Drums of Autumn (Starz Tie-in Edition): A Novel (Outlander)

928 pages

Published Oct. 16, 2018 by Bantam.

ISBN:: 978-0-525-61873-7

(3 reviews)

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 …

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....From the Paperback edition.

14 editions

Michael Gouker reviewed Drums of Autumn (Starz Tie-in Edition): A Novel (Outlander) by Diana Gabaldon

Review of 'Drums of Autumn (Starz Tie-in Edition): A Novel (Outlander)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Overall a 3 star rating (I liked it) is correct.

Diana Gabaldon has a very expressive voice, especially when describing surroundings. There were times when I could read a paragraph close my eyes and BE inside this world she painted. I had a bumpy ride through the plot, which had moments of good effect and others where it really dragged on. I understand that she tries to be realistic, but sometimes this became a triptych about Claire, who often made curious choices.

A lot of reviews point to the violence and even rape-culture-advocacy in this novel. Frankly, I think that's overstated. The world described (18th century Scotland) was a very violent place and women were often second-class citizens. She makes this point very effectively and it does chafe at 21st century sensitivities, but isn't that the nature of historical fiction, to immerse yourself in those times?

Actually what bothered me …

Overall a 3 star rating (I liked it) is correct.

Diana Gabaldon has a very expressive voice, especially when describing surroundings. There were times when I could read a paragraph close my eyes and BE inside this world she painted. I had a bumpy ride through the plot, which had moments of good effect and others where it really dragged on. I understand that she tries to be realistic, but sometimes this became a triptych about Claire, who often made curious choices.

A lot of reviews point to the violence and even rape-culture-advocacy in this novel. Frankly, I think that's overstated. The world described (18th century Scotland) was a very violent place and women were often second-class citizens. She makes this point very effectively and it does chafe at 21st century sensitivities, but isn't that the nature of historical fiction, to immerse yourself in those times?

Actually what bothered me more was the obsession with the loving relationship between Jamie and Claire, which had its bumps too. I often felt I was intruding by reading as they frolicked from one moment of bliss to another. I am not easily shocked and I was never shocked here (it's 2015!), but sometimes I thought the characters deserved more privacy than what was doled out by the author. That's really what keeps me from giving it 4 stars. On the other hand, my first impression (let's say my first 10 impressions out of the 100) is that Ms. Gabaldon can write very steamy romance. My tolerance for it is probably not the same as her most dedicated readers however and that's my loss I suppose.

I'm not going to address the physics aspects of time travel, the inevitability of events, parallel universes, or any of that because Claire only lightly brushes on these. (I would have liked to go deeper her then every aspect of their bedroom conduct.)

I liked the vivid characters (especially Jamie's sister) and there were times when the plot warmed up quite nicely. When things stopped and things got comfortable for them, the miasma of love claimed the compass of the story's trajectory and I lost some momentum. Claire with the Wolves is better than Claire and Jamie getting it on in another haystack.

I want to end on a positive point. I was extremely gratified to find the level of competence and completeness in Ms. Gabaldon's research. I have no idea if it is perfect, but I could definitely see that a huge effort was made. I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of the highlands, the prison, the castles, and the monastery. When this talented author describes some of these places, it is quite chilling.

Anyway, thank you for a great read. I've bought the others in the series and will read them one day. :-)

Derek Caelin

rated it

Dec. 25, 2018

Derek Caelin

rated it

Oct. 6, 2017