Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was a late-comer to the Outlander series having not read the first novel, 'Outlander,' until mid-2014. Once started however, I read the existing books in the series in rapid succession and then waited breathlessly for 'Written in My Own Heart's Blood.' I wish I could say that each successive book was as perfect as 'Outlander,' but that is not the case. I still enjoyed each reading experience, but not as much as my 'first time.' Which brings me now to 'Virgins,' a novella of Jamie and Ian as mercenaries. 'Virgins' reminds me of why I fell in love with Jamie and the whole Outlander universe. From the opening scene to the last word, the reader is treated to Jamie's courage, strength and heart, all firmly in place and well developed pre-Claire. Diana Gabaldon lets us inside Jamie's deep mourning and wracking guilt over the death of his father as well as his on-going worry over his sister, Jenny, in the wake of Black Jack Randall's mayhem. We see Ian as a whole, strong man as well as the dynamic of his relationship to Jamie in a way we've never seen it before. What 'Virgins' does is that it gives us another dimension to both characters that makes them, if possible, even more compelling. Bottom line: it's a solid read. Don't be put off, if you've read the main series, by thinking that this short story can't add anything to an already richly tapestried world. What you'll read is the glorious mix of heart breaking pathos, laugh-out-loud humor, and action that is vintage Diana Gabaldon. Read it. You won't be sorry.