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Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. A worldwide sensation with more than 12 million copies in print, Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series has produced #1 best-selling novels and earned a fiercely devoted fan base. Another spellbinding entry in the series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the saga of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century, time-traveling wife, Claire. The year is 1772, and the rift between Britain and its American colonies has put a frightening word into the minds of all concerned: revolution. In the backwoods of North Carolina, violence has already reared its ugly head, 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 privilege, although some might call it a burden, of knowing that war cannot be avoided. Claire has told him that the colonies will unite and rebel, and the result will be independence, with all British loyalists either dead or exiled. And there is an additional problem. Claire has discovered a newspaper clipping from 1776 that tells of Jamie's death. With its epic scope, historical details, and sweeping romance, A Breath of Snow and Ashes is everything Gabaldon's fans love and more.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Jaguar897
I read a little over 200 pages of this book and just lost my steam. I’m not sure this was the right time to pick this brick up. Normally I love Gabaldon’s writing, but this time I found myself annoyed with all the details she included. How Jaime’s hair flows, how he has a smudge on his cheek,
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how Jaime’s top button is undone and on and on and on. No wonder this tomb is well over 900 pages! That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy some events, but I’m not enjoying it enough to suffer another 600 pages…so I’ll pick this one up again when I’m in a better frame of mind. Show Less
LibraryThing member sunnydrk
I can't figure out how the average rating for this book is 4.5 stars. This is at best an average book. "Outlander" was amazing. Each subsequent book has been progressively filled with so much "filler" that the characters and the tale seem to get lost. A Breath of Snow and Ashes is way too long and
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does little to further develop the main characters. Additionally, too many anciliary characters now come and go a little too quick me. All-in-all, the story still intrigues me, but I am hopeful the next story will grip me as past books have done. Show Less
LibraryThing member scoutmomskf
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
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!
As is usual in these books, various
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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 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!
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LibraryThing member maura_ea
Loved it. This was the first Outlander book I've read in awhile where I had no idea what was going to happen (because that's what you do, you re-read them all once another comes out :P).Excited for Echo in the Bone!
LibraryThing member kayceel
Jamie, Claire, Bre and Roger face a countryside brewing for war, as it's 1772. They all know what's coming but must walk a narrow line. Good, though I got a bit tired of the abductions... I will never again read the books myself - the audio, with Davina Porter reading, is wonderful - her accents
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are incredibly rich and varied. Very engaging reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member mbatac
I love the continuing story of Jamie and Claire, but thought the book had too much jammed into one novel.
LibraryThing member oupelai
The latest installement in the Outlander series. It's a long book, but it's awesome. Can't wait for the next one!
LibraryThing member rachelellen
Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series was an obsession for me at one time. I devoured the first four books, waited impatiently for the fifth, traveled a few hundred miles twice to have it signed, tried to love it, and waited again with combined eagerness and trepidation (what if it's even worse than
HOWEVER. I still think DG is heading back in the right direction with this book. Some people reviewing it are acting like this is the point at which DG finally lost their confidence and her ability to string two sentences together. Whereas I think that may have happened around the time Roger was sold to the Indians in Drums of Autumn, and somewhere between Fiery Cross and this book, the author picked herself up and dusted herself off and decided to start really trying again. I'm looking forward to the next book (which will supposedly be the last in the series, but then all of them from the first one on were supposed to be that at one point or another), if for no other reason than to see if she continues to improve.
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#5?) for this sixth volume in the series. I was not terribly disappointed. Breath was, in my opinion, miles better than The Fiery Cross, book #5 in the series, which opened with a 250- or 300-page (about a fourth of the book) breastfeeding/diaper-changing/menstruation/bullet-removing/doctoring intrigue-fest which covered one day at a Scottish Gathering in North Carolina. And at times it went downhill from there. Anyway, back to book #6. There's more action in this one, and less navel-gazing, and far fewer soiled diapers, and not quite so many references to that boring old Jacobite gold, but don't expect the spark that Outlander had. In some arenas, Gabaldon pulls no punches in this book; bad things happen to a lot of people -- some of whom her readers love very dearly. There's the by-now-obligatory legal trouble which involves the necessity of both Jamie and Claire outsmarting various authorities in order to survive and be reunited; there is guilt and suspicion and there are some terribly unresolved issues involving a r a p e. Brianna's no longer bratty, but she is also apparently a combination of Annie Oakley and Thomas Edison; Roger's more present and believable but his character takes a few unexpected and not-quite-natural-feeling twists as well. And of course you can expect blow-by-blows of several medical procedures (you either love these or hate them), and all that sort of experimentation that comes with being a time-traveling doctor on the American frontier. Oh, and there are i n c e s t and b i g a m y in this one too. (um, sorry, that was a spoiler).HOWEVER. I still think DG is heading back in the right direction with this book. Some people reviewing it are acting like this is the point at which DG finally lost their confidence and her ability to string two sentences together. Whereas I think that may have happened around the time Roger was sold to the Indians in Drums of Autumn, and somewhere between Fiery Cross and this book, the author picked herself up and dusted herself off and decided to start really trying again. I'm looking forward to the next book (which will supposedly be the last in the series, but then all of them from the first one on were supposed to be that at one point or another), if for no other reason than to see if she continues to improve.
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LibraryThing member LadyTheresaC
Wonderful, as expected from Gabaldon! She is always historically accurate. Her books include rich characters, exciting adventure, and a little something philosophical to chew on. However, I'm am beginning to feel like I don't want to see Jaime and Claire get any older.
LibraryThing member Sherri
Better than "Drums" and "Fiery Cross" but not quite up to the earlier novels.
LibraryThing member justine
Series review: Fascinating and mostly very readable series even if it gets a little bit soap opera like at times. Rich with historical detail and description.
LibraryThing member hjjugovic
I'm huge fan of Diana Gabaldon and I'm glad to see this installment of her Outlander series getting back on track. The historical detail is incomparable, and Jamie Fraser is simply the best romantic hero ever written. Gabaldon writes LONG books, but trust me, you won't want them to end anyway.
LibraryThing member Berly
So, I slogged through the almost 1,000 pages because I just had to know what had happened to Claire and Jamie (this being the sixth in the series). The plot did get more exciting after page 200 or so, after countless ruminations on inventions and surgeries and farming, but this book just did not
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grab me the way the others have. I am glad to have read it. I feel complete. But I hope there is not a seventh. Show Less
LibraryThing member cccain
The best of the series, with the exception of the first one.
LibraryThing member singersdd
This is one of my favorite of the books so far. I didn't cry at the end of Dragonfly in Amber, and I didn't cry at the reunion scene in Voyager, but I sobbed over the end of this book. I love the characters and having spent a good ten years reading about them, I am always so relieved that Dr.
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Gabaldon continues to deliver one satisfying visit with the Frasers and MacKenzies after another. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nancy-Jean
I hated to end this book--was really afraid to see how it all ended--Jamie, Claire and entire cast of characters became my family--I didn't want to lose them forever.
LibraryThing member Clueless
Unfortunately, I know this feeling;
“They do say that God protects fools—but I think even the Almighty will lose patience now and then.”
When I first became an expat I viewed living abroad constantly with wonder and awe. But after awhile real life took over again;
I remembered what it was like,
Anyone who has tried to diet successfully for any length of time knows;
‘The body has nay conscience’. I dinna ken that that’s so—but it’s true that the body doesn’t generally admit the possibility of nonexistence. And if ye exist--well, ye need food, that’s all.”
“They do say that God protects fools—but I think even the Almighty will lose patience now and then.”
When I first became an expat I viewed living abroad constantly with wonder and awe. But after awhile real life took over again;
I remembered what it was like,
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that feeling that one was living in an elaborate make-believe. The feeling that reality existed in another time, another place. I remembered and with a small shock, realized that is was now only a memory—for me, time had shifted, as though my illness had pushed me through some final barrier.Anyone who has tried to diet successfully for any length of time knows;
‘The body has nay conscience’. I dinna ken that that’s so—but it’s true that the body doesn’t generally admit the possibility of nonexistence. And if ye exist--well, ye need food, that’s all.”
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LibraryThing member cindyloumn
It took me a long time to get thru this book, and it was very long and slow I thought. Of course there is one more book. At the end of this Jamie and Clare are headed back to scotland. Brianna, Roger, Jem and new baby Amanda have gone back to modern times, as the baby is sick, and needs heart
6/29/06
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surgery. Their cabin has burned down as predicted. 6/29/06
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LibraryThing member maiadeb
Didn't want to end...great story teller! Her attention to detail and understanding of human relationships is inspring...fine way to spend time.
LibraryThing member Darla
Historical fiction? General fiction? It's really not romance anymore. If you ask me, only the first book, Outlander, was romance, but nobody's asking me, darnitall.
And while we're on the subject of things nobody's requesting my opinion on--is this not the plainest, most makeshift cover? I have the
On to the book. A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the 6th book in the series that begins with Outlander. I suppose you could read this without having read the rest of the series--but why would you want to? The vast majority of my enjoyment in reading this book came from being invested--for over 15 years--in the saga of Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser.
If you've somehow managed to avoid hearing about this series, Claire, an English nurse in WWII travels back in time via a stone circle to Scotland, just before the 2nd Jacobite rising. There she meets, falls in love with, and marries Jamie. Now, in the 6th book, they're in America--North Carolina--just before the American Revolution, and once again, Claire knows what's about to happen, but is powerless to change anything in a more than individual way.
I'm not really going to say anything about the plot because at nearly 992 pages, there's not one overarching plot covering the book. I'm guessing that it simply covers a time period, and that the event at the end (no, I'm not going to spoil it, though if you look through the Amazon reviews, you'll find what it is easily enough) was the point Gabaldon wanted to reach by the end of this installment. Unfortunately, most of the action was concentrated at the beginning of the time period covered, and toward the end of the book, weeks and months got skipped over to jump ahead to the prescribed date of the climax.
Pretty much every sort of plot thread you can think of in immediately pre-revolutionary America gets covered--from the fascinating but dangerous dilemma of how and when to change allegiances from the Crown to the Colonies when you know what's going to happen, to a disease epidemic, to the plight of women alone at that time. There's the uneasy melding of different nationalities and religions, the heartbreaking story of the effect of birth defects at that time, the changing relationships with the Indians, and a creepy but strangely sweet 3-way romance.
We catch up with almost all the characters from previous books, find out some of what happened with Young Ian, learn who really fathered Jem, discover more time travelers, and see Roger find himself.
And then there are the inventions. I suppose it's inevitable, and that if I were to travel 200 years into the past, I'd probably be trying to recreate as many modern conveniences and life-saving practices as possible, too, but it got a little old. Claire by herself stuck mostly to the medical and sanitary side of things, but now that Brianna's settled in, she's putting her engineering skills to use and inventing things left and right. Poor Roger's only contribution to modernity is to carve "vrooms" (cars) for the children to play with.
I'd be vastly happier with a 300-page episode every 1 or 2 years that followed a single plot thread from beginning to end than these 1000-page meandering tomes every 5 years or so, but the stage was set from the beginning, so there's no point in changing it now. I'll continue to read the series as long as it lasts, and no doubt I'll edit the books in my head, but I'm not going to complain too much, because I do know what to expect.
And while we're on the subject of things nobody's requesting my opinion on--is this not the plainest, most makeshift cover? I have the
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hardcover, and it's just really dull. Light gray, plain font. I'm the first to complain about cheesy covers with those shaved-chest cover models (okay, maybe not the first), but surely there's something between embarrassing and something this boring and... well... unprofessional-looking.On to the book. A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the 6th book in the series that begins with Outlander. I suppose you could read this without having read the rest of the series--but why would you want to? The vast majority of my enjoyment in reading this book came from being invested--for over 15 years--in the saga of Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser.
If you've somehow managed to avoid hearing about this series, Claire, an English nurse in WWII travels back in time via a stone circle to Scotland, just before the 2nd Jacobite rising. There she meets, falls in love with, and marries Jamie. Now, in the 6th book, they're in America--North Carolina--just before the American Revolution, and once again, Claire knows what's about to happen, but is powerless to change anything in a more than individual way.
I'm not really going to say anything about the plot because at nearly 992 pages, there's not one overarching plot covering the book. I'm guessing that it simply covers a time period, and that the event at the end (no, I'm not going to spoil it, though if you look through the Amazon reviews, you'll find what it is easily enough) was the point Gabaldon wanted to reach by the end of this installment. Unfortunately, most of the action was concentrated at the beginning of the time period covered, and toward the end of the book, weeks and months got skipped over to jump ahead to the prescribed date of the climax.
Pretty much every sort of plot thread you can think of in immediately pre-revolutionary America gets covered--from the fascinating but dangerous dilemma of how and when to change allegiances from the Crown to the Colonies when you know what's going to happen, to a disease epidemic, to the plight of women alone at that time. There's the uneasy melding of different nationalities and religions, the heartbreaking story of the effect of birth defects at that time, the changing relationships with the Indians, and a creepy but strangely sweet 3-way romance.
We catch up with almost all the characters from previous books, find out some of what happened with Young Ian, learn who really fathered Jem, discover more time travelers, and see Roger find himself.
And then there are the inventions. I suppose it's inevitable, and that if I were to travel 200 years into the past, I'd probably be trying to recreate as many modern conveniences and life-saving practices as possible, too, but it got a little old. Claire by herself stuck mostly to the medical and sanitary side of things, but now that Brianna's settled in, she's putting her engineering skills to use and inventing things left and right. Poor Roger's only contribution to modernity is to carve "vrooms" (cars) for the children to play with.
I'd be vastly happier with a 300-page episode every 1 or 2 years that followed a single plot thread from beginning to end than these 1000-page meandering tomes every 5 years or so, but the stage was set from the beginning, so there's no point in changing it now. I'll continue to read the series as long as it lasts, and no doubt I'll edit the books in my head, but I'm not going to complain too much, because I do know what to expect.
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LibraryThing member allthesedarnbooks
This is the newest book in the Outlander series, and while it is something of a disappointment, I'm still invested enough in the adventures of Jamie, Claire, Brianna, and Roger, etc. that it held my interest. It's certainly not as good as the earlier books, but it's still a lot better than most of
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the romance/historical fiction/time travel/whatever out there. Long, though. Very very long. Show Less
LibraryThing member ddelmoni
Gabaldon certainly redeemed herself with Book 6. After snoring through the first 800 pages of Fiery Cross, Snow and Ashes is as good as any of the first of the Outlander books. She never ceases to amaze and surprise me. Love this series and will be very, very sorry to finish Book 7 (though I hear
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there is a Graphic Novel in the works, which I can look forward to...hope it's true). Show Less
LibraryThing member Lenachka
Absolutely incredible 6th book in the Outlander epic. Read about the wonderful characters in Diana Gabaldon's world and immerse yourself in history and romance. Can't wait for seven!!
LibraryThing member lollypop917
I really enjoyed the latest installment of the Outlander series. This book continues the story of Jamie and Claire Fraser in the back country of North Carolina. It is a little slow paced at times but wraps everything up nicely at the end and does not disappoint. There are kidnappings, murders, and
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plenty of excitement counterbalances the slower paced sections of this novel. I'm hoping the next book brings our beloved characters out of North Carolina as I really enjoy their travels much more than the sedentary life they have been leading in the last few books. Definitely worth the read and I heartily recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member nellista
Really, if you have got this far in the Jamie and Claire story, you obviously are going to love any story about them! I felt there were I few parts of the story that really weren't needed, but these were only a matter of a page or so at a time, and may reflect my urge to get on with some important
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aspect of the story that was happening at the time! I continue to love Jamie's dialogue, particular the wiry humour between Jamie and Ian. Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2006)
P.E.A.R.L. (Nominee — Time Travel — 2005)
Quill Award (Winner — 2006)
AAR Annual Reader Poll (2006)