with the Indian tribe and his ex-wife, Emily.Also new to the stories narration is William, Lord Ellesmere. William is Jamie's illegitimate son, whose mother was Geneva Dunsany. Jamie was a stable hand on William's estate when William was just a boy, and the two encountered one another on Fraser's Ridge when William was a lad years later. But otherwise, William has no recollection of Jamie and thinks John Grey is his only father.These various narrations may seem confusing, but actually they lend a new layer to the story. Jamie has always been a leader - in his lifetime he has been laird to the Lallybroch residents, lead men in battle, remained strong for those men during imprisonment and exile and created a community on the Ridge. The various narrations of those people Jamie and Claire have gathered around them and made family, make for a humbling testimony to the rich lives they have lead (separately, and together). The narrations also lend credence to one of the themes echoed throughout the `Outlander' books - that nothing is ever truly lost to time, history lives on - the very echo in the bone for Jamie and Claire lie in William and Brianna, and their grandchildren, Jem and Amanda and also in their foster child, Fergus, and his family.Keeping with the theme of time and that nothing is every truly lost, there are many passages in which Jamie and Claire reminisce about old friends and enemies. Claire dwells on thoughts of the disturbed woman, Malva Christie. Jamie and Claire are warmed by memories of the Chinaman, Mr. Wilhouby, and pray he lives on. Jamie remembers characters from the Highlands - Rupert, Dougal and Callum. And many times throughout Jamie and Claire think back on their relationship - their first kiss and wedding day. All these recollections are a beautiful nod to the general theme of echo - while also acting as a very decisive severing. There is a sense that Gabaldon is tying up a few loose ends, gently closing one chapter in Jamie and Claire's lives, in preparation for what is to come - namely, the war and revolution it begins. Readers will quickly deduce that `Echo' is not the book in which Gabaldon deals with the crux of the American war, rather `Echo' is the intermediary - the book before Gabaldon takes a great leap and starts dealing with truly major historical events.Gabaldon's masterful writing lends credence to this sense that something is just around the corner. The war, for certain, but this sense of foreshadowing and preparation for something big comes in the separate narrations as well.William's narration has a permeating sense of foreboding. Jamie reminds Claire early on that he promised himself and Lord John Grey that he would not meet his son at the end of a rifle on opposite sides of a war. But as we read William's story, told from the perspective of a patriotic English soldier, there is a weightiness to his words and an impending sense of doom that when he and Jamie meet, it will end disastrously.Roger and Brianna's story (told from 1980) also has a terrible sense of dread surrounding the telling. Having bought Lallybroch and restored it to modern living; Roger and Brianna are trying to cope with life after time travel. But amidst the domestic duties, new jobs and Roger's crisis of faith, Mandy and Jem are telling disturbing stories of seeing a mythical Nuckelavee man outside their windows and in the mountains surrounding Lallybroch.`Echo' is a slow burn - the action doesn't really pick up until Jamie, Claire and Ian arrive in Scotland (Part six - around page 620), but after that it's a mad dash to the finish, guaranteed to keep any reader glued to their seat to read how it all winds up.`Echo' is brilliant, and fans of the `Outlander' series will not be disappointed (only frustrated by the ending, no doubt). It's not the best installment in the 'Outlander' series, but deeply satisfying nonetheless. Gabaldon beautifully intertwines fact and fiction when she writes about the events leading to war. And as always, Gabaldon excels in her clinical descriptions - Lizzie's child-birthing scene is meticulous and compelling for its gory realism. But best of all, Gabaldon remains true to the love story at the centre of the series - and blesses fans with plenty of Jamie & Claire goodness.I thoroughly enjoyed reading `Echo', and devoured the 800+ book in two days. Alas, now comes the long wait for the next Outlander book. There is often a 5-4 year gap between books; on the one hand it guarantees a tale of the utmost quality from Ms. Gabaldon, but on the other it means a long-suffering wait for the next Jamie & Claire instalment. And `Echo's' cliff-hanger ending means the wait for book # 8 will be an excruciatingly long one indeed....

As I'm in the UK, I bought this from the American Amazon site, partly because of the cover design (I wanted all my copies to have the same cover theme) but mostly because I couldn't wait until January.While I was waiting for the book to arrive I made the mistake of reading others' reviews of the book, again on amazon.com, and a large number of those reviewers were disappointed with the book for varying reasons, some of which I will comment on below. As such I started reading feeling very apprehensive about whether I would enjoy the book. Luckily my fears were unfounded and I found it just as good as, if not better than, the rest of the series.Many have said there are way too many 'voices' in the book, which detracts from the Claire/Jamie story. To those people I would say - did you actually read any of the other books? The only book which had the one voice in it was Outlander (Cross Stitch), and ever since then Diana has been using multiple viewpoints, and IMO, to great effect.One of the wonderful things about Diana's stories is the level of detail she goes into - I love detail - and given the multi-faceted nature of the American Revolution it makes sense to tell a story about it in a multi-faceted way. If Diana had just concentrated on Claire & Jamie, I think the story would be boring. I love Lord John, I think he's great; as such I really don't have any problem with the amount of the book he occupies, nor William, nor Brianna, Roger et al, nor Ian.The whole story - meaning all the way from Outlander to An Echo - is about the married life and experiences of Jamie and Claire - they have a daughter, they were separated for 20 years, Jamie has a son, they adopt Ian as almost a foster-son - these are all people who influence these two people's lives - why should they not join in the story and have their parts in it?Many romances (books AND films) are dulled by the fact they spend so much time and energy on all the intrigues that go on in getting the hero and heroine to the altar at the end (which isn't to say I don't like romance) - I'd much rather start with the wedding and go on from there. So what I love about this series is that it paints a portrait of the whole course of a marriage, all the joys and all the suffering too; we aren't just left to imagine that after they got married they lived in that mythical state of 'happily ever after' - after all they didn't exactly get married in conventional circumstances. For me it is fascinating, and means you see a whole lot more into the minds and hearts of the main characters, which is why I didn't find Claire's actions with regard Lord John at the end overly surprising, and vice versa.Another criticism of An Echo was the level of historical detail described by the author - if you don't like history, why are you reading a historical novel? The history helps to explain a great deal about the motivations and opinions of the characters - becoming almost a character in itself. We ourselves can obviously never live through time periods like these, but being able to participate in the American Revolution through the eyes of Jamie, Claire and friends paint a much more interesting and personal (if entirely fabricated) point of view than reading about it in sterile history textbooks.Warning - spoilers! I only gave it four stars because at the end when Claire thinks Jamie is dead, but we know otherwise, I didn't feel that Diana adequately developed the overpowering sense of grief and tragedy that Claire MUST have felt. Knowing her as we do from earlier in the series when we've seen a lot more emotional outplay on lesser events, if Claire really had lost Jamie (which from her point of view she had), she truly would have felt that her life was over, and I felt Diana glossed over this a little too quickly, looking at it more from the reader's perspective than Claire's.I don't want to wish the next 4 years or so of my life away as we wait for the next book, but I will be looking forward immensely to its arrival on my bookshelf; the way there laid by a very solid addition to the series in An Echo in the Bone.

Is this a historical novel? Yes, with rich, very well-researched details and vivid descriptions. The American Revolution lasted longer and affects more of the characters than Culloden. It is wonderful to see the everyday foibles of our historical personages; besides making them more "human" to us, Diana has the knack of allowing military history to become almost a living, breathing entity. Those of my friends who don't care for historical accuracy choose not to read this series; I love historical minutae and adore these books!Is this a romance? Yes, on many levels--both with characters we know and new ones as well. Jamie and Claire would not be a great love story without angst and decisions and sacrifice...the same goes for Roger/Brianna; Ian/Jenny; Ian/Works With Her Hands (Emily); Fergus/Marsali; even Laoghaire, Percy, Arch Bug, Tom Christie, Hamish, Joan, William and other "minor" characters--new and old--are included in the grand storyline to ensure all types of love are represented.Is this a mystery? Certainly. Setting aside the cliffhangers, this volume alone gave us at least four from beginning to end. Can we even count the cliffhangers? Not without writing spoiler copy, which I make a conscious effort not to do.Is this an epic tale with many characters and multiple story lines? Yes. It has been that way for quite some time. The entire series is not for the faint-of-heart or the casual reader. We've gone from the past to the present and back before. We've split countries and continents in the story. We've seen characters leave and then re-appear. One reason this series hold so much appeal is the depth and breadth of the saga. What a disappointment it would be to close the final page of the final volume and say "I wonder whatever happened to So-and-So?" One, two, or even five more volumes; the story deserves to be ended as it began--full and rich and warm without shortcuts or plot simplifications simply for expedience.Lord John Grey--like it or not--has been entwined in Jamie's life since Ardsmuir. That relationship will not end until one of them has died. Reading the Lord John novels made the reading of Echo even richer and more rewarding. The characters who popped into Echo from John's life experiences will have a large part to play in Jamie and Claire's future, wait and see.William is a man now, not the boy we glimpsed before--I am grateful I got to know his thinking and his actions as Lord Ellesmere. It will make watching him through the next volume(s) a much richer experience.Although on pins and needles regarding Brianna, Roger and the children, I am comforted greatly by all the information contained in the box of letters. Their ordeal will be another roller-coaster ride I am sure, but as always, there will be laughter amongst the tears. A more resourceful and self-assured little boy than Jeremiah Alexander Ian Fraser MacKenzie cannot be found.Young Ian needs settled. His whole story line in Echo is another coming-of-age tale and since it started when he ran away to Edinburgh, it needs closure and Echo begins that process.Diana--thank you. You never "dumb down" a story or craft a two-dimensional person. Your locales and descriptions put me in the midst of the action and in the hearts and minds of your characters. You humanize the history with accurate details. I know even time-travelers are not immortal; Claire will not live forever and Jamie certainly cannot. If you want to give us not only the American Revolution, but the French one as well, I will most happily go along for the ride. I'll be content momentarily to re-read from Outlander on--including the Lord John tales--to get all my characters sorted, but am anxious to read that you have at least begun the next chapter...Too bad I cannot give over five stars...this book is at least a nine!

I’ve just spent half an hour reading reviews that eviscerated this book in one way or another. I must say that when Echo first came out and - Gabaldon fan that I am - I gobbled it up, I was disappointed in it also. Like others, I was (upon the first reading) frustrated with the emphasis on William in this book.However (you knew that was coming, right?), I’ve just reread ALL the first seven Outlander books because I wanted the story fresh in my mind when beginning “moby” (Ms Gabaldon’s shorthand for Written in My Own Heart’s Blood). Am I nuts? Perhaps. And perhaps reading a Cliff’s Notes version of the series would have sufficed to bring me up to date, but having just begun Book 8, I am *extremely* happy that I’ve spent the last several weeks reacquainting myself with the series.First, I realize now that the William and, to a lesser extent, the Lord John POV sections of Echo allowed Ms Gabaldon to show us far more about the American Revolution than could have been done just from Claire and Jaime’s viewpoint. In other words, yes, they are filled with exposition (these books are historical novels, remember, and if you like your historical novels served up without any real history, you might prefer to visit the Gothic romance section), but it is also allows development of other characters.And secondly, I realized that in the years since originally reading An Echo in the Bone (and ABoSaA also), either I had forgotten any number of tidbits or they had never gotten into my head in the first place because I was so focused on getting back to Claire and Jaime.In response to those who say Ms Gabaldon has been failing at storytelling in the later books by expanding the character set (Young Ian, Lord John, William, Roger and Bree and their kids in the 1980s) and/or by retreading ground she’s walked before (battleground surgery, Claire being abducted or otherwise forcibly separated from Jaime), I will remind you that a good story needs dramatic tension or conflict and all of these “digressions” provide that. If there was no tension, no conflict in the stories, we all would have stopped reading these books years ago.The cliffhanger aspects of this book are indeed frustrating. Um, maybe I should amend that to say they *were* frustrating? Now that we have the next book, it’s not a problem, really. I honestly think this was caused by the particular writing method Ms Gabaldon uses. Likely we all know that she jumps around in her writing and that the books come together in a fashion similar to the concept of planets forming as a result of bigger and bigger chunks of matter colliding due to gravitational forces. (And yes, her editor[s] should be a trifle more alert to disconnects than they apparently are, because they should be responsible for seeing and correcting things like someone closing a door and then closing the same door three pages later when no one has opened it [that's in Voyager, if I remember correctly], and the glaring inconsistency in Echo of Jaime’s saying he hadn't seen William since the latter was 12 when he’d recently watched William interact with Brianna on the dock.) She knows where/when/how this big masterpiece that is Jaime and Claire's story ends, but has said in the past something to the effect of she doesn't yet know quite how it’s all going to get there.So in conclusion, on my initial reading of An Echo in the Bone – by itself, as a discrete and separate entity - I (mentally) gave it three stars. After rereading it as part of the larger whole, I wholeheartedly give it the full five stars.

As with her previous editions in the "Outlander' series, the story of the 'family' and 'times' is compelling...Dianna Gabaldon weaves a remarkable story that is so large and covers so much 'time' each book is a separate 'scene' within the overall tapestry...The threads of the story are to be woven in the next edition I HOPE!!!There were parts in this book though that are unanswered as of yet so I look forward to the next novel. Does Brianna go back to the past, and what does she do with her daughter in the mean time? Does her boy get stuck in the tunnel or does he get out and get home safely to his mom and sister? Where is Roger? How does he and his multiple great grandfather settle things in the end? And what did Jamie and Claire do, where do they go from here?...Does Claire divorce Lord John now that Jamie isn't dead? What happens next with Jamie's son? Will he ever learn of Claire, Roger & Brianna (and their kids) time traveling secret? Or is the story continued with the children as adults?...And Does Jenny like the Colonies after spending her whole life on the farm in Scotland?These and more will have to be answered...Thank you Dianna for a most entertaining romp through time. With multi-faceted characters that are deep that they connect with aspects of each reader. Claire gives those who want to see, basic gardening and 'old wives' common sense health tips...Brianna gives us a warm mother's touch and artist's eye while giving us her engineering 'analytical' capability. To make life easier without all the fuss of modern technology. Jamie is the all around hero, warrior, hunter & farmer who is caught in the whirl wind of time travel. His strong and noble heart (and back) doesn't quite get crushed by events that would kill the average man. I see through he and his sister's 'sensitivities' (to me a certain '6th' sense) showing up and giving Brianna and her children more 'connections' that others wouldn't have... And Roger, he is the best friend and spiritual adviser/peacemaker that you have been seeking with a healthy does of jaunty lyrics to lift your emotional spirits...All these and more set against historical times that teach us a little bit more of the people and places of our past. Not totally fabrication, but just enough history that it is close to the real thing.Because I enjoy the books so much I barely let anything else interfere with my reading until I have read them 'cover to cover'...I read the whole series each year...Even as large as they are, it doesn't take more than two days to read the thickest book. I look forward to the next edition. And I really do hope it isn't too long before it's published.

Reviewed at Another Look Book ReviewsFirst thing I said to myself after finishing my first re-read of An Echo in the Bone is, 'what was I thinking?!?!' The reason for my self reprimand was because the first time I read this amazing book, I was not pleased. I was not pleased at all. In fact I rated An Echo in the Bone low. Now after just finishing it for a second time and then plugging my Kindle into the wall for a full recharge, I am stunned by my first Goodreads review and I'm about ready to kick my butt and replace with this one.Admittedly Echo in the Bone is not my favourite of the series but it is still well deserving of my highest rating possible. I found Echo in the Bone not as emotionally charged or as angsty as the other books in this stellar series.....that is until you get to the end. There are so many cliffhangers dangling from the end of this book that I hope Diana Gabaldon gets so tired of hearing about fans needing the next book pronto that she never leaves a cliffhanger of this magnitude again. I yi yi yi!What Echo in the Bone does deliver is a close factual account of what life would have been like for the soldiers/militia/army and citizens during the American Revolution war. I walk away with a deep appreciation of the what the people on both sides of the war experienced. The amount of research that went into Echo in the Bone is staggering.There are numerous story lines within Echo in the Bone and it is easily followed and paced perfectly. I immensely enjoyed reading each and every one.The Roger and Bree story line was well set and planned. I loved that they emotionally struggled a bit when they have returned to Lallybroch. It is a reasonable assumption that they'd have to learn to discover their place and concur the "what's next?" dilemma. Other than the obvious cliffhangers left with the family, I find I am extremely curious and Mandy and her connection with Jem. Small children have an odd way of trying to explain their feelings but I think there is something special with Mandy and Jem. Perhaps it is the seed that was planted way back in Voyager regarding a certain Fraser Prophesy? Regardless, I am desperate to be caught up on the numerous cliffhangers left with the readers.Young Ian and Rachel's story line brings me delight. I want nothing more than to have Ian come to terms with himself. Even though Friend Rachel is peaceful Quaker, she is a spitfire and I adore her. I very much want to read how they manage on.William. Oh what a way to end the book! I felt I was in utter anticipation the entire book just waiting for a big moment. It was like a fire bomb when that moment came. When is that next book again?The biggest story line that threw me for a complete loop was Jamie, Claire and Lord John. Not to reveal any spoilers but I must say, even the second time through Echo in the Bone, I was astonished. I usually don't like to read spoilers of the next book but I must admit, I shall now go forth to see if I can find any tidbits about the next book to hopefully get some more clues about how it all works out.

Gabaldon writes very well. You get to love the characters and cant stop reading this book, really imagining the places and the drama enfold itself. I loved it!!!!!

I received the book the day expected. I love the cover, there are only a few marks due to the delivery. I already love the show so I can’t wait to read the books !

Mit Überraschung habe ich die Reaktionen auf die 7. Folge der Bestseller-Serie um Jamie& Claire gelesen. Mir hat das Buch sehr gut gefallen, daher möchte ich einige positive Aspekte hervorheben; über den Inhalt wurde ja bereits ausführlich berichtet.Zunächst möchte in anmerken, daß manche eher unrealistische Handlungselemente meinen Lesegenuß nicht gemindert haben. Natürlich ist die Vorstellung sehr unwahrscheinlich, daß die fiktiven Charaktere gleich mehreren historischen Figuren begegnen, genauso, daß sie sich auf dem riesigen amerikanischen Kontinent immer wieder finden. Mich hat das nicht gestört - bei einer Geschichte, die auf der Voraussetzung von Zeitreisen durch Megalithenkreise basiert, erwarte ich keinen Tatsachenbericht. Spätestens seit Claire in einem Band mit dem französischen König einen 10-minutes-stand hat, wundert mich rein gar nichts mehr, im Gegenteil gehören für mich die skurileren Ideen zum Reiz der Geschichte, ebenso wie die fortlaufende Umsetzung der Vorstellung, wie wohl Personen aus dem 20. Jahrhundert (vor allem eine Chirurgin) mit den Verhältnissen im 18. Jh.zurechtkommen würden - insbesondere mit dem Wissen der bevorstehenden unabwendbaren historischen Ereignisse.Bemerkenswert ist auch der schriftstellerische Mut, eine enorm erfolgreiche Serie trotz zunehmenden Erwartunsdrucks und steigenden Flop-Risikos weiterzuführen; viele Autoren gehen da den bequemeren Weg und nutzen ihren Ruf für neue Projekte. Nicht so Mrs. Gabaldon. Sie läßt die Charaktere altern und zeigt, wie sie mit dem Älterwerden umgehen. Gut dramaturgisch in Szene gesetzt ist der aufgrund der langen erzählerisch abgedeckten Zeitspanne notwendige Generationenwechsel: die ersten der Elterngeneration sterben, die jüngeren Charaktere werden in den Vordergrund gerückt. Die Szenen um "Young" Ian Murray und auch um William, Lord Ellesmere, gehören zu den besten des ganzen Buchs und bringen Spannung und frischen Wind in die Handlung.Gabaldon bleibt ihrem Erzählstil treu - die Geschichte umfaßt mehrere hundert Seiten, es wechseln eher bedächtige, detailreiche Passagen mit aktionsreichen Stellen, die sich aufs Ende hin zuspitzen. Vieles bleibt offen, ganz klar muß es einen achten Band geben.Einige Wendungen zum Schluß hin sind wirklich überraschend; daß Claire Lord John heiratet, wurde ja schon von einem Rezensenten enthüllt. Auf Jamies Reaktion, der doch nicht umgekommen ist, darf man gespannt sein.Fazit: Auf jeden Fall sollte man die vorausgegangenen Geschichten kennen. Wer den Erzählstil der Autorin und fantasievolle Geschichten mag, kommt auf jeden Fall auf seine Kosten.

Perfect I just love the outlander books

Un' altro libro della serie Outlander. Per chi e appassionato della serie , gli piacera di sicuro! Con ogni libro sono ancora piu curiosa che succede nel prossimo!