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An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7)

by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author)

4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 · rating details · 29,750 ratings · 2,884 reviews

The Seventh Outlander novel from #1 National Bestselling author Diana Gabaldon.

Jamie Fraser, erstwhile Jacobite and reluctant rebel, knows three things about the American rebellion: the Americans will win, unlikely as that seems in 1778; being on the winning side is no guarantee of survival; and he’d rather die than face his illegitimate son — a young lieutenant in the Bri...more

Hardcover, UK, 848 pages

Published January 21st 2010 by Orion (first published January 1st 2009)

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May 26, 2012 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction

TOP TEN REASONS WHY THE OUTLANDER SERIES IS BETTER THAN THE TWILIGHT SERIES

10. Heroine is not complimented on how delicious her blood smells. Instead, she is told that her ass looks like two ripe melons. Just what every woman wants.

9. When the hero has to rescue the heroine, he doesn't merely have to run at lightning speed across the parking lot. He actually has to travel halfway across the world, kill a few dozen villains, and blow up a few buildings.

8. But that doesn't matter because just as o...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Foxfire780 Reeves rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: repeat-reads

I am a devout DG/Outlander fan, so of course I read Echo in the Bone as fast as I could get my mitts on it...and it left me sorely disappointed!
I actually skipped pages! She said that there were four story lines (hence the four points on the Caltrop on the cover) and I was excited at first. But when I got into the story, I got bored with the overlong passages about William and John's intrigues. Where were Jamie and Claire?? (And why the hell can't they manage a sea voyage without trouble??) I ac...more I am a devout DG/Outlander fan, so of course I read Echo in the Bone as fast as I could get my mitts on it...and it left me sorely disappointed!
I actually skipped pages! She said that there were four story lines (hence the four points on the Caltrop on the cover) and I was excited at first. But when I got into the story, I got bored with the overlong passages about William and John's intrigues. Where were Jamie and Claire?? (And why the hell can't they manage a sea voyage without trouble??) I actually started to wish I could read about Brianna (one of my least favorite people...)

I heard her say there was going to be another book after this one (the ongoing belief was that this book was going to be the last one) which is very apparent after this book that there has to be one more. But I feel like if she had cut half of the story out and finished the cliffhanging story lines, she could be done by now, and I could have peace of mind knowing the story is over! I mean I really don't appreciate being led on for 2/3 of a book and then have four different surprise endings.

Some other smaller points:
-felt choppy
-dragged at points and then skipped over more interesting points
-not enough Jamie and Claire!!!

I'm going to read it again more slowly to see if my opinion changes, but first I need to let the dust settle on my disappointment.

**EDIT**
OK, So I've had some time to sit and ruminate on the experience of this book and why I couldn't pinpoint the niggling reason (like bothering a sore tooth with your tongue) why I was so disappointed. There were the shallow obvious reasons of course, like four surprise endings, but deeper still ran something vague and unnameable until now. See, as silly as it sounds, I became emotionally invested in the characters and stories of Jamie and Claire, and rightly so, a good book should make you care about its characters.
Being a typical DG fangirl, I've read all the Outlander novels without much complaint, and re-read, and re-read, and re-read. I don't think I can do that with this book. I think there are about 100 pages I'd be willing to go through again. So yeah, I'm angry that I don't have another book to keep re-reading, as psycho as it sounds.
I'm not really sure if I should be angry at Diana Gabaldon, her editor, her publisher, or anyone else who read this book before it went to press and didn't tell her she needed to get a pair of proverbial scissors. Of course I'll be getting the next and hopefully last book, but with a lesser amount of trust and a greater wariness. (less)

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Sep 28, 2009 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, historical-romance, time-travel-alt-history

The five stars are an expression of my Outlander fangirl enthusiasm, since I'm incapable of objectively judging the quality of these books. I'd probably have given five stars to anything that wasn't a huge disappointment. Which this wasn't, of course; I thought it was quite good.

The first couple hundred pages are admittedly a little slow. We get a lot of POV from Lord John and 19-yr-old William, and there is some crossover from the LJ spin-off series, which I think may be confusing for people wh...more

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Dec 18, 2012 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2012

4.5 ★'s

There's really no way to do a review without spoilers so I'm just going to write down some thoughts.

Wow...I really can't believe I'm finally at this point - being all caught up with the Outlander books. I've always heard how everyone loves them but the sheer size of them is just scary! However, they are definitely an adventure not to be missed.

I decided to let myself kick back and enjoy them and enjoy them I did. What a treat! I loved getting to know all these characters...loving some of...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Misfit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: one-time-read-only, get-it-from-the-library

Echo picks up where A Breath of Snow and Ashes left off as Claire and Jamie Fraser and Jamie's nephew Ian leave life at Fraser's Ridge behind them, head for Scotland to pick up Jamie's printing press and return to America. Of course this _is_ Jamie and Claire we're talking about so there is no smooth sailing and the *road* to Scotland is mired with many side-trips and detours as well. Roger and Bree have returned to the present and settled into life at Lallybroch, although they're also in for a...more Echo picks up where A Breath of Snow and Ashes left off as Claire and Jamie Fraser and Jamie's nephew Ian leave life at Fraser's Ridge behind them, head for Scotland to pick up Jamie's printing press and return to America. Of course this _is_ Jamie and Claire we're talking about so there is no smooth sailing and the *road* to Scotland is mired with many side-trips and detours as well. Roger and Bree have returned to the present and settled into life at Lallybroch, although they're also in for a few twists and turns and bumps in the night as well. William is now an adult and an officer in the British army and we see quite a bit more of him - will he and Jamie ever meet face to face? Who is the mysterious man searching for Fergus and what secrets might he reveal about his birth parents?

You'll find new friends among the old from the previous books (and a couple of very surprising returns), although IMHO there are waaaaay too many new friends as well as waaaay too much of Lord John and characters from his books. I'm not that fond of Lord John as a major character and that's why I didn't read the books to begin with and consider it dirty pool to muck up Jamie and Claire's story with Lord John’s, particularly that little plot twist at the end. Eww ewww ewww ewww ewww. Diana, how could you?

In the end, I'm wondering if I've changed as a reader, or has Gabaldon changed and/or got a bit sloppy? I've heard many complain about her going on in too much detail in the other books but I was so enraptured with them I wouldn't have wanted to have seen one word edited out. Not so here, the story just rambles on and on with needless plot twists and characters that go nowhere (for shame what she did with Benjamin Franklin), and as for the overly verbose details - I did not need to know every minute detail of every medical procedure performed by Claire and most especially not the removal of Jamie's finger.

Worst of all, was the constantly switching point of views (I believe there are seven) leading to a very uneven, choppy flow and I was always able to put this down and walk away from it - frankly half way through I started another book and finished that before coming back to Echo. Cut a good chunk of the first 2/3 of the book out and flesh out the last and keep it moving a bit more instead of ending it as she did with those maddening cliff-hangers this would be a solid five star read. As it is and I can’t believe I’m saying it but – three stars. (less)

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Nov 17, 2009 Verity rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gabaldon-diana, crapola-ending, cougars

DG’s still a PHENOMENAL writer, her talent has never been in question, but I do question her sanity after reading the last word of this hefty 814-page HC. These are just my random thoughts & somewhat-friendly reminders to myself as future reference, in case I need to refresh my poor memory. This is 1 helluva busy book, jammed w/ innumerable constantly-shifting plots & POVs but the resulting end wasn’t a thrilling ride as the previous ones. I really hope to hell this was simply a failed e...more

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Jan 29, 2010 Tara Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: booklist-for-2009, best-fiction-series, personal-favorites

A completely devoted Outlander fan, I've been reading the excerpts wherever I can find them. I can't wait for the published novel.

Update: The good news, and the (not so bad depending on how you want to look at it news) I got the novel a day early! Turns out that the bookstore in Penn station was selling them. WOOT! At which I had to turn it over as contraband to Jackie. She and I both know me too well to think that I'm going to get ANY studying done for my very first Anatomy exam of the semeste...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Jacqie rated it 3 of 5 stars

So I love Diana Gabaldon. I wish she would write faster than one new book every four years in the Outlander series, but whatcha gonna do. So Of course I've been waiting with bated breath for this one.
Writing: still draws you into the characters' lives. They are so human, so loving, so flawed yet continuously striving.
Characters: this book has four main plots (yes, four). We get Jamie and Claire, but we also get Ian (who I like to read about), Roger and Brianna (who I found annoying earlier in t...more

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Oct 01, 2009 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, fiction-that-is-sciency, part-of-a-series

I read the first six all in a row, and then waited several months for the seventh to come out. So it's no real surprise that it took me a while to get into this one, and that I didn't remember all of the characters referenced throughout. But I will say that I got the impression Gabaldon was writing this book with more than her Outlander readers in mind; the focus on Lord John and his espionage career smacked of crossover. Which I didn't really love, but I can respect her making a play to get mor...more

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Nov 08, 2009 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed

I am an Outlander series fan. Yes I am. I love Jamie (to an embarrasing extent), Claire and the whole cast of random modern and 18th C. characters that fill the many, many pages of Gabaldon's books. While not fine literature, I can always count on her great storytelling to completely draw me into her world over and over again (to the detriment of my normal life, and my husband's chagrin).

That said, while I did enjoy this book there were a number of things about the writing that bothered me:
1. Th...more

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Oct 25, 2009 Gretchen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

I love the Outlander Series. But this book was my least favorite so far. Gabaldon tries to balance multiple storylines, and in doing so seems to have lost momentum. I was glad to see the return of some familiar characters, and as usual, loved the moments when the ties between past and present are made clear. But with the added storylines, we now have 7 character viewpoints by my count. This, coupled with short segments means a lot of transitions, and many opportunities to put the book down, or s...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Carolynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got my hands on a copy to review, and it came today! It is beautiful, and hefty enough to promise a good ride.

I am about a quarter of the way through it, and it is somewhat reminiscent of the second one. It bounces between places, people and times, poignantly telling all of their stories in an interwoven fashion. The first few chapters take a little work to get into because the tale begins with no hesitation. I think that if I'd prepared by rereading the others, or even the last bits of the p...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Kimberly B. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autographed, 2010, favorites, historical-fiction, romance, own, 2011, read-more-than-once, time-travel

I should start off with a giant disclaimer that I am blinded by all things Outlander. Even an Outlander book with some problems is a 5 star book for me. The characters that I know and love more than make up for any qualms I have with the storyline. I don't think I have ever read a book with bigger cliffhangers than this one. A lot of criticisms I have read regarding the book center around the fact that so many different plot lines are left completely unresolved. I have to say it doesn't really b...more I should start off with a giant disclaimer that I am blinded by all things Outlander. Even an Outlander book with some problems is a 5 star book for me. The characters that I know and love more than make up for any qualms I have with the storyline. I don't think I have ever read a book with bigger cliffhangers than this one. A lot of criticisms I have read regarding the book center around the fact that so many different plot lines are left completely unresolved. I have to say it doesn't really bother me, because I know Diana is writing an 8th book and all will be well in the world of Jamie and Claire. That's not to say that I am patiently waiting for the next book, far from it! I CAN'T WAIT to find out what happens and I'm going to devour the next book the second it comes out. As for what did bother me...

(view spoiler)

But, I think though that my absolute favorite part about Echo is seeing the evolution of the characters. I think that it is nothing short of amazing that Diana can write about the same characters over and over again and still make them grow and evolve as people. I loved reading Echo and thinking back to what Jamie and Claire were like in Outlander and even young Ian in earlier books. They really have grown up and grown older. I think that that is the key to what makes Jamie, Claire, and the rest so lovable and so real; Diana writes them as if they are real people who grow, change, and live. I know them and love them and can't wait to see what happens next.

Re-read Update (2/21/2011): I just finished re-reading the entire Outlander series and all of the Lord John books/novellas. I definitely enjoyed Echo much better the second time around. Although DG has written Echo in such a way that you don't necessarily have to have read the Lord John stories to figure out who certain characters are, I don't think that Echo can be fully appreciated unless you've read them. I highly recommend reading them first. The first time I read Echo, I thought there was a little too much of Lord John, but it really didn't bother me on my second read (possibly because I've read the Lord John stories and enjoy him as a character even more now). Rachel Hunter's character also seemed a little weak to me on my initial read, but I liked her more the second time around. However, I would still like to see her character developed more. What did still bother me on my re-read was the whole Lord John-Claire-Jamie development. It just feels overly fabricated to me. Part Six of Echo was probably my favorite section (I can't even count how many times I got teary-eyed during that Part), but it just goes downhill in Part Seven. I wish DG had ended Echo at Part Six (obviously adding a little extra for finesse) and left Part Seven for the beginning of Book Eight. Echo is what it is though and I'm very glad I read it a second time. 5 Stars.(less)

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Jan 25, 2010 Savannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I made it to the bookstore with only minutes to spare! They had almost closed their doors, but knew better when they saw the crazy person running down the mall. LOL. I was so excited to read this book, I mean waiting 4 years is a long time! It was, as always, beautifully written. There were twists and turns that captured the mind, especially if you're a fan of the previous novels. I had one problem with this book, the only thing I've ever had a problem with in the whole series, the story line wi...more

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Sep 27, 2009 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, american-history, british-history, historical-fiction, fantasy, war

After several thousand pages of build-up, the Revolutionary War is finally here — and with it, the excitement of the early Outlander novels returns. No offense to the residents of Fraser's Ridge, but it's a lot more fun to see Jamie and Claire interacting with Benedict Arnold than Hiram Crombie. They may be older and wiser than they were back in the Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager days, but this book has more in common with those two novels than it does with the last few that preceded it. I can't...more

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Oct 19, 2009 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-library

This seventh book in the Outlander series was ... OK. I will keep reading these until they're done (one more, apparently) but there was a lot of blah blah in this book that I wasn't keen on, a couple of POVs that I didn't care much about - I really just want to read Claire and Roger, and sometimes Brianna - and it ends with a HUGE cliffhanger that I do not want to wait three-plus years to be resolved.

There were also some plot points that you wouldn't get if you hadn't read the Lord John books,...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-jenny-reads

I'm still chewing on this. Not quite sure what to rate it yet. I loved the majority of the book, but I just finished today, and the ending has left me disgruntled. It feels like I have a bad copy that someone snatched the last 100 pages out of.

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Jan 08, 2010 LJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1700s, contemporary_post_1945, female_author, georgian_1714-1811_1820-37, historical, international, multiple_periods, new_york_state, north_carolina, pennsylvania, romantic_suspense, scotland, time_travel

First Sentence: The pirate's head had disappeared.

In this 7th book to the Outlander series, Jamie, Claire and Ian are leaving the Ridge headed for Scotland to take Ian back to his family and bring Jamie's printing press back to the Colonies. Roger and Brianna have returned to the present and have settled at Lallybroch, but they've not completely left the past behind. William is anxious to prove himself in battle and Lord John is dealing with his family, both in England and in Pennsylvania.

I was...more First Sentence: The pirate's head had disappeared.

In this 7th book to the Outlander series, Jamie, Claire and Ian are leaving the Ridge headed for Scotland to take Ian back to his family and bring Jamie's printing press back to the Colonies. Roger and Brianna have returned to the present and have settled at Lallybroch, but they've not completely left the past behind. William is anxious to prove himself in battle and Lord John is dealing with his family, both in England and in Pennsylvania.

I was both delighted and disgusted with this book. Either way, it is clear Ms. Gabaldon (1) rushed the ending and (2) does not have a continuity editor. The story was so rife with coincidence as to almost be humorous. There were so many characters with significant stories it diluted each of the stories. However, there were also historical characters whose presence may have added a veracity to the period but added little to the story.

Jamie and Claire are the focal point of the series. You'd never know that from this book where we jump between Jamie and Claire, Roger and Brianna, Lord John, William, and Denny and Rachael Hunter. The continual jumps in time and focus felt more as though it was bad episodic television than reading what should have been a wonderfully engrossing novel. In addition, there were inaccuracies and terrible inconsistencies that should have been caught.

What makes it difficult is that, in essence I did like the book. There were scenes which touched my heart and even brought tears to my eyes. Gabaldon is very good at tugging the heartstrings. There were scenes of suspense and humor. However, there were also scenes where critically important information was being conveyed among the characters, but the reader was exited from the scene. All the scenes were so scattered throughout the story, it caused the pacing to be very uneven.

...and the ending; I am loathe to even mention the ending. To say it felt rushed would be kind. To say there were more story threads left dangling than a cat playing in a yarn basket would be an understatement. To say it was frustrating and extremely disappointing does not strongly enough express my feelings toward the ending.

Were Ms. Gabaldon a poor writer, I could dismiss all this and walk away, but she is not. I have absolutely loved all the previous books in this series; yes, even Fiery Cross. She has created characters about whom I care and have taken to my hearts. She has created a story in which I am invested both in time--both in reading time alone and in the number of years this series has been part of my life--and in money--I own the books in hardcover, trade paperback and the audio books.

Ms. Gabaldon is, apparently, going to fix some of the mistakes found in the hardcover edition of this book prior to the trade paperback edition being released. That's all well and good, but it still leaves those of us with the hardcover edition, particularly where I bought 6 signed copies at full price, with error-laden books. I should have much preferred the errors be caught and corrected in the first place.

I shall continue with the series as these characters are now part of my life and I really want to know where the story goes. However, I do feel Ms. Gabaldon has a responsibility, both to herself and to her very faithful legion of fans, to spend more time and do a better job on Book 8. (less)

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Marjorie Pfister Like most readers if we've gotten to this point in the series, there's a commitment. As readers we want to know what happens to the characters that we...more Like most readers if we've gotten to this point in the series, there's a commitment. As readers we want to know what happens to the characters that we've shared so much time with.
I'm listening to this series on audiobook, which I think has a distinct advantage in long epics. Each character has literally a distinct voice and it helps to keep their individual story lines tracking.. I cannot imagine how hard this would be to read as a novel with all the intersecting story lines.
My personal opinion is that an editor here would have been useful in focusing on some important plot points that really get overlooked in the static of all the description and competing story lines.
As a reader.. I don't want to be obligated to start another journey so that I can can have all the character background needed to understand the story I'm already vested in. That seems a bit like what my college professors called "double dipping". And I resent it a bit. I'm not going to read Lord John's stories..they're just a little too much for me..so I miss out on backstory I apparently need to understand what's going on in the story I'm in.
The cynic in me is screaming..and I'm loosing interest in these characters..which is a shame.
Because so much is going on..the reader disengages from the story..kinda glazes over like when granny tells some long drawn out disjointed story..and asks themselves.."what's the point of this?? and could you just please get to it already.."
Because of that disconnect..some key points of the story are just an aside..in journalism they call "burying the lead." Another no no.
I missed some of the plot intrigues that go clear back to Dragonfly in Amber..buried in endless side stories of characters who are new comers in this story.. I wanted to yell.. Focus..can we please Focus here..while snapping my fingers.
And I'm a veteran of the long drawn out epic. I read Stephen King's Gunslinger series..a book at a time. That took me close to 25 years.
Stephen King isn't exactly spare in his prose. But his story lines are tight and they track in a way that is suspenseful..not frustrating. A really crucial difference. I wasn't pleased with the ending of that series..but I didn't feel cheated either. The ending was..appropriate.
I'm almost afraid that this series has caught consumption. And after the last book we all know what an hard, ugly, end that is. It's rare and disciplined author who can bring a multi book epic to a cohesive ending. So we all wait.
It's a difficult job ahead to bring all the loose threads of this story and weave it into the fabric of a story. This is the main thread. If it thins and breaks or fades away..all the sub characters and sub plots will unravel. I hope the next book starts resolving some of these things. None of us are getting any younger. Real or fictional.(less)
Apr 23, 2013 08:50am

LJ The biggest difference I see between this structure of this series and Harry Potter is that Ms. Rolling had the basics of her story laid out from the...more
Apr 23, 2013 10:03am

Jul 03, 2011 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 4 of 5 stars

OMG! I hated the ending and I want the next book now!

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Feb 29, 2008 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was mortified when the bookstore employee told me to check out the "romance" section for this book. She promised it wouldn't disappoint. It didn't. I read the entire series.

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Oct 11, 2009 Janet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In true "Outlander" style, Gabaldon continues the saga of Jamie, Claire, Brianna, Ian et al. All of the scenes were expertly set, the four different story lines were well balanced and I enjoyed every moment shared in the 814 pages. Yes, there is plenty to get your teeth into and salivate over. The characters continued to resonate with me days after finishing this book. I loved it, although, I admit I was left with more questions at the end of this work, than any of its predecessors. While I know...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

From my review blog Rundpinne:[return]Reading An Echo In the Bone by Diane Gabaldon reinforced my passion for her Outlander series. I have not read all of them, which made An Echo In the Bone probably more confusing than it needed to be, yet I still thoroughly enjoyed being reacquainted with Jaime and Claire and the ensemble of characters, which make up this brilliant series and traveling with them through the 18th and 20th centuries. Gabaldon appears to continue to write solidly, her characters...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Sheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-reading

Wow, that was a marathon read that started almost exacty a year ago. All seven books from the Outlander series, plus the Lord John series.

The Lord John Series was written at the same time as this last book in the series, which was four years after the previous book. So, this book kind of languished, and the ending felt like it was a rush job to finally get the book out and set up for the next book. My first clue that the ending was rushed was in chapter 86, where Lord John finds out from Denzell...more

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Nov 18, 2009 Robin-Taine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical

I love the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon; so much so that I have purchased the last couple in hardcover the minute they hit the shelves. An Echo in the Bone is the latest in the series. Unfortunently, Echo doesn't deliver the best of Gabaldon (though my sister-in-law points out that Gabaldon at her worst is better than many authors at their best). There was too much Lord John bloody Grey, whom I loathe more than any other fictional character I can think of. What is the fascination Ms. Gabal...more I love the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon; so much so that I have purchased the last couple in hardcover the minute they hit the shelves. An Echo in the Bone is the latest in the series. Unfortunently, Echo doesn't deliver the best of Gabaldon (though my sister-in-law points out that Gabaldon at her worst is better than many authors at their best). There was too much Lord John bloody Grey, whom I loathe more than any other fictional character I can think of. What is the fascination Ms. Gabaldon has with this character? The over-all action in the book was too slow (how long did the American Revolution last, anyways). Jamie and Claire spent way too little time in Scotland, when they actually finally got there.

Though there was too much of it, I did enjoy William's POV and loved seeing more of Young Ian, though his developing romance did not get the attention it deserved. I really liked Brianna and Roger's story, and thought that of the 4 storylines, it was the best paced and most evenly told story. I can't wait to find out what happens to them.

The best and worst of the book were Jamie and Claire. As I said, we did not see enough of them. The majority of their story is told in that last third of the book, which is incidently, the best part of the book. Unfortunently, alot of what we saw with J & C, we'd seen before in other books. Not that this isn't a new plot problem...the last book saw repeating storylines as well. However, this is the first book in this series that I almost felt like Ms. Gabaldon really didn't know what to do with these characters. I feel that the next book really needs to move the Revolution along and Ms. Gabaldon really needs to figure out where J & C are going and get them there.

There were also alot of cliffhangers at the end of the book. Almost every major character is left hanging is some precarious situation. I know some people hate this, but I actually don't mind though I hope the next book won't be another 4 year wait so there can be some resolution to these storylines.

Here's hoping that when I re-read the entire series in the next year or so, I'll like this book a whole lot more, or even better, the next in the series will be around the corner with a better read in store.(less)

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Oct 13, 2009 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I find myself now thankful that there's only one book left in this series. While I don't regret the time spent on Echo and will certainly read the Outlander conclusion when it's available in 4? years, I'm ready to let this series go.

Historical detail was as always fascinating and the characters are still for the most part engaging and moving, but this volume interweaved way too many story lines and ended up feeling disjointed. Add in a few plot "twists" which are starting to feel cliched and ove...more

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Sep 29, 2009 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: diana-gabaldon, favorites, historical-romance, time-travel

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 06, 2009 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Where to begin??

For the record, I spent the last...hmm, 4 hours reading this to finish it, when I really should have been doing homework. Oops. But it got to that point where you just have to find out how it ends - the point of no return, shall we call it. Once that jerk took Jem, that was it for me. I looked at the clock, and said "Screw it."

Speaking of Jem, that means that Roger has gone back for no reason at all, and has no way of knowing this unless Brianna (who else?) goes back as well to t...more Where to begin??

For the record, I spent the last...hmm, 4 hours reading this to finish it, when I really should have been doing homework. Oops. But it got to that point where you just have to find out how it ends - the point of no return, shall we call it. Once that jerk took Jem, that was it for me. I looked at the clock, and said "Screw it."

Speaking of Jem, that means that Roger has gone back for no reason at all, and has no way of knowing this unless Brianna (who else?) goes back as well to tell him! If something happens to Roger after all of this, I will be very upset - though I don't think Diana would do it. Speaking of this whole situation, the guy's last name is Cameron, which I totally didn't catch on to until I saw his name again when he showed up in the study. So I'm thinking he's a descendant of Jocasta (and also related to Bree?), knows about the gold and recognized it for what it was, and now wants to claim it again. I knew he was up to no good with Roger's book.

I'd accidentally seen a bit of a review earlier that was upset about the cliffhanger ending. For a good 30 pages or so I was absolutely terrified that this one would end with Claire still thinking Jamie was dead, and I really don't think I could have dealt with that for the next however many years until book 8! Not that they got much of a reunion, and Jamie certainly isn't out of the woods yet, but at least they can both live (relatively) happily in my mind until then!

I wasn't terribly interested in the adventures of Willie and Lord John throughout the book though - at least until they became intertwined with Jamie & Claire's story, which I knew they would be eventually. I was always happy to see that the next chapter was about Jamie & Claire or Brianna & Roger.

It really is the characters that make these books though. When I sat down to start this book, it was so nice to reacquaint myself with them, and read about them again. They truly do become like old friends, and I realized (while fuming that Claire might not find out about Jamie, etc.) how desperately I wanted them to be happy. I know it will be a while until I can visit them again (unless I reread the series, which I very well might - at least the first!), but I do look forward to it!(less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Mareli rated it 4 of 5 stars

okay 4 stars until page 900 then (view spoiler) and I couldn't stand the suspense. I stopped reading and I'm waiting for the next one before finishing this one. I want the situation solved and so this book is going into a limbo with Jem...

BTW, Lord John&William were a huge yawn.... I hope the next book will have less of their stories and more of Claire&Jamie and Roger&Bree.

I'm however happy because this time I got to read it!!!!!!

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Jan 11, 2010 Linda I rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, historical-fiction, diana-gabaldon

If I thought I was obsessed with this series before reading this latest installment, then I have no idea how I feel now. Is it possible to become exponentially obsessed with a story? This is not quite the fountainhead of the series, but so many of the storylines that have characterized this series finally fused towards the end, and yet, it doesn't feel as if there is any closure. A la Karen Moning, the ending is such a cliffhanger that it is almost unfair to leave readers in such agony as to wai...more

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Oct 01, 2009 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was really nice to catch up with Jamie and Claire again. I find they have become real life characters to me and I miss them when they aren't around. That being said, I have to say there are parts of this book that could have been edited. I was a little disappointed as well because I really thought she would wrap up the series and it she didn't, sometimes it's sad when you stay at the party too long. I did like the way she went back and forth from the past of Jamie and Claire and the present o...more

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About Diana Gabaldon

Diana Jean Gabaldon Watkins grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and is of Mexican-American and English descent. She has earned three degrees: a B.S. in Zoology, a M.S. in Marine Biology, and a Ph.D in Ecology.

She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona .

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Quotes from An Echo in the Bone

“Catholics don't believe in divorce. We do believe in murder. There's always Confession, after all.
--Brianna Fraser to Roger MacKenzie” — 123 people liked it

“Roger speaking to Brianna:
It's too important. You don't forget having a dad."
You do remember your father?"
No. I remember yours.” — 26 people liked it

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