Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Drums of Autumn

I adore Diana Gabaldon's writing, I adore this series, but I cannot, in good conscience, give this book a rating of 4 stars or above due to the casual nature and dismissal of

the sexual assault of Young Ian

. The book was written in the 90s, and is certainly a product of its time; I don't think there's any malice in how racial and gender issues are addressed in this book. I think that Gabaldon does a fine job of balancing addressing the bigotry of the times, viewing that bigotry through the lens of a white woman from the 20th century, and choosing what to include and exclude as the author.

For all that Jamie and Claire are a distinct and progressive (in the context of the book's time periods) couple, Roger and Brianna's relationship is not. Roger is stiflingly misogynistic, possessive, whiny, and downright boring. That alone is a nuisance, but he stands in a series alongside James Fraser (who has his flaws, don't get me wrong), who is secure enough in his masculinity and person to listen to Claire, to consider her an equal, to respect her and other women, Jamie who is more forward-thinking as a product of 18th century Scotland than Roger, a product of 20th century Scotland.

Jamie and Claire's lives together continue to enthrall and enrapture me to no end. This series, in my opinion, would've benefited greatly from the exclusion and/or removal of Roger Mac, and I wish the

SA's of other characters and the associated recovery were addressed with the same care and accuracy as Jamie's was and is treated in these books.

Content Warnings

coralie_michon's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

l’histoire est tjrs aussi incroyable. par contre, les chapitres sont interminablesssssss et les 1200 pages ne sont pas nécessaires, beaucoup d’éléments auraient pu être coupés et le roman aurait été meilleur…

Content Warnings

meganpbennett's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The fourth installment of the Outlander series is very interesting. Clair and Jaime are now in the Colony of North Carolina, having crossed the Atlantic and made their way from the Indies in Voyager. After meeting up with family at Cross Creek and meeting with the Colonial Governor, they end up claiming land in the Blue Ridge of Appalachian Mountains, settling in with Ian and Fergus to homestead at Frasier's Ridge (Gabaldon says it's more or less where Grandfather Mountain is).

The Drums of Autumn also bring us two more time travelers, who have to make their way across the Atlantic from Scotland to the Colonies and up to the Ridge. Do they make it? What happens to them? Are they met with open arms?

Like the rest of the series, this book could have been 200 pages shorter without any problem.

Content Warnings

johannab's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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