After working myself into a mania awaiting the arrival of ‘Echo’ by rereading ‘Snow and Ashes’ and reading as many excerpts as I could lay my hands on, I was strangely hesitant when I actually received my copy. Perhaps my subconscious sensed what was coming – if so, perhaps I should head to the nearest casino because turns out I was rather disappointed by the seventh book in the ‘Outlander’ series.

The book started where ‘Snow and Ashes’ left off, and for one character actually before, with much excitement and promise. Everything continued to run along nicely until the story, and several characters plans, were derailed by the American Revolution (I know, how inconvenient of those pesky rebels). What followed was several hundred pages of the tedious minutiae of war punctuated by the odd, bloody battle where we read all about Jamie's battlefield heroics and Claire's own brand of futuristic doctoring – yes, again. We occasionally left Claire and Jamie to it, only to see what William and Lord John Grey were up to. The answer for both is not a lot – and none of it even remotely interesting. Two more boring characters I have thankfully never come across.

Just when I felt I might skip ahead, the story took an abrupt turn – this time for the better. The Revolution was quickly dropped in favour of finally exploring the lives of the characters. And it was almost worth it. I laughed, I cried and I gasped, audibly. But just as soon as I was back revelling in Gabaldon's fan­tastic, if not a little frenzied, story-telling, it stopped, leaving almost everyone's story unresolved and me feeling confused and more than a little unsatisfied.

Overall, the book feels disjointed and rushed and not nearly up the standard of previous books, yes, including ‘Fiery Cross’. With Gabaldon commenting that it takes her around three years to write an ‘Outlander’ book it will be a long time between drinks and I think next time I will take mine without the side of crazed obsession.

It was three years in the waiting. My friends and I counted down the days to its release. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the latest installment of Jamie and Claire's adven­tures. Only to find, or rather not find, them not there! Long tedious passages of William, Jamie's son, wondering around the American frontier as a would-be spy led to me, for the first time ever, skipping pages! I was so excited whenever Jamie and Claire did reappear that I would re-read the passages! This installment felt more like a prelude to the final novel – setting up things to come, but in slow motion. Of course as the 2nd to last book, you have to read it, but do prepare to be disappointed. It's an Echo of it's former self. :o)

Another very entertaining read by Diana Gabaldon. Just about all the semi-major characters get a significant cameo in this one, and there are of course plenty of slightly unlikely but great to read about exciting events.

If you're a fan of the series, you'll know more or less what to expect, and I see no reason why fans shouldn't love this book as much as the others!