A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander book 6) by Diana Gabaldon 1,008 pages
On the eve of the American Revolution, Jamie Fraser is called upon by the governor to unite the clans of the North Carolina backcountry and lead them in safeguarding the colony for Britain. Claire has told Jamie what’s to come, though, and it’s only a matter of time before he has to choose the winning side or risk losing everything. Meanwhile, the domestic issues plaguing the inhabitants of Fraser’s Ridge continually threaten the harmony Jamie and Claire have struggled to build there. And as always, there is danger around every turn.
Ick Factor Description
Graphic rape, injuries and surgery.
Book Review
I find myself disliking this 6th volume in the Outlander series more in retrospect. The pace is slow and an overall tone of sadness pervades. The events once again beggar belief (seriously, can this family take one more shittastic thing happening to one of them??), and the final straw is a rape scene that we’re expected to believe was just inevitable. As a good friend of mine put it upon reading this book, “It’s almost like Diana Gabaldon thinks that being raped is a rite of passage.” The character bounces back in spectacularly unbelievable fashion, making the entire thing super questionable. And yet, as addictive as these characters are, you kind of can’t look away. So let’s call this particular book a train wreck, and mean it in a sort of good way. Sure? Sure.
