Dragonfly in Amber : A Novel

Dragonfly in Amber is the second book in the Outlander series by American author, Diana Gabaldon. The novel starts in 1968 with Boston surgeon Claire Randall and her twenty year old daughter Brianna, visiting Roger McKenzie, the adopted son of Rev. Reginald Wakefield. Claire tells Roger she is after information about men from Lallybroch who died at Culloden, but it is soon apparent that she has brought Brianna to Scotland to tell her the story of her true father, Jamie Fraser.

From there, the story takes up where it left off in Outlander (Cross Stitch), with Claire and Jamie in Paris doing their best to surreptitiously subvert the cause of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Claire's knowledge of what happens at Culloden Field is their impetus: they feel compelled to try to save the Highlanders from their awful fate. But can they really change history? Their quest takes them to Paris, to Spain, to Edinburgh, to Stirling and to the Highlands.

Liberally sprinkled through this generous serve of Scottish history are the minutiae of everyday life amongst the wealthy in Paris as well as the gritty details of battle and war. This instalment sees many assaults and murders, duelling, Jamie in the Bastille, friends ending each other's lives, a dramatic rescue, a revenge killing, a wedding, several pregnancies, and a bit of witchery. Gabaldon's plot has a few twists to keep the pages turning and enough loose ends to draw the reader into the next book, Voyager.

Second in the series. Well written and sets up the third book quite well. Further develops the two main characters, Claire and Jamie and an assorted supporting cast leading to the battle of Culloden.