Reviews with content warning for Murder - Drums of Autumn

This was my favorite of the series so far — I enjoyed the dynamics between each of the characters the most. Despite having seen this season of the show, I was still on the edge of my seat to find out who would be reunited and how that would exactly play out. It was so interesting to view the past from Brie and Rodger’s point of view even though I often felt frustrated with some of the choices they made. True to the series, there was as much tension and heartbreak as there was joy and love in this book. I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters continue developing their relationships in the next book and meet the challenges of life in the past.

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kimveach's review

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adventurous emotional informative fast-paced

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

5.0

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brownieboo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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infjill's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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aserra's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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.

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