“Shadow of Night”
By Deborah Harkness
Book 2 of “All Souls” Trilogy
I’ve been anxiously waiting to get my hands on the second book of the “All Souls” Trilogy. I was worried that because it had been so long since I had finished the first book—quite a few months—that I would have a hard time falling back into the universe of forbidden romance, historical and scientific discussions, and tumultuous happenings of secret creature societies. Deborah Harkness’s ability to write both personable and unique characters made my crash landing into her world much softer than I expected, and I had no problem picking up where book one, “The Discovery of Witches”, left off.
The whole premise of this adult-historical-fantastical-science fiction book has our two main characters, Dianna and Matthew, traveling back in time with the sole purpose of finding the elusive text, Ashmole 782. What is essentially a simple plot theme of finding a lost item is tightly woven around and around multiple mini-plots and character trials that provided ample amounts of character self-discovery and growth as they traversed Elizabethan London and met and re-met key figures of the past and present. Harkness used so much of her own personal experiences and knowledge as a historian and scholar that no detail was spared. I honestly believe I learned more about the happenings of the sixteenth century from reading this novel than I have from any history book thrown in front of me. I had been so swept away by the pages and pages of Dianna and Matthew truly becoming “Dianna and Matthew” that by the time they finally got their hands on Ashmole 782, I had almost forgotten that was the initial goal—but do not worry, I was as ecstatic as they were to finally discover some of the mysteries associated with the coveted alchemy text.
One quality that I consider to be good writing is the ability to leave breadcrumbs and intrigue throughout the entire book—not just in the last 30 pages with the expected cliff-hanger and quick wrap up of all that has happened in the last 500 pages. Authors that excel at this that I’ve read include Sarah J. Maas, Kim Harrison, and Patricia Briggs. I can now include Deborah Harkness to that list. As our champions run around old Europe creating mountains of mischief, Harkness keeps the characters from book one, who are waiting impatiently in the present for Dianna and Matthew to return, in the reader’s mind by jumping into the present now and then and showing us what small and not so small impacts our time travelers are having on the future and would-be present. I was left wanting to know just exactly what was happening in both time-frames and had to keep reading to find out.
Of course, the expected cliff-hanger did show up at the end of the novel—but just because the literary device was expected did not prevent me from reading wide-eyed and mouth agape for the last little bit of the book. Not one but three revealed secrets in the same amount of pages left me searching for the quickest way to get the final installment of the trilogy.
Things to be aware of in this novel: As this is an adult novel, there are adult concepts: well written romance that includes sensual and explicit moments, Elizabethan era violence and impulsive judiciary concepts such as brutal and unjust deaths at the hands of monarchs and like, drug use, and real-life pains of trying to start a family and caring for abused children. Amongst all of these possibly heavy topics, there is also incredible “girl power” writing, cheeky dialogue, and characters that you will have no choice but to fall in love with.
I’ll leave you with my character awards.
Favorite Character(s): Dianna and Matthew, as a pair, they are compelling. As individuals, they are captivating.
Favorite Character(s) Growth: Matthew—While both characters have many moments of self-discovery, Matthew’s was particularly note-worthy.
Constantly Mad At but it was PROBABLY the Authors intent: Kit. I really can’t say more, as it will leave me in a foul mood.
Who Surprised Me the Most: Philippe de Clermont—his presence in the novel was a welcome surprise.
Silver Lining: While the writing is deeply intellectual with much of the focus on historical or scientific concepts and may deter one from reading, Harkness’s ability to first hook the reader with dynamic characters and a wonderful romance camouflages the daunting task of “understanding” our historian Dianna and scientist Matthew. If your primary interest is following a forbidden romance, give this trilogy a go.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
