Hardcover, 561 pages
English language
Published July 15, 2014 by Viking.
After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.
With more …
After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.
With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.
To say I got frustrated with this series repeatedly would be an understatement - but the payoff is pretty nifty.
The end of The All Souls Trilogy was a riveting conclusion delivered with good messages for all.
Wow, a lot happens in the final book of the trilogy. So many characters, and so many story lines that I feel like I need another read-through to keep it all straight. Matthew and Diana have returned to the present, and are assembling a gang of supporters to help find the missing pages of Ashmole 782, revoke the covenant, and allow all creatures to live in harmony and co-mingle as they would like.
Along the way, there is some sketchy science and little to no secret keeping. What happened to the trepidation and reluctance everyone had in book 1? Everyone just runs around pell-mell in this book, telling roomfuls of humans their secrets. And everyone, and I mean everyone, takes it in stride. Like the government wouldn't have both Matthew and Diana locked in a laboratory somewhere once they started blabbing their secrets all over New England. ESPECIALLY since she …
Wow, a lot happens in the final book of the trilogy. So many characters, and so many story lines that I feel like I need another read-through to keep it all straight. Matthew and Diana have returned to the present, and are assembling a gang of supporters to help find the missing pages of Ashmole 782, revoke the covenant, and allow all creatures to live in harmony and co-mingle as they would like.
Along the way, there is some sketchy science and little to no secret keeping. What happened to the trepidation and reluctance everyone had in book 1? Everyone just runs around pell-mell in this book, telling roomfuls of humans their secrets. And everyone, and I mean everyone, takes it in stride. Like the government wouldn't have both Matthew and Diana locked in a laboratory somewhere once they started blabbing their secrets all over New England. ESPECIALLY since she is pregnant. With twins.
And speaking of pregnancy, did I miss a wrap up with Sophie and Nathaniel Wilson and their witch / demon baby? So much was happening, it's possible I have forgotten.
Matthew is far less controlling in this book, and Diana is less of a Mary Sue. I like how they evolved over time, and I wanted to punch them far less this time around. Plus, I love how Harkenss wove history into an interesting storyline. Definitely made the history nerd in me a happy gal.
Anyway, I liked the conclusion, and I'm a little sad the series is over. For Gallowglass alone I would keep reading.
