Book Review: Dragonfly in Amber {Tissues Required!}

It’s finally here! My review of Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon! This is the sequel to Outlander and although I have already read through all of the books I have been spacing my reviews out a bit (okay mostly I have been rereading the books but give a gal a break!) I will admit when I open the first page of this book I was like “WHAT!!!! Did I miss something?” We left off with Jamie and Claire at the abbey and now we are 20 years later!

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….

Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart … in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising … and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves….

Dragonfly in Amber was an emotional roller coaster for me. I mean there is one point in the book where I had to stop reading and cry for a good thirty minutes and then manage to barely cry my way through the rest of it. There is so much that happens in this book although I will say that some of the Paris stuff is a bit boring. Although it is important to the story and does lead to more important stuff. This book brings Jamie and Claire all the way to the battle of Culloden which if you know your history did not end well for the Scots.

The eve of the battle was the biggest crying jag I had. There was also an “I thought that rat b**t*** was dead!” moment and an “Oh now I know where Frank comes from” moment. A lot is explained in this book. Jamie and Claire’s love is as strong as ever although they are sorely tested throughout. The entire time I just kept hoping they would have more than a moment or two to just be happily married. Jamie has really begun to find himself in this book yet his Scottish temper and pride do get the better of him at times.

There are also some very funny scenes in the book as well. Such as Jamie explaining how you can tell when you are drunk and that he would not take to attacking women. Not to mention the scene where Jamie has spent the entire night out with the guys in a house of ill repute and Claire is anything but happy. The funny part of that scene to me was Jamie trying his best to explain things and dance around the truth before just coming out with it. This is also the book where Brianna and Roger meet for the first time. This is very important because they will become major characters in future books and to the story line.