2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Is Blood of My Blood based on a book?
Fans of the Outlander prequel series are curious about the source material
Audiences got a double bill special after Starz confirmed they would be dropping the first two instalments in one go, with episode three hitting screens next week.
The show is a prequel to the highly successful Outlander, which is adapted from the novels by American author Diana Gabaldon.
Each season of the show has roughly adapted one book in the series, with some divergences.
However, season seven adapted material from two novels and it looks like the eighth and final outing will be moving away from the source material.
The huge divergence comes as the Outlander TV series wraps up before Gabaldon has finished writing her book series.
The bestselling author working on the 10th and final novel in her epic saga titled A Blessing For A Warrior Going Out.
Many Outlander and Blood of My Blood fans are curious to know about the basis for the prequel series, here's the lowdown.
Is Blood of My Blood based on a book?
No, Blood of Blood simply takes its cue from the Outlander novel series by Gabaldon.
The story itself isn't based on a novel in the same way as Outlander is.
Brian Fraser (played by Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie's (Harriet Slater) passionate romance is referenced in passing in the Outlander novels, rather than being a central plot point.
Similarly, Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and their tragic deaths in a car crash are mentioned by Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe) in the Outlander books.
Apart from this, Blood of My Blood doesn't really have any source material and the writers have been given free rein to take the story in any direction they choose.
One of the key decisions that Blood of My Blood's showrunner Matthew B. Roberts made in the prequel series was to imagine what if Claire's parents had survived and had both travelled back through time.
This game of what if serves as the jumping off point for Blood of My Blood's premise, with Henry and Julia being instrumental to Brian and Ellen's romance coming into fruition.
Moreover, this paves the way for Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser to eventually be together in Outlander.
Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con last month, Roberts said his change had ben given author Gabaldon's blessing.
He explained: 'She said to me it was a good idea. She didn't want to explore it herself, but at least she said, 'Go for it.' I thanked her and I went for it.'
The writer expanded: 'But she's so on board. She actually wrote on the show, so you're going to see her episode too. So, I think she's fully committed to the show.'
Gabaldon is very much involved in Blood of My Blood as a consultant and also wrote an episode of season one and co-wrote the finale with Roberts.
Outlander season 8 will air on Starz and MGM+ via Prime Video in early 2026
