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Not quite as engrossing as the first three books in the series (2008-11-18)
About a hundred pages into Outlander, the first book of author Diana Gabaldon's unique historical romance series with a time travel twist, I was hooked. In Claire and Jamie Fraser, Gabaldon has created compelling, unique characters, and the sparks from their relationship virtually fly off the pages.

When we last left Claire and Jamie at the end of book three, Voyager, they had survived a shipwreck which had left them in the American colonies. Drums of Autumn opens with the couple preparing to make a home for themselves in the New World. Just as the Frasers are beginning to find their place in 1767, the book flashes forward to present-day--1969, that is--and their daughter, Brianna, left alone in Boston when her mother returned to the past to reunited with her true love. Although Brianna has the support of Roger Wakefield, who is clearly besotted with her, she is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of the only father she ever knew, who she loved deeply, and another father who she has never met, a conflict that has major implications for the plot of this sequel.

The story continues to flash between these two settings, and this is where I thought the book started to feel weighed down. I've always thought that the Outlander series was at its best when it featured Claire and Jamie; although the scenes between Brianna and Roger were interesting, they felt like a distraction after awhile. In addition, Gabaldon uses a writing technique here not employed in her other books: there are times when Claire is featured in the scene, yet the scene is NOT told from the first person perspective. Given that the reader was always given Claire's first-person point of view in the prior Outlander novels, this felt like an unnecessary gimmick to me.

Finally, at 1070 pages, this book felt overlong to me. I don't mind long novels when they are engaging, but I definitely felt bored throughout much of the middle of this book; I think I would've enjoyed it much more if sharper editing had been employed. Still, I like these characters enough to care what happens to them next, so I am sure that I will still go on to read the next book the series. My final rating is 3 1/2 stars--just be sure to read the three preceding books in the series before attempting to tackle this one.

Twists and turns (2008-11-11)
Gabaldon's series just keeps getting better and better. I was ENTRALLED with this book. This one had more twists and turns than the previous novels. There was a skull found by Claire that had me wondering "Who was it?" This was found out later in the book, the seperation of Brianna and Roger, and the things that happened to him in the hands of the Mohawk.

I do admit that there were slow parts of the book, as in the previous ones but, for me, that is part of the reason that makes these books so appealing...she sets the scenes up, takes the reader to the mid-eighteenth century and makes one envision how North Carolina might have looked during that time. I've been to South Carolina and Charleston and can easitly see without much effort how the town and surrounding countryside might have looked back then.

Gibaldon is quite discriptive so it is just as easy to imagine the scenery with my mind as it was in real life.

Just like Jamie, although not as badly, she puts Roger through the mill as well. He is tested in his love for Brianna. I won't say whether he comes through or not, I'll let any future readers find out for themselves, but I do feel for the poor man.

I am looking forward to starting THE FIERY CROSS now. Drums only left me wanting more. As one reviewer stated, start from the beginning. Even though each book does give you snippets of what occurs in previous books and it's possible to read them alone, it is better if you begin with Outlander and continue from there.

I love this! (2008-11-02)
Drums of Autumn like her other books is an adventure and the romance and life of Claire and Jamie continue. It is worth reading and it is as amazing as her first three books.

Fourth of Six (2008-10-16)
I gobble down books. Drums of Autumn, while a laudable addition to the Outlander series, was not a book I couldn't put down. In fact, I did. It took me over a week to finish, with one large sitting at the beginning and a larger one at the end. For fans of the series only.

***Spoilers*** In short, Jamie and Claire, newly reunited, are now settled in North Carolina's extensively described wilderness (and, though a NC horticulturalist myself in the heart of scrub-forest country, I have never waxed so fully on the beauty of pine savannas nor do I ever plan to) - an action in and of itself taking a 1/3rd the novel. Much of the rest is devoted to their daughter, Brianna, and her would-be lover Roger trying to find the pair in the past, and the Comedy of Errors that results once everyone finds everyone else, however unknowing all parties to having found each other. *** End Spoilers***

All in all, as before stated Drums of Autumn proves to be Outlander's weakest link. And, as fond as I am of this series, it still only gets 4 out of 5.

Outlander (2008-09-13)
Great Book once you get through the first 100 pages or so, then I couldn't put it down. The love between these two characters (Jamie and Claire) is amazing.