A Collection of Outlander Fiction - Seven Stones to Stand or Fall

Everything I expected and more! Another amazing & wonderful experience with Diana Gabaldon's gifted writing! Gives more details about these interesting characters met while reading DG's "big books". Wish there were more!!!

A collection of excellent stories, all intertwined, by my favorite author. This book will be read many times over, as will the eight huge novels, and two companion books. Can't wait for the ninth book in her Outlander series!

I have held off in reading the novellas not being particularly interested in Lord John. I'm glad I waited to get them all in one collection. I couldn't put the book down til I read them all. The stories were all well written.

Love Diana Gabaldon's writing, including the novellas associated with the Outlander series, but I object to purchasing three stories I've read already just to read two new pieces. It's probably my fault, the description probably said some of the stories were previously published, but the fact that she is republishing old with new is pretty low, especially for the price! Not impressed.

Having read all the Outlander series as they were published, I can say it was interesting to revisit some of the characters. Would have to check some names, etc. to really give you a definitive report. I read many books and at my age need to check them quickly to respond properly. Besides I love the way DB writes and I love the enduring love story of Jamie and Claire. It's all good all the time.

I could hardly wait for this book to be released! So many good things to say...I already had read a few of the novelettes but "A Fugitive Green" and "Beseiged" were icing on the cake. Well, until Book 9 appears. The novelettes weave more detail from the books which hold you captive anyway, but to further understand the characters is exciting to read. I still haven't found a series of books that have held my total interest. I'm sure I'm one of thousands of readers who can't put these books down until the last word is read.

I had hopes these stories would be teasers with suggestions about Diana's next BIG book but, alas, they really aren't. Some are interesting aiming at the overall but generally they are simply stand alone tales that add depth to various characters but not much else. If you are a fan of the BIG books these are poor substitutes. I'd recommend not wasting time but dive into the realm of "Outlander" in full force withe the major books themselves.

Written in the same prose as her other works these stories hold your attention and are easy to read. I love her use of archaic terms from time to time. They make the stories better historical fiction then others. Her characters are well drawn and keep me wanting to know more. I'd love to read more about Esme and Ms Rennie's father. I'm sure there is more to come and I'll be waiting.

There are many things to recommend in Diana's new book. It fills in information not in her Outlander series. I especially liked the amusing story of Minnie and her career as a spy which led to her marriage to Harold Grey. Then to also find that the Comte St. Germain is a time traveler was shocking after how he "died" in the star chamber.

slow reading. not a big fan of lord John and thats how the story starts of. plugging though. to what really matters Jaimie and Claire. If you are interested in Lord John you will like it better I think.

I pre-ordered Seven Stones to Stand or Fall as soon as I heard about it. I have read and own 5 of the stories so I purchased it for my tablet (kindle version). I am starting with the first story and will read through to the end. The stories fill in some of the time line between the main books and add a story of other characters. I love the way Diana writes the Outlander series...big books or small. I'm excited to read the newest stories!

I am thrilled to have this collection of novellas and short stories, including the two new ones, in one hardback book! And what an amazing deal! I dug into the book as soon as it arrived yesterday at my doorstep.

This is not the newest book in the Outlander series it is composed of 7 novellas only two of which were new.
I felt somewhat disappointed that I had read 5 and I wasn't impressed with how the new novellas advanced anything in the overall plot.
I am waiting for the "real" ninth book in the series for the real action!

This will do nicely. The stories are entertaining and round out the big picture. Loved the story about Rogers parents. Also the one about the Comte St Germaine is intriguing as it adds another layer to Jamie and Clairs' time in Paris.

That said, I wish Diana would write a novella about Raymond!!

All in all a great read. And like the novels, plan on getting nothing done until you finish the whole thing!

Thank you, Ms Gabaldon!

5 of the 7 novellas featured in this book have been published before. I would have rated the book higher if it had been 100% new material but to pay for that many recycled stories is a little off putting.

I love Diana Gabaldon's books. Although I'd read some of these stories in the past I couldn't wait to get this book and reread those and then enjoy the new ones!! When I opened the book and started reading I felt like I'd "come home"! Even the font makes me feel good!!! I highly recommend this book and any and all of Diana's writings!!!

I LOVE the Outlander series itself, but these short stories seem disjointed and just plain weird. I did like the ALL HALLOWS about Roger's parents. The rest were tedious reading and just....... ended!! It was like Ms. Gabaldon ended a chapter and then didn't actually finish the story. Won't ever be rereading any of these!!!

I enjoyed filling in blanks like Roger's parents and Harold Grey's second wife. I love Diana Gabaldon's writing style! I cheerfully re-read other John Grey stories, but felt faintly cheated there. Was I warned of this? at any rate it was a good collection.

I enjoyed the story of Hal and Minnie but unfortunately found the rest boring and predictable. I feel cheated even though I was warned. I was actually hoping for something with Bree and Roger. Just plain disappointed but still hooked on the books.

I own copes of all of the "Outlander" series and I have tried to purchase the first five in one book for sometime now. I am so thrilled to have them all together in one cover, and if that isn't sweet enough two extras to boot.
I'm estastic to learn more about Minnie and Lord John Gray in Jamaica. Sweet.
Excuse me I must finish my re read and my new read in "Seven Stones to Stand or Fall."
Thank you Diana this is a real gift to get us through "Droughtlander."

Loved the 2 new novellas included in this volume. Nice to have them all in one book. I have the others already, but really enjoy anything Diana writes. She is a fantastic author. We all had extensive advance notice about what would be included in this new collection, so I am really surprised to read bad reviews because the book includes previously published work. Take some responsibility to read about what you're purchasing folks. Diana's writing doesn't deserve a bad review because you've read it before and it's now being published as a collection. Would make a great gift for those you want to introduce to everything Outlander-related.

I think you should tell the public up front that this is not book #9. I paid $15 because I thought since you show that the price went up. I have read all of your books twice and faithfully watch the show. I love your books and was excited thinking this was the 9th book couldn't wait to start reading it but was disappointed when I found out it was a series of short novellas. I give this on e star because I ' m disappointed.

So disappointed

It was NOT the next book in the Outlander series concerning Jamie and Claire. Almost all of the novellas had been released already individually and I had read them. So basically you got ripped off if you stay current with her stories. One of them had just been released shortly before the collection came out. I'm VERY disappointed.

WE miss Claire AND JAMIE, These vague characters are wasted on the minds of your readers. Clouded on M

This book is like an overcast summer holiday. Like a dollar store gift wrap. Like a solicitation vs. A royalty check. Could a reader be ore disappointed.?

A great collection of the novellas about the Outlander series. Lord John Gray is my favorite character after Jamie & Claire and he is always getting himself into trouble. As Diana said, he is just one of those people who things happen to. Who could meet an Indian upon arriving in Quebec and then go off and spend two weeks fishing, camping, and .....? We knew there were only two new novellas in this collection so don't know why anyone would complain. For that matter, don't know why anyone would complain about any of Diana's writings. I did manage to get copies of the five earlier published stories in both paper, e-books, and audible BUT it was awkward to always have to remember which of the big anthologies on my shelf contained which Outlander story. Now I have them all in one place. To really enjoy this book, I think you need to read the first three Big Novels and The Scottish Prisoner. These add to the back story so you won't wonder. Just get your iced tea, wine, or whatever drink keeps you hydrated and settle in for a few hours of pleasure.

I was thrilled when I got the email from the library that it was my turn for this book. I've been on the waiting list for months. Woohoo! My turn!

This is an anthology, but instead of reviewing thoroughly all the stories in it, I'm going to focus on the three that I have previously not read and reviewed. Though, yes, I couldn't help myself and re-read all the ones I've read from prior releases.

And, that reminds me, speaking of prior releases, this collection is seven novellas, but only two were brand new when it released. Just to help respond to any confusion, four were previously published separately, but also together in the UK only release of Trail of Fire. A fifth, Virgins, was released separately and in the Dangerous Women anthology. The only two new ones are: A Beautiful Green and Besieged, both from the Lord John side of the Outlander universe.

For reference, here are the ones included showing series/time order:
“A Fugitive Green" (Lord John #0.25, Outlander #2.5; 1744) Hal Grey and Minnie
“The Custom of the Army" (Lord John #2.75; 1759) John Grey
“A Plague of Zombies" (Lord John #3.5; 1761) John Grey
“Besieged" (Lord John #3.75; 1762) John Grey
"Virgins" (Outlander #0.5; 1740) Jamie Fraser, Ian Murray
"The Space Between" (Outlander #07.5; 1778) Michael Murray, Joan MacKimmie, Master Raymond
“A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" (Outlander #8.5) Jerry and Dolly MacKenzie

Here are my thoughts on the three, I had not read to this point:

Virgins
An Outlander prequel adventure for a young Jamie Fraser and Ian Murray
Just after Jamie's lashing at Ft. William and the death of his father, Jamie escapes with the help of Dougal and Murtagh to join Ian in France for mercenary work protecting valuables being shipped from place to place. They encounter exiled Jews and a coming of age adventure. Both Ian and Jamie learn a thing or two about women.

My heart went out to Jamie as he grieves and tries to work through his guilt, but I also was highly amused to see this pair of young men come of again with curiosity about being with a woman. Jamie and Ian's brotherhood was a heartwarming best part.

A Fugitive Green
I always wanted to get Hal and Minnie's story after all the hints in the Lord John and the Outlander series books.
I wasn't disappointed with what I got. I enjoyed getting Minnie's early history and being alongside as she displayed her amazing brains and talent. My heart nearly broke for Hal when the situation with Nathaniel Twelvetrees, Hal's first wife Esme, the affair, and Hal's grief after. The excitement of seeing the conniving Reginald Twelvetrees going against this younger Hal and the raw time after Hal's father's death, his wife's death, and the duel. So much! Wanted a little more of Hal and Minnie at the end, but that was just me being greedy. I was definitely riveted.

Beseiged
A John Grey novella
Lord John is finishing up his stint as military governor of Jamaica when his step-father, General Stanley arrives to solicit his help in retrieving his mother and his cousin's family from Cuba since the British are planning to attack Havana Harbor and the Spanish would likely take prisoner any British subject still on the island when that happened. Naturally, difficult becomes even more complicated when he finds himself in the midst of a slave revolt, yellow fever, and some luck to keep his family safe.

This one needs to be read after A Plague of Zombies for some elements to make sense, and it also has strong connections to A Custom of the Army, as well because of the return of Malcolm Stubbs. I loved the update on the Azeel and Rodrigo (might have the name wrong, there) as well as seeing Tom Bird assisting Lord John to rescue his mother and his cousin, Olivia's family.
It was exciting and poignant and left things with strings still dangling for what is to come in the rest of the Outlander world.

All in all, this collection was just what I wanted it to be. Those looking for updates on Jamie and Claire between larger novels might be disappointed, but those looking for any part of the Outlander world particularly Lord John Grey's adventures and those of his family and friends will see more to love. The rereads of novellas I got before was fun, but the three new to me stories were amazing and will become their own re-reads in time. Definitely worth it for fans though probably not a good place to start for new Outlander world readers.

This is a wonderful collection of stories--both old and new--from Diana Gabaldon. Before purchasing this collection, I had read "Virgins," "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows," and "The Custom of the Army." For the ones that were new to me, this is the order in which I liked them ("amazing" to "good"): "A Fugitive Green," "The Space Between," "Beseiged," and "A Plague of Zombies." For reviews on the stories I had read before, look to my previous individual reviews.

"A Fugitive Green"--
I loved it! I think it's so special that Gabaldon writes these side stories so that we are able to learn more about minor characters from the Outlander series. Getting the details on Hal and Minnie was fabulous; I was seriously entertained. Their story is a bit crazy, but so is time travel! Every time that Gabaldon writes a new side piece of fiction, I fall in love.

"The Space Between"--
This was a really cool Outlander story. It was great learning all this inside information about our mysterious Comte and Frogman! I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Michael and Joan better. I've grown fond of Ian and Marsali, so it was a wonderful experience to spend some time with their siblings. The only complaint I have is that I am left wanting more! There was a lot of buildup, and then everything came to a screeching halt at the end. I have looots of questions, and I can only hope the answers are found in another novel/novella/short story.

"Beseiged"--
I'll be honest about this one... it didn't seem to hold my attention well. While I enjoy seeing Lord John, I am NOT a military-minded person, so I kind of glaze over when details of sieges are implemented in his stories. I wasn't pleased with Olivia's fate, especially since her horrid husband got off as well as he did in the end. I can't say, either, that was was pleased with seeing more of Jamaica, since I didn't care for what we saw in "Plague." Ultimately I felt that I could have been fine living life without this story.

"A Plague of Zombies"--
This was a weird LJR installment. Though I liked having him in Jamaica (and the connections we see with Claire & Jamie's time there), I didn't find that the story was that interesting. The zombies--and how they are made--certainly provide a unique touch to this story (I am glad she didn't employ the use of what we know as zombies [dead people... REALLY dead]). I didn't care much for the murder plot or any of the other details, though.

SEVEN STONES TO STAND OR FALL is a collection of stories set in the Outlander world by Diana Gabaldon. When this massive book reached my doorstep, I thought it was going to be a full length book but actually it’s an anthology of short stories. Now I hesitate with calling them short stories because while they shorter in comparison to Gabaldon’s other books, the stories included here are all pretty long.

Gabaldon approaches each of these stories the same way as she does with each novel. The characterization is developed right from the beginning and there’s the same level of detail to each so you can definitely expect quality stories from this author no matter what format she decides to write in.

There are seven stories in this book but a few have already been released before. The last two, Besieged and A Fugitive Green, are the new originals that are making their debut in this book. Therefore, I will be sharing my thoughts on those stories in this review.

A Fugitive Green was the one that I was most excited about. It follows the story of Minnie Rennie who I instantly fell in love with. She’s such a strong character despite her age and actually I don’t think there’s a heroine that Gabaldon has written that I don’t like. As I mentioned earlier, the author doesn’t skimp on character development and this is the story that I definitely feel that shows this the most. We see a lot of Minnie’s growth in this story and by the end, I found myself wanting more.

Besieged was a different read for me because it’s about Lord John. This is the story that I think required much more research than the others because it involves Havana. Now, I have a long-time obsession with Havana so my level of excitement was through the roof while reading this. I’m just fascinated by the city so getting to see it through Lord John’s eyes was nice.

Sadly there’s not much of Jamie but there is brief mentions and glimpses here and there. I think this is a great book for die-hard fans of the world. Each story is well-written and expertly crafted. To be honest, they don’t really feel like short stories to me. So you definitely don’t want to miss out on this one!

An anthology of seven short stories in the Outlander / Lord John Gray series. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Outlander and Lord John Grey books on my website by following kddidit.com to reading to Chronological Lists of Complex, Intersected Series.

On the whole, they’re excellent stories with a few niggles here and there.

The Series
“A Fugitive Green" (Lord John #0.25, Outlander #0.75; 1744)
“The Custom of the Army" (Lord John #2.75; 1759)
“A Plague of Zombies" (Lord John #3.5; 1761)
“Besieged" (Lord John #3.75; 1762)
"Virgins" (Outlander #0.5; 1740)
"The Space Between" (Outlander #07.5; 1778)
“A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" (Outlander #8.5)

The Stories
"The Custom of the Army" is an excellent mini-adventure for Lord John Grey from the electric eel attack to his brief Indian affair to General Wolfe's successful attack on Quebec, all with the purpose of upholding his old friend’s, Charlie Carruther's, honor when he is accused of not preventing a mutiny…with cause.

My one niggle with this is the duel that takes place immediately after the party AND in London. From everything I’ve read, this simply wasn’t on. Take note of Malcolm Stubbs in this, as he appears again in "Besieged". This short story can also be found in George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois' Warriors .

"The Space Between" was a curious (and excellent!) peek into what Joan MacKimmie, Jamie’s stepdaughter, is off to, joining a nunnery in Paris, and how it collides with Michael Murray, Jamie’s nephew; the Comte St. Germain; and, Maître Raymond. There’s an interesting historical bit about the cemeteries around Paris in this. Niggle-wise, I wish we’d learned more about Raymond’s and the comte’s plans as well as what the comte had intended with Joan.

This short story can also be found in John Joseph Adams’ The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius .

"A Plague of Zombies" is another exciting tale with the horrible truth about making zombies and how corruption can steal one’s soul when Lieutenant Colonel Lord John Grey is sent to Jamaica to quell a maroon uprising. I absolutely adored how unusual Grey was/is in this compared to his compatriots' usual behavior.

Originally titled “Lord John and the Plague of Zombies" in George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois’ Down These Strange Streets .

"A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" will make you cry in this encounter with Roger MacKenzie Wakefield’s father, Jerry, a fighter pilot in World War II when Captain Frank Randall volunteers him for a secret mission. Finally, we learn why Roger’s father wasn’t there for him.

This short story can be found as a standalone or in George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois' Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love .

"Virgins" is both sad and rather funny when Jamie Fraser is sent to France to join up with the mercenary group of which Ian Murray, his best friend, is a member. Yep, it’s all about two virgins, and how they deal.

This short story can also be found in George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois’ Dangerous Women .

"A Fugitive Green", a new story, starts out so horribly sad and then turns sweet. It’s Hal, John’s older brother, who is struggling to survive events in his life that have destroyed him emotionally. Enter Minnie, the young French spy, hired to finish the job, who turns out to have compassion galore.

I love how supportive her odd father is at the end, although Hal and Harry’s luck seems pretty amazing. As for the library floor action, how does this prove her as a good guy?

"Besieged", a new story, follows on from Lord John’s adventures in “A Plague of Zombies" when his stepfather shows up and begs John to rescue Benedicta, John’s mother, before she’s taken hostage.

This includes previous characters: Azeel and Rodrigo (“A Plague of Zombies") and Malcolm Stubbs (“The Custom of the Army").

The Cover and Title
The cover has a golden yellow background with a slight radial gradient. A deep gold banner spans the top with a note that this is a collection from the Outlander series. The author’s name is directly below it in an embossed metallic red and her New York Times status. The title is in a deeper embossed red and takes up the whole bottom half. In between author and title is a a round bronze shield with the hilt of a sword in its center.

The title is a reference to the number of stories within Seven Stones to Stand or Fall and how people deal with adversity.

At last! The main market for short fiction (short stories, novelettes, novellas, etc.) these days is themed anthologies. Authors get invited to submit
stories in their series universe, mostly stories featuring secondary characters. Or the major character in his (or her) younger days. Sometimes these
stories appear in multiple such anthologies. Eventually, though, the author normally is allowed to reprint the stories in his (or her) OWN anthology,
the sweetener being one or two additional stories written expressly for this author anthology.
Loyal readers do their best to seek out the various anthologies with their favorite author's work. It is difficult to catch them all. On the other
hand, such collections are an excellent chance for all of the authors to be "discovered" by the one loyal reader of a particular anthology's author.
I have happily discovered new authors this way myself.
Finally in 2017, Diana Gabaldon has been able to gather five of her short fiction pieces sold to anthologies plus two new stories in her Seven Stones to Stand or Fall: A Collection of Outlander Fiction anthology. There was one story reprinted here that I had missed altogether and a few that, midway through or so, I realized that I had indeed read elsewhere. But these are all Diana Gabaldon stories so I enjoyed them again, anyway!
In addition to the two stories first printed in THIS anthology, Ms. Gabaldon is able add both introductions to each reprinted story AND author's notes
[the latter to both the reprinted stories and the original stories] which add substantially to the value of this collection.
For the many loyal Diana Gabaldon readers who had missed the various earlier anthologies the time has come to enjoy at least some of Diana Gabaldon's shorter works under one cover!

Diana Gabaldon is amazing. Not only is she a gifted writer, she is creative to the core. I can't imagine how she comes up with some of the scenarios she puts her characters in. Because she's a research junkie, I also enjoy learning bits of history, language, and culture from her. This book is a compilation of seven stories, five of which were previously released. I had already read those five. The two new ones were both great. I always love Lord John. He finds himself in some of the craziest situations, that require his wisdom and ingenuity to escape. In "Besieged" he is about to leave Jamaica when he is notified that his mother is in Havana, Cuba, along with his cousin, Olivia, her children, and her husband, Malcolm Stubbs. Havana is about to be "under siege" and Lord John must make his way there to get them all out. Of course, he ends up in the middle of the fray. But in his usual, logical manner, he leads the small band of fighters to victory before helping his family escape. There is a touching moment between John and his mother, and no shortage of sadness either. Of the two new stories, I think I liked "Fugitive Green" best. Simply because I really like Minnie Grey, and this story tells us about she and Hal before they met, how they met, and events after that. It's full of the wit and humor so characteristic of Diana's writing. Of the five older stories, I really enjoyed "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" and "The Space Between."

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon has seven novelas that go with the large Outlander novels and the Lord John Grey novels. I had already read five of these which had already been written. Two are brand new! If you love the Outlander series you should really read these stories! They add a lot of insight into many of the characters you have already read about. And they are fantastic! I also would suggest reading the Lord John Gray books if you haven't already. Also fantastic and give a lot of insight into the friendships between Jamie and John. Would also give you more to read until the next book comes out!

I just gave up trying to read this disjointed book. Too many characters and names of no interest. ('Virgins' was relatively interesting because I knew Jamie and Ian). I'm annoyed that I fell for what I feel was a ploy to capitalize on Gabladon's reputation and earn the publisher and author some extra bucks from her fans - I would imagine these novellas were excerpts/out takes too boring and convoluted to put into the series. ( I love the Outlander series and have read them all.) I feel cheated because I spent hard earned money on the book and wasted my time trying to find something interesting. It's not nice to fool your fans.

I had read FIVE of the seven novellas/short stories in this anthology. Only "A Fugitive Green" and "Besieged" were new to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the backstory of Minnie and Hal in "A Fugitive Green", but am not a huge fan of them as individual characters. I am not a huge fan of John Grey in the stand-alones, but in "Besieged", I would say it was one of his better story lines. Overall, I just don't like the smaller stories and prefer the meatiness of the long novels. This is just MY personal preference as I like the Fraser family tree the best and heft a long, intimate novel.

If you haven't read the last two stores, check it out from the library like I did. Don't waste your money buying almost 2/3 of this book that you have already read!!

Like many others who have reviewed this collection, I have read many of the other short stories and novellas included. I thoroughly enjoyed both of the new stories but my favorite by far was the story that focused on Minnie. The story follows her adventures before and after meeting Harold Grey and the mischief she is able to get up to. I have yet to read the Lord John series but have read the main series and many of the novellas and I love how A Fugitive Green really fleshes out a character that I didn't form much of an attachment to in the main series. Definitely an enjoyable and quick read!

Very good actually. Short and sweet. Especially after reading the whole Outlander series, it is indeed nice to have some continuity, spin off on the Outlander universe, key characters’ family tree. The stars played by Jamie, Claire and LJG is very very well selected. I enjoy it very much and they make the story comes alive. The supporting actors were excellent too, bringing the whole package worth reading, listening and watching. Highly recommended. Hope to see more graphic releases as well.

Although this collection does include 5 stories that have been previously published, they are the 5 stories that were not included in the collection I already had. I had been able to read them by borrowing them individually from the library, but since Gabaldon frequently references situations that occur in one book or story in another book or story, I have found it helpful to have the shorter stories and novellas handy for a quick refresher reference. Some of these stories are just entertaining, but others make some major revelations regarding some of the characters and time travel.

I always enjoy reading Diana's books. She's such a brilliant story teller. I really enjoy these books as they tell so much about the characters from her Outlander books. They really fill you in on a lot of little things that aren't told in those main books. These are very entertaining to read (or listen to, which I do). Devina Porter is my absolute favorite narrater! Thank you Diana!

I Enjoyed reading the Collections of DG's Novella's and Short Stories "Seven Stones To Stand or Fall" the ratings for each story is as follows:
1. The Custom of the Army 3 Stars
2. The Space Between 3 Stars
3. A Plague of Zombies 2 Stars
4. A Leaf On The Wind of All Hallows 3 Stars
5. Virgins 4 Stars
6. A Fugitive Green 5 Stars
7. Besieged 3 Stars

I have no qualms about saying that I have been a fan of Gabaldon since the beginning, so it would be hard for me to not enjoy anything she's written. I had already read several of these stories, but was thrilled to find a couple of ones that were new to me. I love how she has embraced the method of using short stories and novellas to expand the stories of minor (and, in the case of Lord John) and not-so-minor characters. Really brings the characters and stories to life when the characters have enough depth to hold their own in separate stories. Gabaldon adds comments in introductions and epilogues to the individual stories for more insight. While I did read this online via my library, I will be purchasing the "real book" (i.e., paper) to add to my collection.

I have always enjoyed the appearances of Lord John in the Outlander series and have been reading his stories since I finished the last book. These have been very enjoyable to learn more about John and his adventures away from Jamie. I also loved getting to know more about John's brother Hal. These are very extraordinary men and I look forward to the next adventure.

I'm a big Outlander fan..have read all of the books. This was a bit disappointing for me. They're novellas, short stories and Jamie and Claire aren't in the story much, more the minor characters, such as John Grey. Also, the stories end kind of hanging..not resolved.

It's my own fault. I didn't read the description. I don't follow her on Facebook or twitter or whatever, so I didn't know something other than the next novel was coming out, so I assumed this was said new novel. Again my fault, but I'm still angry as hell and feel ripped off.

Diana never fails. This new book is a combination of new and older short stories. I have read all of them except the 2 new ones and I was not disappointed. It brings Hal (John Grey's brother) and his wife Minnie's history up to date and was a very fun read. The new John Grey short story is a continuation of the Zombies in the Caribbean. I enjoyed every story.

Serious disappointment. I am a fan of the author; but not fanatical... which seems to be the only way to have known that only a small fraction of this ..."book" was original: I.e. New. I pre-purchase it as soon as I saw that Diana was releasing a new "book." I have already paid full price for five of these, so called, "novellas" had she just announced that she was broke and needed us to all to pay twice for the.... "novellas" that we had already paid for.... nope, I would still be disappointed. I accept my own part in this, I assumed that a best selling author would not have to sink to this level. This is the type of behavior that I would expect from a third string, self publishing, "author"

there were two stories in this book that held my attention from start to finish. Perhaps it was the subject matter that I could not relate to, or maybe my expectations were quite high having read the "Outlander" books and expecting the same quality and intensity that were present in the series. This is a good read, nothing more.

I love the outlander story but these focus more on Lord John Grey and his family. My favorite one was about his older brother Hal and Minnie mainly it's about their unusual courtship. There is another one that is new about LJg and it takes place in Jamaica .

Awesome compilation of stories that were originally published as novellas. It seemed to me that one had been fleshed out very well so that it felt like a new story and there is 1 or 2 other new ones. I'd read them before and very much enjoyed revisiting. I could live in Outlander land.

This us not and never been promoted as they"new" book. She has said all along this is NOT Book#9 and we will have to wait at least a couple more years for that. Yes, of course a couple of stories are repeats, but the filler between the plot lines of the actual books is fascinating..

Really good. If you've read all the Outlander series, this will give you a little extra information,Atkin about the people and events that happen I those books. I don't typically like short stories, but I recommend these. Although, I think she should lengthen some of the, to novels, too

Great to fill in side stories and get a little more from the cast of characters in Outlander. I love the historical references as well. It's sipping at the well while waiting for the next Great Big Book

I bought the audible.com version. Love the book, I have never read any of the novellas so I was looking forward to it. I also have all the audio books read by Davina Porter. Was so looking forward to this and the first to narrators are TERRIBLE. The first sounds like she needs to stop and cough a frog out of her throat and the second part is read by a guy who sounds more like a cartoon character. Listened for and hours and wanted to jump out of the car screaming it was so bad. PLEASE bring back Ms. Porter and don't ruin anymore books.

Pure Diana Gabaldon, with all the historical context and personal relationships we have come to identify with het Outlander series..
Nice to have a glimpse into the other side of characters we have met before

Although I had read all of the previously published stories before, having them all in one collection enabled me to make connections unrealized until now. And of course the new stories are a jewel as well.

I was looking forward to reading it but was disappointed. Some of the stories are repeats. It wasn't up to par to her other writings. I would say skip it and read another one of her books or reread another one.

I had already read a few of these stories within this collection and loved the smaller details about the different Outlander characters.
As always, Diana Gabaldon has created page-turners with fun and fascinating details. Loved it.

No one will be more surprised than me if the store actually publishes this review, because I have no plans to purchase this book. I have already purchased, through the store, 5 of the seven stories published in this book. Only two of the stories are original to this book. So I think the book is well overpriced. I think this is something of cheat, not only by Ms Gabaldon and the publisher, but by the store as well. Talk about trying to squeeze every last penny possible out of a short story! If it were the other way around, mainly new material and only one or two previously published works, I would take it better. As a fan of the Outlander series, I am deeply disappointed.

Face it, people. Gabaldon has run out of ideas. It's bound to happen and we had an inkling that it was coming, but she bounced back. However, to allow a publisher to publish 2 new stories with 5 previously published stories is unconscionable. I'm sorry she's apparently run through all her royalties and needs more money, but I'm not going to be duped by any more of her "books." Good-bye, Diana. It was fun while it lasted.

I borrowed it from the library without bothering to check the contents first, and decided little was of interest because I haven't read the Lord John books (except for The Scottish Prisoner which was awesome because, duh, Jamie). Also I don't care enough about Roger to read about his parents.