Diana Gabaldon's A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander Book 6)

As before, if you haven't read the book, don't read this review unless you want to be spoiled. Warning ends.

This installment was almost as long as the last one, but didn't feel nearly as much of a chore to read. Although Gabaldon is still incredibly wordy, and her descriptions don't always give a clearer picture, I was happy to find that some of the loose ends from previous books were tied up. Some were much too late in coming, so much so that when they happen it's anticlimactic. Other endings were actually quite satisfying, and one in particular was surprising.

The action in this book was much more evenly paced, although the timing was not. We would read about several days in a row with one set of characters, then jump months ahead in time and follow another set of people. It was jarring at times, but I'd rather it jar than bore as in the previous book. The Fraser/Mackenzie clan gets in so much trouble and encounter so many perils that at this point I feel no drama. 

This book feels like it's setting up an end. It may not be in the next book, but I feel that these story lines need to finish up or else they will have no meaning. At some point, Gabaldon needs to come up with a moral to the story, give them all a pony ride into the sunset, and let us readers move on to another series. Jamie is tired of fighting, and I can sympathize. 

• Series: Book 6 of 8 (so far)
• Number of pages: 1438 (Mass market paperback edition)
• Year published: 2005
• Days to read: 18 days (with a 7-day trip to see the total solar eclipse in Missouri)

Diana Gabaldon's The Fiery Cross (Outlander Book 5)

I couldn't get the damn HTML spoiler button to work this time. God knows why. This is your warning.

 So... whoa. That was a long book. It seemed even longer, I think, because of the lack of a central story line. At all. It was 400 pages more than the previous installment, but even so I feel that I was hampered by a piece-wise method of storytelling. It took me over two weeks to finish it with no outside interference that limited the time I could commit to reading. I found myself putting it down after just a few pages, several times a day, because Gabaldon would tell me about one scene, and then the next would spring forth from some unrelated mind.

 That said, I enjoyed most pieces of story individually. A lot happened in this book. SPOILERS ENSUE!

We see Jocasta and Duncan's wedding, for a long time it seems, along with so many small happenings that seem quite unrelated. Lots of time spent on the Ridge, with odd visitors, deaths and births, Adso the kitten, and quite a few episodes describing rustic farm life. Then the whole militia vs. regulators story line, which is important in the long term, I'm sure, but was my least favorite tangent.

New tenants, government officers, old acquaintances, old enemies, and a whole slew of other people were introduced. I felt like I needed to write down all of the people because she would refer back to someone and it would take a bit of context before the light over my head came on. There were still a few lovely tender moments shared between Jamie and Claire, and Brianna and Roger, but they were so far between that this was definitely less of a romance and more historical fiction.

The overarching story is discernible now that I've finished, but so much was lost in the minutiae that I feel a bit frazzled. Still enjoyable, but I'm happy to move on to book 6.

• Series: Book 5 of 8 (so far)
• Number of pages: 1443 (Mass market paperback edition)
• Year published: 2001
• Days to read: 17 days