Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Voyager

by Diana Gabaldon

Book Blurb:

Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her...the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite or forever doom her timeless love.

What. A. Ride. 

This was a re-read for me. I think I've read Voyager about four times now but I've never reviewed before. So this is my first time with pen to paper (so to speak) on my thoughts of Voyager. 

Outlander (book 1) will always have that special place in my heart as being one of my all time favourite books. After all that is the book that started it all and was my introduction to Jamie and Claire's world. However out of the Outlander books, I think Voyager is my favourite of the series.  Voyager is one adventure after another and just when you think your palms can be dry for a second, something else happens. As I said at the beginning, what a ride. 

Here was my blood pressure and heart beat reading Voyager. 

There is this one little line in Voyager that perfectly outlines Jamie and Claire for me. It gives me the biggest grin every single time I read it. 

"Damn ye, woman! Will ye never do as you're told?"                                  "Probably not," I said meekly. 

One of the reasons I adore Claire is that she is so amazingly smart, clever and has unbreakable loyalty to Jamie. However, there are times where even I want to ring her neck. I think Voyager had me wanting to ring her neck a few times. I completely understood every single decision she made, but it I still could not understand why she went through with them. Now tell me, does that sentence even make sense?? I was even arguing with myself. Ha! Having said that, what a boring book it would be if Claire wasn't Claire. I simply just adore her.

There are not enough words to capture my love of Jamie. He is sensible, calm, brave and not shy about his devotion to Claire. The man is the package. Oh he has his flaws, but those imperfections actually perfect him. The thing is, I am seriously smitten with Jamie but I love him to be with Claire. They are my fiction super couple. 

Voyager takes us on a journey starting at present day Scotland through to 1746 Edinburgh and then on to Lallybrook (sigh, oh Lallybrook), off to Paris, aboard a ship to the West Indies, Jamaica & other various tropical islands to the final exciting resting stop on a wee bit of a cliffhanger at the end of Voyager. Which is why although I have read the series many times over, I'm off to start Drums of Autumn.

Although I dont' think Voyager is the most emotional book of the series, my heart experienced heaviness quite a few times. I had a lump in my throat here:

"He gave you to me," she said, so low I could hardly hear her. "Now I have to give you back to him, Mama."

and here:

"It isn't Geordie," I said. My voice was higher than usual. "It's me," I said. "Claire"

...and I can't quite put to words what I was experiencing with the acts of of the English soldiers following Culloden, the outrage with Frank wanting to take Bree from Claire, my mouth dropped open when Jamie was flogged again in prison, the nervousness of when Jamie was hiding in closet right after Ian was born. At this point in the book I am not even half way. I haven't even touched on the kidnapping of Ian or the shock of a certain wedding. A super duper rollar coaster I tell you. A true voyage of emotions. 

It wasn't all sad and distraught by no means. Just the sheer fact of Jamie and Claire's reunion and togetherness was paralleled above and beyond anything bad that could happen.  There were some extreme highs too. *grins*

"I must have ye, or die." 

I was not expecting one of the return of a certain character from Outlander nor do I wish to spoil if you are first time reader. Blew_me_ away. Even knowing it is coming, it still does not contain my feelings. 

Voyager is not a stand alone book. I would not recommend anyone reading it before Outlander or Dragonfly in Amber.  I would recommend if you haven't read the books, you get going and start. They are not light reads. They are not romances. They are emotional roller coaster rides that will never let you forget the characters Jamie, Claire and the country, Scotland. I think Diana Gabaldon should get some sort of shares for how many visitors a year Scotland receives due to this series. 

So tell me, have you read any of the books? Have I made you slightly curious?