A Breath Of Snow And Ashes

A Breath of Snow And Ashes is the sixth and last (for now) instalment of Diana Gabaldon's Outlader series.  This book was amazing, so full of action and emotion.  Not since the second book (Dragonfly in Amber) have I cried so much.  If I am rating books, I would say it was my favorite after the first two books.  I was a little unsure of starting this book, for two reasons...   First I did not want to finish all the books I had.  The next one is not even slated to come out until September (at the earliest), and that is going to be a LONG wait.  I am just going to miss my heartbreakingly heroic highlander Jamie and his time traveling wife Claire so much (not to mention Roger, Bri, Jemmy, and Ian).  Second, the fifth book was kinda slow for me.  Way too long, and not as good as her previous work.  However, whatever was lacking in the fifth book was made up, plus some.  From the opening chapters I was swept away in life on Fraser's Ridge.  Along with Claire and Jamie for one crisis or another, meeting the challenges of frontier life.  I feel such a strong connection with these characters, and their story.  Starting about two years before the revolutionary war, this book is full of historical and fascinating information.  I loved reading about the conflict through our characters, it always make it a little easier to understand.  

I always have such a hard time blogging about the books I read.  I never want to give away too much of the story, in case one of you actually feels inspired to read the book.  But I also don't just want to gush, which is all I ever do when I am talking about the Outlander series.  I read quite a few bookish type blogs and websites, and I am blown away at the things they write...maybe I should just copy a link so you can read theirs (ha ha ha).  I can never get the jumble of thoughts going on in my head OUT and on the page (or computer) in an intelligent way...and without giving away key information.   Maybe I should just start, April's One Word Reviews...hmmm good idea.  But anyone who knows me well enough, knows I am too long winded to ever just stop at one word.  Besides, I couldn't start that now...finding one word to describe these books would be too hard.  My very favorite series I EVER read, right after Harry Potter...but it is a very very close second.