I enjoy Diana Gabaldon’s books (“Outlander” was probably my favorite and is the first in the series), yet they’re so big that they can sometimes intimidate even devoted fans. I picked up the latest, “An Echo in the Bone” right before Christmas and finished it on January 3rd. And I’m happy to say that the 800 pagesjust flew right by! It was one of my favorites in the series so far!

Your favorite characters are there, of course: Claire, Jamie, Roger, Brianna, etc. along with plenty of new characters who seem immediately familiar and welcome (such as the Hunter family). Lord John features prominently in this book for those of you who’ve been reading her side series about him.

I’ve NOT read them and yet found it easy enough to follow his story line.

If you haven’t read any of her books before, they’re sweeping action/adventure/romance novels  primarily set in Scotland and America with tons of historical and medical references. These are not light reads and they’re not Harlequin romances. Characters are complex, relationships are sometimes painful and circumstances are often bloody and/or gruesome.

While most of the readers of this series are probably female, I do know men who’ve enjoyed them as well. There are enough battle scenes and talk of honor and revenge that most guys will find something that appeals to them.

Of course, the thing that shines through these novels the strongest is the relationship between Claire and Jamie. Star crossed lovers to be sure, but their love for each other seems to be so rich and deep that you almost eat these books up with a spoon.

She tells this story from a variety of characters’ perspectives, which is something that I enjoy about George RR Martin and Christopher Paolin’s books as well. If you feel like you’re getting bored/weary with one character, just keep reading, odds are good that you’ll soon get to read about someone/something else.