Drums
of Autumn (Outlander Book 4) by Diana Gabaldon
The
magnificent saga continues....
It began in Scotland, at an ancient stone circle. There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past—or the grave. Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once but twice. Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became legend—a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child. Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in frontier America. But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century. Their daughter, Brianna....
Now Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the stone circle and a terrifying leap into the unknown. In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history...and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past...or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong....
It began in Scotland, at an ancient stone circle. There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past—or the grave. Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once but twice. Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became legend—a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child. Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in frontier America. But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century. Their daughter, Brianna....
Now Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the stone circle and a terrifying leap into the unknown. In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history...and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past...or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong....
Published & Release Date: Random
House, October 26, 2004
Time
and setting: 1767 North Carolina/June 1969, Boston and Scotland
Genre:
Historical Romance/Epic Adventure/Time-Travel
Heat
Level: 2
Reviewer rating: 5 Gold Crowns
Reviewed by Vikki
Drums
of Autumn, Book 4 of the Outlander
series, dropped me right into the middle the action, which is something I
always relish. After all, a man being hanged is quite dramatic to say the least,
and this happens on page three. Ms. Gabaldon is at her descriptive writing best
as she describes Claire’s thoughts and emotions. I felt as if I could actually feel
her pulse in her carotid arteries as it beat in time with the drums. Feel her
wet shift bathed in sweat from the oppressive heat as she watches a friend from
Jamie’s time in Ardsmuir prison meet his end for stealing six pounds, ten
shillings. As the man dies, one of the other convicted men sentenced to hang
that day takes the opportunity to escape.
As Claire and Jamie travel toward Wilmington, hoping
to find a ship for Young Ian so he can return to Scotland, (Ian ends up staying
with C&J and finds Rollo) they stumble across the escaped man and aid him,
then part ways. Little did I know this man, Stephen Bonnet, with his faint
Irish accent, would become the new villain of this series.
Claire and Jamie begin their journey upriver to
Cross Creek, where Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta lives on the plantation River Run. Before
they reach their destination, they set upon by pirates and their ring leader is
none other than Stephen Bonnet. He steals their valuable jewels they had
planned to use to establish themselves in this new country, along with Claire’s
gold wedding band from her first marriage.
You may wonder why this has significance to the
story, but later on that same ring leads Brianna into a situation that has dire
consequences for her and Roger. It starts the intricate plotline for Brianna
and Roger.
Brianna and Roger’s story line had her in 1969 Boston
and Roger in Scotland, but Roger soon comes to visit and their romance progresses
beyond friendship during his stay. This part of the story is a bit slow moving,
but interesting nonetheless and pulled me into their relationship, so
personally I did not mind.
When Brianna discovers something that affects her
parents, she travels through the stones back to 1769 to warn them of what is to
come, leaving Roger in 1971 Scotland. Roger has also found out the same
information and realizes Brianna has gone back. He follows her and through some
harrowing misadventures of his own, eventually chases her to Wilmington. After
a brief reunion, where they commit to a handfasting, they part on less than
ideal terms, and a great many horrifying events occur to both of them.
Drums of Autumn, for me, is just as much Brianna and
Roger’s story as it is Claire and Jamie’s. Ms. Gabaldon intertwines the two
plotlines masterfully, as only a superb
storyteller can, keeping me thoroughly enmeshed in all the characters’ lives. I
love it when I become so obsessed with a book that even when I cannot read due
to everyday life interference, my mind will not stop thinking about it. To me,
this is the sign of an extremely well-written, riveting and compelling story.
In this book, we are again reunited with many of the
characters from the previous books and introduced to quite a few others. At
times, I almost wish I had started a chart of all the characters so that when
they are brought into the story again, I will immediately remember why they are
important. I think something like that in the front of these books would have been
very helpful.
I really expected this review to be rather short,
but there are many pivotal happenings in this one that build the founding
blocks for the future stories. Hopefully, I have shared enough for you to
understand why this is such an important book in the series.
Along with the complicated plot, I also felt the
deeper connection between Claire and Jamie and was greatly moved by the
numerous tender moments between them. I am not talking about the sexual scenes,
even though those are all amazing, but the ones of gentle touches and loving
glances that abound in this powerful tale. Theirs truly is a love of a lifetime
that transcends time and space. Well done Dianna Gabaldon for giving me such a
spell-binding reading experience. Now I am on to the next one, The Fiery Cross. Happy reading!
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