The Book of Life: A Novel (All Souls Series)

I loved this series soooo much. The plot and subplots were amazing, the main character perfect, the side characters well fleshed out and loveable - perfect story telling. I absolutely would read a book about each side character in this series, I love them all so much! While there are a TON of characters, the author does a brilliant job of making each one important and easy to remember. The plot is wrapped up perfectly but the author definitely leaves it open for follow up books. This is definitely a series you would need to re-read though if you plan on picking up the authors new books, just because there are SO many amazing details. The way the author used actual historical characters and events, the magic, the world building, the creatures...incredible. This author is definitely an automatic buy for me now! My only gripe is I NEED to have Gallowglass book! I need a whole 600 page Gallowglass fest, I will wither away not know if he gets his HEA! It definitely seems like something the author will do in the future at least.

Diana Bishop, witch and historical scholar, is now wed to the vampire and scientist, Matthew Clairmont; together they are seeking to discover several scientific facts about their DNA. For Matthew seeks to understand the composition of his “blood rage,” Diana seeks to learn more about the “weaving” skills she possesses that seriously affect the magic she is learning to control in her magic; and finally they seek the missing pages of the magical alchemical book Ashmole 782, which is “The Book of Life.” These major characters are assisted by a covey of witches from New York, thwarted by Matthew’s evil son, Benjamin, and assisted by other scientists who are human, vampire, and members of the Congregation of Witches. This is normally a highly unlikely union as vampires and witches are usually highly suspicious of each other and are more enemies than colleagues. Add to the intense tension arising from Matthew and Diana’s reappearance from the 1500s to the present the fact that Diana is now pregnant with twins. Will they be vampire, witch or human? Will they possess the devastatingly destructive blood rage that Matthew has learned to control? How will the virulent enmity of Matthew’s son and the orders of the leader of Matthew’s family affect Matthew and Diana’s relationship? Ashmole 782 is the quest and the reader will be stunned by the gradually revealed truths about the composition of this book of magic and the reasons why many characters will do anything to find the missing pages and thus gain possession and power of the ancient tome! The Book of Life… is carefully plotted, with tender and endearing moments of passion and love between Matthew and Diana; beautiful descriptions of several pivotal places, scenes of fierce conflict in which the battles increase the closer the characters come to the answers to each mystery they seek to solve, and detailed scenes involving the skilled analysis of DNA common, yet unique, to the witches and vampires in this quest. While this may annoy some readers, it is actually quite necessary to provide credibility to the rest of the mystery of the main characters and the Book of Life. Deborah Harkness is a skilled writer who has crafted a very different trilogy of novels that educates the reader about witches and vampires, avoids the stereotypical treatment of this topic, and succeeds in presenting an intelligent, albeit fictional, treatment of some historical realities about witches and vampires. It’s quite an achievement and not for those who want a light read. The Book of Life is fiction about the paranormal, history, science, romance, the supernatural and more, a noteworthy and memorable read! This is highly recommended, fiction written by an author who knows how to develop and embellish a great story!

The final book in the All Souls Trilogy, The Book of Life, had a great deal to live up to in terms of storylines, characters, plot reveals, reader expectations and, in many ways, it doesn’t disappoint. Whereas the second book, Shadow of Night, had vampire, Matthew Clairmont and witch, Diana Bishop, roaming the streets of Elizabethan London and encountering a veritable roll-call of historical icons, the third book is very much set in the present, even if it’s global in scope and enormous in execution. Characters from previous books return, new ones also appear and the tension and hostility between warring factions within families, supernatural races and members of the Congregation finally come to a head. Vengeance is either meted out or channelled into areas that are more productive and the power that we knew Diana Bishop held within and was struggling to control is finally unleashed. Matthew and Diana’s relationship is tested – not their faith in or love for each other, but through separation and the tasks they must undertake individually to save the family and bloodline from potential extinction. Playing on the themes of power, control, miscegenation (probably the paramount themes of the book if not the series and references to the Holocaust and the attempted genocide of the Jews underpins this), betrayal, genetics, science, knowledge, as well as love, family, understanding and tolerance, Harkness concludes this series in a mostly very gratifying way. In terms of the writing, apart from some repetitive scenes at the beginning, it is lovely. The descriptive passages are eloquent and the ones where Diana gets to wield her power can be masterful. The more grisly scenes (and there are some really horrendous torture scenes unpacked for us) are horrible because they are so well written if somewhat graphic – but hey, this is about supernatural creatures. You can almost feel the flesh being flensed, every moment of the pain being inflicted and it physically hurts to have characters you care about rendered so impotent if not destroyed (though we don’t feel nearly the same degree of compassion or revulsion when it’s a Bishop-Clairmont enemy). Having said that, offsetting these are scenes of utter joy – such as childbirth. But, I do think they became a bit twee and went on a bit long, especially in a book dedicated to vampires, witches and daemons. There’s also the sexual politics in the book where Matthew, as a vampire (along with other male members of his clan), impose their will upon and try to subordinate the females. Diana offers a challenge to this anachronistic patriarchal viewpoint and it’s to Harkness’s credit that she doesn’t succumb to political correctness, but both explores the animalistic nature of the vampires, their desire to protect a “mate” and also contemporary attitudes to gender roles, and has characters negotiating around these. In the end, the male vampires concede they need to change their approach and the feeling the reader is left with is that this is genuine and marks a real shift in the gender dynamics. Though, I confess, I was worried Harkness had come over all Twilight on us for a while – first with gender roles and then with cute babies that are powerful - fortunately, she hadn’t. Harkness uses a shifting POV in this novel, including segueing from first to third person and, because this is the only novel in the series to do it, I am not sure it is as successful as it could have been had it been used throughout. It’s a wrench, occasionally, to move from one POV to the other and I generally love that kind of approach (think of Lian Hearn’s Across the Nightingale Floor etc; I also use it in some of my own novels). While it does give the reader a specific insight into Diana’s thinking, Harkness’ control of her subject and character was already so good, I am not persuaded this was necessary. While I found the initial chapters a little confusing (often the way between books in a trilogy) once Harkness hits her stride, so does the reader and there were parts of the book I couldn’t put down. Intelligent, considered, even poetic and able to make the alternate worlds of the vampires, witches and daemons, their politics and the science they want to uncover, let alone the nature of The Book of Life, believable is a monumental task and I think Harkness more than succeeds. Certainly, it’s one of the finest trilogies involving supernatural creatures around and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Deborah Harkness's All Soul's Trilogy, which I just finished, will, I believe, become a classic of the fantasy/romance genre. Readers start with A Discovery of Witches, travel back in time with Shadow of Night and end up, very satisfactorily, with The Book of Life. In Book 1, A Discovery of Witches we meet Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clermont, as they fall in love at first sight in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University in London. Once Diana fills out that call slip which brings forth a mysterious and unreadable book, Ashmole 782, every single "person" sitting anywhere in that library starts creeping closer to Diana. When she can't decipher the book she sends it back, but not without riling more than a few library patrons. Matthew rescues her. Diana is a witch, but she has been spellbound and doesn't know it. Matthew is a vampire, but he is totally unlike any vampire we have ever met so far in literature or on either the big or small screen and he is so much more. I doubt there is a single female reader who would not wish that she was the one that Matthew assisted in the library that fateful day. There may even be more than a few men who feel that same way. Diana knows how to be a professor but she has no idea how to be a witch. In Book 2, Shadow of Night, she travels back in time to find great teachers who will call forth her talents. She is more talented than anyone imagined. While in the past Diana marries her vampire (well who wouldn't) in spite of the Congregation, which rules vampires, witches, and daemons ("creatures"), and which has made cross-creature marriage illegal. Diana arrives back in the present in Book 3, The Book of Life pregnant with Matthew's babies, absolutely a taboo according to the Congregation (and thought to be impossible). In The Book of Life Diana and Matthew must deal with Matthew's family, Matthew's evil son, Benjamin (possessed of the "blood rage" from which Matthew and his other children also suffer), the birth of the twins, the shock felt by the entire community of "creatures" and the censure of the Congregation. In order to deal with all of this Diana and Matthew must find the two pages that are still missing from Ashmole 782, which they know as The Book of Life, and then Diana must go back to the Bodleian and call back Ashmole 782 to make the book whole. She is sure it contains lost knowledge about witches, vampires and daemons, knowledge which will make the Congregation change the Covenant, will make her marriage to Matthew legal, and will keep her new babies from being assassinated. Yale University, the college where Diana Bishop teaches plays a key role in Book 3. Matthew's blood rage has long driven him to study vampire genealogy and DNA. Others believed that witches and vampires, being separate species could not procreate and yet here is Diana pregnant and eventually presenting the de Clermont family with the twins conceived of Matthew; Rebecca and Philip. What the very tolerant, congenial, and scientific colleagues at Diana's campus find out about "creature" DNA and what Diana eventually learns from The Book of Life is surprising and makes an important plea for tolerance that resounds in the real world occupied by us as humans. (You can form your own judgment about whether "creatures" are real or not.) I love the academic settings for these books which form a sort of library sandwich. Harkness's vampires will have you clamoring for someone to take a bite of you. The skills that Diana finds that belong to her, the most talented in a long line of witches, are also enviable and very effectively written, full of symbolism and connections with antiquity, but I must not describe them in detail. There are no daemons among the true main characters in this book but we see several examples, both good and evil, of this class of creature. I was very happy with Book 3 which answers our questions, contains the penultimate battle, and gives us some of the happy endings that bring equal happiness to our reader's hearts. All this, and those connections that can be drawn with our human perceptions of race and DNA, make this an excellent trilogy indeed. I am sad that it is done, as I always am whenever I finish a very enjoyable and engrossing novel or series of novels. We look forward to whatever else you may write; Deborah Harkness, but these books will stand the test of time.

'The Book of Life' is breathtaking and amazing. It's everything that was incredible about the last two books (excepting, of course, the historical fiction aspect of 'Shadow of Night'), with the added benefit that finally, all the questions are answered, and most of the loose ends tied up. I loved it without reservations. There are so many things I want to share about the book and my reactions to it, but I can't tell you some of the best parts because, well, spoilers. The first few chapters start off slowly, as Diana deals with her grief over a missing character and she and Matthew adjust to the world to which they've returned. Soon the pace quickens, and the revelations start piling up, one discovery upon another. Plot twists and surprising turns abound, making for a thrilling read; I could hardly turn the pages fast enough in my eagerness to see what came next. Many old friends and enemies appear, several of them quite unexpectedly, and there are a few terrific new additions to the cast of characters (well, new or expanded; some of them had cameos in the first book.) Diana and Matthew occupy center stage, of course, joined by various members of their expanding family as well as allies. The complexities and challenges of vampire family life, particularly in the de Clermont family, drive some of the plot, as do the politics of the Congregation. The race is still on to find the missing papers, locate Ashmole 782 and discover its secrets, but there are other threats and challenges to meet as well. Harkness is an articulate, intelligent, and insightful author, and her scholarly training and meticulous research are evident throughout -- nowhere more so than in the scenes set at Yale and in Oxford. Genetics plays a big part in the novel, as does historical research. Harkness also excels at bringing her world alive, whether it's the sixteenth-century London of 'Shadow of Night' or the Yale, Oxford, London, New Orleans, and Venice of 'The Book of Life' (to name but a few of the book's many settings.) It's clear that she's been to these places; she provides vivid, evocative details that never overshadow the scene's main focus. And while Harkness has always had a sense of humor, it is more evident in this novel. Not that the book as a whole is comic; on the contrary, it's suspenseful, touching, exhilarating, heartwarming, and chilling by turns. But the comic moments, when they appear, are funny enough at times to have startled shouts of laughter out of me. (I thought of quoting one, but I don't want to ruin the fun of stumbling across them.) She has even put herself in the book! There's a marvelous but almost throwaway line when Diana is recalling the people who had access to a particular manuscript (not Ashmole 782), and one of them is a writer of popular fiction with an interest in alchemy. 'The Book of Life' enthralled me from start to finish. It's one of the finest series enders I've ever read: satisfying on every level, yet leaving me wishing for more. I can't wait to see what Deborah Harkness does next. For now, I'll have to settle for reading the whole trilogy again.

This final installment in the All Souls Trilogy is a perfect end to an enlightening story. I don’t feel that this last book in the series is any better than the first two, but the utterly satisfying ending wiped away any previous issues that kept me from loving this story. In many ways, it’s a fairytale ending, but only in a world where fairytale characters are real people and everyone has a little bit of darkness in them. Back to present time, Diana and Matthew have become the reluctant ambassadors of change in an era where old traditions threaten to destroy their new family, an assortment of vampires, witches, demons, and humans; plus, two new “half-breed” members that are supposed to be incapable of existing. This installment takes the concept of a family tree to bold and expanded new levels. Family members can be connected to one another in so many ways, but as blood ties begin to connect the characters of this story, it’s clear that Diana and Matthew are more powerful than anyone ever realized. Harkness has done a stellar job of introducing a few new and unexpected twists to this already complex story, and then delivers the perfect complex wrap up at the end. This installment finally allowed both Diana and Matthew to come to terms with who they are, how powerful they are, and then let them define their relationship on their terms. I love the dynamic of their relationship. They both cling to each other for completion, but neither of them is so dependent that they can’t stand on their own and do great things. I love that Matthew, not only embraces and accepts Diana’s role as a powerful leader and force to be reckoned with, he acknowledges to others how he’s happy to support her. They are a wonderful example of how a modern couple can be both traditionalists and still act as equals. Matthew is the head of their family, but everyone knows that Diana is more powerful and is a great leader within and outside the family. The family dynamics in this story are more than enough to start and drag out discussions for years to come. Then there’s the cultural impact of this story. "Racial identity has no biological basis-" is the line that sums it all up. There are so many surprises in this story; some terrifying and some delightful. I can’t put it all into words. Recommended to fans of this series, fans of paranormal, open-minded people, and I still stand firm that this is a great couples series to the very end.

Back in their present, Matthew and Diana must deal with grief, the realities of becoming parents, and the complex and dangerous dynamics of creature politics and vampire families; Diana must embrace her weaver magic, and Matthew must deal with his blood rage. (Though reviews are inherently subjective, I prefer to provide some organization to my opinions through the use of a personal rubric. The following notes may contain spoilers.) Plot and Setting: 4.8 -- Plot is engaging from start to finish. Has many unique elements, no major holes, and a sense of focus. Setting is clear and believable. Timeline may be a bit hard to follow. Again, a story with many facets, tied together by Diana and Matthew's relationship and the difficult things they each must learn to accept about themselves, particularly as they become parents and as they navigate the dangerous waters of creature politics. True love, danger, sacrifice, and all that good stuff. Good landmarks to keep track of time passing, but quite a few larger leaps through time, which is a bit disorienting. Characters: 5 -- Relatable, realistic, interesting, dynamic characters. Even minor characters have depth, as do the relationships between characters. All the characters continue to be complex and brilliant. They grow and develop and challenge and help each other, and it's great. Diana is interesting in this one: her unusual, supernatural characteristics take over in more and more ways, and yet she is still very much herself most of the time. And of course there are babies, and people relating to babies, which is always a chance for adorableness and deep emotion. Mechanics and Writing: 5 -- Few, if any, typos, punctuation issues, or word errors. (<3/100pgs) Intelligent use of POV. Skillful writing that adds to the story. I actually only spotted one error in the entire book, and it was a trivial one. POV is mainly 1st-person Diana, with some scenes (mostly when Diana is not present to narrate, but not always) in a sort of universal 3rd-person narrative, dipping into the thoughts of whoever is needed to tell the important details. The POV in this one did start out a little strangely, as it took a little while to get back to Diana's familiar narration, and sometimes we are shown Diana from someone else's perspective, which was a bit disconcerting. Redeeming Value: 3.2 -- Partially focused uplifting themes or lessons. Drugs, alcohol, violence, etc, are not glorified, though there is definitely shaky ground. Several mildly explicit sex scenes. Implied moral guidelines for behavior. This one feels darker and more violent; Benjamin is truly evil and depraved, using rape, torture, and murder to further his own agenda, or just for the fun of it. And Peter Knox is right up there with him. Several sex scenes between Matthew and Diana, but again, they may be fairly explicit, but not gratuitous. Strong themes of honesty and acceptance, bravery and love. Personal Enjoyment: 4.5 -- I loved it. Highly enjoyable and very entertaining, with perhaps an issue or two that tempered my pleasure. I’d enjoy reading it again.

The literary community has long awaited a fantasy title, specifically one labeled as “paranormal romance”, that supersedes the trite additions to the genre that are many recent Young Adult fantasy novels. Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, for all its strength of characterization, was poorly plotted and her depiction of vampires unimpressive. Conversely, Deborah Harkness provides a fresh and engaging supernatural tale for readers with more serious tastes, and more life experience, shall we say, than the target audiences of Meyers or J. K. Rowling. A Discovery of Witches introduces Diana Bishop, an Oxford scholar who specializes in history, alchemy, and the occult. A latent witch who has spent her entire adult life suppressing her magical powers, both physically and psychologically, Diana accidentally calls forth a magical volume during the course of her research. After examination, Diana discovers that the book, Ashmole 782, is a palimpsest, part alchemical manuscript and part spell book. She promptly banishes it to the stacks, but her discovery sparks a flood of magical encounters, including the appearance of the mysterious vampire and celebrated geneticist Matthew Clairmont, a fellow Oxford colleague and a fellow of All Souls College. Pursued by those who would force her to recall Ashmole 782 and use it for their own ends, Diana must reluctantly trust Professor Clairemont. As the danger increases and Diana begins to awaken to her magical heritage, so too does her emotional connection to Matthew. She eventually flees Oxford with the scientist and sequesters herself in the Clairemont ancestral home in France, where Diana’s presence is barely tolerated by Matthew’s formidable mother. The conclusion of Harkness’ debut novel leaves Diana emotionally and physically scarred, full of more questions than answers. Harkness is an American scholar of history and the occult, which is unsurprising given her heroine’s profession. Her background gives weight to the historical elements of her novel and provides a plethora of allusion and references to excite the discerning reader. One such example is the revelation in Shadow of Night, Harkness’ second novel, that Matthew is a member of the mysterious “School of Night,” a shadowy group in history which was supposed to include such literary and political figures as William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. It is refreshing to see a novel, and a debut one at that, that moves beyond the angst-riddled stereotypes of paranormal fantasy and delivers a mature story with thought-provoking themes. Despite containing a forbidden romance, Discovery is not a love- and blood-soaked vampire story. Rather, it is a book that considers the vision, conflicts, and implications of a society where different races might live peaceably in harmonious coexistence, genetics reveals the final piece to the puzzle to our complicated our human ancestry, and female agency is realized. In the world of Harkness’ novel, vampires, witches, and daemons share the Earth with “normal” humans, living in varying degrees of anonymity. One of the most intriguing concepts Harkness develops is the way the various magical races gravitate towards particular professions. For example, vampires are scientists and doctors, witches pursue the humanities, while daemons are adept financial and political figures. The novel’s development of this element lends maturity and realism to an otherwise fantastical tale. Far from complicating the story, this situation provides a backdrop for Diana’s efforts to bring about equality in the human and magical community. Diana is a strong female protagonist. Her background as a professor, and now as a witch, makes her a daunting counterpart to Matthew, the centuries-old vampire and celebrated scholar. She not only compliments him as a romantic companion, her integrity makes him a better man. Although Diana often counteracts Matthew’s orders (this is no meek and submissive woman), she does so for very logical reasons that always have her loved one’s best interests at heart. While Harkness’ debut novel is surprisingly immersive, the plotting at times leaves much to be desired. Sex (implied and understood, never explicit) is sometimes used to solve the relationship issues of two alpha characters, Diana and Matthew, leading to several cringe-worthy moments (unless you enjoy that sort of thing). Characterization of supernatural races, particularly vampires and their social position, is often trite, specifically in the stereotype of a middle-class awe for the fabulously wealthy, privileged, and dizzyingly attractive vampire. The novel’s pacing is inconsistent, sometimes ejecting the reader from the immersive experience by drawing out a pause in the action for too long. Finally, Discovery would have benefited from more perspectives, particularly from the Daemons, a race which is left, perhaps unintentionally, by the wayside as the novel and the series progresses. Despite its drawbacks, A Discovery of Witches is a book well-worth the read. While by no means a literary masterpiece, it is appropriately light for winding down after a long day (or semester), yet intriguing enough to capture the interest of a wide-range of readers. I recommend it.

Cok eglenceli bir kitapp

I found the entire series thoroughly gripping. I initially bought it on Kindle, but now decided that I wanted the actual books and give it a third read. I loved the story, the characters and the lore, especially when mixed with actual historical figures and facts. I even bought the TV series on DVD's and have watched them more than once. If you like stories involving witches, vampires and daemons, you will enjoy this series.

このシリーズの前編、日本語版の「魔女の目覚め」と「魔女の契り」は、とても面白く一気に読んでしまい、読み終わった後、すぐに最初から読み直しをしてしまいました。初読では酌み取れなかったところの表現や機微に触れることができ、何度も楽しむことができました。小説で、読み終わった後直ぐに最初から全てを読み返すようなことは初めてで、それだけこの小説にハマっています。日本語版の完結編を待っていたのですが、待てずにUSのAmazonでは英語版を読むことにしました。英語はあまり得意ではないので、読むよりは聴く方が挫折しないだろうと思い、Audio版を購入しました。CDで19枚でしたが、自分の期待とは異なる筋書きの意外な展開もあり、面白く一気に2日で聴いてしまいました。筋書きは、自分で実際に読んで楽しんでください。このシリーズの先の２つを楽しめたのでしたら、きっと同様に楽しめると思います。 今この本を読むためにKindleを購入したところです。Auditoを再度最初から聴きながら本も同時に読んでいます。 何度も楽しめています。

Loved this trilogy, it’s vampires and witches for adults!!

Het engelse boek hoort tot mijn favorieten, aan de nederlandse vertaling heb ik me vaak geërgerd niet best gedaan. Niet zo best dus.