Book Review: Shadow of Night

Title:  Shadow of Night
Author:  Deborah Harkness
Where I got it:  From NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

Amazon Summary:
"Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown"—the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of Witches

Deborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.

Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.

Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.

My Thoughts:
Shadow of Night picks up right at the climactic cliffhanger that ended A Discovery of Witches – THANK GOODNESS because I was dying to know what happened.  Throughout this second book in the trilogy, we follow Diana and Matthew as they journey through the past in search of the mysterious Ashmole 782.  More so even than A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night blends fiction and history with the paranormal to keep the reader completely enchanted to the very end. 

Because of the sheer complexity of the book, it’s not a fast read, but it’s interesting, mysterious, and gripping all the same.  We learn much more about Matthew’s history, and why he can be such a pain in the rear about certain things.  Not to mention the challenge Diana has in winning over Matthew’s friends and family in the past – talk about meet the parent’s anxiety!  Imagine meeting the parents while also trying to fit into history!

The couple really grows during this novel, and I have to say that I cannot wait to find out how their adventure will end – I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of their relationship, and the unique blend of history and paranormal thus far in the trilogy.