Virgins

An Outlander Short

De: Diana Gabaldon

Narrado por: Allan Scott-Douglas

Mourning the death of his father and gravely injured at the hands of the English, Jamie Fraser finds himself running with a band of mercenaries in the French countryside, where he reconnects with his old friend, Ian Murray. Both are nursing wounds, both have good reason to stay out of Scotland, and both are still virgins despite several opportunities to remedy that deplorable situation with ladies of easy virtue.

But Jamie's love life becomes infinitely more complicated - and dangerous - when fate brings the young men into the service of Dr. Hasdi, a Jewish gentleman who hires them to escort two priceless treasures to Paris. One is an old Torah; the other is the doctor's beautiful daughter, Rebekah, destined for an arranged marriage. Both Jamie and Ian are instantly drawn to the bride-to-be - but they might be more cautious if they had any idea who they're truly dealing with.

©2013 Diana Gabaldon (P)2016 Recorded Books

Could not finish this book!

Would you try another book from Diana Gabaldon and/or Allan Scott-Douglas?

Diana Gabaldon is a fantastic author and I have listened to the entire series of outlander books.

Would you be willing to try another book from Diana Gabaldon? Why or why not?

Absolutley! Assuming it was narrated by Davina porter. I gave the overall and story three stars but I imagine if it was read by Davina - and I finished it I would rate it higher.

Would you be willing to try another one of Allan Scott-Douglas’s performances?

yes... I think so. I believe that part of the turn off of this book was the obnoxious accent the narrator spoke in. But I would be willing to listen to something that was not narrated in a Scottish accent.

Do you think Virgins needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no. it is a follow-up / side-story book to begin with so I think its fine as is.

Any additional comments?

Please re-record this book with Davina!!

needed more Jamie

although I love Ian Murray, I feel as though this story left out a lot of Jaime's character. The narration seemed to emphasize his point of view and voice more, and left Jaime just sort of "grunting" throughout the pages.

Love the Outlander Series!

Doesn't begin to compare to the longer books of the series! I listened to this after listening to all 8 of those of the "Outlander" series, wanting "more"! I would not recommend this to anyone! I loved all 8 of the Series.... so much so that I hoping for another!!! I think I may try the Lord John Series!!!!!

That's it?

Man. I knew it said it was a short story but didn't realize it was going to be that short! Sniff sniff

Must read

If you love the outlandish series you need to read the novellas. Many times they have answers for the questions you have.

Nice Little Flashback

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If my friend reads the Outlander novels and wants to read more about Jamie's life before meeting Claire, then I'd definitely recommend it. If you haven't read at least the first book in the Outlander series, though, I doubt this would be of interest to you.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Virgins?

Jamie's crazy fever dream!

What about Allan Scott-Douglas’s performance did you like?

Nothing specifically, but he did a good job.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, but I didn't really think that this short story is meant to be particularly moving. It's more of a coming of age adventure story with some hi-jinks.

Any additional comments?

If you're familiar with the Outlander series and want to read a fast-paced and amusing adventure story about Jamie and Ian when they were teenagers I recommend it. That being said, this short story, while amusing doesn't really add anything to the main story. It's not going to give you some "missing piece" of the puzzle or reveal anything about Jamie or Ian's lives that you wouldn't have already known from the main novels. Also, unlike the main novels, it really doesn't explore taboo topics or make you think too deep. If you're looking for something more thought-provoking and also in the same universe, check out the Lord John Grey short stories and novellas.

Entertaining

The narrator was excellent and the story sped by. The story gave insight into the relationship of Ian Murray and Jamie. In the Outlander series Ian is such a minor character that we don't get to know him. Here Ian's humor, kindness, bravery and of course loyalty are given a chance to shine.

Before Jamie meets Claire

This is a little short novel set in the Outlander world. It features Jamie Fraser and Ian Murray running around France as mercenaries. It takes place shortly after the home invasion where Jack Randall kills Jamie’s father, rapes his sister, and whips Jamie. At the beginning, Jamie is still suffering the aftereffects of the whipping.

This is before Jamie and Ian have wives or children or any of that. It is also before Claire entered their lives. So there is no time travel in this one, and with one major exception, almost all the characters are men. So, it uses a different narrator than the main books in the series.

While there is plenty of action, Jamie and Ian’s adventures as mercenaries don’t turn out the way they thought they would.
For one of their jobs, they are supposed to deliver a Jewish bride to her arranged marriage. Only, it turns out that the bride has very different ideas about the matter. She manages to outsmart almost everybody.

This narrator uses a slightly different version of the Scottish accent than Davina Porter, who narrates the main series, but I don’t think it is necessarily any less authentic. It is, however, a little disconcerting at first to hear mild-mannered Jamie Frasier speaking in such a gruff voice.

if a headline is required why does it say optional

glad I bought this book but not what I expected,, and really not sure at all what I was expecting

Friendship Jamie and Ian

Good history and story of friends before the Outlander series when Jamie and Ian were young