Can't Wait Wednesday: The Schoolmaster by Jessica Tvordi

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Schoolmaster by Jessica Tvordi. It tells the story of a young King James VI, son of Mary Queen of Scots and his tutor. It follows James as he grows into a man and the loves of his life.  A unique take on the subject to be sure. 

Hope you have found something you can't wait for this week!

June 1, 2024

Historical Fiction

Description courtesy of Net Galley

Scotland, 1570. Catholic followers of the exiled Mary, Queen of Scots wage war against those of her four-year-old son, King James VI. Enter Master Peter Young, a Geneva-educated merchant’s son. Eager to make his way in the world, Peter is appointed to serve as the king’s tutor alongside the formidable George Buchanan. Their objective? To shape Scotland’s young monarch into a perfect, Protestant ruler—a difficult task in a world filled with religious violence, power-hungry lords, and the petty squabbles of both boys and men.

Over the years, Peter sees success with his pupils, proves an invaluable friend to the king’s caretaker, the Countess of Mar, and her troubled son, Johnny Erskine, and gains status at court. But when the king’s French-raised cousin Esmé Stewart, Seigneur d’Aubigny, arrives in Scotland, Peter and his friends must discover whether this seductive stranger is an agent of Catholic Rome or another greedy relation hoping for preferment.

The Schoolmaster is a coming-of-age story, as King James rejects lessons of the schoolroom for love, and Peter navigates treacherous political waters to ensure the nation's security. Through Peter's eyes, readers are transported to a pivotal moment in Scottish history: the arrival of the first of King James’s many controversial lover-favorites. 

Death On a Winter's Day by Verity Bright (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 8)

 

Happy New Year's Eve 2023!

Publication Date: 

November 19, 2021

Length: 286 pages

Summary:

Lady Eleanor and the gang go to Scotland! I have enjoyed this series so much and love that I'm ending the year with this review. 

I had intended to do so much more on my blog in December but man it has been a heck of a month! Between teaching at an elementary school (where Christmas is intense!), to being sick twice with colds and sinus infections, to all the family obligations and celebrations I just haven't had much time to blog or read. But that's okay. I read when I could and read what I loved. And that's the point, right? So I'm happy to share my thoughts on this delightful cozy mystery. 

Lady Eleanor and her butler Clifford travel to Castle Ranburgh in the Scottish highlands to celebrate Christmas with friends, Baron and Baroness Ashley. And when extra staff is needed, the whole group gets to tag along: Mrs. Trotman, the cook, Mrs. Butters, the housekeeper, and Polly, the kitchen maid. Even Gladstone the bulldog gets to go as another guest of honor. Though the castle is a bit primitive and the festivities a bit hampered by infighting among the guests, Eleanor is determined to enjoy herself. When an obnoxious American, Eugene Randall ends up murdered during a party game, she realizes she is smack in the middle of another crime to solve. Everyone has motive, including the footman and the hosts.

When Baron Ashley is arrested for the murder, Eleanor knows she must try to help clear his name. But is she absolutely sure he's innocent? His wife seems to be adamant that he is and just for good measure she enlists her love interest, Inspector Hugh Seldon to help her with some of the evidence. She will have to work fast to find the real killer and all while trying not to be too distracted by her feelings for Seldon and her desire to honor his request that she stay safe and quit putting herself in harm's way.

My Thoughts:

Being partial to all things Scottish this was one of my favorites of the series so far. I loved everything about it. From the location, to the colorful characters, to the incorporation of Christmas traditions, and the new hints into Eleanor's background and her mysterious absent parents. 

The murder mystery was well done too and I only figured out half of the answer. The last couple of chapters with an intense chase scene were fun and exciting and I learned some things about sailing and the topography of the area they are in. 

The next in the series looks fun as it centers around the murder of a visiting member of the royal family. Looking forward to more adventures in 2024 with Eleanor, Clifford, and Gladstone.

Voyager (Outlander Book 3) by Diana Gabaldon

 

Publication Date:  January 1, 1994

Length: 870 pages

This week I finished my third read of this book. I have wanted to read and review all the Outlander books for my blog eventually but this one is especially important to me as it is my favorite of the series. This book is magical.  The first three Outlander books are the best but Voyager has it all. Battles, time travel, sea voyages, Pirates, plague, exotic islands, and witchcraft. And that's only the beginning of the unique storylines and settings found between the covers. I already know someday I will read it again, which sounds crazy because I can't think of another book I've read four times. But it is also 870 pages and every time I think I will be bored and remember everything I am proven wrong. It just never gets old for me. 

The story begins with Jamie's perspective of the Battle of Culloden and his miraculous survival. In the first two books of the series it feels as though one is waiting forever to get to this moment and it makes the opening of the story so satisfying. We see him go from Scottish warrior, to fugitive, to prisoner, and indentured servant in the first parts of the story and this timeline is overlapped with his time traveling wife Claire's life back in 1960's Boston. She is trying to raise their daughter, Brianna, with her husband Frank, failing miserably in her grief over losing her 18th century life with Jamie and believing he has died on Culloden Moor. Although her life as mother, and eventually, doctor is rewarding in its own way, Claire can never escape her ghosts, and she and Frank pretend, for Brianna's sake, to get along in their shaky marriage.

This storyline develops over a period of twenty years. Gabaldon masterfully switches back and forth through the first third of the book between their two centuries, letting the reader in on each of their lives in detail, weaving memories with current situations all of which lead them to a joyous, tumultuous reunion and ultimately, a test to see if they are still made for each other. Jamie and Claire are reunited but what makes the story so realistic and unique is that the challenges they face seem to worsen and test them instead of a world of romantic nostalgia where they just live happily ever after. Both have changed dramatically, while still retaining deep love and connection, but with the maturity that comes with age and life experience. Jamie has a somewhat shady past and occupation,  and Claire struggles to fit back into the world of long ago, having had to create such a different life after she traveled back through the stones in the previous book. All of this takes place while mourning what they have lost over the last two decades and feeling guilt for certain choices they have had to make.

As we settle in for the second half of the book things become a bit more stable between Jamie and Claire, but not with their lives. Starting from Jamie's ancestral home, Lallybroch in Scotland, they end up halfway across the world, looking for one of Jamie's kidnapped relatives. Plague, pirates, and pursuing British officers are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their troubles and with a displaced Chinaman and young married couple in tow, Claire and Jamie find themselves struggling to manage it all without losing each other again. We are taken on a wild ride from the island of Hispanola, where we meet a strange, befuddled priest, to Jamaica where we meet not one, but two characters from the past. Finally, they are blown off course to a new life which will begin in the next book, Drums of Autumn. 

I don't want to give away too much of the details because I find half the joy of Voyager is in the not knowing, or in my case, not remembering, all the tiny, moving parts throughout the novel. There are so many surprises, coincidences, and exotic settings that it makes your head spin at times. Just when you think you've figured things out, another side story is thrown in. I especially love the atmospheric surroundings created in Jamaica, and when I visited the island in 2019, I re-read the section of the book in which they travel there. It had been described perfectly, and I even toured Rose Hall, a real plantation that is mentioned, although it is slightly different from the one used in the story. The small bits of history, including the Maroons of the island made me want to research more on my own, and to appreciate the people I met in Jamaica all the more. 

The hardest part of reading Voyager for me is when it ends. I feel like the first three Outlander books are their own story. When we reach book four a new chapter in Jamie and Claire's lives begins and for me, it just never feels quite the same as before. I love all of the series books in their own way, but the world created in Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager will always stand out as a cut above. The heart of the story never returns quite as much as it did before so I'm always a little sad to see it go. Luckily these books are so long and detailed they never get old and you can always start again at the beginning, knowing you will likely pick up some new detail you missed the last time.  

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Battles of Bonnie Prince Charlie: The Young Chevalier At War by Dr. Arran Johnston

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Battles of Bonnie Prince Charlie by Dr. Arran Johnston. I love all things to do with the Jacobite period and this book delves into the personal as well as the political and military aspect of the Prince's decisions. 

While I'm not a huge fan of dissecting battles piece by piece, this book looks like one which gets into his mind and the reasons why he made the decisions he made which led to the fatal battle of Culloden. It also seems to be a somewhat sympathetic portrait of Stuart, explaining why he failed and how unprepared he was for the mission he was tasked with.

Anything offering a new perspective on an old story is always welcome. What book are you excited to read this week?

October 30, 2023

History/Scottish History

Description courtesy of NetGalley

Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720-1788) was the grandson of Britain’s last Stuart king and the last of his line to fight for their right to the throne. Born in Rome and raised at his father’s cultured and cosmopolitan court-in-exile, the young prince grew up beneath a heavy weight of expectation and yearned for the chance to prove his worth. In 1745, just as it seemed his best opportunity had already passed, Charles threw caution to the wind and embarked on a secret and seemingly desperate expedition to Scotland. What followed is one of the most remarkable, famous, and often misrepresented episodes of Scottish history: the ’45.

This is the story of the last Jacobite rising and the charismatic but controversial prince who led it, presenting a human portrait of the Stuart prince through the words of those who served alongside him. The picture revealed is one of a humane and capable young man taking on a mission far greater than his experience had prepared him for, pushed to the limits of his abilities at a cost from which he never recovered.

Following Charles Edward Stuart over the battlefields of Prestonpans, Falkirk and Culloden, this book reveals the prince’s strengths and flaws as a commander, and the difficult relationships he had with the very people on whom his fortunes, and reputation, would depend. It is the story of how the prince faced conflicts both on and off the battlefield, weathered challenges posed by friends as well as foes, and left a legacy which remains hotly contested to this day.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Jacobite's Wife by Morag Edwards

 For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Jacobite's Wife by Morag Edwards. I love anything about this era (18th Century) that has to do with Scotland and Jacobites. The author is Scottish and says that as a child, she was told the true story of Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale and her heroism to the cause of the Jacobites. She is currently working on a sequel to this book featuring Maxwell's niece, Mary Herbert. I just love historical fiction that takes real people and tells their stories through narrative. Hope you have found something to read that you just can't wait for!

October 2, 2023

Historical Fiction/Historical Scottish Fiction

Description courtesy of Amazon books

18th Century Scotland: Strong-willed Lady Winifred Nithsdale has already seen her mother, father, and brother imprisoned for their support of England’s Catholic king. While she wants to be loyal, Winifred tries to protect her husband from imprisonment, or worse, the scaffold. But will she escape with her own life intact?

Based on the true story of Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale, and set in the early eighteenth century, this remarkable and powerful novel is rich in detail, character, and history.

A King Ensnared: A Historical Novel of Scotland (The Stewart Chronicles Book One) by J.R. Tomlin

 

Publication Date: November 16, 2013

Length: 288 pages

As I wrote on Sunday in my Stacking the Shelves post, I have seen Tomlin's books everywhere for years. I have had her Black Douglas series in my Kindle for a very long time. For some reason I just never was very interested in trying them. Probably because I've been immersed in the Crusades and the Plantagenets this time period in Scottish history just wasn't something I wanted to delve into. But looking for something different I decided to give this book a try. 

Young James Stewart is heartbroken at the death of his older brother, David Stewart, starved to death in a dungeon by his evil Uncle, the Duke of Albany who is plotting to seize power for himself. King Robert III is dying and in order to save James the decision is made to remove him from his scheming relatives' grasp. Before he can be taken to safety in France, he is captured at sea by pirates who take him to London where he is imprisoned by King Henry IV.  

Although he is deeply unhappy about his situation, James is nonetheless treated somewhat well by the King who resolves to educate him and treat him with some dignity. James grows to accept that he will probably not be let out anytime soon and as the years pass he tries to do the best he can with his frustrating circumstances. He trains as a knight, writes poetry, falls in love, and longs for Scotland and his birthright. When Henry IV dies and his merciless son Henry V becomes King, James finds himself often balancing a tightrope of demanding the respect he feels he deserves as Scottish royalty, while trying to hang on and not incur the wrath of the English monarch. He feels if he can be patient and focused enough, he might just find his way back to his homeland and all that awaits him there.

I learned a lot about this area of history that I didn't already know. I had read about James and his poetry but didn't really know all the background of his imprisonment and his interaction with both Henry IV and V. You really became fond of James due to his loyalty to his duty and his unwillingness to cave when faced with multiple attempts by the English to renounce his crown and be set free. James is very clear that he desperately longs for that freedom but will not be bought cheaply at the expense of his country. I thought he showed a lot of bravery and courage for his young age and know I couldn't fare as well as he did.

The book was just okay though. It had enough positives for me to recommend it if you are interested in the Stewarts and their early back story. And the author does a good job of describing life in the time and place she sets the story in. There is enough here for those who like battles as well as personal stories and like I stated above, you do become somewhat attached to James and his suffering. Unfortunately though it did become a bit slow and dragged as it went on. I found myself skimming towards the end. I know the next couple of books in the series deal more with life after his imprisonment and as he becomes King of Scotland so they might be better. There were too many battles and fighting for my taste too here but if you like that sort of detail it might be your thing. I'm not sure when I'll read the next one but the nice thing is they are fairly short, easy reads so you can pick it up and follow it without the need for deep concentration. Overall, a good, solid, well researched history story with a personal connection to the main character. 

A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett

 

 

Publication Date: August 28, 1995

Length: 407 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

I have only read two of Follett's books, Fall of Giants and The Pillars of the Earth. I enjoyed both although the former more so. This book is a stand alone novel and not part of a series like he is known for so I thought it would be a good departure from his other works. Plus, it was written before the others and I was curious to see what his earlier work was like. 

Mack McAsh is a poor, downtrodden Scottish coal miner living on the hope that one day he can be free to live his own life away from the hardships of his small Scottish village. Unfortunately, it seems the law in Scotland in the year 1767 states that once a child begins working in the mines they are property of the owner of the mines for life. When Mack finds out the law has changed he presents his side in church to the powers that be and the townspeople and so begins his struggles with the wealthy mine owners, the unscrupulous Jamisson family.  Frustrated and sure he must get away or die in this miserable situation, Mack decides to leave his village and his twin sister and strike out on his own, promising Esther he will return for her. Having lost their parents years ago, Mack is all she has but she agrees to wait for word from him and continue in the mines alone. 

Mack escapes and travels to London, hoping to earn enough money to send for his sister. He quickly finds that life is not any easier in a large city where he is supposedly "free" to make his own decisions. Taking odd jobs and staying with new friends proves to be challenging and disheartening and soon Mack finds himself engaging in anything that will keep him afloat. Prize fighting, clearing coal from ships...nothing is off limits to survive and through his determination and burgeoning leadership qualities he finds himself becoming someone the poor workers around him look up to. When he realizes they are being conned out of most of their earned wages by degenerate mob bosses, Mack decides to form his own group of workers who just want to be paid what they are worth. This proves his undoing when it angers those who have run the docks for years their way and do not take kindly to the upstart stranger. 

During this time we are introduced to new characters in the form of Cora, a pickpocket who preys on wealthy, unsuspecting gentlemen and her sidekick, Peg, a young girl of thirteen who is living on the streets and working alongside Cora. As Mack becomes fond of both, he finds them becoming a family of sorts and feeling responsible for them. Through many twists of fate, Mack is targeted by the former mine owners, the Jamissons, who do business in London and have realized they can make his life miserable. Sentenced on a trumped up charge to deportation to the American colonies, Mack finds himself, Cora and Peg on a ship, chained like cattle and bound for Virginia to work on the recently acquired Jamisson tobacco plantation. Although not much more than a slave and  unsure of the future, Mack is nevertheless hopeful that he will be able to eventually begin a new life in America. 

Upon arriving in the colonies, Mack, Cora and Peg find themselves in constant survival mode and doubt they can break away from their miserable lives. Things are at least as bad, if not worse than they were working in the coal mines of Scotland.  The beautiful Lizzie Hallim, a childhood friend is the mistress of the plantation, making Mack both elated and frustrated because his feelings for her run beyond that of the propriety expected of them. Lizzie, newly married to the youngest Jamisson, is hopeful that her marriage and life in the colonies will prove to be more fulfilling than the one she left behind in Scotland. Both Mack and Lizzie find themselves growing closer as disillusion and hardships grow, and they eventually will have to make choices that put them both in danger and possibly, in love.

This book has such a great premise, written in three parts, moving from Scotland to London and ending up in Virginia. The characters get to experience life just prior to the American Revolution and have adventures that take them into the western frontier. Reading the synopsis it sounds like such a great, absorbing story and it is in a lot of ways. Follett is known for sticking to historical facts and I appreciate that as one of my biggest peeves in modern novels is the way a perfectly good history story is ruined with inaccuracies which people come to believe as facts. I learned things about Scottish coal mining, London street life, and the running of a tobacco plantation as well as how it must have felt to have traveled beyond civilization at that time in America. So in that respect, it was a solid read.

The reason I am only able to give it three stars is that the character development, dialogue, and personal romantic storyline is sorely lacking. This is clearly an early attempt by Follett and nothing close to his later work. It almost reads like a YA novel but with the occasional foul language (which I don't care for in any book) and semi-graphic sexual scenes it can't be listed as that either. I found myself getting really absorbed in the history and action only to be yanked back into silly conversations between the characters and choppy, awkward prose that felt like a teenager was writing it. When an author is trying something new I'm sure there is a learning curve and clearly this is true here because it is nothing like his later books. It doesn't put me off reading the rest of the Century trilogy or trying his other stuff but be warned if you are expecting the depth of his more recent books you might be surprised and give up on this one. 

I am not sorry I read it though because it really was informative and interesting as far as the time period goes. To me, reading new parts of history and learning are never a waste of time so it was one I decided to keep going with and finish.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira. It looks unique and takes place in Seattle which is neglected in much of historical fiction. Hoping the romance part is not too much as I'm not a big fan of those but the description seems to indicate it will have a pioneer spirit feel to it. I realize February is still quite a ways away so when the release date gets closer I'll have to remember to revisit and maybe republish this post!

February 6, 2024

Historical Fiction/Romance

Description courtesy of NetGalley

Hailey MacIntyre seems conjured from the depths of Samuel Fiddes’s loneliness. Caring for his young sister in the tenements of Glasgow, Scotland, Samuel has known only hunger, while Hailey has never known want. When Samuel saves Hailey’s brother from a runaway carriage, a friendship begins. Through secret meetings and stolen moments, they learn the topography of one another’s innermost thoughts. Then the City of Glasgow Bank fails in 1878, destroying the only life Hailey has known. Her bankrupt father impulsively moves the family across the globe to Seattle, a city rumored to have coal in its hills and easy money for anyone willing to work for it.

Samuel’s days are haunted by Hailey’s parting words: Remember, Washington Territory. Armed only with his wits, he determines to follow her, leaving behind everything he has ever known in search of Hailey and a chance to make a better life for his sister. But the fledgling town barely cut out of the wilderness will test them all in ways unimaginable.

Poignant and lyrical, A Wild and Heavenly Place is an ode to the Pacific Northwest, to those courageous and resilient enough to chase the American Dream, and to a love so powerful it endures beyond distance, beyond hope.

Outlander Books: Ranked

 

The day we've waited for is here! It's the premiere of Outlander Season 7 on STARZ and I can hardly contain my excitement! After many production glitches and Covid restrictions, the show is back on track with a whopping 16 episodes for its fans. This season is based on the book An Echo in the Bone and it is one of my favorites. We will go inside more of the American Revolution and see many new characters added to the storyline. 

In honor of the day I have chosen to rank all the Outlander books in the order I love them best. Enjoy....whether you have read them all or not! Happy Outlander premiere day!

"The Big Books"

1. Voyager- Book 3

Always my favorite...I love the Battle of Culloden, Jamie and Claire's reunion, and the voyage to Jamaica. On my third re-read of it now.

2. Dragonfly in Amber- Book 2

The story of Claire and Jamie's political activities in Paris and the addition of Roger and Brianna make this one a close second to Voyager for me.

3. Outlander- Book 1

 

Even though I ranked this third in my level of enjoyment, it is still amazing.. and the original that started it all.

4. An Echo in the Bone- Book 7

The American Revolution takes center stage in this volume as well as a new cast of characters I love.

5. Written in My Own Heart's Blood- Book 8

Time Travel is featured more in this one and that is one of the main parts of the books I love. Also, more of the war and my absolute favorite last page of the whole series.

6. Drums of Autumn- Book 4

I really did enjoy this book but felt it had some areas that dragged. It is a great depiction of their move to the American colonies though and that along with the Roger and Brianna storyline has it ranking ahead of some of the others on my list. 

7. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone- Book 9

This volume wrapped up numerous loose ends from the previous one and her fans waited seven years for it. So I enjoyed finally getting to catch up with the Fraser clan after being so patient. But it felt like a series of choppy short stories so it wasn't as satisfying an epic as I had grown accustomed to with these books.

8. The Fiery Cross- Book 5

Oh The Fiery Cross....this book has been rehashed so many times in Outlander circles as to whether or not it is downright terrible, repetitive, and wordy or whether it is a masterpiece of life on the "Ridge." If you are a fan of the books you know exactly what I am talking about! Having read it twice now I have decided it is both. And my second re-read really did make me a little more of a fan. Yes it could have been pared down, but that isn't Gabaldon's style. And if you really savor it and don't expect constant drama and action it can be a nice break from all the crazy travel of the other books. 

9. A Breath of Snow and Ashes- Book 6

So many people say this is their absolute favorite book. It is my least favorite. So I'm probably not going to win anyone over who loves it. But.....although I really, really want to like this book I just don't. It has graphic depictions of sexual assault, characters I loathe like Tom and Malva and their whole story, and just an overall feel of depression. There are a few interesting moments where you find out some tidbits of information related to the whole story arc and so you can't skip it altogether but most of it for me was either boring or disturbing. I was glad to finish it and won't miss Season 6 of the T.V. series either.  

Just for good measure....here is my order of enjoyment of the Lord John books and the other side stories!

Lord John Grey Series (including novellas with him)

1. Lord John and the Private Matter

2. A Plague of Zombies

3. The Scottish Prisoner 

4. Besieged

5. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

6. Lord John and the Hand of Devils

Other Novellas, Short Stories, and "the rest"

1. A Fugitive Green

2. The Space Between

3. A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows

4. Virgins

If you are an Outlander fan, what order do you rank the books in? 

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander Book 2) by Diana Gabaldon

Publication Date: July 1, 1992

Length: 752 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of my goals for my blog is to eventually review all of Gabaldon's books. I know it's been done by so many blogs but they are my favorite series of books and having read them all years ago before I started my book blog, I am behind on the review part. I always have a re-read going of one of them and am currently on my third re-read of book 3, Voyager. I finished my third re-read of Dragonfly in Amber last year so I thought it was time to get going on the review. Since I'm only halfway through the book I originally planned to review this week, it's a perfect time to turn to this goal. And FYI.....it's hard to review this book without a few spoilers if you haven't read book one...you've been warned!

Always reviewing with the assumption that one hasn't read the previous book, it's a good idea to explain where we are when this one begins. Time traveler Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser at the end of book one has committed herself to her new husband Jamie and their life together in 18th century Scotland. She is pregnant with their first child and looking forward to staying in the past with the man she loves. Having left behind her first husband Frank, through no fault of her own, she realizes she is making a difficult choice, but since she and Frank had barely gotten to know each other in the present day and due to wild circumstances beyond her control, she feels there is no contest when it comes to following her heart with Jamie. 

When book two begins it is a bit confusing because we expect to continue the saga we left behind. But it begins in the year 1968 in Inverness with a completely new character, Roger Wakefield, who is going through his late father's belongings and attempting to make sense of the many books and scraps of information he left behind. He is visited by Claire and her daughter Brianna who have come to pay their respects to his late father and while they are visiting, details come to light which begin to see Roger caught up in the past and Claire's personal, fantastic story. As we settle in to hear her tale, we are taken back to 1744, to Le Havre, France, where the first Outlander book left off. From there we do not return to 1968 until the very end of the book. But there is an amazing story in between those years.

Claire and Jamie have gone to France to try to stop the Jacobite rebellion and therefore change the outcome of the Battle of Culloden. They plan to infiltrate Bonnie Prince Charlie's circle of conspirators, acting as if they are on board for the battle to see his father, James Stuart, restored to the throne of England. Jamie and Claire want Charles to fail in gaining financial and military support because they know the current outcome is devastating and tragic for Scotland and all those dear to them. Staying at Jamie's Uncle Jared's opulent Parisian home, the Frasers attend high society gatherings and in Jamie's case, brothels, to seek out any information they can gather and gain the trust of Prince Charlie and his compatriots. Their optimism in their endeavor begins to fade slowly as each experience brings them closer to the seemingly inevitable outcome. They find themselves caught up in the historical inevitability of the facts they know are true while hoping that any small thing they do will change the course they are on.

The first time I read this book I sped through it. I wanted to make sense of what on earth was going on. Why did the story start in 1968? Who is Roger and why do I care? Why is Claire in the modern time and not with Jamie in the 1700's? It was a bewildering beginning and Gabaldon even wrote a preface to reassure the reader to keep going....it will all make sense! Even when I had finished the book I was still confused with dates, timelines, back stories.....it is an intricate, detailed story and if you are a true Outlander fan, a re-read is a must. By the third go around I'd finally understood everything and all the parts fit together. But even now there are things I have forgotten. At almost 800 pages it is impossible to memorize it all.

In order of enjoyment I rank this book second. Voyager, the third book is my absolute favorite, the first Outlander my third favorite. Dragonfly covers the slow build to Culloden in a thorough way, weaving in fictional characters we've grown to hate, like Black Jack Randall and adding historical ones like Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, the sneaky head of Clan Fraser and a relative of Jamie's. We meet Master Raymond, Claire's friend from the apothecary shop and Mother Hildegarde, her mentor at the Paris hospital where Claire spends her days helping the sick and injured. The major battles of the Jacobites, Prestonpans and Falkirk, are covered in realistic detail, as well as the march toward the biggest battle, Culloden. And we are joined by the Highlanders, who become near and dear to us as their story progresses. Every time I have read it, I notice little details I'd missed before and marvel at how attached I become to the place and time. 

Many people I've talked to or read reviews from about these books complain that they are too long. I get it. The first time I plowed through her books, especially this one, I thought, "this could be shortened by a lot and still tell the same story." I have totally changed my opinion. Later Outlander books I feel this is somewhat true, but after reading Dragonfly three times I've decided that every page has great significance if you are going to understand the rest of the series. So take your time, take notes, and don't rush it. You will be rewarded in the end and even more so if you continue with book three.