This was a bit of slog at various points, but by the end of the story, it was quite enjoyable. It finishes fast and is satisfying. Gabaldon's world drenches with details, and it's easy to discount the necessity of many points, but then she'll reach back for a small fact that was introduced a thousand pages before, and, well, it's magical. I still get the impression that the book could use a good edit, because I find plenty of repetition, and I don't think it's necessary to remind the reader of something that happened in the previous book. Can't we just assume that nobody began at book 2?