Outlander series reading order

A plan for the whole series

9 volumes, 9,088 pages, about 165 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 7 months.

• The thickest volume runs 1,424 pages. One volume is one stage: a break after it, not the next volume.
• From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 8, “Written in My Own Heart's Blood” (by 33%).
• The series is still running; the last volume came out in 2021. You will wait for the next one anyway, so no need to rush.

Stages

9 stages, with 8 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around August 13, 2027, about 9 weeks later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 114 h19 daysby November 17, 2026

   • 1. Outlander1991 · 764 pages · 14 h
2. Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by November 21, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 216 habout 3 weeksby December 12, 2026

   • 2. Dragonfly in Amber1992 · 864 pages · 16 h
4. BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.05 h, by December 21, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
5. 3
   Stage 319 habout 4 weeksby January 15, 2027

   • 3. Voyager1993 · 1,024 pages · 19 h
6. BreakBorn a Crime · Trevor Noah · 304 pp. · score 8.96 h, by January 24, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
7. 4
   Stage 417 habout 3 weeksby February 16, 2027

   • 4. Drums of Autumn1996 · 928 pages · 17 h
8. BreakI'm Glad My Mom Died · Jennette McCurdy · 320 pp. · score 8.96 h, by February 26, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
9. 5
   Stage 518 habout 3 weeksby March 22, 2027

   • 5. The Fiery Cross2001 · 992 pages · 18 h
10. BreakFlowers for Algernon · Daniel Keyes · 274 pp. · score 8.85 h, by March 31, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
11. 6
    Stage 626 habout 5 weeksby May 5, 2027

    • 6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes2005 · 1,424 pages · 26 h
12. BreakWhen Breath Becomes Air · Paul Kalanithi · 232 pp. · score 8.64 h, by May 12, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
13. 7
    Stage 716 h21 daysby June 2, 2027

    • 7. An Echo in the Bone2009 · 848 pages · 16 h
14. BreakStoner · John Williams · 293 pp. · score 8.65 h, by June 11, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
15. 8
    Stage 824 habout 5 weeksby July 13, 2027

    • 8. Written in My Own Heart's Blood2014 · 1,316 pages · 24 h
16. BreakGiovanni's Room · James Baldwin · 224 pp. · score 8.54 h, by July 21, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
17. 9
    Stage 917 habout 3 weeksby August 13, 2027

    • 9. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone2021 · 928 pages · 17 h
18. The end of the series

    August 13, 2027

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

Does the series hold up

Shape of the series: even. Volume scores differ by at most 0.3 points. You get the same level from the first page to the last.

Best volume: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (8.1, 70 ratings). Weakest: The Fiery Cross (7.9). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 7 and 8: 33%. The series is not finished; the last volume came out in 2021. The last volume (8.1) scores close to the series average or above it.