Drums of Autumn (Outlander, #4)

by Diana Gabaldon

In her long awaited new novel, Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon continues the remarkable story of Claire and Jamie Fraser that began with the classic Outlander, and its bestselling sequels, Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager.

Cast ashore in the American colonies, the Frasers are faced with a bleak choice: return to a Scotland fallen into famine and poverty, or seize the risky chance of a new life in the New World—menaced by Claire's certain knowledge of the coming Revolution.

Still, a highlander is born to risk—and so is a time-traveler. Their daughter, Brianna, is safe—they think—on the other side of a dangerous future; their lives are their own to venture as they will. With faith in themselves and in each other, they seek a new beginning among the exiled Scottish Highlanders of the Cape Fear, in the fertile river valleys of the Colony of North Carolina.

Even in the New World, though, the Frasers find their hope of peace threatened from without and within; by the British Crown and by Jamie's aunt, Jocasta MacKenzie, last of the MacKenzies of Leoch.

A hunger for freedom drives Jamie to a Highlander's only true refuge: the mountains. And here at last, with no challenge to their peace—save wild animals, Indians, and the threat of starvation—the Frasers establish a precarious foothold in the wilderness, secure in the knowledge that even war cannot invade their mountain sanctuary.

But history spares no one, and when Brianna follows her mother into the past, not even the mountains can shelter a Highlander. For Brianna too has an urgent quest: not only to find the mother she has lost and the father she has never met, but to save them both from a future that only she can see.

• ISBN10: 0606362576
• ISBN13: 9780606362573
• Publish Date: 10 November 1997 (first published 1 December 1996)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Edition: Bound for Schools & Libraries ed.
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 1120
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Proceed With Caution:

This book contains blood, death, violence, murder, an execution, abortion, slavery, racism, and rape.

The Basics:

Drums of Autumn is the fourth book of the series, and it would be in your best interest to read the previous three books to fully understand what's going on here. This time we're covering a period of time from 1767 to 1770 in the American Colonies, and a smaller period of time back in the present. Claire and Jamie are looking for a place to settle down together, finally, while Brianna and Roger are figuring out their own lives in Boston and Oxford. But nothing comes easy to either couple.

My Thoughts:

I've put off reading Drums of Autumn for far too long. This book is a huge commitment and I wasn't sure I was ready for it. I wasn't convinced that I would still be interested after the events of Voyager. I mean, Jamie and Claire have been reunited, everyone is safe and sound, what else is there? Well, a lot more! I'll admit that I was bored for the first several chapters. I couldn't see where this was going or why all this mattered, but once Jamie and Claire meet his aunt and stake out their future homestead, I was hooked!

Drums of Autumn is all bout new beginnings and forgiveness. Whatever happened in the past (and the future, which is also technically the past) is in the past, and all anyone can do is move forward. Jamie and Claire are settling down in Fraser's Ridge, in the mountains of North Carolina. They're going to live a simple farming life, but that is not what fate has in store for them. Sooo much happens during the three-ish years we're with them out there. Even using the toilet is an ordeal!

Meanwhile, back in the present, Brianna and Roger have been researching her parents and stumble upon some distressing information. Of course, this leads them to their own future which is in the past. Gotta love time travel! It's not an easy journey and things definitely do not go as planned, but I was right there with them! I've come to care for them nearly as much as Claire and Jamie. They have different struggles to work through, but I have faith that they will make it through!

I also just have to say that I adore Rollo, Ian's wolf-dog. He is the cutest, precious big boy! He legit stole every scene he was in. Maybe I'm just a sucker for dogs, but whatever. I'll miss him. Hopefully, he'll make an appearance in the next book.

Drums of Autumn was another great entry to this epic series. It's massive, and a ton happens. It was an emotional rollercoaster! So many ups and downs for everybody, but in the end, it's looking up. At least I hope so. I may have been left wondering what else there could possibly be after this, but I won't be fooled again! I know something big is coming!

[Berls]

Yes! So much better than the last two. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed them, but they FELT as long as they were... Not like this book or Outlander, where I was anxious to know what was coming next. I feel like they were almost filler, to get us to where Drums of Autumn finally delivered us. I don't know when I would have picked this up if it weren't for the fact I want to be ahead of the show. I'm glad I did and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how they translate it to TV.

I loved that Bree and Roger were such a big part of the story - that was an unexpected treat. I also loved the setting - which is unusual for me, as I tend to prefer my historical in Europe not the US. But I enjoyed seeing the Scottish settlers in the colonies, alongside slaves, Native Americans, and the British.

Despite being quite long, the ending felt fairly abrupt and I was surprised that it was the end. We feel very much on the precipice of lots of things happening and I'm sure it'll make for an exciting story in the next book.

The narration is great and probably the only way I'm successfully reading this lengthy series. Very happy to have it in audio!

[lisacee]

Finally done. It was a good story, but it just kept going.

[rakesandrogues]

I have to say that halfway through the book, I was hooked and I couldn't put it down and I read almost til dawn. I loved reading about the relationship between Roger and Brianna! I think it was one of my favorite parts of the book. As much as I love Jamie / Claire, it was very refreshing to have another relationship going on.

I have to say that I was a tad disappointed that there was less Fergus in this book. I guess he had the spotlight on him for quite some time and it was time for other characters to be part of the action.

There were definitely a handful of surprises along the way and it was one of the elements that kept me hooked, despite the fact that Drums of Autumn, like the others, is dauntingly long. As I continue to read more of the series, I'm starting to think less of why the editor decided to keep the novels so long. I am no longer thinking up of a good reason why a book has to be 700-800 pages long - I just want more.

Drums of Autumn did not disappoint me; I will definitely be looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[littleread1]

Like many of Gabaldon's books, this one allows you to feel like you are there with the characters. About half way the group splits, and you start getting multiple POV's, which is a great help. And like always, it is very clear early on whose POV it is, as Claire is the only first person narrative, and anyone else is done in such a way that allows you to know who is "speaking" within the first paragraph. Overall, well done. I can't say a whole lot more about this book without some major spoilers and I want you to be as shocked/excited/terrified/angry/tearful/happy as I was :-)

[Lindsey Gray]

This one took me quite a bit longer to get through than the other three. I loved that we got to get into the minds of Jamie, Bree, and Roger along with Claire. I am totally smitten with Roger at this point and was in tears during his struggle in this book. I was a bit surprised at the reappearance of Lord John, but so happy. I love the friendship he created with Bree and the understanding he came to with Claire. Overall, another wonderful and intense narrative.

[Linda]

Again, so many things have happened, and it's really nice to have Brianna and Roger in the same time with Claire and Jamie, even if there has been a lot of trouble for them all!! Poor Roger, he really didn't do anything wrong, but Lizzy thought he had, and that was enough for Jaime and Ian :(
A full review will come later.

[elysium]

Jamie and Claire lives now in America They have some lands in the middle of wilderness and they’re ready to settle to “normal” married life. The local Indians are relatively peaceful and Jamie’s nephew Ian becomes good friend with them.

In the 20th century Brianna is trying to find what happens to his parents. She’s also coming closer to Roger Wakefield, who helped Claire to trace Jamie. When Brianna finds old newspaper article about her parents she decides to go through the stones without telling Roger. When Roger finds out she has left, he’s determined to find her.

Yet another godd book by Gabaldon! I enjoyed it but still thought it to be the weakest book in the serie so far. But that doesn’t mean it was bad! I just found Roger so utterly boring. And there were too many pages from his point of view. He seemed more interesting in the future time.

I liked to see how Brianna and Jamie got to know each other and their relationship grow. AndI liked how well she get along with John Grey. But I didn’t understand how John could be so uninterested about his wife’s death.

The one thing I could have lived without was Brianna getting raped. I just didn’t see the point of it...

[ibeforem]

Things have calmed down a *little* bit in the Fraser lives, but this was still a very good book. I like how the story is progressing. My only problem is that I find myself skimming things like Indian folktales — but that’s my problem, not a problem with the book. My eyes always glaze over when I hit stuff like that.