Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
Narrated by Davina Porter
Series: Outlander #2
Dell / Recorded Books
Publication Date: July 7, 1992 (print) & October 26, 2006 (audible version)
Date Read: December 16, 2015 (2nd read)
Length: 39 hours 28 minutes
New York Times best-selling author Diana Gabaldon enchanted scores of fans with Outlander, her electrifying historical saga set in 18th-century Scotland. Now the sequel sweeps listeners back into the past as Claire relates more of her perilous sojourn there with her Scottish warrior husband, James Fraser. Twenty years after her strange journey back in time, Claire has returned to Scotland with her daughter, determined to share with her the secret she has harbored since her time travel. Still longing to know the fate of her beloved warrior, she recounts the story of her stay with him in the intrigue-ridden court of Charles Stuart and their attempt to avert the doomed Highlands uprising at Culloden. As her story unfolds, it reveals implications more far-reaching than even Claire could have guessed.
Narrator Davina Porter’s gift for expression captures the history and flavor of a harsh place and time, and gives it the polish of a warm and engaging love story.
I feel like I should warn you before you read too much of this review that there will be gushing. Major gushing. You see, I am in love with Jamie Frasier. I can’t help it. It just happened and I am powerless to stop it. I had to admit to my husband that I was in love with a fictional character. He just shrugged his shoulders and looked at me like I was crazy. Oh well.
This is a story that is really all about the characters. And Jamie is one heck of a character. Oh sure, I like Claire well enough too but Jamie is in a whole different league. I think that the entire cast of characters in this novel are really very well portrayed and they simply come to life on the page. The characters are so realistic that many of them actually remind me of certain people that I have met just based on personality traits. All of the characters are flawed and make mistakes and I love them because of that.
This isn’t a book that really has one major plot but instead focuses on a time period during their lives. There are a lot of things that happen in this book. I must admit that I was a bit confused when I started listening to this audiobook because of how it started. I stopped and checked and then double checked that it was in fact book #2 in the series. I read this book years ago and didn’t remember that it started the way that it does. The way the book begins really does take any surprise out of how it ends but the entire journey is wonderful. There are a lot of descriptions in the book that I am sure could have been edited out but I am glad that they weren’t. I wasn’t looking for a short book when I started this series. I was hoping to be swept away by an epic story details included.
I think that Davina Porter has to be the perfect narrator for this series. The way this book is read really adds a lot to the overall experience of the story. She expertly handles a wide range of distinctive voices. She is the voice of Jamie which is somewhat odd to say. In most cases when a narrator is doing the voice of the other gender it feels wrong to me in some way. Davina Porter’s range is so large that her male voices sounds as authentic as her female voices. Her execution of Jamie’s Scottish accent and Claire’s British accent are truly remarkable.
I highly recommend this series to anyone. This book picks up right where Outlander leaves off so you do really need to read this series in order. I would also say that I recommend the audiobook version of this series because it is a absolutely wonderful way to experience this story. I couldn’t wait to continue my journey with Jamie and Claire and have already started the audiobook for Voyager, which is book #3 in the series. I am really looking forward to all the time I plan to spend with Jamie this year as I make my way through this series.
About the Author
Photo: © Nancy Castaldo Diana Gabaldon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Outlander novels—Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes (for which she won a Quill Award and the Corine International Book Prize), An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood—as well as the related Lord John Grey books Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Hand of Devils, and The Scottish Prisoner; one work of nonfiction, The Outlandish Companion; and the Outlander graphic novel The Exile. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband.
I really want to read this series!! I have been thinking about going the audio route since they are SOO LONG!! Great review!
They are very long. This was a re-read for me. I read the book in hardcover back before I had a kindle and my family called it "the brick". I loved this audiobook re-read because the narrator is amazing.
I had planned to start the first book over the holidays, but it didn't happen. I am gonna make it my mission to read it before the Summer, maybe over Spring break when I use some of my vacation days. Great review!
I still need to finish this series. I read the first 4 books before I had a kindle and wanted a refresher before I pick up book 5. I am hoping to catch up with this series this year.
This is one the series that I always intend to read, but I hesitate to pick up! I guess, I'll read it someday. Maybe this audio book version will be easier 🙂
Aeriko @ The Reading Armchair
They are very long books which I tend to hesitate to pick up myself. My sister loves this series and got me to pick up Outlander years ago. I love the four that I have read. The audio version is fantastic if you go that route.
Great review. I am not sure that I will get to this series, or won't for a while. Its pretty long and the books are huge. There are some aspects to the series that doesn't appeal to my interests right now. But I have a feeling eventually I will get to them. I am enjoying the tv show though 🙂
The TV show is really good. It follows the book really well and is cast wonderfully. It is funny that now when I listen to the book I can see the show's characters when they were different to me before.
Great review, Carole! Would you believe I haven't read (or watched) any of this series yet?! One day… 🙂
Thanks, Danielle! I think that this series is wonderful both the book and the show. I hope you do get a chance to pick it up at some point.
*whispers* I'm in love with Jamie, too, Carole!
I love this series, it's so well done, with characters we really get to know, and to follow them over several years is great. I tried to listen to Outlander on audio, but the narrator didn't work for me – I fell asleep… Maybe I'll try again now that I've gotten more used to audiobooks.
Great review.
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
It's hard not to fall in love with Jamie! It is really great to watch them get older and to really get to know them. They feel so read to me. I used to really zone out when I first started listening to audiobooks but I find that I can really take it all in now. I love to listen while I walk the dogs or even part of the day while I am working. The audio is great for a re-read!
Who doesn't adore Jamie ? 😉 I have read book #1 years ago, now I need to get back to it and read the others. I bought the whole book series for my library, my readers love it and I can borrow them when I want to. Practical, huh ? 😉
That sounds like an excellent plan! I have only read the first 4 books but I really want to catch up with the series so I am trying to do a re-read in audio of them before I move on to book 4. Jamie is such a wonderful character.
I love the TV show, but I haven't been able to read the books. Everyone tells me Jamie is 100x better in the book but he's so perfect in the show, so I can't imagine more perfection!
I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.