We all connect with different characters in fiction. For some, Outlander is only about Claire and Jamie. For others, there are various characters we want to know more about. The latter is why the Lord John books have performed so well. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade is one of the favorites of many.
If you haven’t read the books yet, you may want to at least check out Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. That’s especially the case if you love Jamie Fraser and want to see a slightly different side to him.
Yes, Jamie is in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade
The book initially starts with the Grey family in London. There is a mystery around John’s father’s death, which looked like suicide. However, it turns out there may have been more to that death, and John wants to find out. Hal doesn’t want his brother to learn all the secrets, but that’s never stopped John from doing his own thing before.
Part of figuring out the secrets is to turn to a man he somewhat trusts and is most definitely obsessed with: Jamie Fraser. He heads to Helwater to get a few answers and some advice.
Yes, Jamie Fraser is in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. We get to see this relationship blossom.
Don’t expect the Jamie Fraser you know in Outlander
There are some fans shocked when they see the Jamie Fraser who is in the Lord John book. This isn’t the Jamie we’ve come to know and love in the world of Outlander. He’s not entirely written out of character, though. He’s written from a different viewpoint.
When people tell me that Jamie is the perfect man, I do chuckle a little. You see, he’s human and he’s flawed. Yes, there are a lot of flaws to him. He routinely tells people he’s a violent man, and we really should believe that statement.
The problem is the viewpoints we see Jamie from. At first, it’s all from Claire’s point of view. She sees the man Jamie wants to be for her. There are times that she sees him as a violent man, but it’s never toward her. He’s not abusive.
Roger has a completely different experience, and we see a very different side to Jamie when it’s from his own point of view in the books. Brianna also sees a different side to him. As people, we do not come across as the same person to everyone we meet. The only true version of ourselves is the one that we present to ourselves.
So, it shouldn’t be all that surprising to see a very different side to Jamie when it comes to Lord John Grey’s viewpoint.
The novel is set in 1758, so it’s early days in this friendship between them. In fact, there isn’t a friendship. John was the Governor of Ardsmuir. He arranged for Jamie to get paroled at Helwater, but that didn’t mean Jamie viewed is as a kind thing. There were other factors at play. Their relationship actually blossoms because of this parole, and it’s because John routinely visits. We know that Jamie accepts John for who he is sexually, but that doesn’t mean he likes it, and that’s something that comes up in the novel.