NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A magnificent collection of Outlander short fiction—including two never-before-published novellas—featuring Jamie Fraser, Lord John Grey, Master Raymond, and many more, from Diana Gabaldon in the collection Seven Stones to Stand or Fall.
Table of Contents [CLICK HERE TO OPEN]
Seven Stones to Stand or Fall
Among the seven spellbinding pieces there is “The Custom of the Army,” which begins with Lord John Grey being shocked by an electric eel and ends at the Battle of Quebec. Then comes “The Space Between,” where it is revealed that the Comte St. Germain is not dead, Master Raymond appears, and a widowed young wine dealer escorts a would-be novice to a convent in Paris. In “A Plague of Zombies,” Lord John unexpectedly becomes military governor of Jamaica when the original governor is gnawed by what probably wasn’t a giant rat. “A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows” is the moving story of Roger MacKenzie’s parents during World War II. In “Virgins,” Jamie Fraser, aged nineteen, and Ian Murray, aged twenty, become mercenaries in France, no matter that neither has yet bedded a lass or killed a man. But they’re trying. . . . “A Fugitive Green” is the story of Lord John’s elder brother, Hal, and a seventeen-year-old rare book dealer with a sideline in theft, forgery, and blackmail. And finally, in “Besieged,” Lord John learns that his mother is in Havana—and that the British Navy is on their way to lay siege to the city.
Filling in mesmerizing chapters in the lives of characters readers have followed over the course of thousands of pages, Gabaldon’s genius is on full display throughout this must-have collection.
“The duty of a survivor. Not everyone lives to be old, but if you do, I think you owe it to those who didn’t. To tell the stories of those who shared your journey…for as long as they could.”
Diana Gabaldon, Seven Stones to Stand or Fall
What is in the Seven Stones to Stand or Fall collection?
Seven Stones to Stand or Fall is a collection of short stories by Diana Gabaldon. Five of the stories have previously been published as part of anthologies or individually, while two stories are previously unpublished and exclusive to the collection. In the collection is the following:
A Plague of Zombies
Lord John Grey is posted to Jamaica to assist the governor as he faces a most unusual kind of uprising among the colony’s slave population.
The Space Between
Jamie Fraser’s step-daughter, Joan, is on her way to an abbey in Paris to become a nun – but when she meets the Comte St Germain, a wealthy French aristocrat rumored to deal in the occult – she discovers her destiny lies on quite a different path
The Custom of the Army
Lord John Grey is summoned as a witness in a court martial in the wilds of Acadia, only to find himself playing a crucial role in the Battle of Quebec.
A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows
A WW2 Spitfire pilot called Jerry MacKenzie crashes near a stone circle and wakes up in the eighteenth century. Can the strange man he meets – who impossibly seems to know him – help him return to his wife and baby son before a terrible fate overtakes them?
Virgins
Jamie joins his best friend Ian Murray in France, where the two serve as young mercenaries.
A Fugitive Green
Hal Grey grieves for his dead wife and Mina Rennie works as a spy for her bookselling father.
Besieged
Lord John Grey intends to rescue his mother during the Siege of Havana.
Our Review
The thing that stands out most about this collection is without a doubt the excerpts from Gabaldon herself. She provides the premise for these novellas. Many of these may be familiar to die-hard fans as many have hit the shelves as individual pieces already. Thoughtfully she includes a timeline so the reader can immediately follow the chronological order of the writings.
This book is well worth its investment. It gives an important and unique insight into the characters which would have been slightly out of place in the main novels. Diana brings a fresh view on the characters – especially those which we may not have met in depth a great deal. Definitely worth it for fans though probably not a good place to start for new readers.
Our rating: ★★★★☆
Frequently Asked Questions
What order do I read Diana Gabaldon books?
Here are all the books in the Outlander series in order:
- Outlander (Cross Stitch in UK, NZ, and AUS)
- Dragonfly in Amber
- Voyager
- Drums of Autumn
- The Fiery Cross
- A Breath of Snow and Ashes
- An Echo in the Bone
- Written in My Own Heart’s Blood
- Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
- [UNTITLED]
As you can see, the last book is still underway with no working title.
What stories are included in Seven Stones to Stand or Fall?
- A Plague of Zombies
- The Space Between
- The Custom of the Army
- A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows
- Virgins
- A Fugitive Green
- Besieged
Should I read Virgins before Outlander?
We would say it’s best to read the main Outlander series first! Although, chronologically, Virgins is the first book in the series.
