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An Echo in the Bone

(Outlander #7)

Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author),

Davina Porter (Goodreads Author) (Narrator)

4.43 · Rating details · 121,852 ratings · 6,306 reviews

A new Outlander novel — the seventh — from #1 National Bestselling author Diana Gabaldon.

Readers have been waiting with bated breath for the seventh volume in bestselling author Diana Gabaldon’s epic Outlander saga — a masterpiece of historical fiction featuring Jamie and Claire, from one of the genre’s most popular and beloved authors.

Jamie Fraser, erstwhile Jacobite and ...more

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Audiobook, 46 pages

Published March 28th 2011 by Recorded Books (first published September 22nd 2009)

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Jun 21, 2009 Holly rated it it was ok · review of another edition

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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Sep 29, 2009 Foxfire780 Reeves added it · 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 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. ...more

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May 31, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, audio, fantasy-all, historical

Bloody hell, I'm freaking tired!

So here's the deal. Most of my friends here on Goodreads know that I have been listening to these cd's from the library. Well, I just happened to check the status of their return because I should have had one more month for them to be renewed. Noooooooooooooooooo, on this book someone placed a hold and it's due soon so luckily I started listening to it a few days ago, but now I'm freaking tired because I have had to listen almost non stop while reading another boo ...more

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Jun 26, 2014 Mo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

”God, your arse looks fine, wi’ the wet linen of your shift clinging to it, it goes all transparent, and I can see the weight of your buttocks, like great smooth round melons ..."

I sort of wondered when I started this book if I was going into Outlander overload and that I might tire of it seeing as I have read 6 of the books in the space of 2 months or so.

No, this book was wonderful, for the most part. I must admit there were some parts with Lord John and William that my eyes sort of glazed ...more

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Sep 21, 2009 Jamie Collins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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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Mar 01, 2009 Verity rated it liked it · review of another edition

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 experimen ...more

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Jan 08, 2010 LJ rated it liked it · review of another edition

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

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 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. ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, fantasy, mexican-american, time-travel, adventure, fiction, romance, 21th-century

An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7), Diana Gabaldon

An Echo in the Bone is the seventh book in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century doctor Claire Randall and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books contain elements of historical fiction, romance, adventure and science fiction/fantasy.

In the 20th century at Lallybroch, Brianna, Roger, Jem, and Mandy are reading letters from Claire and Jamie from the past, one An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7), Diana Gabaldon

An Echo in the Bone is the seventh book in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century doctor Claire Randall and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books contain elements of historical fiction, romance, adventure and science fiction/fantasy.

In the 20th century at Lallybroch, Brianna, Roger, Jem, and Mandy are reading letters from Claire and Jamie from the past, one of which mentions hidden gold, with a location known only to Jem. William Buccleigh, Roger's Scottish ancestor, accidentally appears in their time. Given his date of death on the family record, Brianna and Roger know he is unlikely to make it safely back. Rob Cameron, one of Brianna's coworkers, kidnaps Jem, and appears that he has taken Jem into the past, and Roger and William travel through time to find them; but Rob appears at Brianna's home and orders her to tell Jem to disclose the location of the gold. Jem is locked underground at the dam where Brianna and Rob work, finds an electric train, and starts an escape; his fate is unseen.

In the past, Lord William Ellesmere (actually Jamie's son but raised as Lord John Grey's stepson) is involved in the American Revolution as a Redcoat, but is repeatedly embarrassed until the battle of Saratoga, wherein he distinguishes himself. Arch and Murdina Bug go after the gold on Fraser's Ridge, during a confused confrontation Mrs. Bug shoots Jamie when he tells her to stop, and Ian shoots her. Ian feels guilty for killing Mrs. Bug; Arch vows to take his revenge when Ian has 'someone worth losing'. Claire, Jamie, and Ian leave their mountain home for Scotland to see Jenny, Ian, and their children, and also to recover Jamie's printing press. Before they can leave America, they become involved in the Revolutionary War; Jamie accidentally shoots the hat off William's head at Saratoga. A kinsman of Jamie's on the British side, Simon Fraser of Balnain, is killed, and Jamie and Claire are asked to take his body back to Scotland. Before they leave, a stranger tries to blackmail Jamie, but Ian kills him. Claire, Jamie, and Ian leave for Scotland to bury Jamie's relative and Ian leaves his dog Rollo with a Quaker woman named Rachel Hunter. Jamie, Claire, and Ian reach Scotland, where Ian the elder, husband to Jamie's sister Jenny, and Jamie's best childhood friend, is dying of consumption when they arrive. Ian and Jenny are ecstatic that young Ian has returned; but Jenny is hostile to Claire who is unable to cure Ian. Jamie apologizes to Laoghaire (his second wife) for their separation. Laoghaire's daughter (and Jamie's adopted daughter) Joan requires Laoghaire to marry her lover, a crippled servant, so that she (Joan) can become a nun. A letter from Laoghaire's daughter Marsali reveals that her son, Henri-Christian, is very ill. In this missive, Marsali beseeches Claire's help in treating him. Claire agrees to return to America to treat Henri-Christian, stipulating that Laoghaire marry her lover, stop taking alimony from Jamie, and help Joan become a nun. ...

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و پنجم ماه مارس سال 2018 میلادی

عنوان: بیگانه (غریبه): کتاب هفتم: اکو در استخوان؛ نویسنده: دایانا گبلدون؛

در سده بیستم میلادی در «لالیبروچ»، «برایانا»، «راجر»، «جِم» و «مندی» مشغول خواندن نامه هایی از «کلر» و «جیمی»، از گذشته هستند، در یکی از نامه ها از طلاهای پنهان شده سخن به میان آمده است، در مکانی که تنها «جـِم» آنجا را میشناسد. «ویلیام بوکلی»، جد اسکاتلندی، «راجر»، به طور اتفاقی ظاهر میشود. با توجه به تاریخ درگذشت وی در پرونده ی خانواده، «برایانا» و «راجر» میدانند که توان آن را ندارند که بتوانند با خیال آسوده آن را برگرداند. «راب کامرون»، یکی از همکاران «برایانا» نیز، «جـِم» را ربوده، و...؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Jacqie rated it liked it · review of another edition

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 27, 2009 The Library Lady rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Diana Gabaldon needs to finish this series. In fact, she needed to finish it in this book:

If she is so crazy about Lord John, keep writing those books about him. Personally, he bores me, and I skipped over those sections. I'm not that into William either, even if he IS Jamie's son.

How many times can Claire and Jamie run into pirates and take over a ship? She's done this before in Voyager. And there's lots of other material that repeats or echoes stuff in previous, better books.

There are too many ...more

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Mar 04, 2018 Alaina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: march-challenge-2018, historical-fiction, books-i-own, romance, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, fiction

I'm back on the Outlander train...again. Mostly because I just want to finish this series!

I definitely dived into An Echo in the Bone without expectations. WHY? Well, because I already knew it was probably going to be like 100x longer than it needed to be. It might be poring in a ton of parts. I might not like it?

What do you get from this book? Well lots of POV's to start! We get Claire, Jamie, Brianna, Roger, Ian, John, William, and so much more! This made me so happy because I was kind of gett ...more

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Jun 01, 2009 Lynn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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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Nov 08, 2009 Emily rated it liked it · 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 03, 2009 Claudia B rated it it was ok · review of another edition

And this is it for me and the Outlander series.

There is a section in the Outlandish Companion where Diana talks about authors who do so much research and then make their readers "pay" for it. Meaning, if the author read about it, she's going to put it in the book, regardless of how much it contributes to the actual story.

I think that Diana is now doing the same. I've been a loyal fan of hers since I first read Outlander, but I'm done. I can't deal with an endless series where just because she's ...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, favorites

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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Dec 04, 2013 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

5 STARS!!!!! EPIC SERIES!!!! And still more to come!!!!

What a ride this has been!!!! It has taken me half a year, yes 6 months to get through this fabulous series. I embarked on my quest of audio books back in July of 2013, and I have finally reached the end of my journey... so far, as there will be another book out in the series later this year. AND.... a TV mini-series on STARZ© airing in March 2014!!!!!!

Words can not express my love for this series, and my devotion to the author. They will a ...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Jane rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Update January 2014: Finished the audiobook, completing my mammoth challenge of listening to all the Outlander books (which took most of 2013). This has really helped me keep track of the characters and thus enjoy the story more, and I've warmed a bit to Brianna (still wouldn't want to live with her) and definitely to Roger, whom I now rather like and feel sorry for because he's living with Brianna. Davina Porter continues to be an excellent narrator, although why she's given Percy such a stagey Update January 2014: Finished the audiobook, completing my mammoth challenge of listening to all the Outlander books (which took most of 2013). This has really helped me keep track of the characters and thus enjoy the story more, and I've warmed a bit to Brianna (still wouldn't want to live with her) and definitely to Roger, whom I now rather like and feel sorry for because he's living with Brianna. Davina Porter continues to be an excellent narrator, although why she's given Percy such a stagey French accent beats me. Yes, I know he's pretending to be French but--but--but-- Oh whatever, I will be looking out for the audiobook of Written In My Own Heart's Blood, the next installment.

Original review:

An Echo In The Bone is, I believe, the 7th book in the long-running Outlander series. On the whole, I've enjoyed Gabaldon's mix of historical novel and sci-fi, even if some of the plotlines have appealed far less than others. I suppose that's not surprising, really, given that we must have had at least 4,000 pages of Jamie and Claire so far, and no novelist can be expected to keep you 100% spellbound over such a long stretch. Gabaldon tries, though: larger-than-life characters (who are improbably attracted to one another, even when unwashed and bleeding, as frequently happens, and have impressively good sex amidst the direst of circumstances); oodles of historical detail; plenty of accents, wee bits o'Gaelic (and sometimes Mohawk) to vary the dialog, and a somewhat predictable OH NO SOMETHING TERRIBLE'S HAPPENED TO JAMIE PHEW HE'S OK OH NO SOMETHING TERRIBLE'S HAPPENED TO CLAIRE... structure that reminds me of a Penelope Pitstop cartoon (and I think it's meant to: Gabaldon writes with her tongue firmly in her cheek.)

(view spoiler)

I enjoyed this book more than some of the others, and relished some of the funnier aspects of the ending. Gabaldon leaves lots of loose ends dangling for the next book to solve, and I am quite looking forward to the next instalment. Where will it all end, I wonder? Claire and Jamie must be in their sixties by now - will they ever slow down? Will they form a ménage à trois with Lord John? Is Rob a time traveler or just a git?

If you haven't read the Outlander series, I'd recommend starting at the beginning rather than here. See you in about 4,000 pages. I usually start going around talking wi' a Scotch accent after about 200, so be warned. I'll give it two sporrans up for entertainment value. ...more

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Dec 20, 2016 Ashley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bloody-and-gross, speculative, wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey, americana, treasure-and-adventure, family-saga, fiction, war, espionage, historical-fiction

HOKAY SO. I have now made it through seven books of this series, which is basically like twenty-one normal-sized books, or fourteen above average-sized ones. All this to say I HAVE DONE HARD WORK NOW GIVE ME TACOS. I was going to type "cookies", but dammit I really want some tacos right now. Also, on the last Jane the Virgin episode, I was introduced to the concept of the Venezuelan miracle food, the arepa, and I am now obsessed with trying one, except there's only one Venezuelan eatery in my ci HOKAY SO. I have now made it through seven books of this series, which is basically like twenty-one normal-sized books, or fourteen above average-sized ones. All this to say I HAVE DONE HARD WORK NOW GIVE ME TACOS. I was going to type "cookies", but dammit I really want some tacos right now. Also, on the last Jane the Virgin episode, I was introduced to the concept of the Venezuelan miracle food, the arepa, and I am now obsessed with trying one, except there's only one Venezuelan eatery in my city, and it's a food truck and FOOD TRUCKS MOVE YOU GUYS. This will be my project for 2017. Tracking down an arepa and eating it so hard. Quite possibly trying all the arepas they have. Unless I hate arepas and then I will stop after one. (This is not likely.)

So this book was good! It still took me about two months to read, but that's because I read the first 300-ish pages and then put it down for two months because I got distracted by shiny things like a damn raccoon. I finished the last 800 pages in about three days when I finally picked it back up. We still haven't reached the level of interest and engagement I had when reading books 1-3, but this was at least Drums of Autumn-level engagement. I think I just have to come to terms with the fact that DG will never again write a book with as much narrative tension as she did with Voyager (still my favorite of the series so far).

There's still some bloat here, which accounts for why I was able to put it down for so long without feeling a real need to pick it back up again. I appreciate that she wants Jamie's illegitimate son William to be a more fleshed out character, but what he gets up to in this book isn't really super engaging. His most interesting moments come when he's interacting with characters we already know and love (Bree, Ian, Lord John). The first third of this was somewhat interesting, but really a lot of it could have been cut out, especially since I thought the last hundred pages (full of some really important happenings) was rushed. I would have liked more lingering on some of that stuff, which was really emotional.

The stage is set for an interesting eighth book, though, and my interest in this series has definitely been re-engaged. I'd been told this would happen if I could just get through books five and six, but it's a relief to have it confirmed. I like liking this series. I don't like thinking it's a slog. So yes, people, if you're reading this and wondering if there is a light at the end of the tunnel that is Outlander, I will say to you, yes. Keep going!

Not sure when I'll get to the next one. I'm tempted to save it for closer to either the release of season three of the show or closer to the release date of the ninth book. Guess we'll see!

(I realize this review was a third about arepas and tacos, and I don't care. PUT THEM IN MY MOUTH.) ...more

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Jan 02, 2010 Lisa rated it did not like it · review of another edition

LOVED Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager, but this book was *Simply Horrible*. Plodding, too much description of certain events that are of zero importance to the overall plot (usually medical), the rehash of old themes and introduction of new, just plain ridiculous ones made this almost painful to read. Thank goodness I took it out from the library and didn't waste my money or shelf space on it.

Obviously I am quite disappointed in this latest installment of Jamie and Claire, because the ...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Amanda rated it liked it · 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 23, 2009 Vicki rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-that-is-sciency, novels, 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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Oct 12, 2019 Paul E. Morph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2019

It kept me interested but was, as ever, SO FRUSTRATING!

One more book to go...

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Sep 01, 2017 Jeannie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017

This took me forever to read! I almost gave up, the first half of the book is mostly about William and parts were boring. I wanted more Jamie and Claire!
I'm glad I stuck with it, the second half was great! I look forward to the next one. ...more

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Aug 31, 2009 Kimberly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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 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. ...more

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Sep 28, 2009 Jenny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: what-jenny-reads

Sept. 30, 2009, after my first read: 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.

April 4, 2014, after my reread in preparation for the next book's release: I just finished a reread of this (on audiobook, read by the fabulous Davina Porter), and I don't know if it's because my I already knew the terr ...more

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Feb 27, 2009 Misfit rated it liked it · review of another edition

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

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 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. ...more

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Mar 25, 2019 Petra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book kept me company for 46 hours of jogging. It's been a great companion. The audio was wonderfully narrated by Davina Porter.
I really enjoyed this continuation of the stories of Jamie & Claire & their family. This series has become a saga for a very large and interesting family. In this book, family is very important and many interesting adventures are had. ...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Jill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-historical-fiction, 2010-4-5-5-stars

I wondered what sort of man - or woman, perhaps? - had lain here, leaving no more than an echo of their bones, so much more fragile than the enduring rocks that sheltered them.

Buddy read with my friend, Negine

Last book of my re-read of the Outlander series before.... Written in My Own Heart's Blood ...more

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Jul 19, 2009 Rachel rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-books

I never in a million years thought I’d give DG less than five stars. She’s one of three authors on my release-date auto-buy, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book for years. But having spent the last couple of weeks reading it, I really don’t even know what to say (I know I should take that back – I ALWAYS have something to say and I’m about to say it).

Problem one: It took me several weeks to read. I’m a compulsive reader. I can’t sleep with a story unfinished, and yet Echo never grabbed me. I never in a million years thought I’d give DG less than five stars. She’s one of three authors on my release-date auto-buy, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book for years. But having spent the last couple of weeks reading it, I really don’t even know what to say (I know I should take that back – I ALWAYS have something to say and I’m about to say it).

Problem one: It took me several weeks to read. I’m a compulsive reader. I can’t sleep with a story unfinished, and yet Echo never grabbed me. I went several days without evening picking it up because I didn’t feel like it. I never felt emotionally engaged. A good lot of the time, I just didn’t care what was happening. And even worse, I felt bored by the story.

Problem two: The book is so physically big that it hurt to read. And I mean that literally. I had shoulder and elbow pain from holding it up. It really, really needed to be cut. There was a point where I wished DG had cut out the last 150 pages and replaced them with “Six months later.” There was just too much of mundane life and while beautifully written, it had no presence, no force, no suspense. The book overall needed more focus on story and less on how to fix a collapsed lung using nothing but tar and a bird feather. Many of the elements got lots of story didn’t end up leading anywhere (such as Ian & the two orphan girls. I expected them to show up again.)

Problem three: Timing. The book is really three different stories. Jamie & Claire in 1777 America (mostly), William (Wee Willie) Ramsome in about the same time period, and Bree & Roger in 1980’s Scotland. But the timelines didn’t happen evenly and so I was often rather confused. For example: William is leaving to go find Dr. Hunter in the rebel camp. Then we switch to Jamie/Claire and cover 7-8-9 months time in a hundred or more pages. Then we go back to William who has found the doctor a day or so later. This went on throughout the book, and made me crazy. Since one of the main foreshadows of the book is that Jamie & William would meet again, I could never tell if they were even in the same time / same place.

Problem four: Pacing. The book has more of an episodic plot rather than linear. It unfolds around smaller incidents that contribute to a greater whole. Many of the smaller incidents involve the William, Lord Grey, and the battles of the American Revolution, Jamie & Claire trying to make it to Scotland, Roger and Bree making a life in more modern Lallybroch. Things move slowly, but beautifully. I have learned to expect that from DG, and she is so good at it that I enjoy the details and the history and the true-to-life characters (knowing that she is as historically accurate as possible). But in this book it was way TOO slow.

And the last couple hundred pages (the ending?) were just strange. First things slow down so much that pages and pages are devoted to reminiscing and revisiting the past and death and… (well I can’t tell you everything!) Then it switches so that the story & people move so fast I can’t keep up. And the turn-about surprises are SO surprising that I have a hard time believing them. I’m left with a feeling of ‘where did that come from?’ and ‘why did that happen?’ and ‘you’ve got to be kidding me!’ The end was hugely dissatisfying, and yet that was (to me) where the real story was. The good stuff was glossed over.

So while DG is still one of the masters of the written word and I will probably fork out another $30 for her next book, I overall am rather disappointed. I feel like she is more interested in showing all the neat historical details she has learned than in telling a story. She has lost the story. And that makes me so sad because I have spent something like 16 or 17 years following these characters and being invested in their final outcome (we all know it comes back to that ghost watching Claire brush her hair). Please DG, go back to telling us their story rather than showing us what it was like to live in the eighteenth century.
...more

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Sep 30, 2018 Ashley Daviau rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was definitely the hardest out of the series for me to get through. Not because it was jarring to read but because I found a big chunk of the book the be incredibly boring and long winded. It just didn’t draw me in and capture my attention like the others in the series did. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great parts that I really loved and I thoroughly enjoyed where some parts of the story went. But it just felt like this installment lacked some of the magic and oomph of the previo ...more

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Play Book Tag: [+ Poll Ballot] An Echo in the Bone / Diana Gabaldon. 3.5 stars	15	21	Aug 25, 2020 06:21PM
Goodreads Librari...: Please add page numbers (and other info)	2	9	Jun 08, 2020 05:03AM
Play Book Tag: (POLL BALLOT) An Echo In the Bone / Diana Gabaldon - 3.5***	1	8	Apr 30, 2020 09:02AM
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Back to the Future...What the Heck? Spoilers	2	40	Oct 24, 2017 08:05PM
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About Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon

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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” — 260 likes

“For a long time," he said at last, "when I was small, I pretended to myself that I was the bastard of some great man. All orphans do this, I think," he added dispassionately."It makes life easier to bear, to pretend that it will not always be as it is, that someone will come and restore you to your rightful place in the world."
He shrugged.
"Then I grew older, and knew that this was not true. No one would come to rescue me. But then-" he turned his head and gave Jamie a smile of surpassing sweetness.
"Then I grew older still, and discovered that after all, it was true. I am the son of a great man."
The hook touched Jamie's hand, hard and capable.
"I wish for nothing more.” — 86 likes

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