It’s rare to find a series with as much widespread acclaim as Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, with over fifty million copies sold and many more on the way. The wildly popular series debut, Outlander, was published in 1991 to immediate success, and this success has grown throughout the years. The ninth book in the series was released in 2021, and readers today are highly anticipating the eventual publication of the tenth book. The presently unnamed tenth book is set to be the series conclusion, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the grand finale with bated breath for years.
So what is it that makes the Outlander series stand out in a literary crowd of equally ambitious fantasy romances?
Fans of the series are quick to point out the uniquely alluring genre-bending aspect of the books. Outlander isn’t just a fantasy romance: it’s also a riveting historical fiction read, complete with thrilling time travel and a steamy, emotional love story. Gabaldon’s writing is beloved for its vividly descriptive prose that has the power to transport its readers fully into the alluring setting of 18th-century Scotland.
Beyond the beloved nine-book (and counting) series, Gabaldon has also penned multiple novellas set in the Outlander world. She has also written the Lord John Grey series, a three-book spin-off series following the adventures of everyone’s favorite side character. You will find a chronological list of all the Outlander novels and novellas below, although most readers choose to read one series at a time.
Readers of the Outlander series also have a can’t-miss television adaptation to look forward to: Outlander has been taken on by Starz and has seven exciting seasons to date.
Dive into the Outlander world today and get reading! If you’ve been wanting to delve into this enchanting fantasy romance series, consider this your sign to start. Unsure what to read first? We’ve put together an extensive list of Diana Gabldon’s Outlander books in order for your reading pleasure. Get ready to be hooked by this delightful fantasy romance series — and happy reading!
Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series In Order
Outlander (1991)
Discover the book that started it all with Outlander, Diana Gabaldon’s infamous series debut that’s had readers raving for more than twenty years.
It’s 1945, and the British combat nurse Claire Randall has just reunited with her husband for their second honeymoon. Everything changes when she suddenly finds herself transported to 1743, right in the middle of the war-torn Scottish Highlands.
Enter Jamie Fraser: he’s a young and handsome Scottish warrior, and amongst the danger and violence of his wartime mishaps, he develops an insatiable passion for the so-called outlander Claire Randall. The two grow closer, even as Claire is torn between her life with Jamie and her life with her first husband.
Diana Gabaldon amps up the romance in Dragonfly in Amber, the second installation in the exhilarating Outlander series.
Powerful secrets have been kept for more than twenty years, and now it’s time for Claire to return to the Scottish Highlands: this time with her grown daughter in tow. Having traveled through time once again, Claire reunites with Jamie, who whisks her away to the royal court in France for “business”.
But this business proves to be far more dangerous than Claire had anticipated, and she finds herself caught up in a plot of murder and intrigue, putting the lives of everyone she loves at risk.
Claire Randall believed that Jamie Fraser was dead — and she returned to her own century once more, bearing his child and fighting to carry on his legacy. But when Claire discovers that Jamie survived, she’s faced with an impossible choice: return to the past and seek out the love of her life, or stay in the future and give his child the life it deserves. Whatever choice Claire makes, there are dark forces at work that threaten to destroy everything she has fought so hard to keep.
You can buy Voyager here, and prepare to be pulled even deeper into the magic and historical lore of the Outlander world.
Drums of Autumn (1996)
Drums of Autumn is the exciting fourth installment in the Outlander series, and it’s widely considered to be the best one yet.
Travel back and forth across time in The Drums of Autumn, a riveting tale that’s told in two different centuries. Claire Randall is searching desperately for Jamie Fraser through time — leaving their daughter Brianna to her own devices in 1970.
Everything changes when Bree makes a startling discovery: an obituary for both her parents, nestled in the pages of time. Determined to save them from this tragic end, Bree risks it all and plunges herself back in time. But traveling into the past comes with several uncharted risks that might leave Bree stranded — forever.
The Fiery Cross is nearly 1500 pages long — and not a single word is wasted in this impressive fantasy romance read.
It’s 1771 and war is coming: something that Jamie Fraser only knows because his wife told him so. As a time traveler, she knows fully what lies ahead: but will this unexpected knowledge help Jamie or hurt him as he plunges headfirst into danger?
A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the sixth installation in the series that just keeps getting better — with the same must-read action and romance that’s been thrilling readers for years.
Jamie and Claire have made a life for themselves in their new home country, but their world is not free from danger: it’s the eve of the American Revolution, and the governor is planning to give Jamie Fraser a leading role.
But war isn’t the only problem on the table — a news clipping dated three years in the future predicts Jamie’s death. Can the future be wrong just this once?
Set in the heart of a war-torn America, Jamie Fraser is forced to wrestle with the possibility of facing his illegitimate son in battle — with nothing but the barrel of a gun to separate them. Meanwhile, Claire is juggling the future and the past, trying to come to terms with her knowledge of what comes to pass and her own experiences living it.
Return to the Outlander world with Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, the eighth installation in everyone’s favorite historical romance series.
It’s 1778 and Jamie Fraser has barely escaped death, only to discover a series of horrors: his wife has married his best friend, his illegitimate son has deciphered his father’s identity, and things are only going to get worse.
Meanwhile, twentieth-century Scotland is shrouded with its own chaos: Jamie and Claire’s daughter, Brianna, is searching for her missing son. The possibility that he was lost in time is too strong to ignore — sending Brianna’s husband back into the past to seek out answers, no matter the cost.
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone is the latest and greatest installment in Diana Gabaldon’s internationally bestselling Outlander series.
After twenty years of being torn apart by war and heartbreak, the Fraser family is finally reunited in 1779, and they’re determined to stick together from this point onwards. But nobody can avoid the war forever, and dangerous forces loom all too close on the horizon.
Across countries and throughout time, tension is building — from twentieth-century conflict to eighteenth-century battles — and nobody is safe forever.
Get to know Lord John Grey a little bit closer — he’s a side character in the primary Outlander series, and now he gets his own personal spin-off series. This three-book series features the same intrigue, action, and romance that made the Outlander books so famous: just in a slimmer, more male-centric package.
If you’re interested in delving into more of Diana Gabaldon’s writing — not just her beloved Outlander series — then there are a few different ways you can do it. Each series can be read in their original publication order, and each novella can be read as a standalone. However, if you want to get a full picture of the Outlander-verse timeline, then follow this list for an accurate chronological order.
In what order should you read the Outlander books?
The proper order for reading the Outlander series is listed above!
Will the 10th Outlander book be the last?
Diana Gabaldon has announced that the tenth Outlander book will be the last installation in the main series — but that doesn’t mean readers won’t get more spin-offs in the future.
Do the Outlander books have a happy ending?
The Outlander books are full of happy and sad moments alike, although Diana Gabaldon has stated that the final book will have a happy ending after all.
What time period is Outlander set?
The Outlander series is split between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries.
Is Outlander a clean read?
The Outlander series most likely wouldn’t be considered “clean reads”. Although everybody has different standards, the Outlander series is best for mature or adult audiences, with descriptive violence and sexual content throughout.
Is it worth reading the Outlander series?
If you’re considering reading the Outlander series, rest assured that it’s more than worth it to start! The series is full of action-packed adventure, spicy romance, and page-turning suspense. The Outlander books are popular with critics and casual readers alike, so take this delightful fantasy romance off your “to-read” list and start reading it today!
Layla Hughes is a professional writer who grew up on the Central Coast of California, and later studied English at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Her love for reading started when she was young, as she has been an avid reader ever since she mastered her ABC’s. She loves the classics, YA fiction, and loves keeping up with current reading and writing trends. She is currently traveling full-time in a converted camper van around the US, Mexico and Canada, enjoying living out a story of her own creation. find Layla on Instagram @laylabeth
