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 just wanted to keep reading it.

Claire and Jamie are amazing and their characters keep developing, they have become one of my OTP's . Fergus also has a place in my heart and he's just a little rascal.

I'm really interested in where the series is going to go and I'm so glad that I started this series!

HUGE price drop to $0.99 at Amazon US, 12/10/14

**re-read for the third time**

Third time around thoughts: Not as strong as the first for me. I think because I've read it so many times, I got a little bored with some of the politics. But still incredibly romantic and special.

Book 2 in the Outlander series and I found I'd laughed, cried and had my heart broken a few times whilst reading this one.
We kind of get a bit more of a feel for the characters and enjoy them more.
It's more of an adventure and has a bit more storytelling to it which keeps you gripped, with a few questions asked and the answers.... Absolutely shocking!!
The ending to this is an absolute cliffhanger.
If you have patience and love a long drawn out book so far I'd definitely recommend this series

Wow! I am sure, all of the content of this book could be cut with 1/3! Being bogged-down in useless, if not uninteresting, details would be the death of those series... Still an engaging story, but wow, could we make it less voluminous??? For someone that gives so much attention to detail and emotion, the characters are still very clinical and somewhat dry and flat... With all the sexual action going on, I still do not believe the passion in Clare/Jamie connection. I think in this particular tome there was much-more emotion and sizzle in the several sentences between Mary and Alexander Randal... As I was saying, less is more....

3rd reread!!

**Jamie and Claire kill me, “knife or no.” This is my 3rd time reading Dragonfly in Amber and still I discovered new things. I can’t even describe my love for these characters. I also have a new appreciation for Jenny & Ian. The things Jenny had to go through when Ian’s leg was amputated. The way she described things. That woman is a powerhouse that loves her man, kids, brother and family fiercely. Somehow I had forgotten the part between Jamie and Ian when they were sleeping on the floor together and Ian snuggled up to Jamie in his sleep triggering his ptsd from the rape. That part was so heartbreaking, Jamie telling Ian what happened. It broke Ian’s heart. It reminded me in Virgins after Jamie’s flogging when Ian said that he would help Jamie kill BJR..These brothers of the heart are thick as thieves guarding each other’s weak side.

Then there’s Bree who I still wanted to smack a few good times for being a brat, but can also see what it’s like from her pov. Roger is her match in every way and I love them.

Jamie and Claire are my absolute loves though. Nothing compares to them and that scene at the stones circle when he’s sending her back through. It still makes me weep. It’s so well written that I can feel it sting my heart.

“It’s me that has the easy part now. For if ye feel for me as I do for you—then I am asking you to tear out your heart and live without it.” His hand stroked my hair, the roughness of his knuckles catching in the blowing strands. “But ye must do it, mo nighean donn. My brave lioness. Ye must.”

I just want to wrap myself in a warm blanket and binge OL forever.


2019:
“After the final battle at Culloden, eighteen Jacobite officers, all wounded, took refuge in the old house and for two days, their wounds untended, lay in pain; then they were taken out to be shot. One of them, a Fraser of the Master of Lovat’s regiment, escaped the slaughter; the others were buried at the edge of the domestic park.”
“One man, a Fraser of the Master of Lovat’s regiment, escaped.…” Roger repeated softly. He looked up from the stark page to see her eyes, wide and unseeing as a deer’s fixed in the headlights of an oncoming car. “He meant to die on Culloden Field,” Roger whispered. “But he didn’t.”

Even though it’s been five years since I’ve first read this book, it still holds a very special place in my heart. Rereads are awesome!

An absolute joy to read loved it

"Y si quieres vengarte, entonces bienvenida eres, porque mi alma es tuya, hasta sus profundidades más oscuras".

Pese a que lo he disfrutado muchísimo, sobre todo la última parte, este libro no me ha conquistado tanto como el primero. Venía de vivir una historia que me llevó al galope todo el rato y de repente este libro empieza algo más lento y pausado. La parte de las intrigas en la corte francesa a ratos se me hizo aburrido y tedioso. Sí que es cierto que luego muchas de las cosas que en esas páginas nos cuenta la autora, chismes, intrigas políticas, nos sirven más adelante, pero así y todo hubo momentos que se me hizo bastante pesado. Ahora, una vez que volvemos a Escocia entonces sí, agarraos que vienen curvas. Empieza otra vez ese ritmo trepidante y magnífico que tan bien sabe llevar Diana Gabaldon y que ha hecho que me haya enamorado de su narrativa, y de sus personajes, sí, de sus personajes también xD ¿Y ese final? Uffff… las últimas 200 páginas me las he bebido, literal. Confieso que según iban pasando las primeras páginas del libro pensaba darle 3 estrellas, pero ese final y esas páginas en que todo vuelve a su esencia han hecho que le suba a 4, sin dudarlo. No son 5 porque me ha faltado un poco de chispa al principio, pero, ¿qué si sigo enamorada de esta saga?, sí, hasta las trancas. ¿Qué si estoy deseando empezar el siguiente? pues también. Maravillosa es una palabra que se queda corta para describir esta saga. Confieso, también, que estoy deseando ponerme con la serie porque intuyo que en movimiento el señor y la señora Fraser me van a gustar todavía más ❤

This book!! I don't think i'll ever get tired of reading Outlander series despite the fact that each one of the book have around 900 pages (or probably more)!Diana Gabaldon's way of storytelling is brilliant,her books are amazingly written with so many details and incredible plot.

There is so much more in this book than Outlander. First book was intense and revolved around main characters most of the time,but in Dragonfly in Amber there are many twists,wars,and some really shocking truths at the end!

The beginning was a bit slow,perhaps to explain the reason behind what had happened with Claire and Jamie. And after some time, i was completely involved in the story and characters,and i really liked some of the new characters,one of them is Fergus.

I really didn't care much about Roger's appearance in the beginning ,even though he is going to appear in next books. All i care about is how the story of Jamie and Claire is going to progress over next books,and i don't mind reading a bit of other characters for that.

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

Oh,Jamie! I knew from the beginning what has happened, but still the ending made me emotional.There were so many things going on in the last 100 or 150 pages, and it was so heartbreaking to see what impact it had on Jamie and Claire's future.

I am going to read Voyager as soon as i am capable of reading another heavy book. And after that ending, i really can't wait to see what will happen next!

Review originally posted on A Frolic Through Fiction

I mean, it’s safe to say that this book – just like the first one – just blows my mind a little bit. The amount of detail poured into the story of this series is just incredible.

And, it’s also a great explanation for why each book is so bloomin’ long.

But sometimes, you just need a really lengthy fantasy book to delve into.

Now, I don’t usually like comparing one book to another, but this time I just have to, otherwise the point I’m about to make will make no sense. Because the fantasy element of this series reminds me of Game of Thrones. If you’ve read the book or watched the show, I’m sure you’ll understand what I mean. But basically, the fantasy isn’t the main part of the story. It’s not constantly full of magic or wonderful creatures. The fantasy is there, but it takes a backseat, and the story itself is much more about the characters trying to find their way in this historic world. Simply trying to get the best deal out of the time period and world they live in.

It’s not really surprising that I loved this book. I mean, my favourite genres are fantasy and historical fiction. This book is a mash up of those genres. It’s simple, really.

What isn’t simple, however, is the plot. Especially in this second book. It’s not difficult to keep up with the story, it’s definitely easy to follow…but with all the detail put into the book, I found it can feel like a story that needs to be thoroughly…digested?

I’m not explaining this well.

Put it this way. I found this book to be based a lot more on the political side of history, so a lot of names and titles can be thrown around along with political plans. And no, it’s not boring. But there were a few times I had to go back and reread certain paragraphs to digest what they’re talking about. Honestly though, that’s mainly because I’m not too great at keeping up with names, and for some reason I couldn’t wrap my head around the royal relations. But even then, I still knew what was happening.

n  God, I’ve managed to make this sound boring. Let me try again.n

Even though this book is much more politically based than the first book, it still makes your emotions roil. There’s plenty of action – I mean, how can I NOT love reading about old Scottish wars? There’s a whole lot of plotting and deviousness. There’s spies. There’s witchcraft. And there’s Claire and Jamie. Enough said.

It IS a slow read. I mean, it’s nearly 1000 pages long and full of the most indulgent details, but trust me when I say it’s worth it. If you’re looking for a good, long fantasy that is missing nothing…as long as you’re not put off by violence and all that sort of stuff, I’d definitely recommend you try this series!

I am developing a love/ hate relationship with this series. I care very much about the relationship that has grown between Claire and Jamie. Diana Gabaldon has built this complex, passionate, beautiful love story surrounding these two people. It is the draw that keeps fans true to these books, decades after their story began. Yet, my problems with this book began in the very first chapter and compounded over the course of the story.

My first issue may be one of the very biggest I had: the premise. In the aftermath of Outlander, I was ready for this epic love story to continue. Only this book begins with Claire back in her own time. She has returned through the stones, something she swore she would never do. Even worse, it's been 20 years since she has done it. She's nearly 50 years-old, with Jamie's grown daughter in tow. Frank is dead and she is ready to share the truth of the girl's parentage. All the Scots Claire knew and loved are long dead. Including Jamie. Their great love lasted less than three years. What. The. Hell.

I kept reading. I kept waiting for the facts to change. Surely with some wonky time travel, Gabaldon can fix this, right? I mean, the series is about Claire and Jamie. That would be difficult to sustain with Jamie dead, right? Well, I can't speak for future books, but every bit of Jamie we see in this book is done in flashback. It tells the story of all that happened to the couple between the end of the last book and the moment Claire stepped back through the stones.

The story is at its best during the flashbacks, but even they were not without problems. There was too much emphasis on politics. I couldn't keep up with all of the stuff about who should be the rightful king and which characters were on which side and why. It was extremely important to the story and I just didn't care. I cared about what was happening with Jamie and Claire. I cared a lot and there was plenty of that in the book as well. Frankly, it's the only thing that kept me from tossing the book aside. That, and my curiosity as to how Gabaldon would reconcile the premise with the idea that the series would continue.

I hated Jack Randall's return. I hated Claire's response to it and her whining about her needs to Jamie in order to keep him alive. I wanted to smack her in the mouth. What that man did to Jamie warrants something far worse than death, but Claire's selfishness kept him alive, forced Jamie to endure his presence, led to the rape of another innocent person, and all for nothing. It damaged her character so much for me.

On top of all this, the book is simply too long. It went on and on at times, and would have been much better for cutting out some of the endless political intrigue and set-up in the present day. It took way too long to get to the storyline that interested me. Part of me wants to wash my hands of the series, but two things hold me back. One, I still need to know how the heck the series can move forward with how the book ends. And, two, I need to see more Jamie and Claire. But do I want 50 year-old Jamie and Claire?? Eh.

I'll keep you posted.

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 handfuls of these.) The flawless expertise one cannot possibly question. Our submergence in these foreign terrains is TOTAL.

& the plot. Yes, because it's so ambitiously girthy and practically pointillist in its detail, it has a rollercoaster line plot that does nothing if not take the reader by surprise. Even a history buff learned in 1700s Scotland and France will not be able to tell where Dragonfly in Amber will land. The Sassenach and Scottish Playgirl fantasy hunk may really be the quintessential Homecoming queen and king of newer novel series. Following them into their castle after the party (in this tome: at Versailles!!!!) would be our sole choice as literary voyeuristic pervs. Joy!!!!

"Dragonfly in Amber" is a lusciously perfect way to continue Outlander. It couldn't happen any other way. It has to be this way. It is absolutely perfect in every way possible in my eyes, and I love it with sheer perfection.

Dragonfly in Amber, the second book of the Outlander series, continues with another amazing journey (or rather retelling) of Claire Randall/Fraser beyond time. But this time, Claire is back in her own time, year 1968, with daughter Brianna, already a twenty year old lass. Coming from America, Claire goes back to Scotland to hasten aid of Mr. Roger Wakefield, adopted son of Reverend Reginald Wakefield, (of whom we met in Outlander #1), to investigate what happened to the men of Lallybroch after the war at Culloden, to know if Jamie Fraser had carried out his final wishes to save his men & to reveal to Brianna the true nature of her heritage.

Claire shares her story of the battle to either stop the uprising or find victory for Bonnie Prince Charles Stuart, the Great Pretender.

But OMG! How am I going to narrate 752 pages of sheer perfection into something shorter, but something not too short of how perfect it was? It's hard.

But the next part is easy.

I LOVE JAMIE FRASER. JAMIE! JAMIE! JAMIE! JAMIE! I feel like a chit fresh from school. I'm resembling all the Edward Cullen fans/stalkers but with me, it's all about Jamie. I'm giddy. I'll end up a spinster if I don't find myself my own Jamie.

If you're not in love with Jamie yet, I'll make you fall in love with him too. Aside from his delicious and majestic body; he also has the sweetest and swoon worthy lines I've ever read in history. SPOILER ALERT! Coming up are my favorite Jamie Fraser lines from Dragonfly in Amber.

"I want to protect ye, sassenach- spread myself over ye like a cloak and shield you and the child wi' my body."

"Blood of my blood," he whispered, "and bone of my bone. You carry me within ye, Claire, and ye canna leave me now, no matter what happens. You are mine, always, if ye will it or no, if you want me or nay. Mine, and I wilna let you go."

"Claire. To feel the small bones of your neck beneath my hands, and that fine, thin skin on your breasts and your arms... Lord, you are my wife, whom I cherish and I love wi' all my life and still I want to kiss ye hard enough to bruise your tender lips, and see the marks of my fingers on your skin."

"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."

And when Claire asked why Jamie agreed not to kill Jack Randall (a loathsome human who abused our dear Jamie) this is what he said: "...I want there to be a place for you; I want someone for you to go to if I am... not there to care for you. If it canna be me, then I would have it a man who loves you."

"Damn you, too, Claire Randall Fraser, while I'm at it!" he said. "Damn right I begrudge! I grudge every memory of yours that doesna hold me, and every tear ye've shed for another, and every second you spent in another man's bed! Damn you! You're mine, damn ye, Claire Fraser! Mine, and I wilna share ye, with a man or memory, or anything whatever, so long as we both shall live."

When Claire woke up in the middle of the night and Jamie wasn't asleep, Claire tells Jamie she loves him. Jamie replies: "I know it," he said quietly. "I do know it, my own. Let me tell ye in your sleep how much I love you. For there's no so much I can be saying to ye while ye wake, but the same poor words, again and again. While ye sleep in my arms, I can say things to ye that would be daft and silly waking, and your dreams will know the truth of them. Go back to sleep, mo duinne."

And just before Jamie sends Claire back: "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 one thing that shall lie in the balance. When I stand before God, I shall have one thing to say to weigh against the rest. Lord, ye have given me a rare woman, and God! I loved her well."

End of spoilers! I can swoon now. But I have to continue a little more. Are you in love with Jamie yet? If not, please pick this book and see how his every gesture is swoon worthy.

As usual, Diana Gabaldon is wordy. Not that I complain, because every word and every page is a necessity to make such a wonderful story come alive right in front of your very eyes (or rather imagination).

Also, the ending is the best and worst cliffhanger ever! Best because I'm verra verra anxious to read the next and worst because it made me figuratively feel why endings like these are called cliffhangers. I felt like I've been dropped from a cliff.

To ye, Diana Gabaldon, thank you for the gift of Jamie.

And to ye, dear reader of this review (or rather narrative on how obsessed I am with Jamie), do yourself a favor, try and give yourself some Jamie loving. ♥