Shadow of Night

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First thoughts: I'm so glad I read this installment of the All Souls Trilogy within a few weeks, instead of spreading it out through a a year like I did with A Discovery of Witches. I got a lot more out of this book, and for the most part I enjoyed it.

A little recap: When we last left our heroes, they were attempting to travel back in time to a "safe" place where Diana (the witch) could learn her magic. Matthew (the vampire) would act as history guide, since he already lived through the time (and place) they were headed: London, 1599.

Character thoughts: I both love and hate Diana. I will always get behind characters (women) who love to eat, aren't graceful, and rely on their brains to get by, BUT Diana can also be a hopeless romantic to the point of putting herself in danger.

I still don't quite trust Matthew. He is so controlling. Harkness does address this, though, so that helps: "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." -Diana

Favorite characters: Ysabeau (Matthew's mother) and Gallowglass (Matthews nephew), hands down.

Plot device thoughts: The flash forwards/back to present really work well in this story--after each "history" section, we get to see how Matthew and Diana's actions there affect life now. I do think Harkness underestimates their influence on history/the future though.

More on Matthew and Diana's relationship: So they've been married like three separate times, but they don't have truly honest dialogue until page 448? And on page 537 they go on their first date. I don't know, man. This relationship is the draggiest part of the book.

SPOILER: I'm glad Diana's dad, Stephen, makes an appearance in London. He makes things more playful. He also lectures Diana & Matthew on the dangers of hanging out in the past for so long.

Recommended for: people who read A Discovery of Witches.

Final thoughts: This book left me with a lot of (good) questions--I am interested in starting the third book sooner rather than later to answer them.


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