Book Review - An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

Synopsis:  Jamie Fraser, erstwhile Jacobite and reluctant rebel, knows three things about the American rebellion: the Americans will win, unlikely as that seems in 1778; being on the winning side is no guarantee of survival; and he’d rather die than face his illegitimate son — a young lieutenant in the British Army — across the barrel of a gun. Fraser’s time-travelling wife, Claire, also knows a couple of things: that the Americans will win, but that the ultimate price of victory is a mystery. What she does believe is that the price won’t include Jamie’s life or happiness — not if she has anything to say.

Claire’s grown daughter Brianna, and her husband, Roger, watch the unfolding of Brianna’s parents’ history — a past that may be sneaking up behind their own family.

First Line:  "The body is amazingly plastic."

Random Quote:  "Well, that was obvious - if stupid - in retrospect.  On the Ridge Bree had done ... well, a bit more than the usual woman there did, true - one couldn't overlook the buffalo-hunting, turkey-shooting, goddess-huntress, pirate-killing side of her - but also what the usual woman did."

Review:  I love an epic book - lots of pages, great big story, days of reading goodness.  I have a rule, however, about big books.  If you're going to ask that I read 820 pages and haul around a book that weighs 2.7 pounds then I expect you to grab my attention within at least the first 200 pages; that's about a quarter of the way through and the size of many novels.  If you can't manage that then you seriously need a) less arrogance and b) an editor.

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull - Image via Wikipedia

I have loved this series so much and have even read the Lord John books (which I know many people don't care about).  I was very much looking forward to this book and am so disappointed that I'll probably stop reading the series.  You could wonder if the author felt rushed to get it out, but with about 4 years between this one and the last one that just doesn't work as an excuse.  Divide the thing up, let an editor go through it for continuity and coherence, but don't foist this on people.  How disappointing.

Reading Challenges:  This counts toward none of my challenges because I abandoned after 200 pages and there's not a "this-book-makes-me-so-mad-I-could-spit reading challenge."  Maybe there should be.