Dragonfly in Amber Outlander Series Book 2

by Diana Gabaldon

http://smile.amazon.com/Dragonfly-Amber-Outlander-Book-2-ebook/dp/B000FC2L28/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1416436436&sr=1-1&keywords=dragonfly+in+amber

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Diana Gabaldon's Voyager.

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

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones...about a love that transcends the boundaries of time...and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his ....

Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire's spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ...in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising...and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves....

Published & Release Date: Dell, Random House, October 26, 2004

Time and setting: Scottish Highlands 18^th century

Genre: Historical Romance/Time Travel

Heat Level: 2

Reviewer rating: 5 Gold Crown

Reviewed by Vikki

I’m so glad I decided to read the Outlander series over again. I am enjoying it just as much as I did the first of not better. Dragonfly in Amber is a terrific continuation of the amazing saga begun in Outlander Book 1. This story is deeply intense and filled with passion as the story of Claire and Jamie’s incredible love for each other grows and deepens.

This book starts with Claire and her daughter, Brianna, arriving in Inverness, Scotland 1968. At first I was a bit disappointed because I was anxious to read more of what was happening to Jamie and Claire after Culloden, not twenty years later. However, as I am introduced to Roger Wakefield, I soon become fully vested into his story and the growing attraction between him and Brianna and the intricate way all this intertwines. I can’t wait to read more of their story.   

Claire asks Roger to find out what happened to the men of Broch Tuarach, known locally as Lallybroch, after the battle at Culloden. Roger is fascinated and eager to do the research. When he finds old newspaper articles of his adopted father’s, telling of Claire’s amazing return after having disappeared for three years, he also discovers she returned pregnant. While exploring an old cemetery, they come across Jaime’s grave, and Claire tells Brianna what happened to her on a spring day in 1945.

After this, the book tells of what happened to Claire and Jamie and everything that leads up to Culloden. At times, the story is so riveting that if a bit my nails, I would have. This novel is intense, filled with one astounding moment after another, but it is not overdone by any means. Ms. Gabaldon describes the scenes with such detail that at times it took my breath away, leaving me gasping in alarm of what would happen next.

I am so impressed with this author’s incredible imagination and ability to write an intricate plot in such a way that it is easy to follow.  She weaves in a lot of historical detail with a masterful touch without pulling me out of the story at all.

There is such a wide array of characters that at times it can be a bit confusing. That is another reason why I decided to re-read the books, so all the characters can become fresh in my mind. I loved the storyline for Alexander and Mary. I won’t say more, but it explains so much.

I want to mention that I am listening to the audio book, narrated by Davina Porter as I read, and Ms. Porter brings all the characters to life in a way that only enriches the story. I highly recommend listening as you read this fantastic saga. I have already started Voyager and I cannot wait to find out more. Happy reading!