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Orion Books UK
10 June 2014
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"In the light of eternity, time casts no shadow"
Written in my Own Heart’s
Blood continues where An Echo in the Bone left off.
It’s 1778, and as the British army withdraws from Philadelphia, Washington’s
army is in active pursuit. Newly returned from the dead, Jamie Fraser finds
that life as a rebel General is not for the faint hearted, nor does he take his
wife, Claire’s, reactionary marriage to Lord John Grey lightly. For the rest of
the extended Fraser family and also for those characters left on the periphery,
the vagaries of life continue to perplex, and as always there is much going on
and many threads to pick up.
There are moments of high drama as
both Jamie and Claire find that life is never going to be peaceful nor across
the centuries is life any less stressful for Roger and Brianna, but what is important
to remember is that all the pieces of this gigantic jigsaw puzzle seem to be finally
coming together. There feels to be almost a sense of resolution as inevitably the story must finally face a conclusion. In fact, it’s almost akin to a homecoming
as the younger generation are given the chance to take centre stage and believe
me their stories are no less valiant. The past meets the present as we go backwards, or is it forwards in time to meet up with characters who together
make up the sum of the book’s parts. Everyone has a role to play, and the
minutiae of relationships is examined and perfected so beautifully, and each
seamless transition is done with such confidence, that there is never a moment
when the action doesn't totally absorb, from the inner workings of a rebel
army, through to the finer points of using Roquefort cheese as an anti
bacterial antibiotic.
As always the author delivers a
whopping good read, as contained within the book’s 800 or so pages are plots,
counter plots, ruinations, machinations, scenes to make you weep, scenes that
will have you stamping your feet in irritation at the folly of men, and whole
sections that will have you reading and then re-reading in order to clarify
just what hidden meaning is concealed within each tantalising chapter, and with
over 141 chapters, there is sometimes a lot of re-reading
needed !
With brilliant observation the
Outlander series continues to weave its magic and as the finer points of the
twenty-first century blend into the background, I am enthralled, beguiled and
totally absorbed, so much so, that when I am reading time simply ceases to
exist, and I move effortlessly back to a place that I know well and with
characters who are as precious to me as family. Of course, there is still much
left unsaid and the book’s entirely appropriate finale lends itself to the continuation of the story.
And for the legions of Diana Gabaldon fans worldwide, book 9 can’t come quick enough.
And for the legions of Diana Gabaldon fans worldwide, book 9 can’t come quick enough.
And out of interest ~ The symbolic use of the eight sided Octothorpe on the book cover pays homage to the eight major characters in the book.
