“I talk to you as I talk to my own soul," he said, turning me to face him. He reached up and cupped my cheek, fingers light on my temple. "And Sassenach," he whispered, "Your face is my heart.”
Some types of love are stronger than you can imagine. And if there is one thing I've learned from reading Diana Gabaldon's incredible series Outlander, it's that love can endure almost anything. What strikes me most about this series is how it takes all its archetypes and throws them out the window. Gabaldon blends more than a few genres together and comes out with an intelligent story of love, loss, war and time travel. In Dragonfly in Amber we pick up quite quickly where we ended in Outlander and in this novel, we explore far more than we did in its predecessor.
If you thought the first of the series was breathtaking and full of romance, action and heartbreak, you're in for a new level with Dragonfly in Amber. Armed with the same bits of love, charm, soul and heartache that we'd come to see before, things are kicked up a notch. I am not altogether certain how to describe the sway of emotions readers will ride out during the novel. If I had to describe it, though, I'd say that this story is equal parts a warm embrace and a kick in the chest.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon | Rating: ★★★★★"I can bear pain myself," he said softly, "but I couldna bear yours. That would take more strength than I have.”
Diana Gabaldon's wildly popular Outlander series began in 1991 (as old as myself!) with its opener, also titled Outlander, and took us on a delectable tale of time travel, romance and strength. Its loyal fanbase has never wavered in its support towards the now-classic novels, and with that sort of love, curiosity is constantly sparked. Gabaldon is deserving of all the praise and interest and then some, and proves so within the first few chapters of this love story.
Due to renewed popularity through its Starz adaptation in late 2014, Outlander is just as popular as ever and quickly gaining new fans even now in the decades since is original publication. Which is fantastic and every bit of deserving. You see, if you haven't had the chance to pick up Outlander, you should know this: Gabaldon's writing is delicious, thrilling, sexy--captivating to the highest degree, therefore, it is quite easy to see why it is so beloved and continues to stand the test of time.
Its premise is simple: Claire Randall, a nurse from the 1940s, has just settled back into life with her husband after the war. Life seems to be back on the track to becoming ordinary again as the two lovers travel and embrace married life once more after being apart for so long.
