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In 1772, the rift between Britain and its American colonies has put a frightening word into the minds of all concerned: revolution. Violence has already reared its ugly head in rural North Carolina, as cabins have been burned to the ground. To preserve the colony for King George III, the governor pleads with Jamie to bring the people together and restore peace. But Jamie has the privelege, although some might call it a burden, of knowing that war cannot be avoided. Claire has told him that show more the colonies will unite and rebel, and the result will be independence, with all British loyalist either dead or exiled. And there is an additional problem. Claire has discovered a newspaper clipping from 1776 that tells of Jamie's death. show lessTags
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Plunging into Book 6 was like slipping into a hot bath after a day trudging through the 18th-century snow—utterly comforting and slightly steamy. With the Revolutionary War brewing, Jamie and Claire Fraser do what they do best: navigate chaos with the kind of love that makes you want to time travel for your own kilt-wearing hero. As always, Gabaldon stitches together history and romance with a mastery that leaves me both educated and emotionally compromised. Bring on the time-tossed turmoil—I’m ready for more!
A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the sixth volume of the Outlander saga featuring time-traveler, Claire, and her Scottish Highlander hubby and love of her life, Jamie Fraser. This book, like all the rest in the series, is a very lengthy tome of nearly a thousand pages, and because I’m such a slow reader, it’s taken me more than three weeks to finish it. However, despite the size of the book and the length of time it took me to read it, it never felt that long, and I was still sorry to see it come to an end. There is so much happening within its pages that there’s never a dull moment. We have at least two different kidnappings, rape, two murder mysteries, other mysteries surrounding a missing slave, missing gold, and the identity of show more who fathered a young woman’s baby, as well as political intrigue as the War for Independence gets under way. Then we have new-comers, visitors, and various goings-on around Fraser’s Ridge, lots of interesting medical cases for Claire, Jamie becoming an Indian agent, revelations about Ian’s past, Roger having an epiphany about what he wants to do with his life, Brianna finally getting closure on the pain of her own past, more time traveling, and oh so much more. Whew! And none of that includes all the romance. I felt this book focused more on the various romantic relationships than perhaps the last two books of the series did and there are a lot of them, not just for our main characters but also for supporting characters as well. Not to mention, A Breath of Snow and Ashes covers the three years leading up to the newspaper report regarding Jamie and Claire’s house on Fraser’s Ridge burning down and their entire family being killed. It was the thing that spurred Brianna and Roger to travel back in time way back in Drums of Autumn, and we finally get to see the outcome of that. There was just so much going on in this book that I was never bored for even a moment, and I loved every minute (despite it being quite a lot of minutes:-)) that I spent reading it.
This far along in the series, Jamie and Claire are no longer the sole focus of the stories, but they are still the glue that holds it all together. They are constantly looking out for others, whether it’s Claire’s doctoring or Jamie’s walking a fine political tightrope to make the best decisions he can for his entire family. They always put their children and grandchildren first even when they must say painful farewells for their well-being. At this point, they’ve been together so long and been through so much that nothing and no one is going to tear them apart. Even though Jamie wonders if Claire might ever want to go back to her own time and leaves that door open for her, she’s pledged to remain with him, for better or worse, until death they do part. Mostly their lives are quiet and content in their home on Fraser’s Ridge surrounded by many family members and friends, but as with all long-time married couples, they do have to deal with some difficulties along the way in this book. Claire is abducted and much-abused by a group of outlaws before Jamie is able to ride to the rescue. Then Jamie is wrongly accused of something he didn’t do which earns him censure from the other residents of the Ridge and momentarily shakes Claire’s confidence in him. Claire is also similarly accused, although in her case, she faces something far more dangerous than reproach, but the two of them present a united front to deal with the repercussions together. Throughout all of this, many residents of the Ridge gradually turn against them for one thing or another, while they discover perfidy on the part of others, leaving it feeling not quite like the home it once was. But no matter what they have to deal with, Jamie and Claire are each other’s rock through all the storms in their lives.
Jamie and Claire’s daughter, Brianna, along with the love of her life, Roger, share roughly half of the story and POV scenes with them. Much like her parents, they’re living fairly content lives on the Ridge, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have issues, too. The spectre of Stephen Bonnet still hangs over them, and although Roger loves Jem as his son, no matter whether he’s the boy’s biological father or not, he does still wonder sometimes, especially when Bree seems to be having trouble getting pregnant again. Roger also struggles with wanting to feel like he’s doing something worthwhile with his life. When he’s called upon as one of the few Protestants on the Ridge to welcome a group of Scottish Presbyterians, he finds fulfillment in helping them and finally discovers his life’s calling, but it unfortunately takes him away from Bree and Jem for a short while. Bree, for her part, is playing the industrious scientist/engineer, trying to make life easier on the Ridge by using ancient methods to produce more modern inventions, while finding fulfillment in motherhood and the occasional artistic endeavor. Eventually she, too, is abducted and comes face-to-face with her rapist, finally getting closure on that chapter of her life.
In addition to these two main couples, there are lots of other romantic relationships that either blossom or progress from where we last left them. Fergus and Marsali hit a rough patch, when Fergus becomes deeply depressed about his inability to provide for his growing family with only one hand. Marsali is carrying most of the heavy load of farming and caring for her family, while Fergus is struggling to find work that he can do. The addition of a new baby, which should have brought them joy, only results in more heartache for Fergus, but Jamie eventually helps his adopted son find a sense of purpose again. Jamie and Claire’s young servant girl, Lizzie, has a very interesting storyline that I loved, with a number of young men vying for her attention. I’ll just say that she doesn’t end up with who you might think and where she does find love is by turns sweet, shocking, hilarious, utterly romantic, and totally scandalous, but completely perfect. Lizzie’s father shows that romance isn’t just for the young when he strikes up one of his own with a kind German widow. While not exactly romantic, we finally learn about Ian’s marriage with his Indian wife and what happened between them that brought him back to his family. Lizzie’s betrothed, Manfred, has some romantic misadventures that leads to a shocking revelation, but I was glad to see him finally get a happy ending. We also learn of many past relationships that while not particularly surprising in hindsight, were most definitely scandalous for the time. These are all the ones I can recall for now. I might be forgetting some, although not intentionally, but let me say that all the relationship building was most appreciated. For me, this was the most romantic Outlander book since Voyager.
Diana Gabaldon never fails to astound me with her attention to detail and that, IMHO, is part of what makes her books so darn good. The history is extremely well done, making me feel like I’m a part of whatever major events are happening at that time, as well as a part of the setting. Although I admit that some of Claire’s medical procedures can get a bit gory, I still find them absolutely fascinating, as well as how she tries to bring elements of modern medicine into a historical era, such as penicillin and anesthesia. No matter what, she’s always working to make her patients more comfortable and to save more lives. In that same vein, there’s also a lot of science, not only from a medical perspective but an engineering perspective as well with Brianna trying to make their lives a bit easier with her knowledge of modern inventions and her technical mind. And it’s not just all of the extensive research that I know these books require to make them authentic, it’s also the way in which Ms. Gabaldon weaves so much detail into her plot points. A character might drop off the canvas early on, leaving the reader thinking that they won’t be back, but usually they always do pop up again later, playing some integral part in the story. Or the author might temporarily seem to be abandoning a particular sub-plot only to deftly twine it back in later on. I would expect no less from an author as smart and accomplished as Ms. Gabaldon is, but at the same time, it still pleasantly surprises me each and every time I sit down with one of her books. These are some of the most intelligently written stories I’ve ever read, and the reader must definitely stay on their toes while consuming them or risk missing out on some important detail.
Every time I write a review for one of these books, I feel like I’m not doing it justice, because they’re just that good. There are so many things that stood out to me about A Breath of Snow and Ashes that I’m probably going to forget something, but know that I loved all of it anyway. I think because of Claire’s, Brianna’s, and Roger’s modern sensibilities, they drawn Jamie in, too, and all of them exhibit a certain acceptance of everyone, no matter their race, religious preferences, sexual orientation, etc. that really warms my heart while still remaining true to the time in which they’re living. There’s perhaps more of a religious element in this book, because of the addition of several Protestant characters mingled among what has been, up to this point, a largely Catholic cast. As a person of faith, I appreciated all of this for several reasons. One of the biggest of these was that I felt Roger’s wrestling with moral issues versus the necessity of the times, and sometimes with the tenets of his own faith, was particularly realistic, as were the ways in which the Protestant and Catholic beliefs both overlap and are in conflict. The other reason being the more personal fact that I now belong to a Christian denomination that is an offshoot of Scottish Presbyterianism, so learning more of the history of this denomination was fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed all the numerous romantic entanglements and relationship building that takes place. All of the mystery elements are woven seamlessly into the narrative, with each one having unexpected effects on other parts of the story. There are lots of little story threads, some of which have been hanging loose for a couple of books, that are finally wrapped up neatly as well. Like I said before, there’s a great deal that happens and it was all thoroughly engaging. However, many changes occur for our main characters by the end of the book, some of which are very bittersweet, so I’m definitely eager to see what’s in store for all of them in the coming volumes, while hoping that everything turns out well for everyone in the long run. show less
This far along in the series, Jamie and Claire are no longer the sole focus of the stories, but they are still the glue that holds it all together. They are constantly looking out for others, whether it’s Claire’s doctoring or Jamie’s walking a fine political tightrope to make the best decisions he can for his entire family. They always put their children and grandchildren first even when they must say painful farewells for their well-being. At this point, they’ve been together so long and been through so much that nothing and no one is going to tear them apart. Even though Jamie wonders if Claire might ever want to go back to her own time and leaves that door open for her, she’s pledged to remain with him, for better or worse, until death they do part. Mostly their lives are quiet and content in their home on Fraser’s Ridge surrounded by many family members and friends, but as with all long-time married couples, they do have to deal with some difficulties along the way in this book. Claire is abducted and much-abused by a group of outlaws before Jamie is able to ride to the rescue. Then Jamie is wrongly accused of something he didn’t do which earns him censure from the other residents of the Ridge and momentarily shakes Claire’s confidence in him. Claire is also similarly accused, although in her case, she faces something far more dangerous than reproach, but the two of them present a united front to deal with the repercussions together. Throughout all of this, many residents of the Ridge gradually turn against them for one thing or another, while they discover perfidy on the part of others, leaving it feeling not quite like the home it once was. But no matter what they have to deal with, Jamie and Claire are each other’s rock through all the storms in their lives.
Jamie and Claire’s daughter, Brianna, along with the love of her life, Roger, share roughly half of the story and POV scenes with them. Much like her parents, they’re living fairly content lives on the Ridge, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have issues, too. The spectre of Stephen Bonnet still hangs over them, and although Roger loves Jem as his son, no matter whether he’s the boy’s biological father or not, he does still wonder sometimes, especially when Bree seems to be having trouble getting pregnant again. Roger also struggles with wanting to feel like he’s doing something worthwhile with his life. When he’s called upon as one of the few Protestants on the Ridge to welcome a group of Scottish Presbyterians, he finds fulfillment in helping them and finally discovers his life’s calling, but it unfortunately takes him away from Bree and Jem for a short while. Bree, for her part, is playing the industrious scientist/engineer, trying to make life easier on the Ridge by using ancient methods to produce more modern inventions, while finding fulfillment in motherhood and the occasional artistic endeavor. Eventually she, too, is abducted and comes face-to-face with her rapist, finally getting closure on that chapter of her life.
In addition to these two main couples, there are lots of other romantic relationships that either blossom or progress from where we last left them. Fergus and Marsali hit a rough patch, when Fergus becomes deeply depressed about his inability to provide for his growing family with only one hand. Marsali is carrying most of the heavy load of farming and caring for her family, while Fergus is struggling to find work that he can do. The addition of a new baby, which should have brought them joy, only results in more heartache for Fergus, but Jamie eventually helps his adopted son find a sense of purpose again. Jamie and Claire’s young servant girl, Lizzie, has a very interesting storyline that I loved, with a number of young men vying for her attention. I’ll just say that she doesn’t end up with who you might think and where she does find love is by turns sweet, shocking, hilarious, utterly romantic, and totally scandalous, but completely perfect. Lizzie’s father shows that romance isn’t just for the young when he strikes up one of his own with a kind German widow. While not exactly romantic, we finally learn about Ian’s marriage with his Indian wife and what happened between them that brought him back to his family. Lizzie’s betrothed, Manfred, has some romantic misadventures that leads to a shocking revelation, but I was glad to see him finally get a happy ending. We also learn of many past relationships that while not particularly surprising in hindsight, were most definitely scandalous for the time. These are all the ones I can recall for now. I might be forgetting some, although not intentionally, but let me say that all the relationship building was most appreciated. For me, this was the most romantic Outlander book since Voyager.
Diana Gabaldon never fails to astound me with her attention to detail and that, IMHO, is part of what makes her books so darn good. The history is extremely well done, making me feel like I’m a part of whatever major events are happening at that time, as well as a part of the setting. Although I admit that some of Claire’s medical procedures can get a bit gory, I still find them absolutely fascinating, as well as how she tries to bring elements of modern medicine into a historical era, such as penicillin and anesthesia. No matter what, she’s always working to make her patients more comfortable and to save more lives. In that same vein, there’s also a lot of science, not only from a medical perspective but an engineering perspective as well with Brianna trying to make their lives a bit easier with her knowledge of modern inventions and her technical mind. And it’s not just all of the extensive research that I know these books require to make them authentic, it’s also the way in which Ms. Gabaldon weaves so much detail into her plot points. A character might drop off the canvas early on, leaving the reader thinking that they won’t be back, but usually they always do pop up again later, playing some integral part in the story. Or the author might temporarily seem to be abandoning a particular sub-plot only to deftly twine it back in later on. I would expect no less from an author as smart and accomplished as Ms. Gabaldon is, but at the same time, it still pleasantly surprises me each and every time I sit down with one of her books. These are some of the most intelligently written stories I’ve ever read, and the reader must definitely stay on their toes while consuming them or risk missing out on some important detail.
Every time I write a review for one of these books, I feel like I’m not doing it justice, because they’re just that good. There are so many things that stood out to me about A Breath of Snow and Ashes that I’m probably going to forget something, but know that I loved all of it anyway. I think because of Claire’s, Brianna’s, and Roger’s modern sensibilities, they drawn Jamie in, too, and all of them exhibit a certain acceptance of everyone, no matter their race, religious preferences, sexual orientation, etc. that really warms my heart while still remaining true to the time in which they’re living. There’s perhaps more of a religious element in this book, because of the addition of several Protestant characters mingled among what has been, up to this point, a largely Catholic cast. As a person of faith, I appreciated all of this for several reasons. One of the biggest of these was that I felt Roger’s wrestling with moral issues versus the necessity of the times, and sometimes with the tenets of his own faith, was particularly realistic, as were the ways in which the Protestant and Catholic beliefs both overlap and are in conflict. The other reason being the more personal fact that I now belong to a Christian denomination that is an offshoot of Scottish Presbyterianism, so learning more of the history of this denomination was fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed all the numerous romantic entanglements and relationship building that takes place. All of the mystery elements are woven seamlessly into the narrative, with each one having unexpected effects on other parts of the story. There are lots of little story threads, some of which have been hanging loose for a couple of books, that are finally wrapped up neatly as well. Like I said before, there’s a great deal that happens and it was all thoroughly engaging. However, many changes occur for our main characters by the end of the book, some of which are very bittersweet, so I’m definitely eager to see what’s in store for all of them in the coming volumes, while hoping that everything turns out well for everyone in the long run. show less
The first book had me completely absorbed in the little details and fascinating plot, the second book made me angry by the huge jump in time and then made me happy, while the third book continued to hold my interest. The fourth book was a little slow. The fifth book made me wish for all that time spent listening back again because really, however many pages an author should devote to homesteading, Ms. Gabaldon surpassed it at least ten-fold. The sixth book frustrated me with its plodding story, with its hyper-attention to detail, and with the continued and inexplicable use of multiple narrators. This does nothing but prolong the agony. If the last two books have been less-than-ideal and even somewhat of a waste of time, why did I show more continue the series and move on to A Breath of Snow and Ashes? I wish I knew.
The writing sucks. It is not a well-written series at all, repetitive and worthy of many an eye roll or snort of disbelief. Ms. Gabaldon uses the same phrases, descriptions, and dialogue all the time. While continuity is important, the repetition becomes old very quickly. This is on top of the fact that the entire series is just one big, very bad soap opera – the kind where the villain suffers forty different ways to die but always survives to torment his victims. Stephen Bonnet is the eighteenth-century Stefano. One can practically predict which major character is slated for his or her turn at mortal peril because it happens to them all with such frequency. Yet, I keep listening, yelling at the characters for their stupidity and getting anxious on their behalf even though I know they all survive for at least two more books. I was sucked into the Outlander world, and I can’t seem to get out.
In the beginning of the series, the sex scenes were so unusual in a romance novel because they were actually vital to the story. Through their most intimate moments, readers learned more about Clare and Jamie, their vulnerabilities and their sensitivities. It was never a sex scene purely for titillation but a method by which the characters developed and grew. The same can no longer be said about any of the sex scenes within these later novels. First of all, there is nothing more to learn about Jamie or Clare. Readers have been with them for years now, and their characters are fairly set in their development. Then, there is the ick factor. Both are approaching 60 years of age, and while I appreciate that their love life is healthy and frequent, it is not necessarily something about which I want to read. Jamie’s comments about Clare’s body have him turning into a lecherous old man, and that is just wrong. Then there is the physical descriptions themselves. While Jamie is clearly an ass man given his many lascivious (and slightly disturbing) comments about the state of Clare’s derrière, I’m beginning to think Ms. Gabaldon is a breast woman herself. There is way too much attention and description devoted to all females’ breasts. Dresses cling to them, sweat trickles between them, they are fondled, kissed, and cupped, they leak milk, and babies release them with audible noises. If there is a woman in any given scene, Ms. Gabaldon will inevitably mention something about that woman’s breasts. Frankly, it’s annoying and disappointing.
Then there is the issue with Jamie and Clare’s daughter and son-in-law. I hate Bree and Roger. There. I said it. Bree is one of the most spoiled, stupid girls in print. Roger was great, if a bit weak and unmanly in comparison to Jamie, until he married Bree. With that one act, he became thoroughly uninteresting and superlative. As for Bree, she is just now thinking of the dangers of going back in time 200 years to the Revolutionary War – after the war has started. For someone who is supposed to have such a brilliant mind, she completely lacks in common sense as well as empathy. The scenes told from either of their points of view are just agonizing, as Roger spends most of his time thinking about Bree and Bree spends most of her time worrying about how certain events are going to affect her. Their sex scenes are not in the least bit erotic or even very romantic. Very rarely do they contribute something to the overarching plot, and most of the time, their presence causes more complications than solutions. It goes without saying that their removal from the story would also eliminate a good number of pages in this very bloated series.
The problem is that at an average audiobook length of 50+ hours, I have spent way too much time devoted to Jamie and Clare to quit the series now. I may not be quite as vested in their survival as I once was, but I would like to solve the mystery of how they die. I would like closure. Ms. Gabaldon has not yet written her stories to provide closure, and so I am stuck in this world of time travelers. I will continue with the series onto book 7 and eventually book 8 when it is released next year. Perhaps by then, Ms. Gabaldon will have made it possible for me to say good-bye. Until then, there will be more yelling and eye-rolling and general frustration at the slow pacing, repetitive syntax, unnecessary narrative shifts, and completely unnecessary sex scenes. It is most definitely the book world’s version of a daytime soap opera. show less
The writing sucks. It is not a well-written series at all, repetitive and worthy of many an eye roll or snort of disbelief. Ms. Gabaldon uses the same phrases, descriptions, and dialogue all the time. While continuity is important, the repetition becomes old very quickly. This is on top of the fact that the entire series is just one big, very bad soap opera – the kind where the villain suffers forty different ways to die but always survives to torment his victims. Stephen Bonnet is the eighteenth-century Stefano. One can practically predict which major character is slated for his or her turn at mortal peril because it happens to them all with such frequency. Yet, I keep listening, yelling at the characters for their stupidity and getting anxious on their behalf even though I know they all survive for at least two more books. I was sucked into the Outlander world, and I can’t seem to get out.
In the beginning of the series, the sex scenes were so unusual in a romance novel because they were actually vital to the story. Through their most intimate moments, readers learned more about Clare and Jamie, their vulnerabilities and their sensitivities. It was never a sex scene purely for titillation but a method by which the characters developed and grew. The same can no longer be said about any of the sex scenes within these later novels. First of all, there is nothing more to learn about Jamie or Clare. Readers have been with them for years now, and their characters are fairly set in their development. Then, there is the ick factor. Both are approaching 60 years of age, and while I appreciate that their love life is healthy and frequent, it is not necessarily something about which I want to read. Jamie’s comments about Clare’s body have him turning into a lecherous old man, and that is just wrong. Then there is the physical descriptions themselves. While Jamie is clearly an ass man given his many lascivious (and slightly disturbing) comments about the state of Clare’s derrière, I’m beginning to think Ms. Gabaldon is a breast woman herself. There is way too much attention and description devoted to all females’ breasts. Dresses cling to them, sweat trickles between them, they are fondled, kissed, and cupped, they leak milk, and babies release them with audible noises. If there is a woman in any given scene, Ms. Gabaldon will inevitably mention something about that woman’s breasts. Frankly, it’s annoying and disappointing.
Then there is the issue with Jamie and Clare’s daughter and son-in-law. I hate Bree and Roger. There. I said it. Bree is one of the most spoiled, stupid girls in print. Roger was great, if a bit weak and unmanly in comparison to Jamie, until he married Bree. With that one act, he became thoroughly uninteresting and superlative. As for Bree, she is just now thinking of the dangers of going back in time 200 years to the Revolutionary War – after the war has started. For someone who is supposed to have such a brilliant mind, she completely lacks in common sense as well as empathy. The scenes told from either of their points of view are just agonizing, as Roger spends most of his time thinking about Bree and Bree spends most of her time worrying about how certain events are going to affect her. Their sex scenes are not in the least bit erotic or even very romantic. Very rarely do they contribute something to the overarching plot, and most of the time, their presence causes more complications than solutions. It goes without saying that their removal from the story would also eliminate a good number of pages in this very bloated series.
The problem is that at an average audiobook length of 50+ hours, I have spent way too much time devoted to Jamie and Clare to quit the series now. I may not be quite as vested in their survival as I once was, but I would like to solve the mystery of how they die. I would like closure. Ms. Gabaldon has not yet written her stories to provide closure, and so I am stuck in this world of time travelers. I will continue with the series onto book 7 and eventually book 8 when it is released next year. Perhaps by then, Ms. Gabaldon will have made it possible for me to say good-bye. Until then, there will be more yelling and eye-rolling and general frustration at the slow pacing, repetitive syntax, unnecessary narrative shifts, and completely unnecessary sex scenes. It is most definitely the book world’s version of a daytime soap opera. show less
This might be my favorite in the series thus far (save the first)! Absolutely packed to the gills with domesticity, emotion, and medical content (which are the things I love about these books) and very light on the politics and battles, despite it happening during the American Civial War.
I was honestly shocked at the turn of events near the end. I likely should have expected it, but I was so cozy on Fraser's Ridge with everyone it hadn't crossed my mind.
The only thing that holds this back from a perfect score is the unfortunate amount of r*pe and SA that occur. Sadly not new themes in Outlander books, but truly the instances here added nothing to the story, and made no significant changes to character or plot.
I was honestly shocked at the turn of events near the end. I likely should have expected it, but I was so cozy on Fraser's Ridge with everyone it hadn't crossed my mind.
The only thing that holds this back from a perfect score is the unfortunate amount of r*pe and SA that occur. Sadly not new themes in Outlander books, but truly the instances here added nothing to the story, and made no significant changes to character or plot.
Summary: A Breath of Snow and Ashes opens in the spring of 1773. There has been a spate of arsons - homesteads burnt with their families inside. This strikes an uncomfortable note for Jamie and Claire, since they are still living under the looming specter of the newspaper clipping predicting their own deaths by fire, the same clipping that forced Brianna to travel back in time in the first place. But that's still three years in the future, and in the meantime, there are the daily matters of life, and the larger political matter of the looming Revolution to worry about. Revolutionary sentiment is growing, and Jamie can no longer walk the line of neutrality, but declaring for what Claire has told him will be the winning side means show more alienating himself from family, friends, and countrymen. When Claire is abducted by a band of thieves and brigands, events are set into motion that will encompass life, death, pregnancy, sickness, scandal, religion, love, hate, politics, and murder, and by the end, several long-running storylines - among others: Stephen Bonnet, Jem's paternity, Jocasta's gold, Ian's time with the Mohawk, North American time-travelers, and that haunting newspaper clipping warning of fire - have all been resolved.
Review: I think I've finally figured out how to approach Diana Gabaldon's books. I can't treat them like a regular novel, one that I can sit down, get lost in for a few hours per day for two or three days, and polish off. Instead, I need to take my time with them, let them gestate, and not push myself - if an hour of reading only gets me through 40 pages, then so be it. I've also finally figured out where and when in these books I can skim - in an almost-1000-page book, it's inevitable that there will be bits of description and action that just aren't as interesting as the rest. To Gabaldon's credit, though, she does keep things moving along fairly steadily throughout this book (no spending three hundred pages at a wedding, to pick an example entirely at random *cough*TheFieryCross*cough*). There are certainly scenes which could have been excised without sacrificing anything crucial from the plot, but by this point, Claire, Jamie, Brianna, Roger, and the rest are so much like family that character sketches and vignettes still held my interest, even if they didn't advance the main story.
That's what I mean about taking time with it: If you read it hunting for the plot in every paragraph, it's bound to get quickly frustrating. If you approach it like you're just taking some time to catch up with old friends, however, then it's a wonderful comfort-read. And, to anyone who's toughed it out for the preceding five books and 4000+ pages, they really are old friends. I was certainly absorbed and involved enough in their story that multiple bits made me cry - although not so hard as the bawl-fest at the end of Dragonfly in Amber. The ending also somehow simultaneously wraps up most of the storylines from the "American Trilogy", and leaves me wanting the next book to hurry up and be published so I can find out where she's going to take things from here. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: If you've made it this far in the series, you won't be disappointed by the most recent installment. A Breath of Snow and Ashes is not as tight as the earlier books in the series, but definitely gets things moving again after the meandering of The Fiery Cross. show less
Review: I think I've finally figured out how to approach Diana Gabaldon's books. I can't treat them like a regular novel, one that I can sit down, get lost in for a few hours per day for two or three days, and polish off. Instead, I need to take my time with them, let them gestate, and not push myself - if an hour of reading only gets me through 40 pages, then so be it. I've also finally figured out where and when in these books I can skim - in an almost-1000-page book, it's inevitable that there will be bits of description and action that just aren't as interesting as the rest. To Gabaldon's credit, though, she does keep things moving along fairly steadily throughout this book (no spending three hundred pages at a wedding, to pick an example entirely at random *cough*TheFieryCross*cough*). There are certainly scenes which could have been excised without sacrificing anything crucial from the plot, but by this point, Claire, Jamie, Brianna, Roger, and the rest are so much like family that character sketches and vignettes still held my interest, even if they didn't advance the main story.
That's what I mean about taking time with it: If you read it hunting for the plot in every paragraph, it's bound to get quickly frustrating. If you approach it like you're just taking some time to catch up with old friends, however, then it's a wonderful comfort-read. And, to anyone who's toughed it out for the preceding five books and 4000+ pages, they really are old friends. I was certainly absorbed and involved enough in their story that multiple bits made me cry - although not so hard as the bawl-fest at the end of Dragonfly in Amber. The ending also somehow simultaneously wraps up most of the storylines from the "American Trilogy", and leaves me wanting the next book to hurry up and be published so I can find out where she's going to take things from here. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: If you've made it this far in the series, you won't be disappointed by the most recent installment. A Breath of Snow and Ashes is not as tight as the earlier books in the series, but definitely gets things moving again after the meandering of The Fiery Cross. show less
The saga continues, with war on the horizon, Jamie and Claire trying to find a way to weather the storm safely. The book is full of the details of day to day life, broken up by events that are traumatic, life changing, funny, heartbreaking, and overall satisfying.
As is usual in these books, various characters are really put through the wringer. In this one, it seems to be Claire's turn for the worst of it. The Browns make a reappearance, this time determined to enact vengeance. Claire is kidnapped and raped. I thought she did a great job of keeping it together, and loved her certainty that Jamie would find her. It was fun to see her playing with the minds of her kidnappers. Absolutely loved the rescue scene, with the use of the drum and show more ye olde Highland yell. They definitely got what was coming to them. There was an interesting twist with the appearance of another traveler and the sharing of his experiences.
The Loyalist Scots are pulling out all the stops in their attempts to bolster support of the Crown, including what is basically a fundraising tour by Flora MacDonald, the woman who saved Prince Charlie after Culloden. Jamie knows the truth of what will happen, but tries to remain neutral for as long as possible.
Claire continues her work as a healer, while trying to find a way to bring in some modern medicine. Her experiments with ether have some pretty amusing moments, and also some lasting consequences. Jamie's conflict is real as he tries to reconcile his knowledge of the future with his honor and the oaths he has made. Throughout it all, the love that he and Claire share give them each the strength they need to weather the storms.
Roger and Brianna continue with their adjustments to this time period, some being more successful than others. Brianna brings her engineering expertise to the Ridge with her attempts at indoor plumbing, a better kiln, and the "invention" of matches. Roger has finally found his place, calling upon his background with the Reverend Wakefield, and becomes a preacher. There are some pretty funny moments as he settles into the job, including the presence of a snake at his first sermon.
Various secondary characters play parts that add some interesting complications. Lizzie's engagement to Manfred ends for an unexpected reason. As a single young woman she draws the interest of multiple young men, but who she ends up with and why is quite a surprise.
Young Malva Christie has become a devoted apprentice of Claire's, but I have to say that there has always been something about her that didn't set right. This proves true later in the book, as she takes an action that divides residents of the Ridge. It only gets worse when Claire and Jamie are accused of murder, bringing them into further peril. The final resolution of that storyline was sad and creepy.
Stephen Bonnet is still making his presence known. The Frasers and MacKenzies continue their attempts to find him and bring him to justice, but he proves as slippery as ever. With assistance from someone with a grudge against Jamie, Bonnet once again gets his hands on Brianna. I quite enjoyed Brianna's strength of will as she does her best to protect herself. Bonnet continues in his amoral actions, but also reveals an unexpected vulnerability. This proves to be important at the end of the book.
Lord John's presence is there throughout the book, as he and Jamie continue their friendship through their letters. This allows Jamie some chance of keeping up with William's life. With Jamie's choice of sides in the coming conflict, he wishes to protect John from association with a known traitor and breaks off communication. But the fates aren't done with them, and bring John and brand new lieutenant Lord Ellesmere to North Carolina, along with troops meant to quell rebellion. Brianna gets quite a shock when she goes to see John to ask for help and encounters William.
A health problem with Brianna and Roger's new daughter Amanda creates the need for an important decision on their part. What are the risks versus the benefits, and is it even possible? I loved Jamie's comment to Jem about a mouse named Michael. The epilogue with Roger and Brianna gives a hint of their plans and reveals a surprising gift.
At the end, the story of the newspaper clipping is revealed, with an interesting reason why. What really happens to the big house is the result of the reappearance of that other traveler. It is intense and nervewracking, and in the end satisfying. There's an amusing bit with the white sow, which seems to drive Jamie's decision on what to do next.
Now on to An Echo in the Bone! show less
As is usual in these books, various characters are really put through the wringer. In this one, it seems to be Claire's turn for the worst of it. The Browns make a reappearance, this time determined to enact vengeance. Claire is kidnapped and raped. I thought she did a great job of keeping it together, and loved her certainty that Jamie would find her. It was fun to see her playing with the minds of her kidnappers. Absolutely loved the rescue scene, with the use of the drum and show more ye olde Highland yell. They definitely got what was coming to them. There was an interesting twist with the appearance of another traveler and the sharing of his experiences.
The Loyalist Scots are pulling out all the stops in their attempts to bolster support of the Crown, including what is basically a fundraising tour by Flora MacDonald, the woman who saved Prince Charlie after Culloden. Jamie knows the truth of what will happen, but tries to remain neutral for as long as possible.
Claire continues her work as a healer, while trying to find a way to bring in some modern medicine. Her experiments with ether have some pretty amusing moments, and also some lasting consequences. Jamie's conflict is real as he tries to reconcile his knowledge of the future with his honor and the oaths he has made. Throughout it all, the love that he and Claire share give them each the strength they need to weather the storms.
Roger and Brianna continue with their adjustments to this time period, some being more successful than others. Brianna brings her engineering expertise to the Ridge with her attempts at indoor plumbing, a better kiln, and the "invention" of matches. Roger has finally found his place, calling upon his background with the Reverend Wakefield, and becomes a preacher. There are some pretty funny moments as he settles into the job, including the presence of a snake at his first sermon.
Various secondary characters play parts that add some interesting complications. Lizzie's engagement to Manfred ends for an unexpected reason. As a single young woman she draws the interest of multiple young men, but who she ends up with and why is quite a surprise.
Young Malva Christie has become a devoted apprentice of Claire's, but I have to say that there has always been something about her that didn't set right. This proves true later in the book, as she takes an action that divides residents of the Ridge. It only gets worse when Claire and Jamie are accused of murder, bringing them into further peril. The final resolution of that storyline was sad and creepy.
Stephen Bonnet is still making his presence known. The Frasers and MacKenzies continue their attempts to find him and bring him to justice, but he proves as slippery as ever. With assistance from someone with a grudge against Jamie, Bonnet once again gets his hands on Brianna. I quite enjoyed Brianna's strength of will as she does her best to protect herself. Bonnet continues in his amoral actions, but also reveals an unexpected vulnerability. This proves to be important at the end of the book.
Lord John's presence is there throughout the book, as he and Jamie continue their friendship through their letters. This allows Jamie some chance of keeping up with William's life. With Jamie's choice of sides in the coming conflict, he wishes to protect John from association with a known traitor and breaks off communication. But the fates aren't done with them, and bring John and brand new lieutenant Lord Ellesmere to North Carolina, along with troops meant to quell rebellion. Brianna gets quite a shock when she goes to see John to ask for help and encounters William.
A health problem with Brianna and Roger's new daughter Amanda creates the need for an important decision on their part. What are the risks versus the benefits, and is it even possible? I loved Jamie's comment to Jem about a mouse named Michael. The epilogue with Roger and Brianna gives a hint of their plans and reveals a surprising gift.
At the end, the story of the newspaper clipping is revealed, with an interesting reason why. What really happens to the big house is the result of the reappearance of that other traveler. It is intense and nervewracking, and in the end satisfying. There's an amusing bit with the white sow, which seems to drive Jamie's decision on what to do next.
Now on to An Echo in the Bone! show less
Book on CD narrated by Davina Porter
3***
Book six in a time-travel series I swore I’d never read, but have become strangely addicted to.
This one is heavy on the history of the years leading up to the American colonies declaring independence from Britain. Jamie and Claire find themselves smack dab in the middle of the uprising and having to carefully manage to avoid completely alienating either of the opposing factions. They have some hard decisions to make and find themselves in multiple dangerous situations.
Gabaldon hardly lets the reader rest and enjoy the love between these two central characters. There are beatings, rapes, arrests, near lynchings, fires, blizzards, and mayhem a plenty. Steven Bonnet, that nasty but charming show more pirate, can’t seem to keep away. Claire continues her medical experiments – inventing ether and perfecting her penicillin injections (love that she uses rattlesnake fangs as her needles!).
The younger generation have a lot to contend with. Ian is grieving the loss of his Mohawk wife. Fergus needs to find a way to provide for his growing family. And the many new settlers on Fraser’s Ridge need help organizing their new lives in this wild and unpredictable country.
Breanna and Roger play a significant role in this episode and I found Bree just a tiny bit less irritating. Though for the life of me I can’t understand how that woman hasn’t gotten herself into more trouble given her inability to hold her tongue and her penchant for talking about things that don’t exist yet (and won’t for a couple of centuries), and trying to invent “modern” conveniences (Indoor plumbing? Repeating rifles?) Roger is almost as bad, carving cars for the children to play with!
I marvel at the detail that Gabaldon manages to include in these books, and am interested to learn more of 18th century life. That being said, how many times does she have to tells us how everyone smells “of sweat and of horse”?
I’ve gotten way ahead of the TV series, so I think I’m going to give the series a rest for at least a year … if I can stay away …
Davina Porter is nothing short of perfection in her performance of the audiobook. I love the way she voices the various characters. She brings out both Bonnet’s charm and oily nastiness; makes Claire both vulnerable and iron-strong; and helps the listener fell the pain of Ian’s loss. 5***** for her performance. show less
3***
Book six in a time-travel series I swore I’d never read, but have become strangely addicted to.
This one is heavy on the history of the years leading up to the American colonies declaring independence from Britain. Jamie and Claire find themselves smack dab in the middle of the uprising and having to carefully manage to avoid completely alienating either of the opposing factions. They have some hard decisions to make and find themselves in multiple dangerous situations.
Gabaldon hardly lets the reader rest and enjoy the love between these two central characters. There are beatings, rapes, arrests, near lynchings, fires, blizzards, and mayhem a plenty. Steven Bonnet, that nasty but charming show more pirate, can’t seem to keep away. Claire continues her medical experiments – inventing ether and perfecting her penicillin injections (love that she uses rattlesnake fangs as her needles!).
The younger generation have a lot to contend with. Ian is grieving the loss of his Mohawk wife. Fergus needs to find a way to provide for his growing family. And the many new settlers on Fraser’s Ridge need help organizing their new lives in this wild and unpredictable country.
Breanna and Roger play a significant role in this episode and I found Bree just a tiny bit less irritating. Though for the life of me I can’t understand how that woman hasn’t gotten herself into more trouble given her inability to hold her tongue and her penchant for talking about things that don’t exist yet (and won’t for a couple of centuries), and trying to invent “modern” conveniences (Indoor plumbing? Repeating rifles?) Roger is almost as bad, carving cars for the children to play with!
I marvel at the detail that Gabaldon manages to include in these books, and am interested to learn more of 18th century life. That being said, how many times does she have to tells us how everyone smells “of sweat and of horse”?
I’ve gotten way ahead of the TV series, so I think I’m going to give the series a rest for at least a year … if I can stay away …
Davina Porter is nothing short of perfection in her performance of the audiobook. I love the way she voices the various characters. She brings out both Bonnet’s charm and oily nastiness; makes Claire both vulnerable and iron-strong; and helps the listener fell the pain of Ian’s loss. 5***** for her performance. show less
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Author Information
95+ Works 125,914 Members
Diana Gabaldon was born in Flagstaff, Arizona on January 11, 1952. She has a B.S. in zoology, a M.S. in marine biology, and a Ph.D. in quantitative behavioral ecology. She has worked as a university professor and has written freelance for various magazines and companies such as Walt Disney. She writes the Outlander series, which was adapted into a show more television series. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Diana Gabaldon is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Breath of Snow and Ashes
- Original title
- A Breath of Snow and Ashes
- Original publication date
- 2005-09-27
- People/Characters
- James "Jamie" Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser; Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser; Brianna Randall MacKenzie; Roger MacKenzie Wakefield; Jeremiah "Jem" MacKenzie; Amanda MacKenzie (show all 15); William MacKenzie; Stephen Bonnett; Jocasta MacKenzie Cameron; Hector Cameron; Archibald Bug; Murdina Bug; Ian Murray "Young Ian"; Jenny Murray; Flora MacDonald
- Important places
- Fraser's Ridge, North Carolina, USA; Cross Creek, North Carolina, USA
- Important events
- American Revolution (1775 | 1783)
- Epigraph*
- De mensheid ziet in vele dingen de hand van God, tijd is daar één van. Leven volgt op een volgend leven, daar is geen einde aan. Men is doordrongen van zijn macht, want niets immers - bergen nog legers - kan het opnemen teg... (show all)en tijd?
Natuurlijk, tijd heelt alle wonden. Geef iets genóég tijd en alles komt goed: pijn wordt geabsorbeerd, ontberingen vergeten, verlies krijgt een plaats.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Onthoudt dat gij van stof zijt, mens, en tot stof zult hij wederkeren.
En als Tijd verbonden is met God, moet Herinnering gelijk staan aan de Duivel - Dedication
- This Book is Dedicated to Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dorothy L. Sayers, John D. MacDonald and P.G. Wodehouse
- First words
- The dog sensed them first.
Prologue: Time is a lot of the things people say that God is. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Scarcely signifies, anyway. After all, they're all dead, aren't they?"
- Publisher's editor*
- Kuttny, Silvia
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Romance, Science Fiction, Fiction and Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, General Fiction
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3557 .A22 .B74 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
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