Dragonfly In Amber (Outlander, Book 2)
For twenty years, Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to the mysteries of Scotland’s mist-shrouded Highlands.
Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as shocking as the events that gave it birth: the secret of an ancient circle of standing stones, the secret of a love that transcends centuries, and the truth of a man named Jamie Fraser—a Highland warrior whose gallantry once drew the young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his.
Claire’s spellbinding journey continues through the intrigue-ridden French court and the menace of Jacobite plots, to the Highlands of Scotland, through war and death in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Diana Gabaldon’s Voyager.
Praise for Dragonfly in Amber
“Diana Gabaldon is a born storyteller. . . . The pages practically turn themselves.” —The Arizona Republic
“A triumph! A powerful tale layered in history and myth. I loved every page.” —Nora Roberts
“Compulsively readable.” —Publishers Weekly
Reviews (166)
Political Intrigue and Romance With Claire and Jaime
FINAL DECISION: I ended up liking this one better than OUTLANDER itself. The story seemed tighter, the relationship between Claire and Jamie more complex and although there is plenty of death and pain in this book, it felt more civilized after the events of the first book. And I ended up in tears for most of the end of this book. THE STORY: After the events of OUTLANDER, Jaime and Claire have fled to France. There they will try to prevent the coming battle of Culloden in order to prevent the destruction of the Highlanders culture. Their scheme requires them to participate in Eighteenth Century French court politics and intrigues with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the King of France. There are still repercussions from Jamie's torture and rape at the end of OUTLANDER. Intrigues, danger and the past threaten to tear Jamie and Claire apart even at the point where they share joy at the coming of their child. OPINION: I liked OUTLANDER, but I liked DRAGONFLY IN AMBER more. OUTLANDER was about Jamie and Claire discovering one another and falling in love. This book is about letting their love and marriage mature. In OUTLANDER Jamie and Claire ran the gauntlet of danger. This book is a slow burn. Things are quieter, more outwardly civilized and yet even more complicated and dangerous. Politics, society and intrigue take up the majority of this book. For those readers who read OUTLANDER but don't know more about the series, they will be surprised by the beginning of this book. (I don't want to give it away, but it is a clever story device to begin the narrative there instead of being strictly chronological). The book feels fresh and different after OUTLANDER. The characters have grown and changed (not always for the good) and there are lots of new characters to get to know. Old friends and enemies also have returned so there is a good reason to review the events of OUTLANDER if you haven't read it in a while. Jamie is more remote in this book after the events with Jack Randall in OUTLANDER. He is still struggling with the aftermath and the pressures of trying to save the entire Highlands. Being involved in the political intrigue means that he and Claire spend less time together and thus immense pressure is placed on their relationship. Claire is also struggling to find her role in this new situation. The new life in the Court of France has new conflicts and restrictions upon this twentieth century woman. She has to use her imperfect knowledge of the past to help avoid Culloden while know knowing whether such a thing is possible. She is also struggling with her relationship with Jamie. She gave up her entire life to be with him and now she has to deal with those consequences. On a more philosophical point, the book also investigates the idea of changing the past. Is it even possible for Jamie and Claire to change the events that lead to Culloden or does everything they do actually cause that event to happen? Can the past be changed at all? These are universal themes in time travel stories and this book examines those issues with complexity and subtlety. Even better, there are no real answers. I began reading OUTLANDER when the television series started because I always want to read the books first and I began reading this one in preparation for Season 2. I don't know if I have been influenced by the series, but I felt that this book went more quickly and the events were clearer, the characters more defined and the outcome more devastating. I cried through the end of the book because it was incredibly well written and sad. At the end of this book, I desperately wanted to begin VOYAGER (book 3) to find out what happens. WORTH MENTIONING: This book ends on a cliffhanger. CONNECTED BOOKS: DRAGONFLY IN AMBER is the second book in the Outlander series. It can be read as a standalone, but why do that. Read OUTLANDER first to really appreciate DRAGONFLY IN AMBER. STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.
Goodbye social life until I finish the series
Just be forewarned that once you start this series, you can't stop. But wait, this is a review for book 2 so you probably already know that! In fact, you're probably not even wasting precious time to read any of these reviews and are already glued to this 2nd book. Why am I wasting precious time writing this review when book 3 is impatiently waiting?! I don't know!!! **panic starts to creep in** If you're reading the Kindle version, I'd highly recommend purchasing the Audible companion as well so you can switch back and forth and maximize your time wrapped up in this beautifully woven story. One word of advice though, if you get the Audible version and listen to it through your car stereo while driving, don't do what I did.... Don't be so engrossed in the story that you forget your windows are down at a red light, in dense traffic, with plenty of others with their windows down, while the book is at one of the steamy scenes between Jamie and Claire, and you're sitting there behind the wheel, alone in your car, smiling like a fool, 😏 blissfully unaware of all the stares until you're jolted out of your reverie by all the honking.
It's a wonderful, densely detailed
I am a victim of Outlander addiction, both the TV show and the books. I'm mystified about what it is that is so compelling about these huge tomes but never in my fairly long life have novels grabbed me so intensely. This is the second of 8 published so far. It's a wonderful, densely detailed, imaginative story with epic characters. At times it rambles and is overly wordy but it's important to read every line because you never know what's going to crop up in the next book. The language is so rich that sometimes I have to take a few days break from the linguistic decadence. Gabaldon is truly a force of nature...an inspired writing machine. I fell down this rabbit hole in January, have read 5 of the 8 books and have already read the first two twice. Warning: these books are addictive. You could be entering a world beyond your control!
3.5 Amazing Writing! But slow with too many subplots
Slow start. I was hoping the pacing would pick up after the beginning section, but it kept a pretty steady pace throughout the entire novel. The flow wasn’t bad, it just drug with too many details that didn’t add in any way to the storyline; could have easily been cut by a huge percentage and still come away with the same basic principles - A lot of tangential subplots. With that said, the writing is stellar! I’m glad I read it for that fact alone. I had the most highlights in this book than any before it at 808!!! The flow, choice of phrases, and unique expressions are eloquently written. Descriptive, evocative writing help create the world for Claire and Jamie in such a way that carries the reader along the journey rather than looking at it through a window. The story was enticing enough to stay with it, but I found myself easily putting it down. It wasn’t as nail biting and gripping as Outlander, for sure. However, I definitely plan to read Voyager once I’ve mentally prepared to take on another massive tome because I love Claire and Jamie’s relationship.
"He will expect to lie with you."
Imagine being blasted to the year 1939. Hitler is ravaging Europe, the allies are enabling...and you know what's going to happen. What do you do to avert this global train wreck? This dilemma visits Claire Randall, along with her husband Jamie Fraser, as they attempt to manipulate the French Court to prevent Charles Stuart from invading Scotland--to the ultimate destruction of the Scottish clans at Culloden in 1745--in Diana Gabaldon's spellbinding sequel to her epic debut novel 'Outlander': DRAGONFLY IN AMBER. In this sequel Gabaldon employs a terrific "hooking" device: (*SPOILER ALERT!*) Middle-aged Claire, in 1968 Scotland, informs her 20-year-old daughter Brianna, that Frank Randall is not her biological father--but 18th Century Highlander outlaw James Fraser, is. And as evidence, she outlines the events of DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, as Claire and Jamie--assisted by Murtagh and pick-pocket Fergus--operate behind the scenes in Paris to thwart the Stuart's claim to the English throne--and avoid the disaster of Culloden. In the process, we're introduced to a colorful ensemble of characters, including the ever-serving Mother Hildegarde, the mysterious Master Raymond, the scowling, menacing Comte St. Germain...even Louis himself, a shallow scoundrel of a monarch. Claire and Jamie do their best to derail Bonnie Prince Charlie in his efforts to reclaim his father's throne, yet history will not be denied. Gabaldon's story leads the characters back to Scotland in the throes of the 1745 Rebellion...and to inevitably interact with the evil Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall. 'Outlander' was magnificent in its depiction of brutal life in 18th Century Scotland, yet in DRAGONFLY IN AMBER Gabaldon has truly formed her stride. Her prose is elegant, witty, and forceful, while she draws exceptional images of the characters she creates. The reader will find him/herself immersed in her story, while 900+ pages evaporate. Is DRAGONFLY IN AMBER the best of the 'Outlander' series? Time will tell. ~D. Mikels, Esq.
Excellent!
I am continuing to thoroughly enjoy these books. All of the characters are excellent, especially the leads, Jamie and Claire. The prose is well written and often beautiful, and there is plenty of action and romance--enough to please pretty much any reader. Ms. Gabaldon calls this "historical fiction" and there is plenty of evidence to back up her claim. Her research and detail are excellent. However, her stories often border on being "Bodice Rippers", or at the very least well-written romance novels. I'm usually not a fan of these, but Ms. Gabaldon so deftly weaves in historical intrigue I can't complain. My only complaint is I am NOT a fan of switching POVs. It takes me out of the story and makes me feel I'm just reading a story and not experiencing it. As a device I think it calls attention to itself, and as such, should be avoided. Plus, Claire is such a wonderful storyteller that anytime someone else takes over I feel cheated. Other than that, I would highly recommend this series.
Simply wonderful
Diana Gabaldon said in the introduction that this book was difficult to write, I guess technically speaking. Be that as it may, she did a superb job of it. This is the second book in the series, but I have watched up through season 4 of the Outlander show. I know some of what is going to happen, but that doesn’t take away from the pleasure of reading these books in the least. The emotional lives of the characters, the love between Jamie and Claire, the vivid descriptions that incorporate all the senses, the way all the story lines weave together... these are some of the elements that make this book a masterpiece. I read the book club questions at the end, and I particularly love the discussion of the significance of the title, Dragonfly in Amber. It’s a creature stuck in time, like the characters, and it’s a metaphor for the preservation of Jamie and Claire’s love through time.
A entire library of literary genres in one book series
Just as fantastic as the first in the series. It helps that the Starz show also keeps pretty true to the novels with a few minor exceptions. While rich in description and language, the book is an easy read which is useful at nearly a thousand pages. With Diana Gabaldon's series you get your fix of romance, as well as fantastic historical and war fiction, science and medicine, travel, a bit of sci-fi, as well as a great dose of feminism with Claire's role(s). The author really mixes all these literary genres quite well into one remarkable series that is hard to detach from. At times you find yourself frustrated with how many pickles these characters find themselves in on a regular basis, but that's why it's fiction. Just go with it and enjoy.
I like the story, Enhancing my enjoyment of the shows too!
Not sure if some of these negative reviews I've read are by real or paid debunkers. The story is quite good and I have been noticing things in the books that never made it on-screen in the Starz adaptation. That's a plus for me as I didn't start reading them until after watching the first two seasons of the show. I am working on Voyager now, but decided to leave my review on DOA when I saw all the naysayers, some of whom sound like they didn't even read the whole book. It amazes me that people do that, if you don't have anything nice to say...some readers don't have the stamina to read a big series or appreciate that there are ebbs and flows, as the story builds. No one's life is non-stop action. I liked the book, while it's presented a little differently than the show timeline, the differences made me want to really read it rather than skim things I'd already watched. Can't wait to keep working through them all.
Longer than necessary
I started Outlander watching the TV show; so since there is a long wait to another season I'm now reading the books. There are some slight differences between the show and the book, some I think the show did a better job. I didn't like how the book started and the way Claire just dropped in on Roger right after his adopted father died. I also didn't like Brianna's dialogue . She seemed more like a 12 year old speaking than a 20 year old young woman. I think the show did a better job at changing the introduction there. Much of the story is in Paris like the show was and I thought it very boring to read. I didn't care to read about all the politics and scheming. It also gets frustrating the way Diane writes Claire's inner monologue describing every literal minute detail of every single place, scenic view or room she is in. It takes 10 pages just to describe the setting of every scene before getting to the point of conversations and things happening. I found myself skimming and skipping through many chapters because it was just too frustrating to read and not much is really happening. The book doesn't get good until the last chapters leading up to the final battle at Culloden and Claire going back through the stones. For me, the book could have been condensed by half given the content. It was difficult to keep interested. I hope book 3 is better; if not it will be my last read of this series.
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