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)