Why wasn’t Fergus mentioned in the latest Outlander Book 9 Daily Lines?

There’s another Outlander Book 9 teaser out, and it’s had fans chatting about one thing. Fergus wasn’t included as one of Bree’s brothers. Why would that be?

Caution: If you don’t read the Daily Lines posts from Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, you’ll want to skip this post. It does go into some of the topics discussed in the latest snippet.

If you’ve read the latest Daily Lines post from Diana Gabaldon, there may be something that stands out. Jamie brings up Brianna’s brother, and she immediately knows he is talking about William.

“He’s the only brother ye’ve got,” is the line Jamie says to Brianna about William. It’s brought up the topic of Fergus. Is he not considered one of Brianna’s brothers since he’s not related by blood?

Fans took to the comments to question this, and Diana Gabaldon explained why Fergus was missed out in this particular conversation.

The art of conversation in Outlander Book 9

Gabaldon didn’t miss Fergus out as a slight to the character. He certain is considered a member of the family, and he is a brother to Brianna. However, it’s all about the art of conversation when it comes to novels.

If Fergus had been mentioned, Gabaldon believes that the conversation would have then moved onto Bree asking about where Fergus is now and what he and Marsali are up to. Personally, I’m not sure I agree as there would be a way to keep the conversation on track easily, but I’m not the one writing this book. Gabaldon is, so what she says goes about her characters.

Just know that it was a creative choice not to include Fergus. The line about William being the only brother Bree has may seem an odd choice, but there was a reason to add it in for the conversation at the time.

What did you think of Fergus being missed in the Outlander Book 9 snippet? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander Book 9, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, is coming on Nov. 23, 2021. Pre-order the novel on Amazon now.