The Book of Life

May 19, 2014
In the final installment of Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy (after Shadow of Night), witch historian Diana Bishop and her vampiric husband, Matthew Clairmont, freshly returned to the present from their sojourn in Elizabethan England, have ample challenges to contend with. They still seek the missing pages of Ashmole 782, the mystical manuscript known as the Book of Life and the key to the origin of all supernatural beings, and now must negotiate the internal politics of Matthew’s extended vampire family. Also to be considered is the Congregation of vampires, witches, and daemons, who will not look at all kindly on the impending birth of Matthew and Diana’s twin children. Meanwhile, Matthew and Diana are stalked by Matthew’s murderous son Benjamin, and to save everyone, Diana must master her skills as a weaver—one of the rarest witch powers. There is no shortage of action in this sprawling sequel, and nearly every chapter brings a wrinkle to the tale. The storytelling is lively and energetic, and Diana remains an appealing heroine even as her life becomes ever more extraordinary. A delightful wrap-up to the trilogy.

June 1, 2014
The witch Diana's and the vampire Matthew's quests to discover their origins and confront the threats to their star-crossed union tie up as neatly as one of Diana's magical weaver's knots.In the resolution of the All Souls trilogy, Diana's impossible pregnancy with Matthew's twins advances as various forces seek the couple's separation, their destruction or both, mainly due to the covenant against liaisons across supernatural species lines. While Matthew searches for genetic answers to how he and Diana could be cross-fertile and what that will mean for their children, Diana seeks magical revelations from the missing Ashmole 782 manuscript, the fabled Book of Life. Figures from their pasts also resurface, injecting additional danger and urgency into their search. The novel lacks the sweep of the previous book (Shadow of Night, 2012), which offered a vivid immersion into the daily life and court intrigue of late 16th-century London and Prague. But, as in the previous two installments, there are healthy doses of action, colorful magic, angst-y romance and emotional epiphany, plus mansion-hopping across the globe, historical tidbits and name-dropping of famous artworks and manuscripts.There are few surprises, but it's still satisfying to travel with these characters toward their more-than-well-earned happy ending.

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February 1, 2014

Having met up dramatically in the entertaining A Discovery of Witches and traveled to the past to take care of some serious business in Shadow of Night, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present and continue hunting for Ashmole 782, a long-missing magical manuscript that lots of dark creatures covet. Last in a trilogy that has sold more than a million copies in the United States and has keep readers turning pages in 38 foreign editions.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2014

The eagerly awaited third title in Harkness's trilogy (A Discovery of Witches; Shadow of Night) picks up right after historian/witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return from the past, and the adventure never lets up until the final page. The need to discover the truth continues to drive Diana in her relentless search for the magical manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Harkness delves more deeply into the political machinations of her world in this outing, weaving in a meaningful message about how ignorance, fear, and misinformation can drive a culture, with ramifications for generations to come. VERDICT History, science, and the unpredictable actions of paranormal characters with hidden agendas all swirl together to create a not-to-be-missed finale to a stellar paranormal series. Readers new to the trilogy should read the novels in order, as an understanding of past events and the players involved is essential for full enjoyment of this final book. [See Prepub Alert, 1/10/14.]--Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.