Like last week, I finished one massive tome. In fact, it was even longer than last week’s book. I have really enjoyed reading books 7 and 8 in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, but will now have to wait until she publishes the next book.

Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (Outlander #08) has the following blurb:

It is June 1778, and the world seems to be turning upside-down. The British Army is withdrawing from Philadelphia, with George Washington in pursuit, and for the first time, it looks as if the rebels might actually win. But for Claire Fraser and her family, there are even more tumultuous revolutions that have to be accommodated.Her former husband, Jamie, has returned from the dead, demanding to know why in his absence she married his best friend, Lord John Grey. Lord John’s son, the ninth Earl of Ellesmere, is no less shocked to discover that his real father is actually the newly resurrected Jamie Fraser, and Jamie’s nephew Ian Murray discovers that his new-found cousin has an eye for the woman who has just agreed to marry him.

And while Claire is terrified that one of her husbands may be about to murder the other, in the 20th century her descendants face even more desperate turns of events. Her daughter Brianna is trying to protect her son from a vicious criminal with murder on his mind, while her husband Roger has disappeared into the past . . .

It was difficult to write a review of this book without spoilers, so this was my attempt on Goodreads (and I gave it four stars):

Oh, I did enjoy this book. Yes, I know it was very long and complex with a huge amount of detail and often preposterous plot devices, but I find these books so absorbing to read. It is quite amusing how Gabaldon forces Jamie and Claire into just about every major event of the time, but she is a great writer of settings and atmosphere. Unlike other readers, I also like reading about Claire’s incredible and inventive surgical skills.

My only negatives are that some of the to-ing and fro-ing in the early parts of the book were almost farcical. The intimate details of some lesser characters’ sex lives made me cringe a bit too. Yes, to Jamie and Claire, no to some of the others!

For once, I enjoyed the sections about Brianna and Roger – these were well done and their characters were not as annoying as in other books.

All in all, I hope we don’t have to wait too much longer for the next book!

Once again, this book had a mixed reception, so it is worth reading other reviews on Goodreads and other sites. I can’t wait until the next episode, but Diana Gabaldon takes such care with her research into the period and so you can sympathise with how long it takes her to write each book.

Astra by Naomi Foyle

I still have Jamie and Claire in my head, but have started my next book, Astra by Naomi Foyle, which is totally different. My verdict will be given next week!

Until then, Happy Reading to you all!

Best wishes,

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