The second book in Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling Outlander series, Dragonfly in Amber opens in present day (well, late 1960s, I think, if I do the math correctly, but more present day than eighteenth century). Claire has returned to Scotland after her husband Frank’s death, and she’s brought her daughter, tall red haired Brianna, with her. The trip is ostensibly a mother-daughter vacation, but Claire is actually looking for a way to tell Brianna that her real father is Jamie Fraser, the man Claire married in Scotland…two hundred years ago.
Exiled from Scotland, Jamie and Claire find their way to France, where Jaime is to take over temporarily for his cousin Jared, a wealthy, well-connected wine merchant. Together, they enter a world of court espionage and intrigue, working to foil Bonnie Prince Charlie’s attempts to take the Scottish throne. The reader is introduced to Lord John Grey (a character who spawned his own series), Fergus, a young, nimble French boy rescued from a brothel (and the evils of Jack Randall), and Geillis Duncan, a woman who has a secret just as shocking as Claire’s.
But Claire and Jamie’s attempts to thwart the rebellion and the subsequent slaughter of the Scottish clans appear unsuccessful, and suddenly they find themselves on the field at Culloden, where so many Scots are to die. Jamie, resigned to his fate, forces Claire back through the stones, where she returns to her life with Frank, pregnant with Jamie’s daughter.
This second installment wanders a bit more than the first, but Jamie and Claire’s love story is just as intense as when we first met them in Outlander. They come together and fall apart, but they always, always are connected. Once again, theirs is a true partnership, one that stands out even more starkly against the backdrop of a time when women were not seen as equals. And their love is one that, quite literally, stands the test of time.
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This is my favourite book of the series so far and I suspect it will remain so. Gabaldon is so much more secure as a writer and history provides sufficient machinations that she need not invent any. Och, Jamie. He is spectacular.
Is this a re-read or a first time through for you?
This is a reread. I’m trying to remember where I broke up with Jamie and Claire. I remember they were in America, and it was Revolution time, and Roger and Bree were there. They just got so long and I just sort of lost interest.
But yes, Jamie is spectacular. In many, many, many ways.
I do adore this book. As I have sadly discovered upon my most recent re-read, the later books, and especially the added focus on Bree and Roger, just cannot hold my attention in the same way. Still, I need to re-read them all (and read Echo in the Bone for the first time) before the new book is out this summer.
All my quibbles aside, I love Jamie and Claire and their epic romance so much that all the other asides are irrelevant, as long as I get to spend some more time with them. Are you going to review the whole series for CBR6?
Yeah, they just got so long and involved, and I finally sort of wandered away. Roger’s great and all, but he’s no Jamie (who is, really?).
I thought about reviewing the whole series, but ohmygod, they’re just so freaking long. We’ll see. I’m almost done with number 3, and then I have to take a break for awhile.
On reread, I really am tired of this one. All of the scenes in France can go out the window. Great review though!
I wondered if you would stop by. I know you don’t enjoy this one. This one at least has a through line to work with should the series get to a second season.
I do like Master Raymond and Mother Hildegard and the scenes with them, but I guess the court intrigue drags on for me.
The France thing was okay, but I have to say, I sort of skimmed a lot of it. I mean, how many times can we go to court or have a ball or go to the apothecary’s? Can’t we just have Jamie and Claire, you know, fooling around?
I share your love of Dragonfly and Jamie. Tots. I struggle with Gabaldon because I love the first 2.5 books entirely and will re-read them every 2-3 years with great gusto. But then they start sliding off the rails. I didn’t even make it through An Echo in Bone, and what I did read was largely skimming. I guess I’ll buy the next one but at this point I feel I’m spending my money as a thank you gift to Gabaldon for books #1-#2 more so than due to any enjoyment I get out of the continuing series.
And I have all things Brianna and Roger. I understand the instinct to create romantic couple #2 because as Jamie and Clair push into their 60s people are less keen to hear about their naked times. But ugh….no.
Still I don’t want my grousing to overshadow the fact that Dragonfly is great and I love your review :)