Outlander Part VII

I closed the pages on An Echo in the Bone on Saturday afternoon with a resounding sense of... well it has to be said satisfaction. Not that I would be giving anything away to those that are still awaiting their copies to arrive from the Library or under the Christmas Tree by saying that nothing is neatly tied up as it was at the end of A Breath of Snow and Ashes. But more on that later.

Claire and Jamie are so well known to their fans, that it is hard to write a review as I feel many out there know them better than me, and without giving too much away. But here goes my best attempt.

Diana Gabaldon said when we went to see her in North Shore earlier this year, that this novel has four parts to it, as symbolised by the emblem on the front of the book. Claire and Jamie return and we follow their journey (along with Ian) from the Fraser's Ridge in North Carolina back to Scotland (although as you would expect with these two, they are interrupted from taking the direct route there). I was thrilled that we also get to follow Brianna and Roger in the twentieth century, battling their demons from the past and trying to put down roots for themselves and their children. The third viewpoint is told from that of Lord John whose world of intrigue is reintroduced to the storyline and the fourth is a fully grown figure of his stepson William, now a Lieutenant in the British Forces in the colony. Those who have followed the series since Cross Stitch will know William's background and what it might mean to where the author will lead us.

There are some new characters to meet along the way (such as Denny and Rachel Hunter) as well as some old (Jenny Fraser Murray). With the addition of some cameos from famous figures from the American War of Independence recognised even in New Zealand (Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Franklin) and the tangled lives they lead courtesy of Diana Gabaldon and it all makes for sometimes complex but enjoyable reading.

An Echo in the Bone starts off at a slow and deliberate pace, carefully setting the scene. At times I found the density of the detail and slow pace infuriating, something I occasionally found in the past with some of the middle volumes of the series. However, this book picked up speed as we moved away from Fraser's Ridge and into some of the intial battles of the War of Independence. By the end (page 814), I was incredibly out of breath as the plot had galloped through last 100 pages. So much was happening as each of the storylines sped towards the other.

As I said at the outset, don't expect to come to the end and find all the answers. This is a cliffhanger of the best variety. I can only hope that Diana Gabaldon finishes her promotional tour soon, manages to rest up over the Christmas break and sits down to put pen to paper early in the New year. I read A Breath of Snow and Ashes because I wanted to know how she wrapped things up but now I simply want more. The sooner, the better as far as I am concerned as I desperately want to know what happens next.