Shadow of Night

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

After the events in A Discovery of Witches Mathew and Diana make a dangerous decision to travel back in time to 1590 England. They hope to stay hidden, find the missing Ashmole 782 book, and a witch to teach Diana about her powers. But things do not go as planned.

Finding am obscure manuscript is harder than they thought and with the country side embarking on a witch hunt its not so easy to find anyone to help. And now there lives are in danger once again as Mathews past comes knocking on the door, literally.

From the English countryside to France to London to Prague and back to London, Matthew and Diana will test the boundaries of history and their love. Surrounded by secrets and plots they strive to save their future together.

This book started out a little slow for me. Immediately the reader is introduced to a host of new characters, many of them famous like Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Raleigh, I felt a bit overwhelmed and longed for a return to modern times and characters I knew. But soon I was wrapped up in the all the secrets that were coming unraveled.

This book almost straddles to genres: paranormal and historical fiction. Full of historical events and figures not only in England but also in Prague this book keep me hooked long past my bed time. With one plot twist that I left me gasping and happy at the same time.

The only bad thing about this book is in the end it may have answered a few questions but created more that were left unanswered...like what has been happening in the present while Mathew and Diana were gone and when the hell is the next book coming out?


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Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Diana Bishop has long been denying the witch part of her life, she just doesn’t not have time for it. Then one day in the course of ordinary research she requests a manuscript. This is no ordinary manuscript, it is a long lost apothecary book said to hold the secrets of witches, vampires and daemons. Recognizing it for it is a bespelled book Diana sends it back into the library depths and goes about her day. Unfoundedly her actions have not gone unnoticed and before Diana realizes it her life is full of witches, vampires and daemons. But one vampire, Matthew, seems to stand out in the crowd. At first interested only in the book Matthew tries to understand how Diana found a book that has been missing for years, then interested more in Diana than the book Matthew will risk his own life to keep her safe. With dangers around every corner Diana and Matthew will need to rely on each other as well as family and friends if they plan to stay alive.

WOW!!!! This book blew me away.

Quickly and without hesitation Deborah Harkness drops us into the thick of the story. Going back when necessary to develop character but never failing to move the reader forward. Full of history and literary reference this book is not a casual read, it requires your full undivided attention to understand all the nuances. Harkness does a great job of educating her readers so they don’t feel left behind or inadequate by their lack of knowledge.

My only regret is that I know have to wait for some obscure date in 2010 for the next, title unknown, installment in the series

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