Ever since Outlander came out in 2014, fans have known that they can look to Diana Gabaldon‘s best-selling novels to find out what happens next. Can the same be said for Outlander: Blood of My Blood? Starz‘s new Outlander prequel is set in the same world as the Outlander series, so is it based on a book, too?

In 2020, Diana Gabaldon confirmed on social media that she was working on a prequel book about Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) parents, Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater). Over the years, she’s even shared a few sample chapters from the project. So, you might assume that Outlander: Blood of My Blood is based on this yet unpublished book.

However, Outlander: Blood of My Blood comes with a twist. The show doesn’t just follow Jamie’s parents, but Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe), too. In Gabaldon’s books, Claire’s parents died when she was very young and she was raised by her eccentric Uncle Lamb. But what Blood of My Blood presupposes is what if Claire’s parents didn’t die in a car crash, but instead traveled back in time through the Stones. As far as we know, that’s not what happens in the books. It was an idea that long-time Outlander showrunner and Blood of My Blood creator Matthew B. Roberts came up with on his own.

So is Outlander: Blood of My Blood based on a book? Is Diana Gabaldon still writing the book about Brian and Ellen? Here’s everything you need to know about the books that inspired the Outlander shows…

Is Outlander: Blood of My Blood Based on a Book?

Sort of. If you watch Outlander: Blood of My Blood, you’ll notice that it’s based on characters created by Diana Gabaldon. Indeed, Gabaldon introduced Brian, Ellen, Henry (Jeremy Irvine), Julia (Hermione Corfield) in her books through her world-building. Although Claire doesn’t remember much about her parents, the characters that she and Jamie interact with have many keen memories of Brian, Ellen, and their impact on the story.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood dramatizes many events we hear about in the original books, like Murtagh’s (Rory Alexander) unrequited love for Ellen and the MacKenzie brothers’ feud with Brian. However, there’s no specific book that is serving as the template for the series. Instead, it’s a blend of Diana Gabaldon’s lore and Matthew B. Roberts’s ideas.

All of which to say, there isn’t a specific book you can read along with the show. Well, there isn’t one yet.

Is Diana Gabaldon Still Writing a Book About Jamie’s Parents?

Yep! Gabaldon recently confirmed that she is still working on her own book about Jamie’s parents. She even wrote, “No doubt the new Sony/Starz tv series and the book I am writing about Jamie’s parents will have a few things in common.” However, in that same post, she emphasized that Claire’s and Jamie’s parents live in different time periods, suggesting that we will not see Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) in her version of the story.

Gabaldon has also stressed that she is also working on the tenth and final Outlander book about Claire and Jamie. She recently revealed the final book’s title will be A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out. That book, understandably, takes slight precedence over her prequel novel.

Where to Read the Outlander Books:

Still want to read the Outlander books? Want to soak up as much Fraser/MacKenzie family drama as possible? You can read the original Outlander book for as little as $5.99 on Kindle.