In the interests of honesty, there are a few things you need to know.

• I am NOT a raving Outlander fan
• I recommend Outlander with reservation
• ​I have only read Outlander

Outlander is an epic story of love found between two unlikely people: 18th century Scot, Jamie Fraser, and WWII nurse, Claire Randall. Obviously there's time travel involved--Claire falls through time.

Chapters 1 and 2 are about Claire and her husband, Frank Randall. They're finally reunited post-WWII and, in essence, learning who each of them is as an individual and within their disrupted marriage.

It took me 3 separate attempts to get past this part of the book. I simply did not like the relationship between Claire and Frank. Plus the book is rather slow at this point.

• Great love story, pretty hot too. Yes, Jamie and Claire's love story is exactly that. Even with Claire's conflict; she's technically married to a man who hasn't been born yet, it's one of the best constructed looks at love between two people.
  

• The details of 18th century life are vivid. Not going to deny it. Part of my joy in reading Outlander was the details and this rarified look at what life could have been like for so many. Ironically, seeing how Claire and Jamie survive on the road, away from a castle where food is prepared, was thrilling.

• You will be completely caught up in the story and you will enjoy it. True and true.
  

A little background, Claire's husband is a decendent of Captain Jonathan Randall, whom Claire personally meets. Captain Randall has "unnatural tendencies," as they were called in the 18th century. More importantly, he wants Jamie and he enjoys torture.

Chapter 39 provides an extremely detailed explanation of how Captain Randall treats Jamie (read rapes and tortures him) in exchange for letting Claire escape a failed prison break.

If you've been subjected to sexual abuse or simply value your stomach, skip Chapter 39. Skip the whole thing. You'll miss only the worst part of the book. A part that you can safely miss without destroying the rest of the story.

Its because of Chapter 39 that I am not a huge fan of Outlander. I'd heard raving fans talk about it for 20 years--yes, I'm sincere and, yes, I'm old enough for that statement to be true. Not one of those fans mentioned the contents of Chapter 39. In fact, most fans seem to be oblivious to its existence.

As an individual who has personal experience with sexual assault, reading about it is troubling. And that's putting it mildly.

I've been criticized by many fans, including family members, for not adoring Outlander. Some have said particularly idiotic things about my opinion.

Here's the thing, Outlander is a truly great story. If I'd known to skip Chapter 39, I'd love it as much as the next fan. But I didn't know. I read Chapter 39. It tainted the whole book.

I've ceased trusting the fans who rave about Outlander. Figure if they can forget about the hero being forcibly raped and tortured for a whole chapter, they aren't the best source.

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Tags:
Book Reviews, Outlander, sexual assault in fiction, Diana Gabaldon

Elicia Hyder's Soul Summoner series is getting a new addition and it's every bit as awesome as the first two books in the series.

This paranormal romance series begins with The Soul Summoner. It's a fast start with Sloan betraying her secret to the hot new cop. A cop who is trying to find 11 missing women, including his baby sister. All of whom Sloan knows are dead.

Then, for the first time in her life, Sloan meets someone she doesn't immediately know. Someone with a special skill similar to her own. Sparks fly as everyone's world is turned on its side.

The Siren (Book 2) picks up immediately following the stunning conclusion of Soul Summoner. On the hunt for the 11 missing women, one of them turned out to be more than anticipated. Now the trio, with an unwanted tag-along, are split between Asheville, NC and Texas to solve the mystery of Sloan's birth mother.

As good as Soul Summoner was for bringing you into the series, Siren is even better. And now the third book in the series is out for everyone to read.

The supernatural world has taken an interest in her, and strange things are happening. Her powers are multiplying, she’s plagued by vivid nightmares, and a deranged young woman, babbling an unknown language, has been detained by police. The only clue to her identity—Sloan’s name carved into her arm. 

If that wasn't enough, the FBI has launched a full-scale investigation into her private life, believing Sloan might not be as innocent as she claims. 

With her boyfriend, Warren Parish, deployed with the Marine Corps, Sloan’s only ally is Detective Nathan McNamara. Their friendship is already complicated, and its limits are about to be tested. Sloan has a secret…one that could turn even Nathan against her forever.

I'm afraid to write too much because I feel like I'd be giving away spoilers. What I will tell you is that many of the questions and situations created in the first 2 books are resolved, and resolved so damn well. But, Elicia didn't stop there. Oh, no. She created even more mystery and exciting questions for the next book (or books--cause I'm not ready for this series to end).

And new characters! Oh my goodness! I adored them, even the baddies. Each one came in with a bang, sometimes literally. They left a mark. My favorite newbie is the girl with Sloan's name carved into her arm.
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Seriously, reading this series is so much fun. If you like Darynda Jones' Graves series, odds are good you'll thoroughly enjoy the Summoner series. It's all the fun and complex characters with a little less sex. Not devoid of sex. There's even some hot sex to mix with sweetness, just less of it.

Go pick up a copy of any of Elicia Hyder's books in the Soul Summoner series at any ebook retailer. Devour them. Then come back here and drop me a comment letting me know what you thought. I'm pretty sure you'll have a trouble meeting your obligations because you want to read one more chapter!

Tags:
Book Reviews, The Soul Summoner, Elicia Hyder, The Siren, The Angel of Death