Tschakka! I've just finished another ham.

That Ending Though!!

It was truly a remarkable and unexpected conclusion. The story had been building up anticipation, and then, boom! The ending just blew me away. I was left with my mouth hanging open, completely shocked and amazed. I can't wait to share my detailed thoughts and analysis in the upcoming review. There were so many elements and twists in the ending that I need to carefully dissect and discuss. It's one of those endings that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. Stay tuned for the review coming soon, where I'll delve deeper into the brilliance of that ending and explore all the aspects that made it so unforgettable.

Fist read... Jan 2012

Second read... March 2013

First listen... 2013

Second listen... Oct/Nov 2014


This was my second reading of the book, and I have to say that the story and DG's writing still manage to amaze me.

Although I could recall the major events from my first read, it was the seemingly smaller moments that really stood out to me this time around. The story is so rich and full of life, filled with elements of family, adventure, love, heartbreak, trials, and the enduring passion that exists between Jamie and Claire.

It's truly a captivating tale that draws you in and makes you feel as if you are a part of their world.

If Goodreads would allow it, I would毫不犹豫地 give this book 6 stars. I absolutely fell in love with the entire Fraser family all over again. Their relationships, their struggles, and their triumphs are all so beautifully depicted that it's impossible not to be moved by their story.

This is a book that I will continue to revisit time and time again, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good historical romance or a story that will tug at your heartstrings.

4.5/5

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

A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the sixth installment in the captivating Outlander series penned by Diana Gabaldon. The story revolves around Claire Randall, a time-traveling 20th-century doctor, and her 18th-century Scottish Highlander warrior husband, Jamie Fraser. This series beautifully combines elements of historical fiction, romance, adventure, and science fiction/fantasy.

Claire, as the wife of Jamie Fraser, finds herself in the midst of the politics and turmoil leading up to the American Revolution. In the previous novel, The Fiery Cross, political unrest in the colonies was starting to reach a boiling point, and the Frasers were attempting to live peacefully on their isolated homestead in the foothills of North Carolina. However, Jamie suddenly faces a difficult抉择. He must walk a fine line between his loyalty to the oath he swore to the British crown and his hope for freedom in the new world. This conflict within him adds another layer of complexity to the already rich and engaging story.

The first reading date was on the seventh day of March in 2018. The title in Persian is " بیگانه (غریبه): کتاب ششم: نفس برف و خاکستر"، and the author is Diana Gabaldon. Claire, along with her 18th-century husband Jamie Fraser, is confronted with the politics and turmoil of the upcoming American Revolution. The previous novel, "The Fiery Cross", began with political unrest in the colonies, and Jamie Fraser tried to live peacefully in his secluded home in the foothills of North Carolina. Suddenly, Jamie is faced with the challenge of choosing between loyalty to the vow he made to the British crown and his hope for freedom in the new world. And...; A. Sharbiani

**4.5 stars**

This book, this series, is an absolute love fest. It's truly a remarkable collection that has captured the hearts of many. You would have to have a deep affection for it to have come this far in the series and be dedicated enough to read these long books. I'm always a bit hesitant to start one, but once I do, I'm completely swept away. And then, when I'm finished, I'm filled with a profound sense of sadness.

As with all the books in this series, DG manages to pack an enormous amount of "happenings" into them. In fact, I actually had to take notes to keep track of everything. But I'm not sure I can really discuss them without spoiling something. Suffice it to say that this book will take you on a roller coaster of emotions. Everything you think might happen will indeed happen, and then some.

Here are some things I want to highlight, although you may not understand them if you haven't read the book:
♦ Claire's surgery/ether
♦ Cherokee agent/naked women
♦ Lizzie/Manfred/Bobby
♦ Roger/Amy/"calling"
♦ Claire event #1/Donner
♦ Henri-Christian/Ian with the wolf hide
♦ Claire event #2/her hair
♦ Fergus!!
♦ Ian and Bree's trip
♦ Lizzie/Jo/Kezzie
♦ lice/Roger & Jem
♦ Malva !!! (knew who it was!)
♦ arrest/Governor's house/Tom Christie
♦ Bonnet!!
♦ Amanda
♦ Brianna/Will
♦ Jamie's "dreams"
♦ stones
♦ fire/gold
♦ BOX!!

This is another fantastic addition to the series. I loved Claire and Jamie and Roger and Brianna! However, I didn't care for all the war talk and the correspondence. Thankfully, it was only a very small part.

Favorite quotes:
♥ “Ye’ve no idea how lovely ye look, stark naked, wi’ the sun behind you. All gold, like ye were dipped in it.”
♥ “If I die,” he whispered in the dark, “dinna follow me. The bairns will need ye. Stay for them. I can wait.”
♥ “Ye’ll do, Auntie,” he said. “It’s still you, isn’t it?”
♥ “Claire,” he said, quite gently, “it was you. It’s always been you, and it always will be. Get into bed, and put the candle out. As soon as I’ve fastened the shutters, smoored the hearth, and barred the door, I’ll come and keep ye warm.”
♥ “Ye’re mine, Sassenach. And I would do anything I thought I must to make that clear.”
♥ “But we are here, all of us. And we’re here because I loved you, more than the life that was mine. Because I believed you loved me the same way.”
♥ “I canna look at ye asleep without wanting to wake ye, Sassenach.” His hand cupped my breast, gently now. “I suppose I find myself lonely without ye.”

This book is a must-read for fans of the series. It continues to build on the rich and complex world that DG has created, filled with unforgettable characters and thrilling adventures. If you haven't started this series yet, now is the perfect time to do so. You won't be disappointed.

Diana Gabaldon's writing is truly amazing. She has this remarkable ability to continuously guide me through this captivating life journey along with Claire and Jamie.

There is no doubt that the drama within these pages never ceases. Readers are now thrust into the full-blown American Revolution, where Jamie once again finds himself in the face of danger.

The drama only intensifies as Claire too encounters forces that are almost beyond her capabilities to overcome and escape. As they age, this couple's love for one another only deepens.

There are answers to some of the past mysteries, but at the same time, new ones emerge for us to contemplate. We are treated to more of the growing family, which continues to impact the storyline with even greater intensity.

And now, off I go to continue my Outlander marathon in Number Seven, eager to see what new adventures and revelations await.

The first book truly captivated me with its intricate details and engaging plot. I was completely immersed in the story.

The second book, however, took a rather unexpected turn with a significant time jump that initially made me angry. But then, it managed to bring me joy again.

The third book continued to hold my interest firmly, keeping me hooked.

Unfortunately, the fourth book had a somewhat sluggish pace, which was a bit of a letdown.

The fifth book, on the other hand, made me long to listen to all the previous parts again. Gabaldon's excessive focus on homesteading, though, was a bit overdone.

The sixth book frustrated me with its slow-moving story, overemphasis on details, and the continued and rather inexplicable use of multiple narrators. This only seemed to prolong my agony.

If the last two books have been less than ideal and even a waste of time, I wonder why I still continued the series and moved on to "A Breath of Snow and Ashes". I really wish I knew the answer.

The writing in this series is far from great. It is repetitive and often worthy of an eye roll or a snort of disbelief. Gabaldon uses the same phrases, descriptions, and dialogue repeatedly, which gets old very quickly.

Moreover, the entire series feels like one big, bad soap opera. The villain, Stephen Bonnet, is like the Stefano of the eighteenth century, suffering countless ways to die but always managing to survive and torment his victims.

Despite all this, I keep listening, yelling at the characters for their stupidity and getting anxious on their behalf, even though I know they will all survive for at least two more books. I seem to be trapped in the Outlander world and can't find a way out.

In the early books of the series, the sex scenes were a unique aspect of the romance novel. They were actually crucial to the story, allowing readers to learn more about Clare and Jamie's vulnerabilities and sensitivities.

However, in these later novels, the sex scenes have lost their charm. There is nothing new to learn about Jamie and Clare, and the descriptions have become rather off-putting.

Jamie's comments about Clare's body make him seem like a lecherous old man, which is just wrong. And the excessive attention to all females' breasts is both annoying and disappointing.

Then there is the issue with Jamie and Clare's daughter, Bree, and her husband, Roger. I really don't like them. Bree is one of the most spoiled and stupid characters in print, and Roger became thoroughly uninteresting after marrying her.

Their presence in the story often causes more complications than solutions, and their sex scenes are neither erotic nor romantic.

The problem is that I have already spent so much time listening to these audiobooks that I can't bring myself to quit the series now. I still want to know how Jamie and Clare die and get some closure.

So, I will continue with the series, onto book 7 and eventually book 8 when it is released next year. Maybe by then, Gabaldon will have made it possible for me to say goodbye.

Until then, I will likely continue to experience more yelling, eye-rolling, and general frustration at the slow pacing, repetitive syntax, unnecessary narrative shifts, and completely unnecessary sex scenes. It truly is the book world's equivalent of a daytime soap opera.

Where I obtained the book was an audiobook from Audible.

I have dedicated a significant portion of a year to listening to the Outlander series. To be honest, at this stage, the books seem to be merging into one another. Most of the time, the overarching story isn't really a cohesive narrative but rather a framework that contains a plethora of smaller stories. Some of these are resolved promptly, while others are left hanging for a later installment. Whenever the pace slows down, one of the women inevitably gets kidnapped, raped, or threatened with kidnap or rape, or perhaps all of the above. This was likely a common occurrence in pre-revolutionary America.

Then, Jamie makes his appearance and rescues everyone, and promptly takes Claire to bed. Considering she is around 55 years old by now, she is doing remarkably well. They don't seem to go more than three days without having a passionate encounter. Jamie never shows any interest in anyone else, and he actually likes it when Claire gains a bit of weight because it directly affects her lovely round posterior. He is indeed the perfect man.

After hundreds of hours of listening, Gabaldon's writing has become quite predictable. She never misses an opportunity to use a clichéd phrase, she endlessly describes the appearance of Jamie's hair, and she loves to digress into tangents about 18th-century science or doctoring. The narrator, Davina Porter, never loses her enthusiasm, although I have noticed that she sometimes mixes up an accent here and there.

And you know what? When I'm finished with these books, I'll actually miss them. They may be meandering and far too long, but they are still enjoyable to listen to. One day, I'll probably go back to the beginning and start all over again.

3.5 stars

Well, I still remain quite clueless about what Starz is up to with the timeline. However, it's evident that they have dissected both The Fiery Cross and this book. They've seemingly discarded all the filler content (and there's an abundance of it) and then rearranged what was left for reasons known only to them. Strangely enough, this rearrangement does seem to benefit the chosen story arcs in the best possible way.

I truly despise the entire arc involving the Christies. It's a concoction of so much melodrama and unpleasantness all rolled into one family. Moreover, it's drawn out far beyond the point where it should have been resolved. And then there's the oddity with Lizzy and the twins. I was rather surprised that the abduction and rape of Claire occurred in the first quarter of the book, as I had recalled it happening much later. We get to learn more about Ian's life with the Mohawk, and of course, there's the mystery surrounding who is setting fires to homesteads around the mountainsides. Finally, there's also the fallout with Bonnet that needs to be dealt with. So, yes, there's a great deal happening, and there's plenty to keep things interesting. But, on the flip side, there's also an excessive amount of filler that at times makes the story drag. If I hadn't listened to this at 1.35x speed, I'm certain I would never have been able to get through it all.

Thankfully, we do actually finally reach some key moments in the events that lead up to the revolution in this book. Even though our characters aren't in a position to directly participate in these events, they are still aware of them, and the way they are incorporated into the story is rather nice. There's also good humor sprinkled throughout, especially with Adso and the sow, which helps to break up the drama and adds a touch of lightness to the overall narrative.

Breath of Snow and Ashes - Ex
Gabaldon, Diana - 6th in series
The year 1772 is a time of great unrest. On the eve of the American Revolution, the fuse of rebellion has been lit. Men have lost their lives in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins are ablaze in the forest.

With chaos brewing, the governor turns to Jamie Fraser. He asks him to unite the backcountry and protect the colony for the King and Crown. However, Jamie's wife knows that in three years, the famous shot heard round the world will be fired, leading to independence. Those loyal to the King will either be dead or in exile. There is also a small clipping from The Wilmington Gazette dated 1776, reporting Jamie's death along with his kin. For once, Jamie hopes that his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.

The only word to describe this book is "FANTASTIC." Fortunately, Gabaldon has announced that there will be two more books in the series. This is a series that I would love to see continue indefinitely. I can't wait to see what adventures and challenges Jamie and his family will face next.

I managed to finish yet another hefty book =) But this one truly made me shed tears in the end. Just nooooooooo. I'll discuss that later. Still, I absolutely love it!

I guess I'll include some *SPOILERS*.

So this review is not in any specific order. As I've mentioned before, I'm listening to the books on audio and marking my place in the physical copy, and they're all starting to blend together. There's so much going on in the books, and I love most of it. Well, not the bad stuff!

There are some hilarious parts in the book. My favorite is when Bree is in the shed chasing away a raccoon that's eating their food, and Roger comes in, scaring her, and she hits him in the head with a potato! I wanted to include the excerpt of this, but I forgot to mark the spot. I was laughing so hard at that part and Roger's reaction.

There's also a funny incident involving a snake in the church. But I can't remember the others because I'm so upset about the ending. It's nothing major, just wait.

Life is progressing for everyone. BUT...

Marsali (Fergus' wife) and Claire are out working on the stuff for making booze. They're all alone, not thinking anything of it. Then some jerks show up and attack the women because they want the booze, but the women don't have any. These bastards kick Marsali in the pregnant stomach and take off with Claire. Claire, of course, gets raped and beaten almost to death. I think these are the same men who killed a family, sold some of the kids, and burned another one alive in the home. I'm pretty sure they are. Oh, how they deserve to die. And they do...

All the evil people should meet the same fate. Anyway, Jamie breaks a neck and has the boys kill the rest of the gang. He takes Claire to make her look at all the dead bodies so she knows they're gone and can't hurt her anymore. It was horrible. And the part before this, when Jamie and Roger find that family killed and the little girl still alive in the burned house, OMG, I can't even. I mean, Roger had to suffocate her because it was so dreadful, and I felt sorry for everyone involved.

Marsali and Fergus have another child, and he's a dwarf. Marsali names him Henri-Christian. So they have a whole bunch of kids now. But some mean little kids tried to drown Henri, and luckily Roger was there to save him and give those evil kids what they deserve. Not long after that, Fergus tries to kill himself, and luckily Jamie is there. It made me so sad. Jamie and Claire have to send them away and get Fergus a job at a printer, and Fergus is happy, so hopefully everything will work out.

Bree finally gets her revenge on her rapist. She shoots him in the head. Good riddance.

Bree and Roger also have a little girl named Amanda Claire Hope, and there are some medical issues with her that Claire can't fix because it's something advanced.

This is where I get really sad because Bree, Roger, and the kids go back through the stones to save the baby. And now Claire and Jamie only have Ian, and it's so freaking sad because that whole family was there, and I want them back.

Just damn it all =(

Also, in these books, there are always references to the other books and things that happened. There are explanations, and I like that! Even still, I'm sad - BUT... on to the next.

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List