Outlander Challenge 2009-Voyager(Audio)

Preclude: I've "read" Outlander, Dragonfly and Voyager twice each plus to "catch up" and in anticipation of Echo due out in September, I am now listening to the audio. Narrated exquisitely by Davina Porter. If you thought the books took you away to Jaime and Claire land, the audio will entrance you , the essence of them, it's almost indescribable! I find myself getting all blushed and giggly when hearing their bedroom scenes, oh my!

Voyager:

A novel could not have a more appropriate name! In the 3rd installment of the Outlander series, DG truly takes the reader on a voyage further exploring the lives of Claire and Jaime Fraser separated by war and time, but never forgotten to one another.

"I stretched out a hand toward him, as much to stop as to welcome him. I wanted more than anything to touch him again, but was unaccountably shy. After so long, how were we to start again?"

The story picks up 20 years after Claire has gone back through the stones, back to Frank, pregnant with Jaime's child, at Jaime's insistence to save Claire and his child from an almost certain death to them all. DG weaves the story by letting us see what they both have gone through in their 20 year separation. Claire gives birth to a daughter, Brianna, becomes a doctor, resuming her life and marriage with Frank, but not without issues they both must face. Jaime survives the battle of Culloden but is forced into seclusion for 7 years to avoid prison. We also learn of the fate of Jaime's tormentor, Jack Randall.

The intensiveness and descriptive story plot is enhanced in the audio version. Raw emotion and pain which is DG's signature, is supreme and the listener cannot help but feel what the characters are going through, I actually felt transcended into their lives.

In Voyager, we are introduced to a delightful character, Lord John Grey. Jaime forges a relationship with Lord John in a manner that only DG can concoct! Eventually Jaime is captured and spends time in prison, but with Lord John on your side, Jaime is taken to England as a horse groom for a wealthy English family in which DG carves a story arch that will certainly delight. Brilliant!

Through very extraordinary circumstances and the help of Roger Wakefield, historian, Claire finds her way back to Jaime after the death of Frank. Her daughter, Brianna is grown and Claire feels now more than ever the tug towards the love of her life.

Voyager is also much about adventure and further story lines on Jaime's sister, Jenny, and in particular, Jenny's youngest son, Ian Murray. Ian is Jaime's nemesis always wishing to mimic his uncle's life and adventures. One cannot help but fall in love with Ian! Practically from the initial reunion of Claire and Jaime, we are taken on a whirlwind journey with twists and turns that leaves the reader(listener) breathless and wondering, how do they that??!! Murder, piracy, kidnapping, mysterious gold and gemstones and a trip to the Caribbean to boot where the couple is reunited with a sinister character from the past with a hold on what Claire holds most dear, her daughter, Brianna. We also see an emergence of Fergus, the adoptive son of Jaime who is now grown and has plans of his own.

Even still with all the craziness, life saving and much travelling, Jaime and Claire find each other still in love just as before and the passion, sparks and tempers are as prevalent in this installment as ever before!

And just when you think DG cannot possibly invent and create more, the ending will astonish and surprise as Jaime and Claire begin a new chapter of their life that neither one of them ever expected.