''Dragonfly in Amber'' is the second book in the ''Outlander'' series of novels by

Diana Gabaldon Diana J. Gabaldon (; born January 11, 1952) is an American author, known for the ''Outlander'' series of novels. Her books merge multiple genres, featuring elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, adventure and science fiction/fantas ...

. Centered on

time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a ...

ling 20th century nurse

Claire Randall Claire Beauchamp (who adopts the surnames Randall, Fraser, and Grey at various times) is a fictional character in the ''Outlander'' series of multi-genre novels by American author Diana Gabaldon, and its television adaptation. In the series, C ...

and her 18th century

Scottish Highland The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...

er warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books contain elements of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...

, romance,

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

. This installment chronicles Claire and Jamie's efforts to prevent the

Jacobite rising Jacobitism (; gd, Seumasachas, ; ga, Seacaibíteachas, ) was a political movement that supported the restoration of the senior line of the House of Stuart to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British throne. The name derives from the first name ...

that Claire knows will end disastrously for the Scots. A television adaptation of the series, called '' Outlander'', premiered on

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz cons ...

in August 2014. The show's second season—which aired May through July 2016—was based on the events of ''Dragonfly in Amber''.

Plot summary

Scotland, 1968

Claire Randall has returned to her own time, where she has been living for 20 years with her husband Frank. Following his death, she brings her daughter, Brianna, to the home of the Randalls' old friend, Reverend Reginald Wakefield. There, Claire hopes the Reverend's adopted son, Roger, can help her discover what happened to the men of Lallybroch after the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...

. Roger, using his Oxford credentials to obtain information, finds proof that the men of Lallybroch returned home safely. He accompanies Claire and Brianna to an old churchyard, looking for the grave of Jonathan Randall, Frank's ancestor, but also finds Jamie Fraser's gravestone: it is part of a "marriage stone", showing Claire's name but no date. Claire reveals Brianna's true paternity to her and Roger. Brianna angrily denies her mother's story, but Roger is fascinated, and Claire recounts her time after the events of '' Outlander''.

Paris, 1744

At the end of ''Outlander'', Claire has convinced Jamie to stop the

and the subsequent slaughter. After learning that Charles Stuart is trying to get money from the French king

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

to fund the Jacobite cause, they travel to Paris, where Jamie uses his cousin Jared's wine business to gain the aristocratic connections necessary to plot against Stuart. A French boy named Claudel, brought up in a brothel, helps Jamie flee from some thugs, and Jamie hires him to steal the prince's correspondence, and renames him Fergus. Claire befriends an English girl named Mary Hawkins and rumors continue about Claire’s connections to witchcraft. When a group of rapists attack Mary and Claire, they are afraid of Claire and refer to her as “La Dame Blanche”. Mary Hawkins is in love with Alex Randall, the brother of Jack Randall. When Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall arrives in Paris, Claire makes Jamie promise to spare Randall's life to protect his descendant Frank (Claire's modern-day husband). However, Jamie challenges Randall to a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and ...

, and renders him

impotent Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of male ...

. Claire miscarries their first daughter and is taken to the hospital. Jamie is sent to the Bastille for dueling. In order to secure Jamie’s release, Claire asks the King of France, who expects that Claire will sleep with him in return. He also asks Claire to use her knowledge as “La Dame Blanche” to identify a traitor. Jamie and Claire reconcile and must return to Scotland as a part of their agreement with the King

Scotland, 1745 and the Rising

Claire frees Jamie by an arrangement with King Louis XV of France, and they are banished from France. Back in Scotland with Fergus, they settle into farm life at his home at Lallybroch with Jamie's sister Jenny and her family. Jamie receives a letter from Charles Stuart, announcing his attempt to retake the throne of Scotland, which the prince has signed Jamie's name to, branding him a traitor to the Crown. Left with no choice, he gathers the men of Lallybroch to join the Stuart army. Young Lord John Grey, an English scout, stumbles upon Jamie and Claire. Thinking Claire a prisoner, Grey tries to "save" her, whereupon Jamie breaks the boy's arm but spares his life. Information gleaned by Jamie from this encounter helps the Highlanders win at the

Battle of Prestonpans The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile C ...

. Charles Stuart dispatches Jamie to convince his grandfather, Lord Lovat, to send his men to join Stuart’s forces, and eventually he agrees to send troops led by his son Simon. When Jamie and Claire return to Edinburgh, then find the men of Lallybroch have been imprisoned for desertion, as the men had left for Lallybroch on Jamie’s orders. Claire visits the men in prison and tends to Alex Randall. After a skirmish and a night of hiding in a church with Jamie, Dougal MacKenzie and his men, Claire is taken by the English who think she is a hostage. She is taken to the Duke of Sandringham’s home where she tries to ascertain whether he is a Jacobite. After being imprisoned in her room by Sandringham, Jamie rescues Claire. They leave with Mary Hawkins, who insists on coming with them. Hugh Monroe is killed in an attempt to save Claire and Murtagh kills the Duke of Sandringham. Upon their return to Edinburgh, Mary Hawkins and Alex Randall are reunited, and before his death, Alex has Mary and Jack Randall marry. Mary is pregnant, and Claire realizes that Frank’s lineage is safe after all. As the disastrous Battle of Culloden approaches, Jamie and Claire discuss assassinating Charles Stuart, but decide against it. Dougal MacKenzie, having overheard their conversation, accuses Claire of persuading Jamie to betray his people, and attempts to kill Claire. Dougal is stabbed by Jamie and dies in his arms. Knowing he is wanted to murder and will soon die, Jamie attempts to ensure that his nephew young Jamie will inherit Lallybroch and to send Claire back through the stones to 1945. He tells Claire he knows she is pregnant and forces Claire and the unborn Brianna to return to her own time to spare her from the battle's aftermath. Jamie returns to Culloden, intending to die in the battle.

1968

When Claire returned in 1945, Frank disbelieved her story but insisted on helping her raise Brianna, and asked that she would only tell Brianna the truth after his death. Upon hearing the truth, Brianna refuses to believe Claire's story. Claire enlists Roger's help by revealing him as the descendant of Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis Duncan. Claire admits to Roger that while hiding in the caves of the Highlands, plotting Jamie's escape from prison (as told in ''Outlander''), Dougal had delivered a message from Geillis that read: "I do not know if it is possible, but I think so" and the numbers 1,9,6 and 7. Claire deduces that these signify the year 1967, and Claire and Roger suspect that Geillis was telling her the year of her own time travel. Claire, Roger, and eventually Brianna witness Geillis Duncan/Gillian Edgars' disappearance through the stone circle at Craigh na Dun after she murders her husband, Greg Edgars. Ultimately, Roger informs Claire that Jamie did not die at Culloden.

Critical reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' called ''Dragonfly in Amber'' an "immensely long, compulsively readable sequel to ''Outlander''", and noted that by "portraying life in court and hut and on the battlefield through the eyes of a strong-minded, modern participant, Gabaldon offers a fresh and offbeat historical view, framed by an intriguing contemporary issue of Claire's daughter's paternity."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dragonfly In Amber Fiction set in 1744 Fiction set in 1745 Fiction set in 1968 1992 American novels 1992 fantasy novels American historical novels Hispanic and Latino American novels Novels set in Paris Novels set in Scotland Novels set in the 1740s Novels set in the 1960s Outlander (franchise) Novels about time travel