Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Fantasy

Like a lot of others I have been waiting for Shadow of Night since Diana and Matthew stepped out of the present into the past at the end of A Discovery of Witches.  I was not disappointed in Shadow of Night.  It lived up to all my expectations.  It is typical of middle books in a trilogy.  Some things were solved.  Most things were not but everything was put in place for book three.

Here is what Goodreads says:

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.

One of the main strength of Deborah Harkness’s writings is the detail to history that is included in her books.  I felt like I was back in Elizabethan England meeting people I had only read about.  The details about every day life added to the depth of the story. 

Matthew and Diana had to carry the bulk of the story.  They were great characters in A Discovery of Witches and they just got better in Shadow of Night.  Many of the side characters were unique to the time period but some carry over to the present.  All of the side characters were all well drawn and added to the story line.

The main plot is still in place.   What is on the missing pages in Ashmole 782 and how will those pages help.  The action in Shadow of Night is aimed at acquiring what will needed for when they returned to the present.  Some personal issues for Matthew are solved. The big problem is still there.  There are just more ways to solve the problem now then there were before.

I received an eARC of Shadow of Night from both Netalley and Edleweiss.  The only problem with reading this before it is published is that I have a longer wait for the next book.  So far there is not title or date for book three.

Viking Adult published Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness in 2012.

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Paranormal Romance

In A Discovery of Witches Deborah Harkness has created a world is full of humans and creatures.  The creatures are witches, vampires, and demons.  Diana Bishop is a historian and a witch but one who does not want to use her magic.  She is at Oxford on a year’s sabbatical studying the history of alchemy.  Her life changes when she requests and receives Ashmole 782.  She senses magic in the manuscript, and sends it back after taking a few notes.  But Ashmole 782 is a manuscript that all of the creatures want and Diana is the first to see or open it in since it was put under a spell.  This is the start of an adventure that spans time and place.  Because of the Ashmole 782 Matthew Clairmont, a 1500-year-old vampire, enters Diana’s life and offers protection and much more.

A Discovery of Witches takes you on a long journey filled with fascinating characters and a lot of action.  What it does not do is finish the story of Diana, Matthew and Ashmole 782.  I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next book.

Deborah Harkness is as fascinating as her book.  She is a student of history and alchemy and uses her knowledge to produce a fun and believable world for A Discovery of Witches.  This is her first novel but she has written and published two scholarly works.  She teaches at the University of Southern California.

After I finished A Discovery of Witches I wanted to interview Deborah.  I found that Viking published an interview with Deborah that answered my questions.  Look for parts of that interview tomorrow.  You can find out how history and fiction is combined in A Discovery of Witches.

Viking published A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness in 2011.