Shadow of Night

For those of us who have read and reread the first two of Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy novels, I am guessing that like me, you yearn for the third in the series and check her website often. But that kind of quality cannot be rushed so we wait and some of us reread them. These novels are packed with details and character depth that they warrant rereading. I hardly ever reread a book no matter how good the book, nor how bored I am. But there are always exceptions to the rules and I do love those exceptions. Even if you do not like novels with witches and other creatures, even if you would never read Tolkien's books or Harry Potter or anything with magic in it, make an exception and read these. She has an amazing understanding of people (for what does it really matter if a character in a book is somewhat different as her characters are; we are all different in some manner). And she has a way of finding the healthy and loving solutions we would all like in our lives and rarely find in our reading. Deborah Harkness has created a world within our world which is intricate, and exciting; with in-depth characters you love and those you do not; but all of them are believable. As you read you will find that the species of her characters is much less import than their ability to love even when it is difficult and to face their fears and desires. This novel picks up exactly where the last ended and I was lucky for it was available when I finished Discovery or Witches. In this one there are more and delightful characters added. Together they make a whole and set the stage for the third and last book. If you have ever found yourself less than happy with who are, if you have ever known great joy or fear or deep sorrow, if you struggle to master yourself or have problems loving yourself or trusting others, you will find the same struggles within the novels' characters and even better: the hope and joy we all want. In fact, Harkness writes so well that they are more than characters; you may find yourself or friends within her pages. I enjoy historical novels with some mystery within them. There are many authors I can recommend but none do as wonderful a job. Deborah Harkness is an historian and a very, very gifted writer. No wonder she needed to branch out into novels. While I liked historical settings, until these books, I never realized what wealth history can add. These books are not just set in an historical time, they involve real people who she threads through her stories; albeit she takes some artistic license with a few of them yet still gives us something believable. Her approach makes it all the more enjoyable. She writes so well that I actually bought one of her history books. History can be fun if told by an excellent storyteller and Deborah Harkness is that. I should know for I am a story teller and a poet and very difficult to please. "It began with absence and desire, it began with blood and fear, it began with The Discovery of Witches", which is the title of the first book. Long ago, I wrote poems about the same forces in life for desire, blood and fear are central concerns no matter what else comes our way. Oh and few more notes: aside from her first novel debuting at #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list, being named one of the best books of February 2011 by Amazon, and selling in at least 34 countries another tidbit which may interest you is that Warner Bros bought the movie right and hired David Auburn (Lake House) to adapt the stories. And you can bet those of us who have loved her novels are anxiously awaiting the first movie. Check out You Tube for more on that.

Warning! This review contains minor spoilers for the first book in the All Souls Trilogy, A Discovery of Witches. Shadow of Night is one of those books that is very hard for me to review. I really enjoyed it, but there is so much to talk about with the historical details, the large cast of intriguing characters, and the overall experience that I don't want to overdo the gushing. The last time readers saw historian and witch, Diana Bishop, and her vampire husband, Matthew, they were off on a journey to 16th century England. The reason for this time travel adventure is to find a witch to help Diana learn about her unique powers and to find clues to the location of the missing manuscript, Ashmole 782. Like with A Discovery of Witches, Diana and Matthew are the center of the book and they pretty much control the success of the story. Thankfully, both of them are interesting characters who are a great combination of likable and flawed. They each have their own journeys to complete and do so with a unique spin. I will admit that I had a few issues with Matthew's overbearing nature and Diana's recklessness, but these instances were rare and they did always learn from their mistakes. The romance (while not the main storyline) is interesting and fun. These two may have declared their love for each other in the first book, but it becomes obvious that their relationship is still new and continues to grow. Most of the book takes place in the 16th century which is a fun difference than the first book. Readers get to meet a ton of historical figures and see them interact with Diana and Matthew. Some of my particular favorites were Christopher Marlowe, Edward Kelly, Emperor Rudolf II, Mary Sidney, and, of course, Queen Elizabeth I. Diana and Matthew travel from England to his father's keep in France and even to the Holy Roman Empire. I am a history geek so this was an absolute blast for me. I also enjoyed the introduction of Matthew's nephew, Gallowglass, and that we finally got to meet Matthew's father, Philippe. Some of the book does take place in the present-day with Ysabeau, Marcus, and others finding hints of the time travel in the current time which was interesting. As I mentioned, there is a lot going on in this book and I don't want to give much more to avoid major spoilers. I will say that it takes some time to get used to the writing style and readers do have to go through quite a bit of detail, but the story is so well-crafted that it is worth the time and effort. I also will say that this would not make a good stand-alone story due to the worldbuilding and character development. I was impressed though with how easy it was to slip back into the series after going more than a year between books. I highly recommend this series and can't wait to see how it ends with The Book of Life which was just released this month.

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) By: Deborah Harkness Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda Length: 24 hrs and 30 mins. Hardback: 592 Published: July 10th 2012 by Viking Adult & Penguin Audiobooks "Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown"--the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of Witches Deborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches' cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew's old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens. Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season. Of the two books this is my favorite. I love that Harkness has been able to use her background as a historian of this specific era, showing it to us in a different light. I have to admit that I was a great history student and have had my own romance with this era. I did verify the facts that she used in the story and she is accurate with a twist. Roydon was a mysterious character of the School of Night brat pack. Marlow did meet a dubious death, and Shakespeare's love was named Annie. All the historical figures were represented well and their lives made more human as well as entertaining. We open the cover and delve into a world filled with, intrigue, romance and a magic carpet ride through the late 16th century. Diana and Matthew slowly grow into their relationship over coming many obstacles while hidden the apparent safety of the past, or so they think. The past is proven to be as tricky and as dangerous to navigate as their present. Harkness adds details that I would've never thought of, like that of relearning how to write with quill and ink, the different articulation of the English language and the very dependence of a woman on her husband and respect for the social rules. These minor details pose a great challenge to Diana and the possibility of the endangerment of their lives if she is unable to grasp them. Luckily Diana meets certain characters that offer assistance and knowledge in not only dealing with Matthew but also with the difficulties that she might meet in this rearward century. This is also the time where Diana explores herself, finding out her true self and her errant abilities. The story ends with cliffhangers and several loose strings. I am looking forward to Harkness neatly tying them all up in a pretty magical bow. Shadow of Night is a spectacular read. It does start a bit slow but it quickly picks up speed as the 16th century unravels before our eyes allowing us to see what we could never have seen with Harkess's special brand of magic. Adding to the magic is Jennifer Ikeda, who reprises her role as narrator, with a spotless accurate performance of each character. I can't wait a whole year for the last in the trilogy; it has a lot to live up to and promises to deliver. Movie rights for the Trilogy have already been sold to Warner Brothers with production by, Denise DiNovi and Alison Greenspan. All Souls 3(Title not yet available) is expected to be released in 2013. The Oracle (Maria Mercedes) All synopsis are published by Amazon or Goodreads. The Oracle Reviews: [...]

Last week I was mostly MIA... Well that's thanks to the fact I had started this book. It's a hefty read just like its predecessor was, and just like the final installment will be I'm sure. Once again I was transported into a world of humans, witches, vampires, daemons and more... And once again I LOVED it. This book picks up right where book one left off. We find Diana and Matthew at the destination of their time walking... the year 1590. Elizabethan England. I am someone who has a lot of love for anything to do with history. I love reading about past eras, whether in fact or fiction. So I was excited to follow this story and devour every single detail I could, not just about the characters but also about the setting... There is a lot of detail packed into these pages. For me I love a book with a heavy dose of detail as long as it adds to the story being told and in this case it was certainly warranted. There is no way the author would've been able to paint such a vivid picture of the Elizabethan era if she didn't spend the page space on building up every little detail from the clothing, the food, the buildings, the etiquette right down to the smells and strange little quirks of the period. I LOVED the detail that Deborah Harkness went into. I didn't begrudge one single sentence of her world building. It was beautifully done. I really enjoyed that the same level of care that Harkness took in the first book with describing the scientific aspects of the story was also paid to the historical aspects in this installment. For me I think what really highlighted the almost unimaginable alien feel of the time period was that we were seeing it through Diana's eyes. Through her very modern, current day eyes. For as much as she is a history buff, she is still from our way of life. Having her deposited into 1590 highlighted just how much the world has changed. Time traveling can be a very tricky plot to both write and follow as a reader. I really enjoyed the authors take on this subject... that said, there is always going to be some threads of the story that do raise question marks and it's certainly no different here. I do wonder about the 'old' Matthew who reappears with apparently no knowledge of the events his future self participated in after Diana and 'current' Matthew return back to the current day. Think about it too hard and there are a lot of 'what if's' there. Also the creatures that are let in on the secret of the time traveling have their future completely re-written, just by the fact they know what they know. But the implications of all of this can't ever possibly be fully covered and explained. On the other hand, the fact that the characters need to be careful about altering history is brought up quite a few times and this is actually one of the parts of the time traveling storyline I really enjoyed. How the author focused on the seemingly smallest things (the set of miniatures for example) and linked through them to chapters set in the current day was the perfect way to tie the story together and keep the pace and story going in the here and now as well as in the past. I loved that we got to check in with characters such as Marcus, Em, Sarah, Ysabeau and Sophie as well as some characters that weren't familiar from the first book but I'm sure will be by the end of the last. This last point also goes for the characters introduced in the past. I loved getting to meet the people from Matthews past that I had heard of, I loved following Matthew and watching him be able to see people that he had lost long ago. There were some very poignant reunions; the chapters spent on their visit to Sept-Tours were my absolute favorites of the whole book. The plot-lines covering the manuscript and Diana's powers all progressed at least in part. As far as Diana's learning of her craft, even though I felt like it was a bit stop/start on the whole, I still really loved the direction this storyline ended up taking. There were some unexpected surprises and reveals about Diana and her powers and it was so satisfying that by the end of this book she had actually moved forward in learning about and managing her powers. The manuscript had a lot of writing time spent on the hunting of it. The actual acquiring of it...Not so much. But that doesn't at all reduce the shocking discovery about its nature and I'm very interested to see where this particular storyline heads next, it's gotten steadily creepier and creepier and I'm sure there's much more of that to come. Finally...The love story. As much as this is a story about creatures, magic and time travel, it's just as much a story of a romance. The relationship between Matthew and Diana is the crux of this series. Everything comes back to them and their connection and in this book everything is taken up a few notches and we start to see exactly what is riding on this love story. Both characters develop and grow along with their relationship and I love that there is progress in this respect. Nothing drives me crazier than a love story that's stagnant. Probably my biggest hope for Diana and Matthew is that they get some form of HEA once all is said and done. I'm still unsure what that HEA will look like, but I am staying optimistic! So yes, this is a long read. Yes, this has A LOT of detail, historical and otherwise and yes it is based on a romance. I feel that all of these aspects make it work as a brilliant second installment in this trilogy. It feels like we are hurtling towards all of these threads of stories being tied into finality and I literally cannot wait until July 15th when the final book is released... I can guarantee I won’t be sleeping much that week... I have big hopes.... huge hopes!

After first hearing about A Discovery of Witches, I embarked on a journey with Diana and Matthew that was completely a enthralling, once in a lifetime experience. I have since read ADOW 3 times and have been impatiently waiting for the second book in the trilogy to surface. After getting my hands on a borrowed ARC, I was able to skip ahead of line just a teensy bit.. Suffice to say, it was worth the wait. If you haven't yet,BUY THESE BOOKS! Shadow of Night continues that amazing journey and picks up right where ADOW leaves us, and still leaves me burning with extreme impatience (already) for the third and final book in the trilogy. The book is a masterpiece of blending paranormal fantasy, historical fiction, and romance all into one seamless being. We are immediately sunk into Elizabethan London on the hunt for Ashmole 782, and thrown so many actual historical characters it can almost make the reader dizzy! The execution of said historical figures- Christopher Marlowe, Elizabeth I, etc and how they are presented to us within the story is both plausible and enlightening at the same time. It is clear that Ms. Harkness did significant historical research in the creation of this novel (as she is, in fact, a true historian after all) and in how these characters would integrate into the lives of Diana and Matthew. We follow the lead characters from The Old Lodge, back to Sept Tours, back to London, to Prague, and then back to London again in a truly epic historical journey. Along the way we learn, alongside Diana and Matthew when their marriage hits snags,secrets, heartbreak and lies, in addition to watching Matthew learn to forgive himself for the past and Diana learn the truth about herself as well as her parents. In addition to Diana and Matthew's journey into the past, we are given snippets of what events are unfolding in the future. For example,minor changes during their timewalking adventures (jewelry, simple journals,etc) are having immediate future effects. These brief views in the future are both sad and enlightening, giving the reader knowledge that Diana and Matthew are not privy to. Through their journey, they answer many of the questions asked in ADOW, but we are left with just as many new questions that gathered along the way. The book ends with the lead characters safely back in the present where they belong, but as this is only the second book in the trilogy, the problems are far from over with Ashmole 782 and the Congregation. As stated before, I may be a little biased about these books. I am a historian of science, as well as a huge book/romance/paranormal sap. But it confuses and concerns me to read other reviews that state the book has no plot. Certainly, not everyone will enjoy every single book they come across, or not like the story, or the historical aspects, or the characters.. but clearly, how anyone can even read 3 chapters into the book and state the book has no plot is simply ridiculous in my opinion. Ultimately, huge congratulations to Ms. Harkness on continuing this amazing story in epic form. Sometimes, the second book in the series can be weak. But, with a Shadow of Night, I was not disappointed at all. The worst part in all of this is I know I will have to wait just as long if not longer for book 3! For me, these books rank right up there with Harry Potter. This is a story to be enjoyed over and over, with new things to learn each time and lessons that we can all learn from and apply to our daily lives in some fashion. Thank you, again, Ms. Harkness!

This story follows Diana and Matthew through time as they search for Ashmole 782 and someone to train Diana in her magic. Along with a cast of fantastic historical figures, we watch Diana and Matthew learn more about each other and their relationship. This is a fantastic blend of magic and history tied up in page turning story that keeps you engaged from the very beginning. I cant wait to read the next book!

Another amazing installment of the All Souls Trology. Shadow of Night was everything I expected. After reading Shadow of Night, I decided to read a few reviews. Although, some of the reviewers expressed that it wasn't what they expected, I thought it was even better than the first. I have read a lot of books and personally always appreciate and enjoy when I learn something new. I remembered when I was younger and in school, like most kids, I didn't always retain what I had to learn about history. Now as an adult who enjoys reading it's refreshing to read a book like Shadow of Night and the All Souls Trilogy. I actually learned a lot from this book. I have to say, Deborah does know her history. Diana describes everything she sees so well, it's almost like I am there or was there and living through it. It was explained so well that she didn't make it boring. I never felt like I was in school being forced to read historical facts or information. It was written so that the reader could not only learn a little about the past but also enjoy a great story. Now I know most readers have expressed disappointment because they wanted to read a story with a lot of action, and although it wasn't fast paced, it did have a story that was not only interesting but compelling. I enjoyed seeing the stresses that both Matthew and Diana go through trying to fit into a time period that Diana had never studied and Matthew had originally gone through but now went through with a different mindset. It was interesting reading what Diana had to go through with learning how to fit in with regards to clothing, mannerisms and etiquette, at the same time trying to search for witches that could help her learn her magic and who she is, and finally learning about Matthew's past and secrets which gradually get revealed. Matthew goes through his own challenges in this book too. The first time he lived through these times, his mindset was so much different, especially his attitude and feelings about witches. Now, he's reliving this time with Diana, making his feelings very confusing. His vision and feelings of witches have now changed due to Diana and he's reliving his original mistakes trying to fix them without altering history too much. It's stressful in itself and on top of that trying to keep Diana safe, having his secrets revealed and facing his father is at times almost impossible for Matthew to deal with. Matthew's going through so many emotions that he's never felt before. Guilt, love, sorrow, and especially fear. With all of that going on, in addition to unexpected betrayals, Michael and Diana's relationship is also tested. There were a few parts that were so emotional to me. Diana's relationship to Matthew's father and also her meeting her father in the past. Both were well written and very emotional. I also loved the emotional ride with Matthew and his seeing his father again. Many questions were answered in the second installment such as: What were on the 3 missing pages of Ashmole 782? Who has the missing pages? What type of witch Diana is and what type of powers she has? And who Matthew really is? On top of that additional questions have been revealed which set up the last installment of the All Souls Trilogy. Amazing story, I can't wait for the last installment. One recommendation for new readers is that this is not a stand-alone book. You need to read A Discovery of Witches before reading Shadow of Night. It will set up and give you the details that you need to understand Shadow of Night.

Longest 3 weeks of my life lol. I actually teetered between loving this book and being bored as h€ll by this book. To say the least I’m thinking of reading the next book in the series so this book did capture my attention somewhat. The things I loved about this book are actually some of the same things I loathed about the book let me explain whew! Ok so I loved the fact that they went all the way back into 1590 wait what?!? However once they got there it was nothing like I pictured it was going to be, the Elizabethan English throwed me all the way off but I guess I understand it’s just instead of conveying what the characters were feeling it was more so a fake language course that got lost in translation. I was intrigued by the School of Night until they started to speak now Lord knows what he was doing when he left me in this millennia because the disrespect that came out of those guys mouth directly to Diana I just couldn’t take it! Matthew was really the most disrespectful one by not getting his friends all the way together I mean this is your wife and your home so I just hated the way they spoke to her but then again I have to admit some of it was darn right funny. I loved that they left and by doing so Matthew had to come to terms with his father and all the daddy issues he had. When they went to Sept Tours to engage with Phillipe I felt the story was finally picking up some speed and my interest piqued. I thought his relationship growth with Matthew and Diana was very much so organic. However The fact that she couldn’t find a witch to help her in 1590 was absurd maybe I’ve watched too many movies but I’m sure it wouldn’t have taken her this long to find a powerful witch that would help her especially when she can feel there presence please I did so many eye rolls I think my eyes might be stuck. Also the asshmole 782 yes that’s 2 s’s was supposed to be one of the main reason they decided to venture back was somehow always right there beyond there grasp to the point that they barely even looked for it. The wedding was nice and I was so glad that finally they consummated their vows I mean seriously I didn’t need graphic details but why love each other and be married if your not going to get to it? My love hate mentality is becoming clear. I can’t lie when they left Sept Tours I was truly hurt because going back to where her husbands want to be lover or perhaps used to be lover in the time before the time they went back to oh crap I just confused myself ... Christopher Marlowe aka Kit was doing the most and Matthew with all his vampire tricks and strength never checked him and his disloyalty he just ran rampant and did whatever he felt because of his deep selfless love for Matt yes there’s another eye roll. Speaking of why on earth would you Diana think it’s ok to go anywhere with this man who has made his extreme distaste for you abundantly clear??? He hates your guts so you don’t find it the least bit odd that all of a sudden he wants to separate you from everyone and all of a sudden be your friend... girl bye! Goodie Aslop was a cool chick she was a little cryptic but what can you say for an almost centuries old witch. Then of all things the book assshmole 782 yes that’s 3 s’s (drop the m and it certainly lived up to it’s name) that you came all this way for you couldn’t decipher, you couldn’t try to decode, you couldn’t even stop the inevitability of the page being removed and you cannot bring it back home to your time the audacity! In all I loved Matthew’s love for Diana and I loathed the fact that he treated her horribly at times sounds just like a regular dude. I loved her patience and tolerance for Matthew’s mood swings, petulance and secretive behavior I definitely know women like her. And I guess I’ll check out the next installment to see how the kids turn out. If they’re anything like their parents I should love and loathe them as well.

Boa continuação do primeiro livro e deixa um gancho muito bom para o segundo. Excelente continuação, e deixa o leitor afoito para ler a conclusão. Série muito boa, adorei. Abordagem muito singular sobre criaturas. Excelente.

Deborah knows how to mix up fantasy romance and historic facts into one great amusing story. Nice twists here and there.

I always wanted to be one (and there are those who would say that I succeeded. Although one does have to suspend belief (time travel in a kind of magical spell), this is a fascinating blend of historical novel/fantasy world.The author's scholarship shows in her attention to detail. I loved the first one (and I suspect I know a few daemons), and this is a worthy extension of the story. Can't wait for the next installment. A somewhat guilty pleasure- but fun.

Well though out plot from beginning to end. Great characters. Loved every minute of it, found it difficult to put down.

I really loved reading this book and took my time to read it as well because I enjoyed reading it so much and wanted to grasp every detail. Deborah Harkness woves her words together wonderfully and draws her characters interesteringly and with depth and passion. It is a joy reading her work and getting a glimpse into her imagination. I often had goosebumps reading it.