All synopsis taken from Amazon.com
Outlander
In Outlander, a 600-page time-travel romance,
strong-willed and sensual Claire Randall leads a double life with a husband in
one century, and a lover in another. Torn between fidelity and desire, she
struggles to understand the pure intent of her heart. But don't let the number
of pages and the Scottish dialect scare you. It's one of the fastest reads
you'll have in your library.
While on her second honeymoon in the British Isles, Claire touches a boulder that hurls her back in time to the forbidden Castle Leoch with the MacKenzie clan. Not understanding the forces that brought her there, she becomes ensnared in life-threatening situations with a Scots warrior named James Fraser. But it isn't all spies and drudgery that she must endure. For amid her new surroundings and the terrors she faces, she is lured into love and passion like she's never known before.
I was lame and sore in every muscle when I woke next morning. I shuffled to the privy closet, then to the wash basin. My innards felt like churned butter. It felt as though I had been beaten with a blunt object, I reflected, then thought that that was very near the truth. The blunt object in question was visible as I came back to bed, looking now relatively harmless. Its possessor [Jamie] woke as I sat next to him, and examined me with something that looked very much like male smugness."Gabaldon creates characters that you'll remember, laugh with, cry with, and cheer for long after you've finished the book. --Candy Paape
Drums of Autumn
Amazon.com
Set in pre-Revolutionary War America, readers finally have
the much awaited fourth book in what will probably become a six book series (The
Outlander series). The talented Diana Gabaldon continues Claire and Jamie's
romantic love affair, and introduces Brianna and Roger's story. Eight hundred
pages, and several wonderful new characters later, we wonder why we were waiting
for a conclusion. It'll be a long wait for book five, so I recommend you go back
and reread Outlander,
Dragonfly
in Amber, and Voyager
to keep yourself sane. --This text refers to the Hardcover
edition.
The Fiery Cross
Amazon.com
The fiery cross, once used to summon Highland clans to war,
now beckons readers to take up Diana Gabaldon's fifth installment in the Outlander
series featuring the time-traveling Frasers. Historical fiction fans who
have waited four long years since the publication of Drums
of Autumn will thrill to Gabaldon's trademark detail and sensuality,
both displayed liberally throughout the nearly 1,000 pages of The Fiery Cross.
In this pre-Revolutionary War period, Claire Fraser and her husband, Jamie, have
crossed oceans and centuries to build a life together in the bucolic beauty of
North Carolina. But tensions both ancient and recent threaten not only Claire
and James, but their daughter, Brianna, her new husband, Roger, and their infant
son, Jemmy, as well as members of their clan. Gabaldon delivers on what she does
best: poignant storylines, empathetic characters, meticulous detail, and searing
passion. Savor every carefully chosen word, readers; it may be a long time until
the next installment! --Alison Trinkle --This text refers to
the Hardcover
edition.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Amazon.com
Eagerly anticipated by her legions of fans, this sixth novel in Diana
Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander saga is a masterpiece of historical fiction
from one of the most popular authors of our time.
Since the initial publication of Outlander fifteen years ago, Diana
Gabaldon’s New York Times bestselling saga has won the hearts of
readers the world over — and sold more than twelve million books. Now, A
Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the extraordinary story of 18th-century
Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century wife, Claire.
The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of
rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in
the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.
With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the
backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie
knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and
the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or
in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington
Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For
once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.
Part crib notes and part trivia guide, this essential handbook includes synopses of the first four novels, a character guide, notes on plot development and research, answers to frequently asked questions, and teasers for the upcoming novels--there're even horoscope charts of the central characters, a list of fan Web sites, and choice recipes for the truly devoted.
Readers looking for a fix of Gabaldon's humorous voice or insight into her
writing processes and characters will certainly be more than satisfied, but
those looking for the next installment of Jamie and Claire's adventures will
have to wait for The Fiery Cross, the fifth book in this bestselling
series, expected sometime in late 1999 to early 2000. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien