Drums of Autumn (Starz Tie-In Edition): 4 (Outlander) Paperback – 16 Oct. 2018

I just can’t put the Outlander books down and it’s a long time since I’ve said that. The author must have spent so long studying the places and details it’s incredible!

This book starts with a hanging. Jamie and Claire are in Georgia and they come to say goodbye to a friend who has been convicted. There is a scuffle in carrying out the sentence and Stephen Bonnet escapes. When they go to bury their friend, Bonnet sneaked into the wagon and they take him to the river where he escapes.Jamie’s relative Jocasta is a wealthy widow living on a plantation called River Run. For Claire this is the first time she is confronted with the reality and the practicality of slavery. The disposable attitudes of the time, as well as the brutality, are not glossed over, but are not dealt with in horrifying detail.The book also parallels Roger and Brianna’s story. Their interest is both Scottish and American history. When he takes her to the clan gathering, she is reluctant to agree to marry him. I think this is more a sign of the times than the separation from her parents. When she finds a document telling of her parents’ imminent death the reader knows she is going through the stones or die trying.As you would expect Jamie is offered land in the New World to settle and so Frasers Ridge is created. Claire continues to be a local healer and they inevitably encounter native American Indians. They are not portrayed as sympathetically as the slaves and some of the passages are harrowing to read.Jamie’s first meeting with Brianna and then with Roger are significant. Meeting Brianna is awkward but wonderful, Roger’s meeting is more brutal and full of misunderstanding. Misinformation and lack of communication is the hallmark of the latter half of the book. Everyone keeps secrets to their detriment.The ending is satisfying with a few twists, but everything happens for the best and I look forward to the next book. In terms of plot this is probably the most sophisticated, and fans will mis Scotland, but the book still demonstrates a great attention to detail with warm and loveable characters throughout.

Nice read! By a great writer!

The book is rich in both history and the complex nature of relationships. It draws you into the lives of the characters in an artful way.

Wife enjoyed the whole set

Reading whole series

I love the Outlander series and have read them so many times, except the last one - No 8 which I have purchased ready to read when I have finished reading 1-7 for the umpteenth time. When a new book comes out, I go back and start at No 1 again as there is just so much to take in that it's good to refresh the story in your mind before continuing with a new episode in the saga. I will not go into great detail as some reviewers have, as I believe that you will either love or hate these books. If you like a good saga with a lot of twists and turns, and enjoy a bit of history (starting in the 1700's) then you should enjoy. Part of the story is also set in modern times as the story surrounding the main character starts off in Inverness at the end of WW2. Claire and her husband are on holiday to rekindle their marriage after being apart during the war years. One day, she visits the nearby standing stones alone and falls through them into the 1700's…and begins a new life. The books are BIG - most between 700-900+ pages and small print, so if you don't like long books, these are not for you. I find the books quite heavy for carrying around maybe when going on holiday or for reading in bed, so I treated myself to the whole series for my Kindle.

I loved this book from start to finish and will go on to read all of the books in this series.Diana Gabaldon’s writing skills are outstanding and I admire her absolutely