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Dragonfly in Amber

(Outlander #2)

Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author)

4.33 · Rating details · 320,001 ratings · 16,294 reviews

An alternate cover edition can be found here.

From the author of Outlander... a magnificent epic that once again sweeps us back in time to the drama and passion of 18th-century Scotland...

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as st ...more

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Paperback, 947 pages

Published August 7th 2001 by Bantam (first published July 1st 1992)

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Mar 03, 2015 Sasha Alsberg rated it it was amazing

I AM DONE! WOW. Just wow. That ending. woah. Within 40 pages I ugly cried, my heart exploded in feels, confusion happened, hope, and now I'm mind blown by the ending. WOW. Diana, you've done it again! Took me awhile to get into DiA but once i got past the 300 page mark it got so good and kept on getting better. 5/5 stars! ...more

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Jan 23, 2008 Kate rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: people who wouldn't ever read a romance novel, history buffs

Gabaldon's sex-ridden, hugely researched, academically adventurous, time travel/sci-fi meets historical romance novels qualify as trash novels for lit nerds -- they're absolutely a guilty pleasure. From clan warfare to herbal medicine to genealogy to British history to WWII, the books are packed with information (what little Gaelic I know started with these books). Bonus: the heroine gets to have many, many rolls in the hay with a handsome hard-bodied Highlander. Can't really go wrong.

The books ...more

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Apr 28, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, audio, historical, own

This book broke my heart. I knew what was going to happen because I watched Season Two before reading the book but it doesn't matter.

I have been crying forever now, like my heart is going to break into a million pieces!

*******Let me stop right here. There are going to be some spoilers. There are going to be some thoughts about things in the next book. And who knows what else, so if you haven't read these books you should probably stop here. If you don't care then carry on.*******

It was worried ...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Emily May rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, historical

My feelings toward Diana Gabaldon are very love/hate. She is, on the one hand, one of the greatest writers I have ever come across. I want to shake her hand for being so carefully detailed and doing what must have been an unbelievable amount of research to put together her 7 (currently) gigantic novels of this series. I love her characters, how the events are all interwoven with true historical happenings... she is just generally a literary genius when it comes to historical fiction.

But... serio My feelings toward Diana Gabaldon are very love/hate. She is, on the one hand, one of the greatest writers I have ever come across. I want to shake her hand for being so carefully detailed and doing what must have been an unbelievable amount of research to put together her 7 (currently) gigantic novels of this series. I love her characters, how the events are all interwoven with true historical happenings... she is just generally a literary genius when it comes to historical fiction.

But... seriously, I couldn't help but think repeatedly "why did we need to know that? what has the last 200 pages really added to the overall story?" The books are so well written but they are about 500-600 pages too long. Gabaldon frequently wanders off into subplots that we (or I, at least) don't care about. Her waffle would get an A* in a literary test but it's still waffle. And the general size of her books is off-putting, she should have left out those bits that we didn't need to hear and gave the readers a much less forboding 400-500 page novel.

The start of this book was even slower than Outlander, who actually cares about Roger Wakefield here? The whole point of this extremely long-winded beginning was to tell us that something bad had happened to make Claire return to the future, where she had given birth to Jamie's daughter and, for whatever reason, believed her wonderful red-headed Scot had been killed in the battle of Culloden. We are then taken back in time to when Claire and Jamie are in France trying to stop the rebellion before it ever happened.

This seemed a bit scientifically risky to me. If you assumed that they could change time and prevent the battle, surely this would result in a complete upheaval of historical events resulting in many changes. If such a huge thing happened, it is likely that everything would change and unlikely that Claire Randall would ever have ended up in Scotland at exactly that time to go wandering through the stones. And then, of course, had she not gone through the stones, she would have never been there to warn Jamie and stop the rebellion so... it's a bit of a historical and scientific conundrum. Therefore, I like my time travel to not interfer with past events - it wouldn't make sense. Unless it's a Back To The Future scenario where he actually fills in some of the necessary blanks.

To be honest, I didn't enjoy this book as much as Outlander because I didn't feel as much happened. But I adore the relationship between Claire and Jamie, even more so after reading this second installment, and I will definitely be reading Voyager as soon as I can get myself ready for another hefty volume. And thank god for the ending of this book when my slowly increasing depression throughout was finally alleviated - can't wait to see where this will take our characters! ...more

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Oct 07, 2016 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: made-me-ugly-cry

1.) Outlander ★★★★★
2.) Dragonfly In Amber ★★★★.5
3.) Voyager ★★★.5
4.) Drums of Autumn ★★★.5

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I've never cried so hard in my life over fictional characters before ...more

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Jan 12, 2010 Stephanie *Eff your feelings* rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012, lots-of-drinking, historical-romance, time-travel

*This review will be a little spoily, read it at your own risk*

“Ok, so I set the date on 2012….and set it for Kansas City Kansas…..Kemper’s deck. I think all I have to do is reverse the directions on Google maps on the laptop. Uh…..turn the key. Yay, it works.”

“Or I thought so, Toto I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore (had to do it!).”

“Hello Stephanie. Toto……I love the Wizard of Oz.”

“Aaaaack! Claire Beachum Randel Fraser! You just scared the piss out of me. Don’t sneak up on a person sitting ...more

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Aug 02, 2018 Chelsea Humphrey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

While I didn't love this one as much as Outlander, I did enjoy it and am finding myself somewhere between a 3-3.5 stars. After the initial shock of the jump forward in time, I eased into the story and enjoyed traveling from France, to Lallybroch, back to where we began, and of course adored the continuation of Jamie and Claire's love story. ...more

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Aug 19, 2013 Karen rated it it was amazing

SWEET BLEEDING JESUS!!! I KNEW IT!!!!!!! DAMNED BLOODY FUCKING CLIFFHANGERS!!!!! Sensational story!!!!

5 STARS ★★★★★

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”We are bound, you and I, and nothing on this earth shall part me from you.”

What can I say? I am completely BLOWN AWAY by this series!!!! An amazing sequel to Outlander, this book brings Claire and Jamie through a tumultuous quest to try and change history in order to save Scotland from a pointless but inevitable war that will eventually result in the deaths o ...more

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Feb 27, 2015 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it it was ok

Shelves: trigger-abusive-romance, adult, 2016, historical, sci-fi, audiobooks

*Heavy sigh.*

[Theme spoilers, but no plot spoilers. Read at your own risk.]

I don't even know where to start because properly reviewing this would involve so much quoting and backing up and I don't have the energy for that after 700+ pages. The short of it is that the romantic hero character perpetuates rape culture by using the words 'rape' and 'sex' synonymously, blaming sexual assault on what the woman is wearing, and claiming that once men get aroused they literally cannot stop themselves fro *Heavy sigh.*

[Theme spoilers, but no plot spoilers. Read at your own risk.]

I don't even know where to start because properly reviewing this would involve so much quoting and backing up and I don't have the energy for that after 700+ pages. The short of it is that the romantic hero character perpetuates rape culture by using the words 'rape' and 'sex' synonymously, blaming sexual assault on what the woman is wearing, and claiming that once men get aroused they literally cannot stop themselves from ravaging anyone nearby. His wife, the modern woman, actually shows fear that he will beat and rape her. Though she momentarily gets mad at him, she soon finds herself unable to keep her hands off of him (wash, rinse, repeat), thus showing all the rapeyness in romantic light. That's my problem with it.

Also, if you don't know what an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship looks like, read the last 3 paragraphs of page 677 and the first half of page 678. Jealousy, demands, physical shaking, blaming her for his actions, shaming her past, solving their problems through sex. Oh look at that, I did have the energy to give at least one example. I found this to be unhealthy. Perhaps you don't. But I've lived through a very similar type of relationship and if this is what's selling as "romantic" then this book is part of the problem. I hope and pray that most readers can discern that this is undesirable.

I've discussed cultural relativism on my channel. I can respect when a book needs to show troublesome content to stay accurate to the time period. What I don't respect is this content being romanticized. There are villains in this series who behave the same way. Heroes can absolutely be morally gray, or have a darker side without portraying something harmful. When the villains and heroes act the same, what is the actual distinction between them? Are we just rooting for the hottest one?

I had so many problems with the sexism and rape culture in this book that you may be wondering why I gave it 2 stars? Despite the problematic subjects, I do consider the writing to be of quality. I have no idea if the history was well researched, but it had a depth that felt well researched. To be fair, historical fiction isn't my genre of choice, but perhaps you'd enjoy this more if it is yours.

I did also REALLY enjoy the parts of the book set in the 1960s when Jamie is out of the picture. Yes, I know I'm weird. Isn't Jamie supposed to be the main thrill of the story? Well, not for me. I was much more interested in the way the story played with time travel and its repercussions in Claire's original time. This time period bookended the story and honestly I was reading all of the past setting just to find out how the timelines would converge.

If you're curious, from what I've watched of Outlander season 2, the show DID eliminate the problematic lines from Jamie. The show seems to be a better treatment and so I do think I'll continue the show since it's my preferred, less harmful version of this story that lets the genuinely interesting premise shine. ...more

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Feb 04, 2008 Carla rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: not-own, 2008

Having enjoyed the first volume of this series, I was expecting something good of this one, so I'm a bit sad it didn't match my expectations.

First, because in the first and final parts, the point of view jumps around from first person (Claire) to third person, due to the fact that we follow another character and Claire isn't always there. The problem is that this character does almost nothing but notice how Claire is so beautiful and wonderful... Second, the book drags a bit in some parts. Third ...more

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Oct 23, 2007 Shannon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Shannon by: Kiwiria

Shelves: historical-fiction, time-travel, 2007

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the sequel to Outlander, and begins in 1968, twenty-one years after we left Claire and Jaime recovering in the French Abbey, pondering their decision to try and stop Bonnie Prince Charlie from starting a war which they know will decimate the Highland Clans.

At first, this is such a jolt you think you've picked up the wrong book. Feverishly checking online, you are reassured that this is in fact the sequel. Going back to the book, it all becomes clear, though you are panicking at the idea This is the sequel to Outlander, and begins in 1968, twenty-one years after we left Claire and Jaime recovering in the French Abbey, pondering their decision to try and stop Bonnie Prince Charlie from starting a war which they know will decimate the Highland Clans.

At first, this is such a jolt you think you've picked up the wrong book. Feverishly checking online, you are reassured that this is in fact the sequel. Going back to the book, it all becomes clear, though you are panicking at the idea of twenty-odd long years of separation for Jaimie and Claire. Followed by a horrible wrench of the heart when we learn from Claire that Jaimie died at the battle at Culloden, Prince Charles' final stand.

Claire is back in Scotland for the first time since returning to her own time, pregnant and disorientated. Her husband, Frank Randall, has died, and she is keeping a promise to herself to tell her daughter Brianna about her real father. She goes back to the Reverend Wakefield's house to find his adopted son, Roger, in residence after the Reverend's death. Roger, too, must hear her story, for reasons she does not reveal until the end. And so, as she tells her story, we learn what happened after the events in Outlander and how she came to return to Frank, and what happened to Jaimie.

I have a confession to make. First, I'll say that the start of this book made me so sad, I wondered whether I could read it at all. Secondly, I'll say that I did not mean to shatter this well-written illusion of the hangman's rope by cheating. I did flip to the back of the book, but not to read the last page or anything. I am always hoping that there is some kind of guide on pronounciation, and I'm one of those people who read everything from the author's bio and acknowledgements page to the copyright details. There was no guide on pronounciation, but there was one of those ads for the next book, Voyager, which begins by stating that Claire has gone back to 18th century Scotland because she believes Jaimie is still alive.

This was a bit of a mixed blessing. First, it did make it a whole lot easier to read this book, knowing that he would survive. But I also actually like to feel what an author intended me to feel, and I did not shed a tear at Claire and Jaimie's parting before the battle of Culloden when, faced with dying the traitor's death for killing his cousin Dougal and betraying his country, Jaimie has decided to die in battle. That, I regretted, though it did make it easier to sleep! Some reviewers didn't like the way the narration kept switching between Roger's 3rd-person and Claire's 1st-person narrative at the beginning and end. Personally, I didn't have a problem with it, I found it easy to tell them apart. I admit I skimmed a bit at the end, when Claire and Roger are looking for Geillis Duncan/Gillian Edgars. I was feeling a bit impatient by then.

As for Gabaldon's writing style, which I haven't said much about before, I do find her a tad long-winded. She tells a great story, very well-researched and, despite the time travel, believable. But her descriptions can be a little flowery, and often unnecessary. She bogs down the pace with pointless asides on the state of wilting flowers by a door as they wait for it to be answered. I know it adds to the character development - in this case, to make clear that Gillian has not been home for some time and her husband is unable to look after himself. Except that this is made clear several times over. A lot of the description is unnecessary, and often distracting. Removing some of it would definitely have cut down fewer trees to make this fat, hefty book. Don't get me wrong, I love fat and hefty. But it's ultimately a sad story, and the little flowery sentences sprinkled throughout were as annoying as little bugs flitting about your face that won't piss off no matter how hard you wave your arm around, looking like a complete twit.

Now I've got that off my chest, I'll reiterate: I did enjoy this book, and I will continue with the series, just not now. I need some recuperation time first. ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, fiction, united-states, time-travel, adventure, 20th-century, historical, science, fantasy, novels

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2), Diana Gabaldon

Dragonfly in Amber is the second book in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century nurse 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. This installment chronicles Claire and Jamie's efforts to prevent the Jacobite rising that Claire knows will end disastrously for Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2), Diana Gabaldon

Dragonfly in Amber is the second book in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century nurse 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. This installment chronicles Claire and Jamie's efforts to prevent the Jacobite rising that Claire knows will end disastrously for the Scots.

Scotland, 1968: Claire Randall has returned to her own time, where she has been living for 20 years with her husband Frank. Following his death, she brings her daughter, Brianna, to the home of the Randalls' old friend, Reverend Reginald Wakefield.

Paris, 1744: At the end of Outlander, Claire has convinced Jamie to stop the Jacobite rising and the consequent slaughter. After learning that Charles Stuart is trying to get money from the French king Louis XV to fund the Jacobite cause, they travel to Paris, where Jamie uses his cousin Jared's wine business to gain the aristocratic connections necessary to plot against Stuart. A French boy named Claudel, brought up in a brothel, helps Jamie flee from some thugs, and Jamie hires him to steal the prince's correspondence, and renames him Fergus.

Scotland, 1745 and the Rising: Claire frees Jamie by an arrangement with King Louis XV of France, and they are banished from France. Back in Scotland with Fergus, they settle into farm life at his home at Lallybroch with Jamie's sister Jenny and her family. Jamie receives a letter from Stuart, announcing his attempt to retake the throne of Scotland, which the prince has signed Jamie's name to, branding him a traitor to the Crown.

1968: Claire relates that she had returned to Frank, who disbelieved her story but insisted on helping her raise Brianna, and asked that she would only tell Brianna the truth after his death. Upon hearing it, Brianna refuses to believe Claire's story. Claire enlists Roger's help by revealing him as the descendant of Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis Duncan.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و سوم ماه دسامبر سال 2017میلادی

عنوان: سنجاقک در کهربا: کتاب دوم از سری بیگانه (غریبه)؛ نویسنده: دایانا گابالدون؛

سنجاقک در کهربا، دومین رمان از سری «بیگانه یا غریبه» از نویسنده ی آمریکایی «دیانا گابالدون (گبلدون)» است؛ این کتاب شامل عناصر تاریخی، عاشقانه، رمز و راز، ماجراجویی، و داستانی علمی-تخیلی است؛ رخدادهای این کتاب تلاشهای «جیمی فریزر» برای جلوگیری از انقلاب ژاکوبینهاست، که «کلر رندال» میداند برای اسکاتلندیها فاجعه بار خواهد بود؛ «دایانا گابالدون» در این کتاب دو شخصیت فراموش نشدنی «کلر رندال»، و «جیمی فریزر» را معرفی، و خوانشگران را با داستانی پر از ماجراجویی، و عشقیِ دو سده ی پیشین آشنا میکند

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 08/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Katrina Passick Lumsden rated it liked it · review of another edition

OK, so admittedly, it took me a really long time to finish this book, and yes, I have some problems with it.

While it started off great (mostly, I think, due to the fact that I was still coming down off the high caused by the first book), the story quickly devolved into a mess of boring details and gut-wrenching melodrama. I first became stuck somewhere around 70%, I believe. The story was just dragging. I managed, with far more time than is usually necessary for me, to make it to the 83% mark b OK, so admittedly, it took me a really long time to finish this book, and yes, I have some problems with it.

While it started off great (mostly, I think, due to the fact that I was still coming down off the high caused by the first book), the story quickly devolved into a mess of boring details and gut-wrenching melodrama. I first became stuck somewhere around 70%, I believe. The story was just dragging. I managed, with far more time than is usually necessary for me, to make it to the 83% mark before giving up. For months. I simply didn't have it in me to read any more. I knew what was coming, so not only did I not want to get to that part that I knew would make my stomach hurt, I also couldn't get past those ridiculously sleepy, dragged out battle details. Over and over again with the battles and the tending to the sick and the moving with the army.

Yesterday, however, I got an itch to read the first one again. I did so in a few hours (admittedly, I skimmed some, as this is not a book that can be read in its entirety in a few hours). After having done so, I was overwhelmed by the desire to finish this one. So I did. The ending of the book was much better than the rest of it. After all that snooze worthy political intrigue, it was nice to finally get to some climactic scenes. I wasn't disappointed, and even found myself unable to tear my focus away until I knew what happened (even though I knew it was going to be a bit heartbreaking).

I can't really describe what it is about these books that makes them so wonderful. If you're in any way a competent reader, you should be able to recognize and appreciate the time, effort, and care Diana Gabaldon put into crafting these stories. The character development is phenomenal. Claire and Jamie have a romance that feels absolutely real. That was what caught me again about the first book; after reading so many mediocre sexual fantasies disguised as romance fiction over the last year, it's truly amazing to read stories like these and be able to fully comprehend the meaning of the phrase "epic romance".

I'm really talking this up while only giving it three stars. Weird, I know. But the thing is, the book would have been perfect...had it just been edited down some. Gabaldon is a true wordsmith, but I fear her talent for words resulted in this book being rather too full of them. You wouldn't think such a thing was possible, but I assure you, it is. It's not that the book is too long, I love long stories. It's that the book is too long simply due to the endless political machinations and battle descriptions. I felt some of this could have been sped along without compromising the historical integrity of the work.

That being said, I'm glad I read it. I'm onto the third now, and really looking forward to more adventure. ...more

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Apr 23, 2008 Julianna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone Who Enjoys Historical Fiction or Historical and/or Time Travel Romance

Shelves: read-2009, historical-fiction, time-travel-romance, desert-island-keepers, historical-romance

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Dragonfly in Amber is no ordinary romance novel. In fact, in spite of its romance and paranormal elements, it is far more of a historical novel than anything else in my opinion. This book basks the reader in lush descriptions of 18th century European history, from the political intrigue in the courts of King Louis XV of France, to the everyday life of a merchant, to the inner workings of hospitals of that time. Then it sweeps the reader along, back to the beautiful Scotti ...more

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Feb 20, 2008 Lisbeth Solberg rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: book-group

"Ugh, what a dreadful cover. I'm supposed to have this read by Sunday afternoon."

Okay, Wendy's book group will meet tomorrow to discuss book three in the Outlander series, but I just finished this second one, and man, it was a long haul, and I don't just mean the length.

What didn't work for me: the self-satisfied tone of the author's voice behind her main character, repetitive phrases (mouths always "twitching" rather than almost smiling), excessive detail without sensory or emotional power, too ...more

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Jun 21, 2014 Mo rated it it was amazing

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ... and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his....

I will ...more

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Aug 03, 2017 Fabian rated it really liked it

In this enthralling sequel to the hard-to-forget "Outlander" we're once more cast upon ancient European lands of yore with a roving eye which captures both the historical revisionism AND its own inherent nonsensicality attached to the serious-as-stone (heh heh) time traveling theme. Gabaldon has expertly built for us a tremendously detailed world that feels like one supremely kick ass history class lesson. (All persistent readers, I sincerely think, have had in their lifetimes a least a few hand ...more

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Dec 16, 2015 Polly Florence rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book completely blew my mind. I am in awe by Diana Gabaldon's ability to write something so beautiful and descriptive, so exciting and so heartbreaking.

Yes it took me about a month overall to read because there are parts which can be slow and dense, but I appreciate so much being able to really take my time with a story and become so invested in the history, the plot and the characters.

And these characters!!!! They have totally taken a hold of my heart and I don't see them letting go any t ...more

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Mar 30, 2016 Angela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: badass-females, read-it-and-weep, 5-star-favorites

Tears.

Read this review and others over on my blog
Between the sheets & covers blog
Between the sheets & covers blog
Between the sheets & covers blog ...more

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Sep 11, 2017 Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kissing-books, georgian, halloween-2017-reading-challenge, sexy-scotsmen, hero-hall-of-fame, you-can-watch-it-on-the-telly, historical-romance, omg-wtf-pagecount, timelords

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🎃 Read for the Unapologetic Romance Readers Halloween 2017 Reading Challenge for the category of: a romance with a Celtic theme 🎃

I recently reread and reviewed OUTLANDER, to see if it would hold up to my initial reading. To my pleasant surprise, it did. I enjoyed the book so much that I immediately launched into the sequel, DRAGONFLY IN AMBER. The book starts out in the present day for Claire - the 1960s. Now she has a daughter in he ...more

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Jun 13, 2014 Lucia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bookshelves-owned, favorites, 5-stars-read, historical

UPDATE:

This book was even better second time around! Probably because I knew what to expect so I didn’t feel like I would die of anxiety attack every other chapter and could properly enjoy/feel all the tiny details/emotions of this story.

REVIEW:

“I’m honest enough to say that I dinna care what the right and wrong of it may be, so long as you are here wi’ me, Claire,” he said softly. “If it was a sin for you to choose me…then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him for tempting ye to it.”

...more

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Oct 19, 2014 Amy | Foxy Blogs marked it as on-hold-for-now

LET THE KILT DROP #2

description

SERIES:

Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) by Diana Gabaldon

Voyager (Outlander, #3) by Diana Gabaldon

Drums of Autumn (Outlander, #4) by Diana Gabaldon

The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) by Diana Gabaldon

A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, #6) by Diana Gabaldon

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

Written in My Own Heart's Blood (Outlander, #8) by Diana Gabaldon

This series is comprised of one epic story. Each book is like a chapter in that larger story. It is recommended that you read the books in the order they were published.
To find out when book 9 will be released click here.

Novellas:

The Space Between (Outlander, #7.5) by Diana Gabaldon

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (Outlander, #8.5) by Diana Gabaldon

(#7.5)(#8.5)
...more

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Aug 02, 2009 Tatiana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Outlander fans

Shelves: historical, 2009

"Drangonfly in Amber" starts with Claire coming back to 70s Scotland after the death of her husband Frank. You don't have to be a genius to realize right away that something had gone really wrong between Claire and Jamie in the 18th century. So I started the book a little sad knowing that I was surely headed for a heartbreak.

The book however soon goes back to Jamie and Claire through Claire's memories. We meet them where the 1st book left off - on the way to France to attempt to stop Charles Stu "Drangonfly in Amber" starts with Claire coming back to 70s Scotland after the death of her husband Frank. You don't have to be a genius to realize right away that something had gone really wrong between Claire and Jamie in the 18th century. So I started the book a little sad knowing that I was surely headed for a heartbreak.

The book however soon goes back to Jamie and Claire through Claire's memories. We meet them where the 1st book left off - on the way to France to attempt to stop Charles Stuart’s plans to reclaim the throne of Scotland. Naturally, a series of adventures follows as we see our couple travel from Paris to Lallybroch to Edinburgh, etc.

Just like "Outlander," "Dragonfly in Amber" is full of adventure, curious historical facts, fascinating characters and very touching scenes of love and kinship. The passion and smuttiness of the "Outlander" are almost gone as Claire and Jamie settle into their comfortable marriage. You miss it a little in the beginning, but soon the void is filled by scenes of true companionship and marital devotion (I know, it sounds corny, but it’s not).

Although I truly enjoyed the book, I did have some concerns with it. Unlike "Outlander" written entirely from Claire's POV, this book jumps from 1st person narration to 3rd person narration in the first and last part of the book; and in the middle - a few times from Claire's to Jamie's POV. This bothered me. While I understand the need for it, I believe there is a better way to relay the story without resorting to multiple and sometimes unnecessary POVs.

The other issue I have is with the idea of time-travel itself. I wonder how Gabaldon is going to handle the issue in her future books, but I couldn't quite understand why for instance Claire would stop Jamie from killing Jack Randall to ensure the birth of her 1st husband Frank, but would readily agree to try to change the course of history knowing that the consequences of it could in theory affect the lives of millions of people, including Claire's. I am still a little puzzled by it. Plus, is Gabaldon's theory that it is impossible to change the future at all? Because so far Claire and Jamie have been unable to stop anything from happening.

In spite of these concerns, "Dragonfly in Amber" is still an engrossing read which makes you both happy and sad, heartbroken and delighted. I will definitely read "Voyager," especially because this second book in the series ends with quite a cliffhanger.

Reading challenge: #1 - D ...more

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Dec 25, 2019 ¸¸.•*¨*•♫ Mrs. Buttercup •*¨*•♫♪ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: public-library

"I stood still, vision blurring, and in that moment, I heard my heart break. It was a small, clean sound, like the snapping of a flower's stem."

I absolutely love this series! It's funny to see that I started 2019 reading the first book of Outlander and I finish it with the second one... I sure hope it doesn't get me ten years to read through it all!!! 🤣

My appreciation for these books is a great mystery to me, because I generally avoid any kind of romance, especially the kind with explicit sex ...more

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Nov 14, 2015 Carole (Carole's Random Life) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2015, series, audio-book

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

I feel like I should warn you before you read too much of this review that there will be gushing. Major gushing. You see, I am in love with Jamie Frasier. I can't help it. It just happened and I am powerless to stop it. I had to admit to my husband that I was in love with a fictional character. He just shrugged his shoulders and looked at me like I was crazy. Oh well.

This is a story that is really all about the characters. And Jamie is one he ...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Duchess Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-historical-romance, genre-time-travel-romance, hyped, 4-star-read, epic, favorite-heroes, hero-is-an-alpha, favorite-heroine, lessons-learned, make-me-cry

"For I had come back, and I dreamed once more, in the cool air of the Highlands. And the choice of my dream still echoed through ears and heart, repeated with the sound of Brianna's sleeping breath."

For those of you who haven't read Outlander, I'd think any reviews for books further in the series would be spoiler-ish...mine included.

I'm sitting here dumbfounded, having just finished Dragonfly in Amber. I'm thinking about what to say in a review and trying to think back to the beginning of t ...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Erin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: series, diana-gabaldon

Re-read for the 6th time??? SPOILERS ahead

Having been a fan of the books since 2001, I am still taken by surprise how many of my fellow Outlander enthusiasts don't really care for this book. I realize this has to do with 1) The jarring beginning that alerts us to our favorite couple being separated from one another; and 2) Jamie and Claire leave the Scottish highlands for flashy Paris in an effort to stop the Jacobite uprising ; a place they argue rugged ScotsmanJamie Fraser doesn't really fi ...more

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Aug 06, 2018 Francesca Stubbs rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

4.5 Stars

What a BEAST of a series! Reading two books over 600 pages long back-to-back is like running a book marathon! It's a damn good thing that the OUTLANDER series has become an obsession of mine. And in this case, too much is never enough! Actually, let me take that back. DRAGONFLY IN AMBER was a fantastic follow-up. The Scots! The British! The French! History, passion, magic, betrayal, war, heartbreak, death, and sex. Everything you loved about OUTLANDER has managed to find it's way into D ...more

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Aug 28, 2019 Ken rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Whilst waiting for the new series of Outlander to air, I’ve finally decided to pluck these gigantic books from the pile!
Even though they seem daunting, the vivid attention to detail and strong cast of characters - it’s easy to get consumed in this historical romantic fantasy saga.

I was fully prepared for the opening chapters being set in 1968 and love how Gabaldon plays with time, here the reader is introduced to Clair’s grownup daughter for the first time.
The clever Timey-Wimey narrative teases ...more

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May 28, 2017 Iris rated it it was amazing

5 Out of 5 Stars

This book stole my heart, I want to establish once more that Diana Gabaldon is an amazing writer. She gets me so invested and she plays with my emotions. Her plottwists are amazing and they keep surprising me.

The beginning was quite weird, since it starts of at a very weird point. So I had to check if I was really reading the second book. It does give a different dimension to the story and you want to find out what happend. She kept me in the dark for almost 600 pages, and I ju ...more

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Play Book Tag: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, Part 1 - 5 Stars	3	10	Nov 09, 2021 01:42PM
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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 Dragonfly in Amber

“I stood still, vision blurring, and in that moment, I heard my heart break. It was a small, clean sound, like the snapping of a flower's stem.” — 3684 likes

“I will find you," he whispered in my ear. "I promise. If I must endure two hundred years of purgatory, two hundred years without you - then that is my punishment, which I have earned for my crimes. For I have lied, and killed, and stolen; betrayed and broken trust. But there is the one thing that shall lie in the balance. When I shall stand before God, I shall have one thing to say, to weigh against the rest."

His voice dropped, nearly to a whisper, and his arms tightened around me.

Lord, ye gave me a rare woman, and God! I loved her well.” — 1587 likes

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