Reviews with content warning for Violence - 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

gitarrlillan's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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htracy0884's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

One of the reasons I like seeing the show/movie before the book (though I always shift into “I have to read the book before I can see the show/movie” whenever something new is announced) is the investment of time and the undeniable fact that no matter how good a show is, the book is nearly always better. The Outlander books, save for the first, are like 850-1100ish pages each…1. That’s a lot of reading to commit to if I can determine interest in a series more quickly, and 2. There’s always way more context in books, things that either don’t translate to film to are cut for time but nevertheless interesting details, sometimes (as is the case with Outlander) entire plot lines…so it’s like getting a whole bunch of great bonus content. I never would have picked up Outlander, not in a million years, if I hadn’t been bored out of my head and it was the last show on earth I hadn’t seen during quarantine. I didn’t even like the show that much, but kept watching because there was literally nothing else left, then grew to love it and appreciate it for what it was. I was still hesitant to buy the books and while they get more complicated and dense as time goes on, the show isn’t getting more episodes for that.

Which leads me to…this book was super slow to start and I have had it on my nightstand for ages, reading 50 pages here and there but never excited to pick it back up. In true Outlander fashion (I feel), once it picks up, it rolls. It’s not a fast story by any means, and think it may have been the author who said this is a story about a long marriage, not a story about the Jacobites or time travel or WWII or any of the things that happen…it’s the very messy and tumultuous creation of a family. In short, a marathon, not a sprint. Even she doesn’t know when or how it will end and she’s been writing these books for 30 years. And that’s all I have to say about that…as much to myself as anyone else. Her writing style remains the same, reliable, witty and intelligent way it’s always been. The story weaves in some really mundane and equally intense themes, some sweet and concise, others graphic and violent. They are what they are, no more, no less.

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tiana_king's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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readwithbells's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I may have enjoyed this book the most in my journey through the Outlander world. It was domestic, romantic, adventurous, and remarkably soothing for a (large) chapter in this very dark franchise. Diana can get carried away in her writing and I find the fact that this book feels like a weapon is testament to that - this one is as indulgent as all the others but I found quite a bit more heart in this than the last few. Maybe the major addition of Roger and Brianna to our cast of characters struck me more than I thought, or maybe Diana has simply had enough time with Claire and Jamie to know them fully but I felt as though I was intruding on a real slice of life with this book and I enjoyed every indulgent bit of it.

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meg_ser's review

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adventurous dark emotional sad 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

4.0

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