A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Outlander, Book 6

By: Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by: Davina Porter

1772, the eve of the American revolution. In Boston, men lie dead in the street and in the backwoods of America, isolated cabins burn in the darkness of the forest. The Colony is in ferment. Jamie Fraser, a passionate leader of men, receives an envoy from the Governor Josiah Martin, asking for help.

The Governor needs someone to unite the backcountry, pacify the seething resentments of the settlers, and keep the mountains safe for King and Crown. Jamie Fraser, everyone agrees, is the man for the job. But Jamie knows what is to come.

His wife, Claire, has travelled back in time from the twentieth century, and she knows that it's only a matter of a few years before the start of the War of Independence, ending with the exile or death of the men loyal to the King of England.

Neither prospect appeals to Jamie. Beyond everything else, though, looms the threat of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports the destruction of the house on Fraser's Ridge, and the death by fire of James Fraser and all his family. Jamie hopes Claire is wrong, for once, about the future—but only time will tell.

©2005 Diana Gabaldon (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"[A]n enthralling experience." ( Booklist)

Unabridged!

Fortunately the author and her agent have negotiated a change in her copyright contract to allow the sale of the unabridged version. Part of the agreement is that the abridged must remain available but that hopefully won't tempt anyone with a modest amount of good sense. After all how can you modify a book so large into such a small recording? (not without mangling it bad) The author is well known to dislike the abridged versions of her novels and is anxious that the remaining one, The Fiery Cross, be available in unabridged form around Nov. of 2011. As always I recommend reading the novels in order to get full benefit of the story of Claire and Jamie: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and Echo in the Bone. Each is technically self standing but each builds on its predecessors and you will be very happy to discover older characters and evens. So if you haven't read any of the Outlander series yet do start with the first, Outlander. You'll be glad you did. A Breath of Snow and Ashes is worth waiting for anyway. :)

As always, a wonderful story continues

I love it but I'm in love with both Claire and Jamie Fraiser. Thank you to the narrator and Diana Gabaldon for bring to life two of my most favorite characters, Jamie and Claire.

Good Performance, though long, loved the book

I have read the otehr books in the outlander series I wouldn't say I'm addcted to it or the author, but I definitely enjoy the myriad back and subplots found in A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I enjoy the time travel component of this series especially, I am not a fan of the romantical elements but I know that they are necessary. I'm definitely glad that that has been dialed back a bit from book 1's perspective.

I continue to be very impressed with the performance by Davina Porter though sometimes, accents get a bit confused i.e. Briana's accent waves from and American to a Scotish like accent. I can overlook this however as her portrayals of Gaelic and Scotish brogue is well-done, and that's an understatement. It would be difficult to read this, especially if you are reading this book as a blind person using text to speech. This is why Audible books like this are in my opinion necessary because they add some wonderful layers to the story.

This book's plot moved pretty quickly, and though at 57 hours long, it was ... long, I didn't really notice it as I was definitely sucked in more than I thought I would at first.

Though I am in the minority as a guy reading this book, I enjoyed the historical fiction and Claire's inventiveness when it comes to medical adventures and challenges. I will read the rest of the books in this series.

I'm sorry it's over

What made the experience of listening to A Breath of Snow and Ashes the most enjoyable?

Once again, the narration is superb. I become completely lost in the characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard to say...I feel like I have become friends with the main characters and now that the series is over, I have said goodbye to these friends...very sad.

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She brings a richness to the story and an understanding of the pronunciation of the Gaelic words.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't have an extreme reaction. I enjoyed the historical perspective and I both laughed and cried.

Any additional comments?

Gabaldon's series isn't what I would consider serious literature but I have really enjoyed listening to her stories via Davina Porter.

Best Series Ever Written

Best Series Ever Written. Narration is wonderful, the whole series is absolutely amazing. Can not reccomend it enough. Its definitely a must read!