"A Breath of Snow and Ashes"

I finally finished "A Breath of Snow and Ashes," Diana Gabaldon's latest in the saga of Jamie and Claire.

These books are wonderful! They combine touches of that cold Celtic magic, with lots of love, humanity and hot passion, set against a well-researched background of Scottish and American history.

History fascinates me, and I learn more when it is populated with characters, as in a good historical novel.

The first book is called "Outlander," in which Claire is accidentally tossed back in time from just after WWII to the 18th century, just before the pathetic attempt by Bonnie Prince Charlie to regain his grandfather's lost throne. Did I mention that this happens in Scotland?

Enter Jamie.

Jamie is the penultimate romantic hero. He's big, protective, intelligent, humourous, and totally in love with Claire. He is courageous, stubborn, beautiful, honourable; all the things necessary for a romantic hero.

Throughout the succeeding books, "Dragonfly in Amber," "Voyager," "Drums of Autumn," "The Fiery Cross," and, the latest, "A Breath of Snow and Ashes," we follow the adventures of the intrepid hero and heroine from Scotland to Europe, to the Colonies of America. "A Breath of Snow and Ashes" ends on the eve of the revolution.

Diana Gabaldon has a website, with links to online excerpts.

http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~gatti/gabaldon/gabaldon.html

Go there.