Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

It began in Scotland, at an ancient stone circle. There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past—or the grave. Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once but twice. Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became legend—a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child. Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in frontier America. But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century. Their daughter, Brianna....

Now Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the stone circle and a terrifying leap into the unknown. In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history...and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past...or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong....

The Outlander series is one of my all time favorite reads.  I read the first three, Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager back to back over 7 years ago.  I got 50 pages into Drums of Autumn and put it down.  For years since I've been hearing that I just have to make it through the book and then everything gets better.  Well in my opinion there should not be a book you "have to get through."

 

This time when I picked it up I was determined to get through it.  But boy did it hurt.  The first 450 pages, yep you read that right, this book is close to 1000 pages, were so dry I might as well have been in the Sahara Desert.  It did pick up a bit after that but nothing like Diana's other page turning, heart racing, gotta know what happens books. 

 

This book also took us away from Scotland, which had happened before but they always returned.  It took place in North Carolina after the French and Indian War.  There was a lot about how to survive in the wilderness and deal with the natives but there didn't seem to be any reason for as much as Diana put in.  I missed my European setting. 

 

As for character development I think Diana missed the mark.  She spent a ton of time on Claire and Jamie (yes I love them but they are already well established) and not enough time on Brianna (Claire and Jamie's daughter) and Roger, Brianna's love interest.  Of course there was some but not enough to justify the length of the book.

 

Overall I'm glad I "got through it" because I have high hopes for the next book which I won't be picking up right away but do have more of a desire to read than I did this one. 

 

I'm linking up with 

come join us