| By Jen Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy has been the bane of my existence for the past two years. Ever since a friend from book club loaned me her copy of A Discover of Witches, I’ve been in love with the story of Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont. |
It’s not just another supernatural love story, though she is a witch and he a vampire; it’s an exploration of supernatural subcultures (witch, daemon, and vampire) and traditions throughout human history. Harkness doesn’t just delve into the past of her “creatures”; she uses science, from alchemy in the Middle Ages to modern technological advancements, to explain what sets each type of creature apart from humanity.
Shortly after I finished Discovery, I realized it was just the first in a trilogy…and the other two books hadn’t been published yet. (I think my friend just wanted me to share in her misery as she waited for the future installments.) The second book, Shadow of Night, was released in July 2012 – and even though it was a completely different animal than the first book, I loved it just as much and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the third and final volume. Every time Ms. Harkness posted anything on her Facebook page, I wanted to scream, “Stop wasting time on social media and finish writing this amazing story!”
The Book of Life was (finally!) released last Tuesday, and it is an understatement to say it was worth the wait! I was fully engrossed in the book from the time I downloaded it on my Kindle that morning til I finished it shortly after lunch the next day. I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to my family for basically disappearing during the middle of our vacation at the beach, but it had to be done. I don’t want to give away too much to anyone who hasn’t read the series, but this book continued to deliver surprises on emotional and intellectual levels, and the denouement was (for me at least) deeply satisfying without being perfunctory or superficial.
If you haven’t read these books, now is a good time to start - I’m willing to bet The Discovery of Witches will soon have you under its thrall, and you won’t have the pain of waiting for years for the remainder of the trilogy to make its appearance!
