Proceed With Caution:
This book contains rape, kidnapping, blood, violence, death, domestic abuse, slavery, war, attempted suicide, incest, and murder.
The Basics:
A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the sixth book of the Outlander series, and it would be in your best interest to start at the beginning! It picks up where The Fiery Cross left off and continues over the next three years of the Fraser-Mackenzie family's life. War is coming, as is the fire that Brianna came to warn her parents about. But a lot more can happen in three years.
My Thoughts:
I'm use to these books starting out slow, going up and down for the most part, then ending on some crazy high note. Well, A Breath of Snow and Ashes starts out strong and just keeps going! Whenever I think things are going to slow down for these characters, something else crops up! Sooo much happens to Claire and Jamie and Brianna and Roger and everyone else. It's completely insane.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes starts with drunk toddlers and hemorrhoid removal. Does that set the tone? Not really, but it was interesting and in no way prepared me for what was to come. I was surely entertained and kept reading, but nothing will prepare you for the events that follow. Of course, we get a ton of Claire's medical stuff. She's made a lot of progress in what kind of medicines she has and procedures she can perform. She can't do everything though and that ends with a heartbreaking moment near the end.
Meanwhile, Brianna and Roger are continuing to find their way in this new life. Brianna is using her engineering training to good use and that was fun to read. She's trying really hard to make this life more modern and comfortable! Roger on the other hand, finds his calling and a new career path. I didn't expect it, but it does make sense. Not to mention the craziest funeral I have ever read.
Other than these more light-hearted topics, A Breath of Snow and Ashes deals with some really heavy ones as well. Claire goes through a horrific ordeal. I could not believe what I was reading! I never thought this would happen! Then Marsali's baby comes and that doesn't quite go as expected. There's a cancelled wedding and a sweeping illness that nearly takes out much of Fraiser's Ridge. Then a shocking scandal back at River Run! What in the world is going on?!
But just when I thought nothing more could happen, we get Lizzie's drama. Oh boy! I was totally here for it! That is 100% not something I ever thought would come up in these books, and I want more! I'd love to have a Lizzie side story, or really side book. However, Malva had Lizzie beat. She deserved more than what Claire gave her, but ultimately didn't deserve what wound up happening to her. That whole situation was just...whoa. That rippled all throughout the the rest of the book. Dang.
The end of A Breath of Snow and Ashes was also great. Obviously, Claire and Jamie can't die despite what the newspaper clipping said. There's at least three more books! It was still interesting to read how the fire happened and how they escaped and what they decide to do next. This was by far my favorite book so far and now I fear my expectations are going to be way too high for the rest of the series!