DRAGONFLY IN AMBER
For nearly twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time... and about Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his.
Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart... in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising... and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves. @goodreads
This book broke my heart. I knew what was going to happen because I watched Season Two before reading the book but it doesn't matter.
I have been crying forever now, like my heart is going to break into a million pieces!
*******Let me stop right here. There are going to be some spoilers. There are going to be some thoughts about things in the next book. And who knows what else, so if you haven't read these books you should probably stop here. If you don't care then carry on.*******
It was worried when the book/show starts 20 years later. Jamie and Claire's daughter is grown and Claire named her Brianna. *Sob* because Jamie asked her to name the baby Brian if it was a boy before she left him to come back. I don't know if I can get through this, damn it.
20 years later, Claire brings her daughter, Brianna back to Scotland after Frank's death. Brianna has no idea, of course, who her father really is but she finds out. They are staying in Scotland and visiting all of the old sites and Claire took her to see a man named Roger. Claire knew Roger when he was a little boy. Claire actually knew his father, adoptive father, but he had passed away. He did keep extensive records. < --- it all leads back to things.
Claire goes back to some of the old haunts while Roger takes Brianna around. It breaks my freaking heart. Everything breaks my freaking heart.
I woke three times in the dark predawn. First in sorrow, then in joy, and at last, in solitude. The tears of a bone-deep loss woke me slowly, bathing my face like the comforting touch of a damp cloth in soothing hands. I turned my face to the wet pillow and sailed a salty river into the caverns of grief remembered, into the subterranean depths of sleep.
I came awake then in fierce joy, body arched bowlike in the throes of physical joining, the touch of him fresh on my skin, dying along the paths of my nerves as the ripples of consummation spread from my center. I repelled consciousness, turning again, seeking the sharp, warm smell of a man's satisfied desire, in reassuring arms of my lover, sleep.
The third time I woke alone, beyond the touch of love or grief. The sight of the stones was fresh in my mind. A small circle, standing stones on the crest of a steep green hill. The name of the hill is Craigh na Dun; the fairies' hill. Some say the hill is enchanted, others say it is cursed. Both are right. But no one knows the function or the purpose of the stones.
Except me.
I'm so worried about the next book being more heartbreak. It's been 20 years after all. Jamie has been with other women and I think has a child, but they weren't like I was thinking. Yes, I asked ahead. He has never forgotten Claire but I hope they can get their love back. Anyway, on with this review.
At one point Claire finally admits everything to Brianna and Roger. Roger had already found some papers confirming things that Claire was saying but he was keeping them a secret because he didn't know what to make of it. Brianna freaks clean out as you can image.
But the best part is where we get to go back in time before Claire came back and hear their story.
They have set off for France to see if they can get in with Jamie's cousin < -- was it cousin, Jacob. Anyway, Jamie could not set foot back into Scotland so this is where they landed. Murtagh was with them but they left the others behind. They were going to try to change history so that the Klan wouldn't be killed during a certain battle.
It was very bizarre in France with all of the creeps they had to deal with and then Captain Randall shows up. Claire and Jamie thought he was dead. He's never dead, he just keeps on and on. Like I said before, there is a red hot poker waiting for that evil man.
The king of France is another nutter. You can read all of that for yourself.
Jamie takes in a little boy who is a thief and gets him off the streets. I fall in love with him. His name is Fergus and that Randall gets his paws on Fergus and I can't even say. Red hot poker people, red hot poker!
I was heartbroken again when Claire and Jamie lose their first child that was a little girl as well. There were a lot of different situations that could have caused that. Claire thinks it was because Jamie was dueling with Randall (there is a lot of stuff behind that) but she was poisoned at one point and attacked so who really knows.
Jamie gets put in jail and has no idea what happened to Claire. He thought she was dead. But Claire had to have sex with the weird king to get Jamie out of jail. It wasn't like me or Claire thought though, it was weird but not all, well anyway. It was just weird. And no way to leave her pregnant.
Jamie finds Claire a little later on when she is in the country staying with one of their friends. Claire is mad and doesn't want Jamie near her until they talk and finally get it straightened out. Thank goodness because it was all so very sad.
Then they are sent back to Scotland. It was another condition from the king and he said he would take care of him not being allowed there.
Of they go back home and they think they are safe but no. They thought they stopped what was coming, but no. They go to battle and it's not good and it's sad.
There are other things and more battle and Jamie sends Claire back. He just knows he's going to die and he doesn't want Claire or their unborn baby (yep they got preggers again) to be killed too and it just about killed me to read this. I thought I was okay when I watched it and I was over it and could handle it. Noooooooooooooo, I'm still heartbroken. I only hope they can get the love they had for each other back as strong as it was. The first book is the best book and will always be, but I will love them all as long as Jamie and Claire have their love. I love their love story! And that's all I need.
They cut each other's hands (Claire's idea) and . . . .
Unwrapping the blood-spotted handkerchief, I pressed my wounded hand tightly against his, fingers gripped together. The blood was warm and slick, not yet sticky between our hands.
"Blood of my Blood . . ." I whispered.
". . . and Bone of my Bone," he answered softly. Neither of us could finish the vow, "so long as we both shall live," but the unspoken words hung aching between us. Finally he smiled crookedly.
"Longer than that," he said firmly, and pulled me to him once more.
JUST KILL ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T EVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Claire, Brianna and Roger witness something that shows that Claire might can go back through the stones.
Then something else.
"One man, a Fraser of the Master of Lovat's regiment, escaped. . ." Roger repeated softly. He looked up from the stark page to see her eyes, wide and unseeing as a deer's fixed in the headlights of an oncoming car.
"He meant to die on Culloden Field," Roger whispered.
"But he didn't."
I also recommend listening to the audio versions of these books! The narrator, Davina Porter, has it nailed - freaking nailed!
GOODREADS REVIEW:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1972608863
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