Reviews with content warning for Torture - Dragonfly in Amber

Dragonfly in Amber reunites us Claire Randall Fraser and some of our many other beloved and not so beloved characters from the first Outlander novel. This book does a time hop a current Claire with her now grown daughter Brianna unfolds the truth behind Brianna's father and what happened that lead Claire to have to come back through the stones. We learn the attempts made to try to save the men from the dreaded fate of the many bloodshed battles about to occur over the Scottish lands.

Diana Gabaldon does an amazing job interweaving incredibly accurate historical information into her writings. I have learned so much about various Scottish tribes and have gone on to do my own leisure reading about the different real life clans myself. The author also includes extensive research into medical and livelihood means during this time period which really transport one into the book.

I enjoy the diversity of character's in this book including the every mysterious minor character Master Raymond. Mother Hildegarde and her dog Bouton have a special place in my heart. And Donas the loyal horse.
My only downfall for this novel is the first 350ish pages were slow. It was hard to get into and the characters POV's would occasionally switch without notice and it would take a moment to realize who was narrating. Although the beginning was a slow start, all the information was needed and necessary to understanding everything that was and is to come.

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kellymoroney's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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jennmheath's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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kimveach's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm amazed at how easy and enjoyable it is to read an almost 1000-page book. This author is amazing.

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brownieboo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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hannahbailey's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I enjoyed this a lot more than the first one; perhaps I was coming in with lower expectations. Rich in its historical setting, we travel from Scotland to Paris and back again. Really enjoyed learning more about the politics of the time and the Jacobite rebellion. Hated seeing the English win ofc, we're always the villains 😫

This was a comfort read as the story and characters were familiar. However I was kept engaged by the high stakes not only of Paris aristocracy but civil war too! There is something quite mesmerising about Gabaldon's writing, despite the smut scenes.

TW: r*pe, SA, misogyny, murder, death, PTSD, miscarriage, violence, kidnapping, torture

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