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All Souls #1-3
The All Souls Trilogy Boxed Set
A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life, now available in a beautiful boxed set
With more than two million copies sold in the United States, the novels of the number one New York Times–bestselling All Souls Trilogy have landed on all the major bestseller lists, garnered rave reviews, and spellbound legions of loyal fans. Now all three novels are available in an elegantly designed boxed set that’s perfect for fans and newcomers alike.
With more than two million copies sold in the United States, the novels of the number one New York Times–bestselling All Souls Trilogy have landed on all the major bestseller lists, garnered rave reviews, and spellbound legions of loyal fans. Now all three novels are available in an elegantly designed boxed set that’s perfect for fans and newcomers alike.
1760 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2014
6508 people are currently reading
12366 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Harkness
44 books34.2k followersDeborah Harkness is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who draws on her expertise as an historian of science, medicine, and the history of the book to create rich narratives steeped in magical realism, historical curiosity, and deeply human questions about what it is that makes us who we are.
The first book in Harkness’s beloved All Souls series, A Discovery of Witches, was an instant New York Times bestseller and the series has since expanded with the addition of subsequent NYT bestsellers, Shadow of Night (2012), The Book of Life (2014), and Time’s Convert (2018), as well as the companion reader, The World of All Souls. The All Souls series has been translated in thirty-eight languages.
The popular television adaptation of A Discovery of Witches, starring Theresa Palmer and Matthew Goode, was released in 2019 by Sky/Sundance Now, and also broadcast on AMC.
Having spent more than a quarter of a century as a student and scholar of history, Harkness holds degrees from Mount Holyoke College, Northwestern University, and the University of California at Davis. She is currently a professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she teaches European history and the history of science.
Harkness has published scholarly articles on topics such as the influence of theatrical conventions on the occult sciences, scientific households, female medical practice in early modern London, medical curiosity, and the influence of accounting practices on scientific record keeping. She has received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and National Humanities Center fellowships, and her most recent scholarly work is The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution.
The first book in Harkness’s beloved All Souls series, A Discovery of Witches, was an instant New York Times bestseller and the series has since expanded with the addition of subsequent NYT bestsellers, Shadow of Night (2012), The Book of Life (2014), and Time’s Convert (2018), as well as the companion reader, The World of All Souls. The All Souls series has been translated in thirty-eight languages.
The popular television adaptation of A Discovery of Witches, starring Theresa Palmer and Matthew Goode, was released in 2019 by Sky/Sundance Now, and also broadcast on AMC.
Having spent more than a quarter of a century as a student and scholar of history, Harkness holds degrees from Mount Holyoke College, Northwestern University, and the University of California at Davis. She is currently a professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she teaches European history and the history of science.
Harkness has published scholarly articles on topics such as the influence of theatrical conventions on the occult sciences, scientific households, female medical practice in early modern London, medical curiosity, and the influence of accounting practices on scientific record keeping. She has received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and National Humanities Center fellowships, and her most recent scholarly work is The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 762 reviews
November 9, 2014
I've been trying for a few days now to compose my thoughts about this trilogy in hopes that I won't ramble too much when I review it. I can't promise that I won't ramble a bit, but I think I've finally got it down. In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't purchase the boxed set. I read these individually from a friend who recommended them to me. And, I read the physical books. Normally I'm not too particular regarding physical books or ebooks, but for these I'd definitely recommend reading the physical book. It added to the experience.
So, let's get into it. The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness...Wow! Before reading this series I would have told you that the closest I would ever get to enjoying, let alone reading a series about witches, vampires and daemons would be Harry Potter and the Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman. I am so glad to report that I was wrong. This series is amazing. I thought about reviewing the individual books, but honestly this series is best taken as a whole. Not that the individual books aren't fabulous! Because they are.
Ok, so, here we go. Everything is so deliciously complex about these books. Diana Bishop is a historian and tenured professor at Yale. She's also a witch. At this point I should mention that witches, daemons and vampires are kind of the norm in this authors world. Well, the world of her books. Humans, witches, daemons, and vampires are the world's higher life forms, if you will. The non-humans refer to themselves collectively as "creatures". Anyway, Diana is the last in the line of very powerful witches. But she doesn't use her powers. In fact, she wishes she wasn't a witch at all. She hasn't been interested in her powers or much of her family since a tragedy befell her parents when she was just seven years old. But just because she doesn't want it, doesn't mean it isn't there. While doing some research in the Bodleian library at Oxford, Diana calls up a book, Ashmole 782, and her powers make themselves known. The books is protected by magic and her magic responds to it. Annoyance and fear override her curiosity and she sends it back to storage. The very next day, Diana's life gets immeasurably more complicated. All of a sudden she is surrounded by daemons, witches, and a particularly bold vampire when she returns to the library to continue her research. In short order she is threatened, questioned, and warned. All because of that book.
Her life quickly stops being her own when she falls under the protection of a 1500 year old vampire, Matthew Clairmont, who suspects that the book she called up by accident was, in fact, a manuscript that may or may not hold the secrets to the beginnings of all creatures, including humans. People are willing to kill her to get their hands on the manuscript or to keep it buried. The race to find the book again and it's origins will take Diana and Matthew across Europe and back in time. All the while, Diana is coming into the powers she was born with and learning things about her family, particularly her parents, that will change everything.
Are you intrigued? I am and I just wrote and I read the books! I'm definitely reading these again. Anyway, let's talk about why this series is so yummy. It's all in the details! Deborah Harkness is, first and foremost, a historian and it shows! But this is not like reading a history book. Every little tiny detail is wrapped up in the story and flows amazingly well for as much as she's throwing at you. Diana is no slouch as a teacher or a student and her excitement at all the things she learns throughout her journey is magnificent. It's all so...just wow! Seriously, this book is chock full of history, religion, mythology and magic. Literal magic and figurative magic. It's just awesome. Oh, and forget anything you think you know about witches, vampires and daemons. This book comes at each of these subjects in such a refreshing way that you can't help but rewrite your own definitions of these "creatures".
I loved everything about these books. Even the fact that each book is nearly 600 pages long! It's necessary for the story. Rarely do I say that. I've read some reviews of these books that stated that the whole trilogy could have been wrapped up in one, shorter book. I honestly don't see how that's possible. The fun with this book is not the harrowing, action-packed moments, but with the discoveries that are made and how each little piece fits this huge puzzle. The energy is constant throughout the book. You never really come down, though some moments do ratchet up the intensity. But it's consistent. And I loved it. It didn't end with this huge, apocalyptic bang! But it remained consistent. That's really the only way I know how to describe it. It was awesome. I can't say more than that without giving away the book.
This series also has a cast of characters that, to me, were almost better than the story itself. Diana, a confident, successful historian who has so much trouble getting out of her head. Matthew, a 1500 year old vampire with control issues and a seriously outdated attitude toward women who struggles to fit into Diana's world and is no slouch as a scientist. Gallowglass, Matthew's nephew...let me tell you, I think he was probably my favorite character. Emily and Sarah, Diana's aunts are just too much for me to describe here. And Matthew's family who round out the characters and cover everything you could think of. And, for what it's worth, I LOVE Matthew's mother. She's scary as hell, but awesome.
This series really does have it all. Science, history, mythology, magic, love, fate...ahhh. Does it get any better than that? And it evolves. The characters grow and change. The story grows and changes. It's a central theme of the book and it never waivers. There are, of course, a lot of other things happening, but for me the central theme was one of evolution. Evolution of creatures, evolution of love, evolution of family, evolution of ideas. It's extraordinary! This is more than just a supernatural tale (although there's is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing it that way). It is a tale about life, society, history, family, and acceptance.
I highly recommend this series. It's not gory, it's not violent, the vampires don't sparkle, and the sexy parts are sexy, not pornographic. It really is the whole package as far as I'm concerned. So, suspend reality. Clear your mind, grab some snacks, tea, coffee whatever and settle in for a journey. You won't be disappointed! Cheers!
So, let's get into it. The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness...Wow! Before reading this series I would have told you that the closest I would ever get to enjoying, let alone reading a series about witches, vampires and daemons would be Harry Potter and the Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman. I am so glad to report that I was wrong. This series is amazing. I thought about reviewing the individual books, but honestly this series is best taken as a whole. Not that the individual books aren't fabulous! Because they are.
Ok, so, here we go. Everything is so deliciously complex about these books. Diana Bishop is a historian and tenured professor at Yale. She's also a witch. At this point I should mention that witches, daemons and vampires are kind of the norm in this authors world. Well, the world of her books. Humans, witches, daemons, and vampires are the world's higher life forms, if you will. The non-humans refer to themselves collectively as "creatures". Anyway, Diana is the last in the line of very powerful witches. But she doesn't use her powers. In fact, she wishes she wasn't a witch at all. She hasn't been interested in her powers or much of her family since a tragedy befell her parents when she was just seven years old. But just because she doesn't want it, doesn't mean it isn't there. While doing some research in the Bodleian library at Oxford, Diana calls up a book, Ashmole 782, and her powers make themselves known. The books is protected by magic and her magic responds to it. Annoyance and fear override her curiosity and she sends it back to storage. The very next day, Diana's life gets immeasurably more complicated. All of a sudden she is surrounded by daemons, witches, and a particularly bold vampire when she returns to the library to continue her research. In short order she is threatened, questioned, and warned. All because of that book.
Her life quickly stops being her own when she falls under the protection of a 1500 year old vampire, Matthew Clairmont, who suspects that the book she called up by accident was, in fact, a manuscript that may or may not hold the secrets to the beginnings of all creatures, including humans. People are willing to kill her to get their hands on the manuscript or to keep it buried. The race to find the book again and it's origins will take Diana and Matthew across Europe and back in time. All the while, Diana is coming into the powers she was born with and learning things about her family, particularly her parents, that will change everything.
Are you intrigued? I am and I just wrote and I read the books! I'm definitely reading these again. Anyway, let's talk about why this series is so yummy. It's all in the details! Deborah Harkness is, first and foremost, a historian and it shows! But this is not like reading a history book. Every little tiny detail is wrapped up in the story and flows amazingly well for as much as she's throwing at you. Diana is no slouch as a teacher or a student and her excitement at all the things she learns throughout her journey is magnificent. It's all so...just wow! Seriously, this book is chock full of history, religion, mythology and magic. Literal magic and figurative magic. It's just awesome. Oh, and forget anything you think you know about witches, vampires and daemons. This book comes at each of these subjects in such a refreshing way that you can't help but rewrite your own definitions of these "creatures".
I loved everything about these books. Even the fact that each book is nearly 600 pages long! It's necessary for the story. Rarely do I say that. I've read some reviews of these books that stated that the whole trilogy could have been wrapped up in one, shorter book. I honestly don't see how that's possible. The fun with this book is not the harrowing, action-packed moments, but with the discoveries that are made and how each little piece fits this huge puzzle. The energy is constant throughout the book. You never really come down, though some moments do ratchet up the intensity. But it's consistent. And I loved it. It didn't end with this huge, apocalyptic bang! But it remained consistent. That's really the only way I know how to describe it. It was awesome. I can't say more than that without giving away the book.
This series also has a cast of characters that, to me, were almost better than the story itself. Diana, a confident, successful historian who has so much trouble getting out of her head. Matthew, a 1500 year old vampire with control issues and a seriously outdated attitude toward women who struggles to fit into Diana's world and is no slouch as a scientist. Gallowglass, Matthew's nephew...let me tell you, I think he was probably my favorite character. Emily and Sarah, Diana's aunts are just too much for me to describe here. And Matthew's family who round out the characters and cover everything you could think of. And, for what it's worth, I LOVE Matthew's mother. She's scary as hell, but awesome.
This series really does have it all. Science, history, mythology, magic, love, fate...ahhh. Does it get any better than that? And it evolves. The characters grow and change. The story grows and changes. It's a central theme of the book and it never waivers. There are, of course, a lot of other things happening, but for me the central theme was one of evolution. Evolution of creatures, evolution of love, evolution of family, evolution of ideas. It's extraordinary! This is more than just a supernatural tale (although there's is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing it that way). It is a tale about life, society, history, family, and acceptance.
I highly recommend this series. It's not gory, it's not violent, the vampires don't sparkle, and the sexy parts are sexy, not pornographic. It really is the whole package as far as I'm concerned. So, suspend reality. Clear your mind, grab some snacks, tea, coffee whatever and settle in for a journey. You won't be disappointed! Cheers!
August 27, 2018
Take a young independent very intelligent and capable female historian (who happens to be a witch) and have her meet a dominant sexist, condescending, chauvinistic over-bearing dominant minder of a man (who happens to be a vampire) and PRESTO the woman turns into a little girl who just wants someone to take care of her and tell her what to do and she becomes completely incapable of independent thought or of handling her own situation.
It’s cringeworthy to read how her will is gradually chipped away at while the vampire sweeps her off her feet and by 40% she is incapable of simple action.
The supernatural mystery which looked quite promising in the beginning of the book has, at 40%, completely drowned in the 50-Shades-male-chauvinist-no-sexuality-allowed narrative. And it goes on and on and on.
And then there’s the above mentioned total lack of acknowledging that yes, women not like and want sex! Women get horney too! Women get girl-boners people!
The vampires drive is vaguely metaphored as the old school suppressed bloodlust, but our protagonist has less urges than a pre-teen poodle. Like wtf? What 25-30ish year old single woman wouldn’t have jumped the vampires bones by page 10. Honestly. Abstinence Urgh!
This book is so sweet and sticky and devoid of substance or value, I just can’t finish it! I usually do not give a rating to a DNF book but this one has sickened me and offended me greatly. It’s hours of my life I won’t get back and it’s an affront to both literature, readers and specifically modern women. Boo!
DNF 40%
It’s cringeworthy to read how her will is gradually chipped away at while the vampire sweeps her off her feet and by 40% she is incapable of simple action.
The supernatural mystery which looked quite promising in the beginning of the book has, at 40%, completely drowned in the 50-Shades-male-chauvinist-no-sexuality-allowed narrative. And it goes on and on and on.
And then there’s the above mentioned total lack of acknowledging that yes, women not like and want sex! Women get horney too! Women get girl-boners people!
The vampires drive is vaguely metaphored as the old school suppressed bloodlust, but our protagonist has less urges than a pre-teen poodle. Like wtf? What 25-30ish year old single woman wouldn’t have jumped the vampires bones by page 10. Honestly. Abstinence Urgh!
This book is so sweet and sticky and devoid of substance or value, I just can’t finish it! I usually do not give a rating to a DNF book but this one has sickened me and offended me greatly. It’s hours of my life I won’t get back and it’s an affront to both literature, readers and specifically modern women. Boo!
DNF 40%
Want to read
December 26, 2019All 3 books for $1.99 on Amazon!
March 5, 2019
Let me start off by saying that I really, really wanted to like this book and this series. All three were gifted to me on my birthday in 2017, after having seen them on shelves (and MAN do they look good on a shelf!) of family members who raved about them. I made it about 115 pages into the first book before I stopped completely. (More on this later.)
Fast forward to this winter (18'-19') and the preview for the show caught my eye. I DEVOURED the show, I'm not even embarrassed. I watched the whole first season within a day. Very few shows have ever gotten me to do that. It is well done, and the story has been tweaked to make it more like what I thought the books would be like. Well, then I was off to the races, I had to try the books again to know what happens next, and see if they magically get better. (Accidental pun there.)
Immediately what I ran into in 2017, I ran into in 2019; the writing. It is TERRIBLE. I'm not sure that I've ever encountered this predicament quite so thoroughly. As I read the first book I kept saying over and over (out loud, just to annoy my loved ones repeatedly) "Great story, terrible writing!!"
Who the hell edited this book? And how the hell has it enamored so many fans!? There are lines and lines and lines of descriptions that make NO sense. (I care so much about disliking this series so strongly that I will come back and edit this review with examples from the books, right before I take my copies to Half Price Books.)
The premise is so good, and so promising, and the show taps into that very well. The books are packaged with intriguing covers and mysterious art. And then you start to read the beautiful font, and as the words grow into paragraphs, and paragraphs into pages, you slowly realize with growing concern, that it's just pig slop. One reviewer from Scotland nailed it when she said it is absolute pish. Another said "it's just a little bit of poop." And I couldn't agree more.
Ultimately this is a series that people will be able point to as an example of writing the doesn't stand the true test of time. Whereas authors like Tolkien and Rowling have and will continue to do so. The All Souls Trilogy is just pop-fiction.
***Spoilers from here on out for the entire series!*****
Where the books lost me the first time was just after the yoga class. It was awkwardly written (I know, I know, I'm hounding on the writing, but seriously guys, it is that bad!!) and didn't flow well with the events leading up to it. That combined with my growing realization that this was just another "girl falls in love with a vampire man" series, I stopped. Then the show gave me the insatiable need to know what happens next, and I don't like waiting for years to find out when I can just read it.
So I was able to get through the first book a little easier with the better version (the show) in my mind. Not to be deterred by a bout of crying, over a man she's only known for 2 weeks, that flooded a tower, I forged on. The hunting scene in the show was uncomfortable; the hunting scene in the book was asinine. Their marriage in the show was awkward, in the book; doubly so. I think the only characters in the entire series who were worth the print were The House, and Ysabaeu.
Book two: we spend nearly 150 pages on F-g nothing, and then get to some plot. And then the plot is interrupted by people the author wishes she could meet. (I'm very sure that I know her answers to "If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be" also "and what would you eat? *eye twitching intensifies*) But I wanted to know about Diana's magic, and I wanted to experience her learning it, but all of that was overshadowed by weird historical fiction that had no place in the story. If you want Matthew to have known and been involved with all of these famous people and events, fine, but write it as its own damn prequel book! Die-hard fans rejoice! Bogs down what most people are here for in this series.
I have no problem with long books. JK Rowling taught us well, long books can be gripping as well as beloved. Harkness has no concept. Diana apparently masters her magic after only two or three lessons with the powerful witches that we spend hundreds of pages to get to. The references to how long they spend in the past range from 6-8 months (editor should be fired), during which she gets schooled on her speech more than her magic, marries Matthew (forrealz this time), adopts two children (they're cool, but really,,?), miscarries, becomes pregnant again, goes to Prague to FINALLY find the book, and sees it whole for about 4 minutes, before the three pages are TORN out (Not neatly sliced as described in the book and the show! EDITOR: WTF) and then it turns out after they steal it that they can't bring it to the future with them like they thought they could. Had Harkness even figured that out beforehand? The story reads like she didn't..
(This is where the wheels completely fall off and the story completely stops being good at all.)
Book 3; Oh hey, Emily DIED while you were gone. In nearly 1800 pages, none of those pages could be devoted to what was going on while they were in the past? NOTHING? Emily is just dead. Also she's a ghost, she's with the ghosts of Rebecca and Phillip on the top of the tower that Diana flooded and we LITERALLY NEVER COME BACK TO THIS. There was no point to us knowing that, they do not become relevant, and Phillip says a few words to Diana at the very end of the book, and that's it. WTF.
Then it's time for them to run and hide, right? BIG BAD Congregation is coming to get them, right? Turns out; No. Let's just go back to Madison (the house is possibly the best character in the whole series, original, intriguing, filled with possibilities, LOVE THE HOUSE). Harkness doesn't even pretend to have them hide. It's not even hiding in plain sight kind of hiding, they just go to already known locations with some better tech security on their devices than last time they were there. That's it.
The Congregation, Knox and Satu, they stop being the villains, and become kind of a supporting cast to the "real" bad guy; Benjamin. (Writers, Benjamin Fox is not a name that strikes fear, it is a name that harkens -Harkness, get it?- back to Benjamin BUNNY. STOP IT.) Benji does some f-d up stuff that I won't get into here, but clearly Harkness wants us to take him seriously. Now. In the last book of the trilogy, NOW we're supposed to worry about this bad guy, who we're never ACTUALLY HIDING from...
Then we get into true Twilight territory. Another vamp is, and has been for 600 years (wayyyy longer than Matthew, lol *eye rolling intensifies*) in love with Diana. Then Matthew and Diana separate (!?!?) so that Matthew can go to New Orleans, for reasons. Then, 8-months-pregnant-with-twins-Diana goes globe-trotting, and "hides" in her own houses. WITH the other vamp who is in love with her. She starts dearly wishing he could find his mate. At this point I started yelling a little bit. I legit thought it was going to be Breaking Dawn all over again. Thankfully no. However, I have a feeling that's how Harkness wanted it to be, and the Editor maybe prevented this, because the Scottish Vamp just evaporates once Matthew is back in the picture and the children are born.
Also, terrible plot twist, Benji is the real torturer of Phillip. The witch-nazis that were hunted down didn't actually have much to do with it. Then we leave Matthew with him for DAYS. He is eventually rescued by Diana. He takes some astrological months to heal, and then he's good to go again.. Not killing himself like Phillip did. (I mean, I'm glad, and that would've been repetitive reading, but the torture is the same, done by the same guy, and in the same location, and Matthew is basically just fine.)
This book suffers from many things, but another issue is that the author made Diana so truly powerful that she can't even do justice to it. She can solve anything, do anything, and yet is constrained by the limits of imagination. Her fight scenes in the end aren't remarkable, not after all of the build-up to get to them.
All in all, Harkness struck it rich on these other authors' ingredients; Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, JK Rowling, and most of all; Stephanie Meyer. She combined them in slightly new ways, with a few of her own twists. There is juuuust enough to keep you reading, but in the end you'll wish you hadn't.
I'm going to go try to find something real to read now, see if I can erase all of the crap I just endured for nothing.
Fast forward to this winter (18'-19') and the preview for the show caught my eye. I DEVOURED the show, I'm not even embarrassed. I watched the whole first season within a day. Very few shows have ever gotten me to do that. It is well done, and the story has been tweaked to make it more like what I thought the books would be like. Well, then I was off to the races, I had to try the books again to know what happens next, and see if they magically get better. (Accidental pun there.)
Immediately what I ran into in 2017, I ran into in 2019; the writing. It is TERRIBLE. I'm not sure that I've ever encountered this predicament quite so thoroughly. As I read the first book I kept saying over and over (out loud, just to annoy my loved ones repeatedly) "Great story, terrible writing!!"
Who the hell edited this book? And how the hell has it enamored so many fans!? There are lines and lines and lines of descriptions that make NO sense. (I care so much about disliking this series so strongly that I will come back and edit this review with examples from the books, right before I take my copies to Half Price Books.)
The premise is so good, and so promising, and the show taps into that very well. The books are packaged with intriguing covers and mysterious art. And then you start to read the beautiful font, and as the words grow into paragraphs, and paragraphs into pages, you slowly realize with growing concern, that it's just pig slop. One reviewer from Scotland nailed it when she said it is absolute pish. Another said "it's just a little bit of poop." And I couldn't agree more.
Ultimately this is a series that people will be able point to as an example of writing the doesn't stand the true test of time. Whereas authors like Tolkien and Rowling have and will continue to do so. The All Souls Trilogy is just pop-fiction.
***Spoilers from here on out for the entire series!*****
Where the books lost me the first time was just after the yoga class. It was awkwardly written (I know, I know, I'm hounding on the writing, but seriously guys, it is that bad!!) and didn't flow well with the events leading up to it. That combined with my growing realization that this was just another "girl falls in love with a vampire man" series, I stopped. Then the show gave me the insatiable need to know what happens next, and I don't like waiting for years to find out when I can just read it.
So I was able to get through the first book a little easier with the better version (the show) in my mind. Not to be deterred by a bout of crying, over a man she's only known for 2 weeks, that flooded a tower, I forged on. The hunting scene in the show was uncomfortable; the hunting scene in the book was asinine. Their marriage in the show was awkward, in the book; doubly so. I think the only characters in the entire series who were worth the print were The House, and Ysabaeu.
Book two: we spend nearly 150 pages on F-g nothing, and then get to some plot. And then the plot is interrupted by people the author wishes she could meet. (I'm very sure that I know her answers to "If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be" also "and what would you eat? *eye twitching intensifies*) But I wanted to know about Diana's magic, and I wanted to experience her learning it, but all of that was overshadowed by weird historical fiction that had no place in the story. If you want Matthew to have known and been involved with all of these famous people and events, fine, but write it as its own damn prequel book! Die-hard fans rejoice! Bogs down what most people are here for in this series.
I have no problem with long books. JK Rowling taught us well, long books can be gripping as well as beloved. Harkness has no concept. Diana apparently masters her magic after only two or three lessons with the powerful witches that we spend hundreds of pages to get to. The references to how long they spend in the past range from 6-8 months (editor should be fired), during which she gets schooled on her speech more than her magic, marries Matthew (forrealz this time), adopts two children (they're cool, but really,,?), miscarries, becomes pregnant again, goes to Prague to FINALLY find the book, and sees it whole for about 4 minutes, before the three pages are TORN out (Not neatly sliced as described in the book and the show! EDITOR: WTF) and then it turns out after they steal it that they can't bring it to the future with them like they thought they could. Had Harkness even figured that out beforehand? The story reads like she didn't..
(This is where the wheels completely fall off and the story completely stops being good at all.)
Book 3; Oh hey, Emily DIED while you were gone. In nearly 1800 pages, none of those pages could be devoted to what was going on while they were in the past? NOTHING? Emily is just dead. Also she's a ghost, she's with the ghosts of Rebecca and Phillip on the top of the tower that Diana flooded and we LITERALLY NEVER COME BACK TO THIS. There was no point to us knowing that, they do not become relevant, and Phillip says a few words to Diana at the very end of the book, and that's it. WTF.
Then it's time for them to run and hide, right? BIG BAD Congregation is coming to get them, right? Turns out; No. Let's just go back to Madison (the house is possibly the best character in the whole series, original, intriguing, filled with possibilities, LOVE THE HOUSE). Harkness doesn't even pretend to have them hide. It's not even hiding in plain sight kind of hiding, they just go to already known locations with some better tech security on their devices than last time they were there. That's it.
The Congregation, Knox and Satu, they stop being the villains, and become kind of a supporting cast to the "real" bad guy; Benjamin. (Writers, Benjamin Fox is not a name that strikes fear, it is a name that harkens -Harkness, get it?- back to Benjamin BUNNY. STOP IT.) Benji does some f-d up stuff that I won't get into here, but clearly Harkness wants us to take him seriously. Now. In the last book of the trilogy, NOW we're supposed to worry about this bad guy, who we're never ACTUALLY HIDING from...
Then we get into true Twilight territory. Another vamp is, and has been for 600 years (wayyyy longer than Matthew, lol *eye rolling intensifies*) in love with Diana. Then Matthew and Diana separate (!?!?) so that Matthew can go to New Orleans, for reasons. Then, 8-months-pregnant-with-twins-Diana goes globe-trotting, and "hides" in her own houses. WITH the other vamp who is in love with her. She starts dearly wishing he could find his mate. At this point I started yelling a little bit. I legit thought it was going to be Breaking Dawn all over again. Thankfully no. However, I have a feeling that's how Harkness wanted it to be, and the Editor maybe prevented this, because the Scottish Vamp just evaporates once Matthew is back in the picture and the children are born.
Also, terrible plot twist, Benji is the real torturer of Phillip. The witch-nazis that were hunted down didn't actually have much to do with it. Then we leave Matthew with him for DAYS. He is eventually rescued by Diana. He takes some astrological months to heal, and then he's good to go again.. Not killing himself like Phillip did. (I mean, I'm glad, and that would've been repetitive reading, but the torture is the same, done by the same guy, and in the same location, and Matthew is basically just fine.)
This book suffers from many things, but another issue is that the author made Diana so truly powerful that she can't even do justice to it. She can solve anything, do anything, and yet is constrained by the limits of imagination. Her fight scenes in the end aren't remarkable, not after all of the build-up to get to them.
All in all, Harkness struck it rich on these other authors' ingredients; Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, JK Rowling, and most of all; Stephanie Meyer. She combined them in slightly new ways, with a few of her own twists. There is juuuust enough to keep you reading, but in the end you'll wish you hadn't.
I'm going to go try to find something real to read now, see if I can erase all of the crap I just endured for nothing.
April 3, 2021
I enjoyed the whole concept of these books
March 3, 2020
Amazing series. I binge-read the trilogy and did nothing else for 4 days and 5 nights. Seriously the best.
August 30, 2014
In many ways this trilogy is the grown up version of the Twilight series. However, where Twilight's prose is often flat, Ms. Harkness creates a vivid world of witches, vampires, daemons, and humans. While the characters are supernatural, the themes of racism and intimate partner power imbalances are decidedly human.
September 22, 2019
A Discovery of Witches: 4 Stars
Shadow of Night: 1 Star
The Book of Life: 3 Stars
Shadow of Night: 1 Star
The Book of Life: 3 Stars
March 4, 2019
The one that propelled me to the books was the TV series. I skipped the 1st one and read the last 2. The TV series is better. The books on the other hand were a struggle. I finished it, but it was just ok. If you loved english lit and C.L. Wilson writing style (I liked her better), then you will like this. Yes she is a proficient writer. She's proven that but is it that necessary to do some muscle flexing with the story. It really didn't need it. It was way too extra. It wasn't moving the story along. At some point you get stuck in plateau. It was really hard for me to accept her structure of family. The blood that sire you is that one that bind you to loyalty and make you one big cozy family. It was odd. Just save your money and watch it.
January 2, 2023
Have you ever read a series that you didn’t want to end?
This trilogy is a contemporary fantasy, historical fiction, romance, sci-fi & mystery. The story starts in A Discovery of Witches & Harkness perfectly sets the stage for her world & mystery. She’s writes beautiful & intricate scene descriptions while starting her character arcs in intense plot moments. I feel her books have a slow burn but that is something I LOVE in fantasy especially when there is so much to explore and you feel so connected to the characters.
Next, Shadow of Night. This book is almost 600 pages, the longest in the trilogy and I want MOREE. I got to meet 2 of my fav characters in this book and it taught me so about love: love from parent to child, love for yourself & romantic love. It's truly a balancing act, to continue to plot out your mystery, continue your world building in this very unique fantasy world, all the while mastering historical fiction as your setting, Harkness does it masterfully!
Finally we close out w/ the Book of Life. This is where everything is threaded together (pun intended!) There are so many things that come together in this book that I didn’t think would & it truly just shows how purposeful Harkness is with everything she writes. The biggest thing for me though was, Matthew & Diana learning to love themselves & truly trust that they are good enough for each other.
This quote I feel represents so much of Diana’s journey, “Magic was nothing more than desire made real, after all.”
& This quote I feel represents so much of Matthew’s journey, “If you truly love someone, you will cherish what they despise the most about themselves.”
I love that Harkness shows love & light in places that appear so dark & scary just like any flaw we struggle with. This is truly some of the coolest & most magical contemporary fantasies I've ever read. The way Harkness brings it all together when the mystery is finally solved gave me CHILLS! Def in my top 5 fav series ever written.
Also, if you enjoy booktube or video essays I have a more in-depth video this trilogy: LINK IN BIO!
This trilogy is a contemporary fantasy, historical fiction, romance, sci-fi & mystery. The story starts in A Discovery of Witches & Harkness perfectly sets the stage for her world & mystery. She’s writes beautiful & intricate scene descriptions while starting her character arcs in intense plot moments. I feel her books have a slow burn but that is something I LOVE in fantasy especially when there is so much to explore and you feel so connected to the characters.
Next, Shadow of Night. This book is almost 600 pages, the longest in the trilogy and I want MOREE. I got to meet 2 of my fav characters in this book and it taught me so about love: love from parent to child, love for yourself & romantic love. It's truly a balancing act, to continue to plot out your mystery, continue your world building in this very unique fantasy world, all the while mastering historical fiction as your setting, Harkness does it masterfully!
Finally we close out w/ the Book of Life. This is where everything is threaded together (pun intended!) There are so many things that come together in this book that I didn’t think would & it truly just shows how purposeful Harkness is with everything she writes. The biggest thing for me though was, Matthew & Diana learning to love themselves & truly trust that they are good enough for each other.
This quote I feel represents so much of Diana’s journey, “Magic was nothing more than desire made real, after all.”
& This quote I feel represents so much of Matthew’s journey, “If you truly love someone, you will cherish what they despise the most about themselves.”
I love that Harkness shows love & light in places that appear so dark & scary just like any flaw we struggle with. This is truly some of the coolest & most magical contemporary fantasies I've ever read. The way Harkness brings it all together when the mystery is finally solved gave me CHILLS! Def in my top 5 fav series ever written.
Also, if you enjoy booktube or video essays I have a more in-depth video this trilogy: LINK IN BIO!
February 25, 2024
I really wanted to enjoy this series. I love seeing magic and science blended together. There's some really good worldbuilding in this book/series, but the characters really fall flat.
Its just another stereotypical old male vampire and young naive female forbidden romance story. A lot of the characters act really inconsistently, and there are a ridiculous amount of characters to remember in general, especially in the subsequent books. (I ended up just earmarking the page whenever a new character was introduced, so I could keep them all straight.) None of the characters really felt 'real' to me.
The editing in this series is also horrendous. Plot ideas that you think will be important are mentioned once, and then never brought up again, the timeline gets jumbled in more than one place, and the story gets really hard to follow at times. Horribly paced.
If you're just looking for another Twilight, complete with Mary Sues and clumsy writing style, then I guess this is your series.
Its just another stereotypical old male vampire and young naive female forbidden romance story. A lot of the characters act really inconsistently, and there are a ridiculous amount of characters to remember in general, especially in the subsequent books. (I ended up just earmarking the page whenever a new character was introduced, so I could keep them all straight.) None of the characters really felt 'real' to me.
The editing in this series is also horrendous. Plot ideas that you think will be important are mentioned once, and then never brought up again, the timeline gets jumbled in more than one place, and the story gets really hard to follow at times. Horribly paced.
If you're just looking for another Twilight, complete with Mary Sues and clumsy writing style, then I guess this is your series.
November 28, 2024
After watching the series, I just needed to know if the books were better. And I can say that I was satisfied with the books.
The magic was intricate and the love between Matthew and Diana were better captured in the books. Ysabeau being young also made a lot of sense. I found myself intrigued by the side characters. Unlike in the adaptation series, they played important roles that had more dimensions and motivations behind their behavior.
In short, it was a good read.
The magic was intricate and the love between Matthew and Diana were better captured in the books. Ysabeau being young also made a lot of sense. I found myself intrigued by the side characters. Unlike in the adaptation series, they played important roles that had more dimensions and motivations behind their behavior.
In short, it was a good read.
October 29, 2018
Urgh. I fought my way to the end of book one, and part way through book two, but I just can't. It's SO BAD.
Chief reason: Diana, the lead character, is a perfectly intelligent, capable, confident woman until she meets the vampire and then she turns into this gooey, fainting mess who is apparently incapable of even making much of a decision by herself or having any insights AT ALL without the vampire by her side. Come on. This shit is why Joss Whedon created Buffy. You know what Buffy does when her life goes to shit and her boyfriend turns evil and tries to kill her and her heart is totally broken and it's literally all she can do just to get out of bed and stop crying? SHE SAVES THE WORLD ANYWAY BECAUSE WOMEN ARE STRONG.
Chief reason: Diana, the lead character, is a perfectly intelligent, capable, confident woman until she meets the vampire and then she turns into this gooey, fainting mess who is apparently incapable of even making much of a decision by herself or having any insights AT ALL without the vampire by her side. Come on. This shit is why Joss Whedon created Buffy. You know what Buffy does when her life goes to shit and her boyfriend turns evil and tries to kill her and her heart is totally broken and it's literally all she can do just to get out of bed and stop crying? SHE SAVES THE WORLD ANYWAY BECAUSE WOMEN ARE STRONG.
April 4, 2019
A different pace from the usual urban fantasy. Liked it a lot!
October 26, 2022
A Discovery of witches - 2.5;
Shadow of Night - 3.00;
The Book of Life - 2.00.
Shadow of Night - 3.00;
The Book of Life - 2.00.
June 6, 2019
Oh boy. That was a wild ride.
I ended up binge reading the entire trilogy back-to-back-to-back and it was phenomenal.
I literally couldn't put this book down. There was so much going on, so many plot points all coming together and developing that I was glued to my kindle.
This book, this series, was just amazing and I'm really kicking myself for not reading it sooner.
I ended up binge reading the entire trilogy back-to-back-to-back and it was phenomenal.
I literally couldn't put this book down. There was so much going on, so many plot points all coming together and developing that I was glued to my kindle.
This book, this series, was just amazing and I'm really kicking myself for not reading it sooner.
April 22, 2021
Ok, the first book (A Discovery of Witches) didn't feel like an adult fantasy at all. I was rather frustrated at the relationship between the main characters, Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clermont. Maybe it was the feminist inside me that was finally waking up, but I utterly hated his demeanor towards Diana and how he constantly tried to shelter her and keep her out of everything.
The second book, Shadow of Night, was far more interesting and it could be seen that the first book was only used as a prelude to set the stage for the second book. Usually, I find the second book to be a filler action book, but in this case, it exceeded expectations. I think that has mostly to do with the fact that it was set in the 16th century so the writer had to describe everything that is different from today's world - which is everything. From the scents (which the author used almost in every other paragraph, as an emblem through the series), to the difficulties of speech and accent. It was enlightening and as vast as it was, I wished for it to have even more comparison to fully trap the reader in the struggles of ancient life of the 16th century. For example, to see a description of the food, that I imagined totally different from today's food, was it tasteless or not? Strange habits of that early age? As trivial as it sounds, the description of this segment I really wanted to read, although the writer did a great job regarding the differences in speech, language, physical appearances, evolution, etc.
Something else that intrigued me while reading was the mention of all the historical characters, books, inventions, and research that was happening at that time, which made the reading even more exciting.
Book 3, Shadow of Night, was okay. Not bad as the first I would say, but not as exciting as the 2nd. Book 3 really was used as a long closure of a happy ending. No struggles of characters no nothing. No twists or plots in the battles, it was almost as nothing even happened at all. Of course, at the end, we get the answers to everything, but the chapters were written so as to just spill the happy endings and the flow of action and to end the book finally.
Anyways, 1st book 1.5/5, 2nd book 4.2/5, 3rd book 2.5/5.
The second book, Shadow of Night, was far more interesting and it could be seen that the first book was only used as a prelude to set the stage for the second book. Usually, I find the second book to be a filler action book, but in this case, it exceeded expectations. I think that has mostly to do with the fact that it was set in the 16th century so the writer had to describe everything that is different from today's world - which is everything. From the scents (which the author used almost in every other paragraph, as an emblem through the series), to the difficulties of speech and accent. It was enlightening and as vast as it was, I wished for it to have even more comparison to fully trap the reader in the struggles of ancient life of the 16th century. For example, to see a description of the food, that I imagined totally different from today's food, was it tasteless or not? Strange habits of that early age? As trivial as it sounds, the description of this segment I really wanted to read, although the writer did a great job regarding the differences in speech, language, physical appearances, evolution, etc.
Something else that intrigued me while reading was the mention of all the historical characters, books, inventions, and research that was happening at that time, which made the reading even more exciting.
Book 3, Shadow of Night, was okay. Not bad as the first I would say, but not as exciting as the 2nd. Book 3 really was used as a long closure of a happy ending. No struggles of characters no nothing. No twists or plots in the battles, it was almost as nothing even happened at all. Of course, at the end, we get the answers to everything, but the chapters were written so as to just spill the happy endings and the flow of action and to end the book finally.
Anyways, 1st book 1.5/5, 2nd book 4.2/5, 3rd book 2.5/5.
February 11, 2019
I don't remember the last time I was so completely engrossed in a book - three books in this case. I read the entire trilogy in less than two weeks!
The first book was a good start, although the writing got better with the second and the third book. A story that may sound very cliche is given substance by the maturity of the characters (I'm so happy that Diana is in her early 30s and not a teenager) and by the strength of the scientific and historic background.
The character development is very rich, including for secondary characters. The same can be said for the worlds and places in the story - the world of 16th century England or Prague, the world of the hidden witch covens both in old times and new, the world of ancient knight orders...
I also love the spin about celebrating all creatures, about acceptance and equality - this adds to the maturity and the richness of the story. Yes, you can get hooked on the love story, but there's so much more to keep you reading hour after hour. I will get back to the trilogy and read it again soon, that's how much I loved it!
The first book was a good start, although the writing got better with the second and the third book. A story that may sound very cliche is given substance by the maturity of the characters (I'm so happy that Diana is in her early 30s and not a teenager) and by the strength of the scientific and historic background.
The character development is very rich, including for secondary characters. The same can be said for the worlds and places in the story - the world of 16th century England or Prague, the world of the hidden witch covens both in old times and new, the world of ancient knight orders...
I also love the spin about celebrating all creatures, about acceptance and equality - this adds to the maturity and the richness of the story. Yes, you can get hooked on the love story, but there's so much more to keep you reading hour after hour. I will get back to the trilogy and read it again soon, that's how much I loved it!
September 8, 2015
The All Souls Trilogy is one of those I could rant and rave about for hours (hell, my reviews of each individual book neared the one thousand word mark each time due to my fangirling – and that was through holding back).
Honestly, it’s such a compelling story. To those people who deem it dull I… well, I don’t understand these people. The books are some of my favourites and I recommend them to anyone.
Seriously, give these wonderful books a read!
Honestly, it’s such a compelling story. To those people who deem it dull I… well, I don’t understand these people. The books are some of my favourites and I recommend them to anyone.
Seriously, give these wonderful books a read!
April 11, 2020
i loved the first 2...3rd was okaaaay
October 26, 2016
Overall, I was disappointed in this trilogy. There were some aspects that I liked: the non-traditionally realistic way time travel was handled, for instance, and much of the world-building, which was complex and had some fascinating scientific underpinnings.
Unfortunately, all the things that I liked were overwhelmed by the unpleasant theme of abdication of personal responsibility on the part of the male love interest. See, Matthew is a vampire, and he's got a condition called "blood rage," which means that he can't control his jealousy, anger, etc. In other words, it's an excuse for why he can't stop himself from being violent, even if that violence puts someone he loves at risk. And while he can't control himself or his own behavior, he's more than capable of trying to control the woman he loves, ostensibly for her own safety.
The whole trilogy is built on a foundation of abuse and stalking, both of which are seen as romantic demonstrations of the depth of one's love. As an example, let's look at this excerpt, where Matthew is talking to his demon friend, Hamish, about Diana, the woman he's "falling in love" with:
My first reaction to this is to tell Diana to immediately move to the other side of the world, change her name, and get a restraining order against him, but Hamish and Matthew treat it like a cute quirk. The rest of that second paragraph is equally creepy:
"Matthew's women." Wow. That's not dehumanizing or anything. And of course he'd be fascinated by a woman who didn't want to date him, pursuing her that much more aggressively until finally hebreaks her will captures her heart. *cough*
At various times throughout the books, Diana is warned not to run from Matthew if he's angry or hunting, which is another huge red flag in the relationship department as far as I'm concerned. It echoes disturbingly the "don't make me hurt you" narrative of abusers. There's a thread of victim-blaming there that is incredibly problematic.
Despite all the times we're told how empowered Diana is, she does what all heroines do in stories like this: she loves her man no matter what, convinced that if she loves him hard enough, she can help him overcome his violent nature. This is the Beauty and the Beast narrative in a nutshell, and I wish we could get past that as a romantic ideal, because it's bullshit and our sisters and daughters deserve better.
(There were times I felt the author was trying to make blood rage a metaphor for mental illness, particularly because Matthew had been working for hundreds of years to find a cure for himself and others like him, but unfortunately there's already a stronger, more prevalent social issue that fits the narrative and overshadows whatever parallels to mental illness she might be trying to draw.)
Note: I listened to all three books in the trilogy in a row in audiobook format, and when it came time to write a review, I realized I couldn't separate out what had happened in each individual book, so I'm reviewing the entire trilogy at once, despite the fact that there's no audiobook format for the complete trilogy edition.
Unfortunately, all the things that I liked were overwhelmed by the unpleasant theme of abdication of personal responsibility on the part of the male love interest. See, Matthew is a vampire, and he's got a condition called "blood rage," which means that he can't control his jealousy, anger, etc. In other words, it's an excuse for why he can't stop himself from being violent, even if that violence puts someone he loves at risk. And while he can't control himself or his own behavior, he's more than capable of trying to control the woman he loves, ostensibly for her own safety.
The whole trilogy is built on a foundation of abuse and stalking, both of which are seen as romantic demonstrations of the depth of one's love. As an example, let's look at this excerpt, where Matthew is talking to his demon friend, Hamish, about Diana, the woman he's "falling in love" with:
Hamish let his words sink in before continuing. “You do realize you’re hunting her?”
The vampire exhaled, relieved that it had been said aloud. “I know. I climbed into her window when she was sleeping. I follow her when she’s running. She resists my attempts to help her, and the more she does, the hungrier I feel.”
My first reaction to this is to tell Diana to immediately move to the other side of the world, change her name, and get a restraining order against him, but Hamish and Matthew treat it like a cute quirk. The rest of that second paragraph is equally creepy:
He looked so perplexed that Hamish had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from smiling. Matthew’s women didn’t usually resist him. They did what he told them to do, dazzled by his good looks and charm. No wonder he was fascinated.
"Matthew's women." Wow. That's not dehumanizing or anything. And of course he'd be fascinated by a woman who didn't want to date him, pursuing her that much more aggressively until finally he
At various times throughout the books, Diana is warned not to run from Matthew if he's angry or hunting, which is another huge red flag in the relationship department as far as I'm concerned. It echoes disturbingly the "don't make me hurt you" narrative of abusers. There's a thread of victim-blaming there that is incredibly problematic.
Despite all the times we're told how empowered Diana is, she does what all heroines do in stories like this: she loves her man no matter what, convinced that if she loves him hard enough, she can help him overcome his violent nature. This is the Beauty and the Beast narrative in a nutshell, and I wish we could get past that as a romantic ideal, because it's bullshit and our sisters and daughters deserve better.
(There were times I felt the author was trying to make blood rage a metaphor for mental illness, particularly because Matthew had been working for hundreds of years to find a cure for himself and others like him, but unfortunately there's already a stronger, more prevalent social issue that fits the narrative and overshadows whatever parallels to mental illness she might be trying to draw.)
Note: I listened to all three books in the trilogy in a row in audiobook format, and when it came time to write a review, I realized I couldn't separate out what had happened in each individual book, so I'm reviewing the entire trilogy at once, despite the fact that there's no audiobook format for the complete trilogy edition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2015
Will add reviews as we complete each book in the trilogy!
A Discovery of Witches:
A Discovery of Witches is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The plot is based around Doctor Diana Bishop who is doing research for a speech she is going to give about alchemical images. Diana is not just academic, she is also a non-practicing witch. She turned her back on her heritage after her parents were killed when she was just a child. While doing research in the library she comes across a book that unbeknownst to her right away is a bewitched alchemical manuscript (according to Wikipedia Alchemy is an influential tradition whose practitioners have, from antiquity, claimed it to be the precursor to profound powers).
As soon as it is discovered that Diana has found this book those in the supernatural world come to her to see how she was able to find it and in some cases more malevolent beings threaten her for the reason of getting it for themselves. The high interest is because it is thought that it is an alchemical book that may contain information vital to the survival of all four humanoid species: vampires, witches, daemons and humans.
Basically this book has a little of everything. There is mystery, magic, dark forces and even romance. I have to admit that when I first received a copy of this book I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer length of it. It is definitely not an easy-breezy quick read, and you really do have to concentrate as you read in order to keep straight all of the different characters and facts, but when you crack open the pages and start reading it is totally worth it. If I had to compare it to another series the closest one I can think of is The Mortal Instrument Series, but only because they both had a high supernatural connection with vampires, witches, daemons and humans. Other than that this plot stands strictly on its own. I think that Deborah did a really amazing job standing on her own while using character types and themes we have seen in the past. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get lost in a world of magic and mystery. You don’t be disappointed. A 5 star book for sure! - Pauline
-------------------
Book 2
-----------
Book 3
A Discovery of Witches:
A Discovery of Witches is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The plot is based around Doctor Diana Bishop who is doing research for a speech she is going to give about alchemical images. Diana is not just academic, she is also a non-practicing witch. She turned her back on her heritage after her parents were killed when she was just a child. While doing research in the library she comes across a book that unbeknownst to her right away is a bewitched alchemical manuscript (according to Wikipedia Alchemy is an influential tradition whose practitioners have, from antiquity, claimed it to be the precursor to profound powers).
As soon as it is discovered that Diana has found this book those in the supernatural world come to her to see how she was able to find it and in some cases more malevolent beings threaten her for the reason of getting it for themselves. The high interest is because it is thought that it is an alchemical book that may contain information vital to the survival of all four humanoid species: vampires, witches, daemons and humans.
Basically this book has a little of everything. There is mystery, magic, dark forces and even romance. I have to admit that when I first received a copy of this book I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer length of it. It is definitely not an easy-breezy quick read, and you really do have to concentrate as you read in order to keep straight all of the different characters and facts, but when you crack open the pages and start reading it is totally worth it. If I had to compare it to another series the closest one I can think of is The Mortal Instrument Series, but only because they both had a high supernatural connection with vampires, witches, daemons and humans. Other than that this plot stands strictly on its own. I think that Deborah did a really amazing job standing on her own while using character types and themes we have seen in the past. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get lost in a world of magic and mystery. You don’t be disappointed. A 5 star book for sure! - Pauline
-------------------
Book 2
-----------
Book 3
February 6, 2024
Such a great series if you are into folklore fantasy (witches, vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and magic). The writing is amazing how it intertwines historical literature along with travels to different countries. A must read, and then watch the series. Amazing cast that brings these characters to life.
April 23, 2020
This one just wasn't for me. I gave it my best shot but I just couldn't connect with the characters, the romance, or the cliched tropes. I made it to Chapter 27 and felt like there wasn't an end in sight so it was time to move on.
May 20, 2020
I don't really know what to say about this trilogy. It started so well. I'd seen the TV show so I decided to give the book a go, and I really enjoyed book 1. Maybe it helped that I already knew where the plot was heading, but I liked the extra detail that had been left out of the TV show and I really liked the house (the best character in the whole trilogy). There were a few things that I wasn't sure about as well, though. I didn't really sense any chemistry between Diana and Matthew and it felt like we were constantly being told that they are both incredibly amazing in their respective fields, yet it didn't seem like we actually saw any evidence of that. Diana going from being an independent young woman who is an accomplished and respected Oxford scholar to suddenly being completely helpless and letting Matthew boss her around jarred with me. We also never really see any evidence of her being particularly clever. Also, Diana enters into a binding agreement with Matthew to be his "mate" and wife under vampire law without giving her consent or indeed having any knowledge of it until afterwards! Meanwhile, Matthew comes across as moody rather than charismatic, and I still don't understand what Diana sees in him. Despite all this, I was hopeful that things would improve in book 2. I was wrong.
Book 2 is supposed to be about Diana and Matthew tracking down the Book of Life and Diana finding witches to teach her magic. Neither of these things happens quickly. The first hundred or so pages are just a bunch of men sitting in a room debating what should happen next. Matthew apparently knows absolutely everyone of note from 16th century Britain and Deborah Harkness makes sure they all make an appearance. Everything is so overly detailed and tedious, the book gets bogged down and the plot grinds to a halt. Despite witches being hunted, Diana seems quite happy to tell anyone and everyone that she's a witch. She goes wandering around London on her own, even though it's incredibly dangerous. Again, no evidence of her great intelligence here! She eventually meets some witches who can help her, and seemingly overnight she goes from having zero witchy ability to being the most powerful witch that's ever lived, almost as if Deborah Harkness totally forgot that this was one of the main reasons Diana and Matthew travelled to the past and then suddenly remembered at the last minute. The whole thing with Rudolf and the book was tedious and went absolutely nowhere, too. They see the book and then they lose it again. So their second mission was a failure as well. As a side note, if you're going to have characters speak foreign languages, maybe actually consult a native speaker to make sure what you're writing is accurate. The German sentences were awful. They're embarrassing to read. Book 2 is definitely the weakest of the three.
Book 3 for me was slightly better paced but, by this point, the weaknesses of the previous books were starting to really irritate me. It seems like the theme of the books is that something mildly threatening happens, the main characters freak out and move somewhere else. Then something mildly threatening happens there, so they have another freak out and move again. On and on this goes. They frequently retreat to Sept Tours, which is so impenetrable that Diana was kidnapped from the garden in book 1. Plus everyone knows that this is where the De Clermonts live, so, naturally, it's the ideal place for the De Clermont family to hide...! The characters are so melodramatic, they get terrified or angry at absolutely nothing a lot of the time, and I never really felt like they were in any danger. I actually found the "tenser" scenes a bit boring. My favourite was when Diana and her extended family attempt to steal the book from the Bodleian, faff around filling in slips of paper and twiddling their thumbs, then the Big Bad Benjamin appears (Book 1 was all about Knox and Gerbert - by book 3, they've been almost completely forgotten until the end, where they make a bit of a cameo. There's a new bad guy in town - Matthew's son Benjamin!). It seems to be universally accepted in the book that Benjamin is so evil that he needs to be killed to prevent him from torturing, raping and killing anyone else. In the library, Benjamin doesn't actually do anything to any of Diana's crew besides spooking them a bit, which doesn't really seem in keeping with him being this nightmarish figure that everyone is terrified by. Diana nearly kills him with an arrow but wimps out, Ysabeau then gets him by the throat but, instead of killing him (which she would seem ideally placed to do), Ysabeau, Diana & Co. just leave the library and Benjamin runs away. So, basically, nothing of note happens during the encounter. How anticlimactic. Everything is supposedly a massive secret, yet everyone seems to know everything already. Matthew tells a room full of students that he's a vampire and no one bats an eyelid. Matthew and Diana don't exactly make any attempt to hide the fact that they are married and that Diana is pregnant, yet they're surprised to get a letter from the Congregation, which wants to question them. And, even though throughout the books we've been told time and time again that relationships between different creatures are banned under the covenant, this is pretty much the extent of the Congregation's sanctions. A sternly worded letter. Scary!
The end of the trilogy felt a bit rushed, like an afterthought, and left a lot of unanswered questions. We were led to believe Diana would find out more about the creatures in the Book of Life, but that gets forgotten about. We see Em's ghost briefly at the end of Book 2, but then we never see her again. And we never really find out what happened to Em. Also, Diana is apparently completely transformed after "absorbing" the Book of Life - she has writing running across her skin and eyes and she has a tree growing up her neck, the branches of which are visible at her hairline (her appearance is so dramatically different that she shocks the Congregation). Not to mention her brightly coloured "threads" in her hands from her newfound witch abilities. And yet, at the end of Book 3, it seems that Diana has somehow been able to resume her university duties. How exactly does she explain to the humans at the university that her neck is now comprised of a tree trunk, her fingers are the colours of the rainbow and she has letters running across her eyeballs?? I think they might possibly notice things like that.
There was just enough plot to keep me reading these books, but I did consider giving up part-way through. There are so many scenes that I think are intended to add flavour and atmosphere to the books, but they just slow down the pace and don't really go anywhere (the DNA testing at Yale springs to mind). It makes the whole thing a bit of a chore. I don't think I'll be reading any more of Deborah Harkness' books in future if these are anything to go by!
Book 2 is supposed to be about Diana and Matthew tracking down the Book of Life and Diana finding witches to teach her magic. Neither of these things happens quickly. The first hundred or so pages are just a bunch of men sitting in a room debating what should happen next. Matthew apparently knows absolutely everyone of note from 16th century Britain and Deborah Harkness makes sure they all make an appearance. Everything is so overly detailed and tedious, the book gets bogged down and the plot grinds to a halt. Despite witches being hunted, Diana seems quite happy to tell anyone and everyone that she's a witch. She goes wandering around London on her own, even though it's incredibly dangerous. Again, no evidence of her great intelligence here! She eventually meets some witches who can help her, and seemingly overnight she goes from having zero witchy ability to being the most powerful witch that's ever lived, almost as if Deborah Harkness totally forgot that this was one of the main reasons Diana and Matthew travelled to the past and then suddenly remembered at the last minute. The whole thing with Rudolf and the book was tedious and went absolutely nowhere, too. They see the book and then they lose it again. So their second mission was a failure as well. As a side note, if you're going to have characters speak foreign languages, maybe actually consult a native speaker to make sure what you're writing is accurate. The German sentences were awful. They're embarrassing to read. Book 2 is definitely the weakest of the three.
Book 3 for me was slightly better paced but, by this point, the weaknesses of the previous books were starting to really irritate me. It seems like the theme of the books is that something mildly threatening happens, the main characters freak out and move somewhere else. Then something mildly threatening happens there, so they have another freak out and move again. On and on this goes. They frequently retreat to Sept Tours, which is so impenetrable that Diana was kidnapped from the garden in book 1. Plus everyone knows that this is where the De Clermonts live, so, naturally, it's the ideal place for the De Clermont family to hide...! The characters are so melodramatic, they get terrified or angry at absolutely nothing a lot of the time, and I never really felt like they were in any danger. I actually found the "tenser" scenes a bit boring. My favourite was when Diana and her extended family attempt to steal the book from the Bodleian, faff around filling in slips of paper and twiddling their thumbs, then the Big Bad Benjamin appears (Book 1 was all about Knox and Gerbert - by book 3, they've been almost completely forgotten until the end, where they make a bit of a cameo. There's a new bad guy in town - Matthew's son Benjamin!). It seems to be universally accepted in the book that Benjamin is so evil that he needs to be killed to prevent him from torturing, raping and killing anyone else. In the library, Benjamin doesn't actually do anything to any of Diana's crew besides spooking them a bit, which doesn't really seem in keeping with him being this nightmarish figure that everyone is terrified by. Diana nearly kills him with an arrow but wimps out, Ysabeau then gets him by the throat but, instead of killing him (which she would seem ideally placed to do), Ysabeau, Diana & Co. just leave the library and Benjamin runs away. So, basically, nothing of note happens during the encounter. How anticlimactic. Everything is supposedly a massive secret, yet everyone seems to know everything already. Matthew tells a room full of students that he's a vampire and no one bats an eyelid. Matthew and Diana don't exactly make any attempt to hide the fact that they are married and that Diana is pregnant, yet they're surprised to get a letter from the Congregation, which wants to question them. And, even though throughout the books we've been told time and time again that relationships between different creatures are banned under the covenant, this is pretty much the extent of the Congregation's sanctions. A sternly worded letter. Scary!
The end of the trilogy felt a bit rushed, like an afterthought, and left a lot of unanswered questions. We were led to believe Diana would find out more about the creatures in the Book of Life, but that gets forgotten about. We see Em's ghost briefly at the end of Book 2, but then we never see her again. And we never really find out what happened to Em. Also, Diana is apparently completely transformed after "absorbing" the Book of Life - she has writing running across her skin and eyes and she has a tree growing up her neck, the branches of which are visible at her hairline (her appearance is so dramatically different that she shocks the Congregation). Not to mention her brightly coloured "threads" in her hands from her newfound witch abilities. And yet, at the end of Book 3, it seems that Diana has somehow been able to resume her university duties. How exactly does she explain to the humans at the university that her neck is now comprised of a tree trunk, her fingers are the colours of the rainbow and she has letters running across her eyeballs?? I think they might possibly notice things like that.
There was just enough plot to keep me reading these books, but I did consider giving up part-way through. There are so many scenes that I think are intended to add flavour and atmosphere to the books, but they just slow down the pace and don't really go anywhere (the DNA testing at Yale springs to mind). It makes the whole thing a bit of a chore. I don't think I'll be reading any more of Deborah Harkness' books in future if these are anything to go by!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2021
A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1)
5 stars
This book took me 11 days, 11 DAYS to finish! I'm thinking its because of how wordy and monotony some of it is. It is sooooo good. I never thought it would go in the direction it did. Matthew is the type of vampire I miss reading about. There isn't enough I can say about this book, but I certainly can't wait to see the tv show! Im excited. I'm thinking of the doing the audiobooks for the last 2 in the series, which I heard might be better instead of the ebook. I have a few reading obligations I need to get to before I start the next book in this series. Im glad I started this series!
Shadow of Night (All Souls #2)
4 stars
While I still think the first one is better, I'm eager to see what happens in the last installment.
The Book of Life (All Souls #3)
5 stars
Ahhh what a fantastic 3rd book in the trilogy. I can't believe what happened! I'm not ready for Diana and Matthew to go.
I listened to this one via audiobook, bc I didn't want to take a week to read the book and Jennifer Ikeda did an amazing job. I also would like to note that I actually liked her Gallowglass character, he was actually funny with some of his responses and I liked the her voice she picked for that character.
I'm actually looking forward to Time's Convert.
5 stars
This book took me 11 days, 11 DAYS to finish! I'm thinking its because of how wordy and monotony some of it is. It is sooooo good. I never thought it would go in the direction it did. Matthew is the type of vampire I miss reading about. There isn't enough I can say about this book, but I certainly can't wait to see the tv show! Im excited. I'm thinking of the doing the audiobooks for the last 2 in the series, which I heard might be better instead of the ebook. I have a few reading obligations I need to get to before I start the next book in this series. Im glad I started this series!
Shadow of Night (All Souls #2)
4 stars
While I still think the first one is better, I'm eager to see what happens in the last installment.
The Book of Life (All Souls #3)
5 stars
Ahhh what a fantastic 3rd book in the trilogy. I can't believe what happened! I'm not ready for Diana and Matthew to go.
I listened to this one via audiobook, bc I didn't want to take a week to read the book and Jennifer Ikeda did an amazing job. I also would like to note that I actually liked her Gallowglass character, he was actually funny with some of his responses and I liked the her voice she picked for that character.
I'm actually looking forward to Time's Convert.
March 12, 2025
As this is three different books, it should be treated as such in my review, and I'm... In between on this.
A Discovery of Witches was phenomenal, I had a great time with it and there was more here than I expected for the type of book, this is definitely one of the original romantasy novels and I'd be disappointed to see it be a difficult read. I'm intrigued by the characters and world being set up here, I think there's really something here!
As for Shadow of Night, however, this... Dragged. And almost made me lose interest in the entire series. Not much happens here, and the things that do are repeated throughout the entire book. Diana and Matthew go somehwere, get married, find a lead, go somewhere, get married, find a lead, over and over until the book sort of just. Ends. Definitely a very, very weak point in the series and may not even have enough in my opinion to recommend reading it as part of the series.
The Book of Life is what really kept me going, though. It moves quickly enough and ties up a few loose ends, while still feeling like there's enough to play with the world. I can see why there are a couple more books, but how this could feel satisfying as a trilogy end. A solid finale to a story arc.
A Discovery of Witches was phenomenal, I had a great time with it and there was more here than I expected for the type of book, this is definitely one of the original romantasy novels and I'd be disappointed to see it be a difficult read. I'm intrigued by the characters and world being set up here, I think there's really something here!
As for Shadow of Night, however, this... Dragged. And almost made me lose interest in the entire series. Not much happens here, and the things that do are repeated throughout the entire book. Diana and Matthew go somehwere, get married, find a lead, go somewhere, get married, find a lead, over and over until the book sort of just. Ends. Definitely a very, very weak point in the series and may not even have enough in my opinion to recommend reading it as part of the series.
The Book of Life is what really kept me going, though. It moves quickly enough and ties up a few loose ends, while still feeling like there's enough to play with the world. I can see why there are a couple more books, but how this could feel satisfying as a trilogy end. A solid finale to a story arc.
September 21, 2018
Great
I found this a really good book. Deborah is a master at writing using old fashioned methods of papers mixed in with the latest technological advances in DNA coding to great effect. There is a ton of great characters in all 3 of these books. Diana and Matthew are my first great loves, then comes along others from Ysabeau, Marcus, Sarah and Emily in a Discovery of Witches. In Shadow of night, Philippe is outstanding in his complexity, he is so impactful even though he is only in a few chapters but he is everywhere in the books even if he is not seen. Other great characters include Gallowglass, Jack, Goody Alsop, Sir Walter Raleigh and Lord Northumberland. The villains are also well written from Peter Knox, Benjamin, Satu and Gerbert. This is a great read for fans of magic, I have not read many vampire romances but it's a great introduction to the paranormal genre.
I found this a really good book. Deborah is a master at writing using old fashioned methods of papers mixed in with the latest technological advances in DNA coding to great effect. There is a ton of great characters in all 3 of these books. Diana and Matthew are my first great loves, then comes along others from Ysabeau, Marcus, Sarah and Emily in a Discovery of Witches. In Shadow of night, Philippe is outstanding in his complexity, he is so impactful even though he is only in a few chapters but he is everywhere in the books even if he is not seen. Other great characters include Gallowglass, Jack, Goody Alsop, Sir Walter Raleigh and Lord Northumberland. The villains are also well written from Peter Knox, Benjamin, Satu and Gerbert. This is a great read for fans of magic, I have not read many vampire romances but it's a great introduction to the paranormal genre.
September 7, 2020
a beautifully crafted book where magic and science come together to form an epic love story!
the plot is superb, deftly written and filled with intrigue and mystery throughout! it's grounded in real world objects and history which makes it all the more fascinating.
the characters are all phenomenal! diana and matthew both come alive with well fleshed out personalities and motivations. however, the supporting cast is just as brilliant! marcus, miriam, ysabeau, gallowglass, philippe and sarah amongst others all jump off the page and are so captivating.
i loved every second of this book!
the plot is superb, deftly written and filled with intrigue and mystery throughout! it's grounded in real world objects and history which makes it all the more fascinating.
the characters are all phenomenal! diana and matthew both come alive with well fleshed out personalities and motivations. however, the supporting cast is just as brilliant! marcus, miriam, ysabeau, gallowglass, philippe and sarah amongst others all jump off the page and are so captivating.
i loved every second of this book!
May 25, 2019
****SPOILERS*****************
I was so excited to read this series, but instead I was deeply disturbed by the characters, angered by the plot, and overall disappointed at what I had to suffer though. This book is essentially a messed up love story between a dull woman who is “not like other girls” and an overprotective vampire who can’t live without her but spends every second wanting to suck her blood. Sound familiar? This series is basically Twilight but with fully grown adult characters.
Despite Diana being the main character of the series, it often focuses on Matthew and his history as a vampire. Each book spends the majority of the time on developing his character, while Diana follows him around whining about her various relationship problems with him.
She also often preaches her “feminist” ideals yet makes excuses for Matthew overprotective/misogynistic/dominating actions throughout the series. Every time they disagree, she eventually gives in to his demands, usually with a statement about how he can’t help it “because of his vampire need to protect her”. (NOT CUTE)
Diana is also written as a character who is unable to protect herself or is rarely given the chance to. She continually relies on Matthew or someone else to protect and guide her throughout the series instead of doing it herself. This makes sense at the very beginning of the first novel as she has spent the majority of her life avoiding magic, but as she begins to understand her power, she should have been given more opportunity to use it.
The pacing of these books is incredibly slow. Each book is over 500 pages long but the majority of it is just filler. Chapters upon chapters are just of Diana narrating her mundane activities like trying to fit in to the past or visiting Matthew’s relatives. This is especially apparent in the second novel where she travels to 1590 with Matthew to learn more about her magic and to find an untampered version of Ashmole 782, but instead spends the first half of the book attempting to get Matthew’s father to approve of her and then spends the second half trying to fit in to 16th century England and getting pregnant. Twice. Any magic she learns is done so in very few chapters and Ashmole 782 seems to be a tacked on reminder that is brought up every once in awhile to remind the reader about what the series is supposed to be about. Any big/major plot reveal is done so at the end of the novels, as if to tell the reader they sludged through the entire novel for something at least.
I do appreciate that this series talks about miscarriage at one point, as it is something that I do not see talked about often, but it was touched incredibly briefly. I feel like this should have been a bigger plot point than it actually was and was a missed opportunity for the characters, especially for Matthew because he had experience with a wife who miscarried multiple times before and had lost his only biologically human child.
I was also not a fan of the amount of times our characters had to be married and that Diana entered into a “marriage” contract with Matthew without knowing it. I also did not like the pacing of their relationship, as 3 weeks, 2 yoga sessions, a couple of awkward meal dates, and a trip to France is not what I would call a stable relationship. The two main characters have zero chemistry and spend the majority of the time fighting or having sex. I fully believe Diana was desperate for any kind of affection and if a Daemon or a different vampire approached her first she’d have fallen for them instead of Matthew.
Overall, there were many things that bothered me about this series, and I was unable to finish the last book because of it. For a widely popular series, I was surprised by how disturbing I found the relationship between the characters. I would not recommend this book to my friends or anyone for that matter. If someone wants to read a love story mostly revolving around vampires and mythical creatures, I’d recommend Twilight instead. At least that is a better love story.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“My life now has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everything before was preamble. Now I have you. One day you will be gone, and my life will be over.”
“Still, you need him as much as you need the air you breathe, and he wants you as he’s wanted nothing and no one since I made him. So it is done, and we will make the best of it.”
“Sex and dominance. It’s what modern humans think vampire relationships are all about,” I said. “Their stories are full of crazed alpha-male vampires throwing women over their shoulders before dragging them off for dinner and a date.” “Dinner and a date?” Matthew was aghast. “Do you mean . . . ?” “Uh-huh. You should see what Sarah’s friends in the Madison coven read. Vampire meets girl, vampire bites girl, girl is shocked to find out there really are vampires. The sex, blood, and overprotective behavior all come quickly thereafter. Some of it is pretty explicit.” I paused. “There’s no time for bundling, that’s for sure. I don’t remember much poetry or dancing either.” Matthew swore. “No wonder your aunt wanted to know if I was hungry.” “You really should read this stuff, if only to see what humans think. It’s a public-relations nightmare. Far worse than what witches have to overcome.”
“my body welcomed him into the moon of my thighs”
I was so excited to read this series, but instead I was deeply disturbed by the characters, angered by the plot, and overall disappointed at what I had to suffer though. This book is essentially a messed up love story between a dull woman who is “not like other girls” and an overprotective vampire who can’t live without her but spends every second wanting to suck her blood. Sound familiar? This series is basically Twilight but with fully grown adult characters.
Despite Diana being the main character of the series, it often focuses on Matthew and his history as a vampire. Each book spends the majority of the time on developing his character, while Diana follows him around whining about her various relationship problems with him.
She also often preaches her “feminist” ideals yet makes excuses for Matthew overprotective/misogynistic/dominating actions throughout the series. Every time they disagree, she eventually gives in to his demands, usually with a statement about how he can’t help it “because of his vampire need to protect her”. (NOT CUTE)
Diana is also written as a character who is unable to protect herself or is rarely given the chance to. She continually relies on Matthew or someone else to protect and guide her throughout the series instead of doing it herself. This makes sense at the very beginning of the first novel as she has spent the majority of her life avoiding magic, but as she begins to understand her power, she should have been given more opportunity to use it.
The pacing of these books is incredibly slow. Each book is over 500 pages long but the majority of it is just filler. Chapters upon chapters are just of Diana narrating her mundane activities like trying to fit in to the past or visiting Matthew’s relatives. This is especially apparent in the second novel where she travels to 1590 with Matthew to learn more about her magic and to find an untampered version of Ashmole 782, but instead spends the first half of the book attempting to get Matthew’s father to approve of her and then spends the second half trying to fit in to 16th century England and getting pregnant. Twice. Any magic she learns is done so in very few chapters and Ashmole 782 seems to be a tacked on reminder that is brought up every once in awhile to remind the reader about what the series is supposed to be about. Any big/major plot reveal is done so at the end of the novels, as if to tell the reader they sludged through the entire novel for something at least.
I do appreciate that this series talks about miscarriage at one point, as it is something that I do not see talked about often, but it was touched incredibly briefly. I feel like this should have been a bigger plot point than it actually was and was a missed opportunity for the characters, especially for Matthew because he had experience with a wife who miscarried multiple times before and had lost his only biologically human child.
I was also not a fan of the amount of times our characters had to be married and that Diana entered into a “marriage” contract with Matthew without knowing it. I also did not like the pacing of their relationship, as 3 weeks, 2 yoga sessions, a couple of awkward meal dates, and a trip to France is not what I would call a stable relationship. The two main characters have zero chemistry and spend the majority of the time fighting or having sex. I fully believe Diana was desperate for any kind of affection and if a Daemon or a different vampire approached her first she’d have fallen for them instead of Matthew.
Overall, there were many things that bothered me about this series, and I was unable to finish the last book because of it. For a widely popular series, I was surprised by how disturbing I found the relationship between the characters. I would not recommend this book to my friends or anyone for that matter. If someone wants to read a love story mostly revolving around vampires and mythical creatures, I’d recommend Twilight instead. At least that is a better love story.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“My life now has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everything before was preamble. Now I have you. One day you will be gone, and my life will be over.”
“Still, you need him as much as you need the air you breathe, and he wants you as he’s wanted nothing and no one since I made him. So it is done, and we will make the best of it.”
“Sex and dominance. It’s what modern humans think vampire relationships are all about,” I said. “Their stories are full of crazed alpha-male vampires throwing women over their shoulders before dragging them off for dinner and a date.” “Dinner and a date?” Matthew was aghast. “Do you mean . . . ?” “Uh-huh. You should see what Sarah’s friends in the Madison coven read. Vampire meets girl, vampire bites girl, girl is shocked to find out there really are vampires. The sex, blood, and overprotective behavior all come quickly thereafter. Some of it is pretty explicit.” I paused. “There’s no time for bundling, that’s for sure. I don’t remember much poetry or dancing either.” Matthew swore. “No wonder your aunt wanted to know if I was hungry.” “You really should read this stuff, if only to see what humans think. It’s a public-relations nightmare. Far worse than what witches have to overcome.”
“my body welcomed him into the moon of my thighs”
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