Drums of Autumn (Diana Gabaldon)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however as it is part of a series, some comments may spoil portions of the plot of previous books by default. This book is the fourth in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. A television series is also currently out. It recently finished its fourth season, which covers the contents of this book.

dianagabaldon.com

What it's about:

From Scotland to France to Jamaica, Claire and Jamie Fraser have travelled many miles on their journey together. Now in North Carolina, another chapter of their lives is beginning. Journeying to River Run, they meet Jamie's aunt Jocasta, and then move onward to make themselves a home on the newly named Fraser's Ridge. Yet the uncolonized land presents its own challenges - along the way both new and old friends and foe are encountered which will have lasting consequences. Back in the present, Claire and Jamie's daughter Brianna learns the history behind her parent's future - and knows she has to help them in any way she knows how.

Why it's worth a read:

• It's a richly created work that gives impressive depth and detail about North America during colonization, including a European perspective on Native Americans.
• You get to follow these characters over their entire lives, and through many ups and downs, allowing you to get very invested in them. If you love epic stories that take place over a long time period, this is a great series to check out.
• The writing on this historical fiction is great. You really understand where the characters are coming from (what with being educated in history, but still thrown into the past not really knowing how to operate). This really draws you in.

Where it disappoints:

• It bogs down too heavily on the details where they aren't necessary. I feel like this book could easily have 200-300 pages cut from it, and would actually be more effective. It took me so long to read this book because the plot doesn't really feel like it progresses a lot of the time, although there isn't anything wrong with the writing itself.
• The descriptions can also be graphic. Yes, this is something that I feel like most books in this sort of historical romance genre are guilty of, but it just feels like too much sometimes. I don't particularly want to know what every person smells like, or how fat the maggots are compared to something else.
• If you started the series because you love Scottish history and highlanders, then each book feels like it moves further away from that. By this point, there are only a few Scottish characteristics here and there. If you are invested mostly in the lives of the characters rather than the setting, then it will be fine, but if you are wanting a mix of both, you might find this book sorely lacking.

Final Thoughts:

If you'd asked me how this book was a year ago, I would have said it was boring. There is a lot of detail, and I was having a hard time getting into it. I could have not read it for an entire month, pick it back up, and not be lost because it felt like the plot hadn't really moved along. I completely stand by this, however I did find that it improved. Although I think it was the weakest book in the series so far, I do think that there were some really good aspects to it. Overall, I would recommend it if you are invested in the characters and their journey, and if you are a big fan of historical fiction and the show. If you are just interested in Scottish highland history and culture, then read the first book, and stop sometimes before this installment!