Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon

Synopsis:
Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon—when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an "outlander"—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Review:

This is my all time favorite series. I was so excited to find a new series when I discovered Outlander, then add to that each book is 800+ pages, I was in heaven. This series lets you really escape into the lives of Claire and Jamie in a way no other series does. It has time travel, history, love, war, magic, and it's fascinating to meet historical figures through Claire and Jamie's travels.

I love the way the Diana creates her characters and weaves them throughout history. Claire is a very strong female character and watching her adjust (or not) to the 18th century is entertaining. Jamie has become the man of my dreams. He is one of the strongest male characters I have ever read. He is handsome, brave, and smart but still vulnerable at times. Claire makes him a better man and vice versa. 

The adult oriented themes contained in this book can be off putting to some, there are scenes of violence, abuse, sex and rape. While these topics turn some readers away, they are a fact of life. These scenes shape the book, bring the characters to life and you experience it with them, bringing a whole new level of empathy between the reader and the characters.

I highly recommend this book and the continuing series. These books are long and it can be quite a commitment to read this series, but to true book lovers, that it the Holy Grail. It was such a joy to find this series and get to know Claire and Jamie, I have read these books so many times they feel like family.

Intended Audience: Adults 18+, contains sex, violence

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Also in this series:
Outlander
Dragonfly in Amber
Voyager
Drums of Autumn
The Fiery Cross
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
An Echo in the Bone
Written in My Own Heart's Blood

Also by this Author:
The Custom of the Army (Novella): An Outlander Novella
The Scottish Prisoner: A Novel (Lord John)
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade: A Novel
Lord John and the Private Matter
Lord John and the Hand of Devils: A Novel
Lord John and the Hellfire Club
The Outlandish Companion (Outlander)
Naked Came the Phoenix