Book Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Fantasy, Scottish, Romance
Pages: 896
Acquired: 2/26/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have/read it: Fantasy February
Series: Outlander (1)

Claire Randall, an English nurse from the 1940's, is in for the surprise of her life. While on vacation with her husband in Scotland, she finds a strange circle of stones and somehow is transported back into 1743 Scotland. Confused and disoriented, she finds herself in the hands of a Scottish lord and his men, on the run from the English.

As Claire adjusts to her new life in Scotland, she take son the task of being nurse to the castle she now lives in. The people slowly work their way into her heart. At the same time, she desperately misses her husband and searches for a way she may be able to sneak off and use the stones to go back to her own time and place. Instead she finds herself right in the middle of a feud between the Scottish people that have taken her in and an English Corporal, that just happens to be one of her husband's ancestors.

I enjoyed the little twists and turns the story took along the way. Gabaldon was able to keep the story moving very nicely throughout the almost 900 pages, something that can't be very easy to do. There were a few sections that I did struggle through, but were important to the development of the many characters.

I was very surprised at the amount of romance that was included, and have to admit there were times I skimmed over a bit of the love scenes. There were times it seemed a bit much for the type of novel that I expected, but at the same time it didn't seem to effect my overall liking of the book.

4/5

Book Review: The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

An interesting look at time travel. We explore an ancient Egytian religion that possesses powerful magic capable of crossing distance and time. We see just what might happen to modern people if they find themselves suddenly thrust back unprepared to a different time period.


I didn't particularly care for the main character, he seemed very self centered most of the time. I was intrigued enough to continue to follow his adventures through old England and Egypt. The Doctors Romany and Romanelli I found the most interesting. The concepts behind them were great, and their blunders seemed somewhat humorous at times.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was it's brief look into consequences. What happens when we go back in time? Do we change the future? Would we know it if we did...or would our memories corrent themselves since all this has already happened anyways? It's a circular arguement that the book brushed on through most of its pages. I enjoyed it.

4/5 stars