Book Review: A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Title: A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Rating: 5 stars

 

A Breath of Snow and Ashes is filled with intrigue, adventure, drama and romance. There is murder and kidnappings and secrets abound. Some are kept and some are revealed with surprising results.

 

Some sections are filled with lots of action and keeps you on the edge of your seat where other sections of the book go more slowly but no less interesting as the Frasers live their daily lives.

 

Claire is always coming up with new and ‘modern’ ways of treating her patients. It is really interesting to see her modern medical knowledge applied to 18th century medicine. However some people on the Ridge are still skeptical of the existence of germs and vitamins and other modern phenomena. Claire is still having to be careful as there are still those who are suspicious and those who would brand her as ‘witch’.

 

“All I want, is for you to love me. Not because of what I can do or what I look like, or because I love you – just because I am.”

 

All this is going on and meanwhile with the knowledge from Claire, Brianna and Roger that war of Independence is coming. Although Jamie is informed and pre-warned of what will happen there is still so much he has to navigate. The political climate of the time was very complicated and once he declares for liberty, it causes great change.

 

For me, I find this all very interesting seeing the lead up to America no longer being a colony and the reasons for their independence. Diana gives you such vivid and detailed history of the time that I find fantastic. Not to mention, it follows the life of one of my favourite literacy couples. Claire and Jamie go through so much in this book and they are always there for each other and giving each other the strength they need.

 

“Ye’re mine, Sassenach. And I would do anything I thought I must to make that clear.” 

 

Meanwhile, Brianna is very industrious and is determined to bring some of the modern comforts to her current life at Fraser’s Ridge. She works at inventing matches and hopes to get running water to her and Roger’s cottage. My favourite is when she and Roger fashion a toy car, but having no way of explaining it to the others it becomes a ‘vroom’.

 

One of my favourite things about this series is how Claire, Brianna and Roger give a modern take on life in the 18th century. Plus it’s always cool when there is just this normal conversation and something modern is referenced. It always makes you take a double look and gives a new take on historical fiction.