Well, first things first—
A Very (slightly ex post facto…) Happy Birthday to Sam Heughan! When he was first cast to play Jamie Fraser, I noted that he was born on April 30th, while Jamie’s birthday is May 1st—one on either side of the Beltane fire.
Beltane is the Celtic fire festival that marks the beginning of summer, so plainly a time of good omens. As it turned out, it was indeed a time of good omens for All Things Outlander, so it seems an appropriate time to offer up two bits of (what I assume will be) further Good News. One on either side of the fire, as it were…
The newly recorded audiobook of OUTLANDER, recorded by Kristin Atherton (the lovely actress who played the “mature” version of Jenny Murray in Season Seven), was released just yesterday, and I’m pleased to see that so many people already are excited about it and delighted with the quality.
(This in no way denigrates the wonderful Davina Porter, who has read all the Outlander novels, through GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE. Davina has retired, but all of her recordings will remain available, alongside the new ones.)
The Title of Book Ten
And on the other side of the fire (aka May 1st)… I thought I’d let you know what the title of Book Ten is (so we can stop calling it Book Ten, which is slightly boring…).
First, A Word of Warning: THE BOOK IS NOT FINISHED. IT HAS NO PUB DATE (because the publishers wisely won’t set one until they have the full manuscript in their eager hands).
I AM STILL WRITING IT.
YES, I DO KNOW HOW IT ENDS.
NO, I’M NOT TELLING YOU.
NO, YOU CAN’T ORDER IT YET, BECAUSE THE PUBLISHERS DON’T HAVE PAGES SET UP FOR ORDERS BECAUSE THERE IS NO PUB DATE AND BECAUSE I HAVEN’T TOLD THEM WHAT THE BOOK IS CALLED.
Until now. <ahem>
The title of Book Ten of the OUTLANDER series (and yes, this is the final book of the main series, though there may be other companion books and side stories, depending on how long I live…) is
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[spoiler space for people who don’t even want to know the title, but couldn’t help reading this far]
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A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT
(NO, that doesn’t mean Jamie’s going to die. It’s not a death blessing, it’s the Blessing of St. Michael, said for a warrior about to go and do something important and possibly dangerous. There are quite a few people in this book who qualify for that blessing, believe me…)
It seems only reasonable to append a small sample from near the beginning of the book, but I know that not everyone wants to read bits and pieces, preferring to wait for The Whole Thing. Ergo, here’s another chunk of spoiler space:
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[Excerpt from A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT, Copyright © 2025 Diana Gabaldon]
Only a few people had noticed William’s arrival. The post-wedding revelry was well underway, and most of the guests were gathered in clumps near the food tables, talk and laughter rising and falling in volume as the wind shifted in the trees.
One of those who had noticed was Fanny, standing at my elbow.
“A Dhia,” she said faintly. Oh, God.
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Jamie rose slowly from his chair on the porch—not using his stick, I saw—and drew himself up, eyes fixed on William.
William himself was still on his horse, the two of them mud-spattered, windblown and breathing hard. I saw his throat move as he swallowed, evidently preparing to repeat what he’d said a moment before.
Sir—I need your help.
But Jamie was moving, going down the steps. I could hear his left knee crack with each step, but he didn’t flinch or limp. He reached William and put a hand on his arm.
“You have it,” he said simply. “Come in.”
[end section]
William came up the steps after Jamie, his hat tucked under his arm. His face was still set in lines of anxious determination, but this relaxed for a moment when he saw me. He paused, and a tinge of warmth touched his eyes.
“Mother Claire,” he said. “I hadn’t—though clearly I should have—expected you.” His glance flicked past me, taking in the open doorway behind me, the fine, heavy door and the long, broad hallway beyond, lined with Brianna’s sketches and paintings.
“I know,” I said, smiling. “It gives you a bit of a turn, when you see someone out of place, so to speak.”
The corner of his mouth twitched briefly.
“So to speak,” he said, at once acknowledging and dismissing the circumstances in which he had been accustomed to seeing me: As Lord John’s wife. And as quickly as it had come, the warmth disappeared and his jaw set again. Jamie was waiting at the door of his study.
William had just set foot on the threshold when Fanny spoke behind him.
“Will-yum?” she said, her voice clear but uncertain.
He turned to look back, surprised, but then smiled and stepped back on the porch, reaching to take her hands.
“Frances,” he said softly, looking down at her. “There you are.”
“Here I am,” she said, smiling up. She’d blushed when he turned to her, but her brown eyes sparkled. “Shall I take care of your horse for you?”
“Oh.” He glanced down the steps; the horse, a big, muscular bay, was munching grass beside the path, his reins carelessly looped over the hitching rail. William glanced at me, and I made a tiny nod in Fanny’s direction.
“That’s most kind of you, Frances,” he said, and squeezed her hands briefly before letting go. “His name is Trajan and I’m sure he will be as grateful for your welcome as I am.”
She turned at once and skipped down the steps, glowing. William looked after her, the smile still on his face.
“I nearly said, ‘How you’ve grown, Frances!’,” he remarked, sotto voce, to me. “But that wouldn’t have done, would it? I always hated it when Papa’s friends would say that to me.”
“It would have gone over like a lead balloon,” I assured him. “She has, though. And her speech is nearly perfect now.”
I glanced over my shoulder; Jamie had gone into the study. “And—er—how is Lord John these days?”
“I wish I knew,” he said, face and voice both suddenly bleak. He took a deep breath and walked past me down the hall.
I didn’t know whether I ought to be present at whatever conversation he was about to have with Jamie, but neither of them had shut the door, so I walked quietly in and went at once to the cupboard where the visitor’s tray was kept, a plain pewter object, but equipped with several shot glasses, a bottle of fairly good whisky and a jug of water.
Jamie met my eyes but didn’t say anything as I set the tray down. He put a glass in front of William, poured a dram and said casually, “Aye, so?”
“It’s concerning my f— It’s Lord John, sir.”
“A Dhia,” Jamie said, with somewhat more force than Fanny had used. He drew a deep breath through his nose. “Where is he? And sit down, my lord,” he added, nodding to a chair.
“I don’t know.” William sat down, adding, “Don’t call me that,” then adding a hasty “if you please, sir,” as an afterthought.
Jamie raised one brow.
“Do ye ken where his lordship may be, Mr. Ransom?” he asked politely.
“No! Goddamn it, if I knew where he was, I would have got him back by now!”
The outburst startled us all, including William, who pressed his lips together.
“I beg your pardon, sir,” he said stiffly. “I—have been searching for… his lordship… for some time—for months. I am somewhat…” he made a brief gesture indicating emotional disturbance, lack of sleep and/or deep fear, and Jamie nodded.
“Dèrangè,” he said, in good French. “I expect so. I suppose it wouldna be helpful to ask where ye saw him last?”
“No,” William said dryly. He’d nearly got himself back under control, though, and helped the process along with a slug of whisky. “Though for what it”s worth, I last saw him in the drawing-room of his house in Savannah, on [date]. Later in the day, after I’d left, he received a written message, and whatever it said, it apparently caused him to go immediately to the docks. The cook told me. She was present when he got the message,” he added, “but she didn’t see what it said or whom it was from.”
“Did he tell the cook he was going to the docks?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“No. But he did go there. A whelk-seller on one of the quays said she’d seen a fair-haired man in a good coat, with a soldier’s queue, who’d asked her if there was a ship called “Palace” in the harbor.”
“But if you didn’t know he was going to the docks, why did you look for him there?” I took the bottle and poured a bit more whisky all round; this was clearly going to take some time.
Willie gave me a slightly odd look, as though he might ask me to leave the room, but instead took another mouthful and swallowed it.
“Are either of you familiar with a man named Percival Wainwright? Or, for that matter, the Chevalier St. Honorè?”
Jamie looked blank, but I felt a light, cold touch on the back of my neck, like the caress of a ghost.
“Yes,” I said. “Lord John mentioned him once or twice. He was John’s… step-brother, I think he said. His name isn’t Percival, though; it’s Perseverance. And—”
“Perseverance?” Jamie leaned forward, interested. “A Quaker, is he?”
William cleared his throat and looked down.
“Definitely not,” he said.
“He’s dead, though,” I told Jamie, and William looked up at me.
“He is now,” he said.
[end section]
Visit my A BLESSING FOR A WARRIOR GOING OUT webpage for information on this book, and to read more excerpts from it.
This blog entry was also posted on my official Facebook page on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
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It’s 2025, and I sincerely hope you’re nearing the conclusion of this book. I’m 85 now, and I’m holding on tightly to the hope that I’ll live long enough to see this series reach its grand finale. Is this enough pressure to speed things up? LOL
Hi Diana, love this little teaser and absolutely love every one of your books, read ,own and have reread them all. waiting for the new book but wit little patience as Im most anxious to reenter the lives of claire and Jaime. what wonderful hours of pleasure and fantasy your books have brought to me over the years, thank you for sharing your great story telling talent with us. if you will please hurry as Im 76 and would like to hang around to enjoy this latest book and perhaps other creations you may have planned. no pressure here of course. in grateful appreciation. Kathy Peters
I’m so ready for the new book. I listen to the books on Audible over and over! I love these books the characters, the history, medicine, humor and all!
Thanks so much
Dottie
I am delighted about the news of book 10 and its titel. Looking forward to receiving the publishing date, though.
The news of Davina Porter‘s retirement made me sorry, I loved her way to present your books. I whish her the best for her „idle time“! I wonder which „new audiobook“ you are writing about: could this be the start of book 10, but who would be the delighted ones?
Regards. Lotte
I love the books! Thank you for sharing your stories with the world. The series on Stars gave my dad and I something to talk about during the long days of the pandemic where we were in different states and just couldn’t stomach small talk anymore. It’s helped us get a more “flesh and blood understanding for our Scottish ancestors, who came to America after the rising.
I personally am making it my mission to read all of the novellas and the side stories.
I love the title of the new book.
I am truly waiting with bated breath. I have this website as a favorite and I sometimes check daily and sometimes weekly, depending on how my week is going. I wish you would post more excerpts as it fills the empty spaces in my heart for their stories. I know this is the last book. I have reread each book at least three times. Each time I find something new as I read very fast and when I go back I find a hint of something new. I love it. I am rereading the “Bees” again. I know you get requests for you to hurry but,
Some of us are getting really old and either we will get dementia or we will die before it is finished or not.
I guess my life story will be told while I wait!
Sharlene Dering
Looking forward to “Good Omens” can’t wait to read it. Your fantastic!
Hi, I am a long term fan, since not long after Outlander book 1 was first published! It has been just grand! I noticed a thing in the TV show that I am confused about. When Roger knocked on the door of Lallybroch, and the man who opened the door, the Laird of the house, had red hair. It is my understanding that Jamie’s Da had black hair. Did I get something mixed up? If you have a moment.
I also want to say that my life has been rather challenging. Having this series to read, and reread, and watch through the years has been a big help. So, thank you! I truly appreciate it.
I can appreciate the ‘spoiler alerts’ spaces in these reviews! Very clever! However, I’m one of those that want to know anyways ahead of time, to follow along! Can you fill me in on those ‘spaces’ contents anyways?
Thankyou very much!
Kathy
I am 83 years old. I have read all the “Outlander” books and a few others while waiting for the next one. I truly thought “Go Tell the Bees” was the last one. I do believe you are keeping me alive. I can’t go without finding out what happens to all these characters I have grown so fond of. Please don’t write anymore in the “Outlander’ series. For heavens sake I can’t live forever and I am getting rather forgetful. I thought of starting over at the beginning.
And I might. I might just cheat and look into the audio version. Thanks for taking this under consideration. I am your devoted reader and fan. Thank you for the escape that I have enjoyed so very much.
Judi in Florida
I can’t wait for the book. I am curious. If Claire is able to go through the stones, were her parents able to travel through the stones also? I’m thinking that there might be something about Master Raymond giving them Faith to raise until she can travel back to her time.
Of course you left me ‘hanging’! I’m an elderly woman from Yorkshire in England. Will I get to read what happens next before I pass or can you email it to me in the other place?
As Fran mentioned above referring to her age…I am 90 years of age and have been reading your books since Outlander was first published. I loved it and all the books in the Outlander series that have come my way since.
When I turned 80, I started to worry that I might miss the last book you wrote, but I got lucky and am still here. I know you can’t push the writings to hard as I think that the ideas come through at different times so, I will thank you for your storytelling which has kept me entertained for all these years. You should know that I have read each book more than one time and enjoyed them just as much or more each time. I eagerly await number 10 and hope I don’t miss it by kicking off to soon!
My favorite authors (until Diana Galbaldon ) were; Michael Connelly, John Grisham, John Sandford,
James Patterson. I was in need of a diversion after my husband of 60 years died. I found Outlander on
Netflix. I prefer reading so I got all the books from the library. Then i started buying the books.
I have watched all seasons four times and have read all books at least four times.
I love the history. I research every word I do not know. Most of all I love the love of Claire & Jamie.
Sincerely,
Vickey
Dearest Mistress Diana,
I’m glad to see I haven’t missed a debut of your final Big Book of The Outlander series. Claire has been my boon companion nary on a quarter century now. Claire was with me through nursing school and I was always fascinated how she used plants to heal. Claire has been with me on my journey to now being a certified herbalist, too! The parallels that I share with some of Claire’s qualities is striking and it does make me chuckle, at times. I am grateful for your life’s work and anxiously anticipate the final installment of this book series. WELL DONE DIANA, BRAVO! Much love and prayers for your continued health!
Your storytelling has ruined me for all others. It is such a joy to accompany you on these wonderful adventures and hear the fascinating bits of information that you pick up along the way. I can’t thank you enough.
I will miss Davina Porter so much. She had a voice for every character and an accent for every voice. What an artist! Fortunately, your choices are always spot on so I look forward to more enjoyable listening.
Now quit reading and get back to work!!
Your husband said that he didn’t know how you were getting away with it since you knew nothing about male psychology. I would love to hear you expand on how he sees Jamie in view of this comment.
Dear Diana,
I am 87 years old, female, fit and healthy. I think I can wait around but I just hope my eyesight lasts ( I have MD) so I can read the Warrior book. I have all the books on Audible, too. So sad to hear that Davina Porter will not come out of retirement to present us with Your final jewel in this series.
As A Devoted fan I REALLY appreciate the way you join words together so beautifully. The story is just the icing on the cake of your prose.
Annette Sofka
Thanks!!! I look forward to all your works. They have been solace and friend during times of loss and reminders of life’s ups and downs. They speak to me on many levels: healthcare, gardening, anthropology and archaeology and don’t forget my favorite longest running science fiction television series (Jamie’s origin). There are many people who read your work that cannot buy it but use the libraries and it opens a conversation when a patient brings one to an appointment- I know many of them will never communicate with you so I will speak for them. Your work and gift is much appreciated. Please thank your family and supporters for us.
So I am not the only senior waiting with bated breath for book 10. Goody. that gives me hope and at 79 I love hope .. I reread your books in stressful times, joyous times, sad times and all times allotted to me. They are worth rereading over and over. Your books give pleasure and knowledge and happiness and adventures galore. Sadness and mourning and lovely tributes to all of American pioneers, adveturers and romances including mine. I am most proud of you and your gift with words and word pictures delivered in a truly honest way.
Sincerely, Julie