Set somewhat parallel to the book Outlander, this lush and evocative graphic novel hits on some of the same events, but reveals hitherto unseen facets of the tale. It begins when Jaime lands back in Scotland to be met at the shore by Murtagh, and is told mostly through their viewpoints. It covers approximately the first third of the story written in Outlander. Although some of the clothing details were changed for artistic purposes, the core arc of that part of the story is represented well. Gabaldon and Nguyen have collaborated to create a new perspective on a book well known by so many fans of the series. EXILE adds a fresh eye and new angles to the story of Jaime meeting Claire, making it almost a whole new read.

Diana Gabaldon has plenty of experience with comic writing, having sold many a cartoon movie script to the Disney franchise. Huong Nguyen has a gift for portraying both tender scenes and those filled with action. He portrays the characters and landscapes described by Gabaldon and beloved of her fans with tremendous talent. The lush action-filled frames are visually appealing, and the landscapes, even when large in scope, feel mistily intimate. His framing of events and choice of lines and color evoke the emotion Gabaldon wrought through her words.

One of the most interesting features in the book is the afterword where Diana Gabaldon describes the process of communication between herself and Nguyen as he attempted to create images that matched the physical descriptions in the original book. For example in the case of Jaime's face, Nguyen would present the first image, Gabaldon would share it with hardcore fans and, utilizing their feedback, he made a second attempt.

THE EXILE is a book that can be savored again and yet again, whenever you feel the yen to visit Scotland's past. I feel it belongs in the library of all true fans of Claire and Jaime's story.