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Name: The Book of Life: A Novel (All Souls Series): Harkness, Deborah: 9780143127529: Amazon.com: Books
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The Book of Life: A Novel (All Souls Series) Paperback – May 26, 2015

by Deborah Harkness (Author)

52,064 ratings

Book 3 of 5: All Souls

Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

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The #1 New York Times bestselling third installment in the All Souls series, from the author of The Discovery of Witches and The Black Bird Oracle.

Look for the hit series “A Discovery of Witches,” now streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder!

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.

From the Publisher

	A Discovery of Witches	Shadow of Night	The Book of Life	Time's Convert	The Black Bird Orcale

Customer Reviews	52,165	37,346	52,064	26,336	11,712
Price	$14.57	$12.59	$12.08	$13.42	$16.00
Discover the entire All Souls Series	Book 1	Book 2	Book 3	Book 4	Book 5

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Weaving an extraordinarily rich story of magic and science, history and fiction, passion and power, secrets and truths, Harkness delivers an unforgettable and spellbinding finale that's not to be missed.”
—USA Today

“Juicy and action-packed.”
—People

“Pure escapist summer fun.”
—Jodi Picoult, Parade

“The epic and erudite vampire-witch romance comes to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion in the action-packed All Souls trilogy ender.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“A stirring, poignant saga.”
—Us Weekly

“The charm in Deborah Harkness’s wildly successful All Souls trilogy lies not merely in the spells that its creature characters cast as they lurk pretty much in plain sight of humans, but in the adroit way Harkness has insinuated her world of demons, witches, and vampires into ours. . . . From the novel’s poignant opening, Harkness casts her own indelible spell of enchantment, heartbreak, and resilience. . . . She is terrific at bringing her magic world to life, maintaining a fast-paced, page-turning narrative.”—The Boston Globe

“This trilogy is a superlative example in a subgenre you could call realistic fantasy—think Harry Potter but for grown-ups or Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Witches, vampires, and daemons exist, along with time travel. But this world also is recognizably ours, not a wholly made-up setting like George R.R. Martin’s Westeros. When done well, as it is here, this sort of fiction provides characters who are recognizably human in their desires and actions even if most of them are creatures with supernatural powers. Through them Harkness succeeds at the hardest part of writing fantasy: She makes this world so real that you believe it exists—or at the very least that you wish that it did.”
—Miami Herald

“Harkness has immersed and spellbound readers with her alternative universe. . . . Her ambitious melding of scientific and historical detail is inventive and brings surprising depth. . . . The Book of Life brims with sensuality, intrigue, violence and much-welcome humor.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Secrets and mysteries are finally revealed in the entertaining and satisfying conclusion. . . . The entire trilogy is a delightful plunge into the world of magic, witches and vampires, where love breaks all rules and happy endings are possible.”
—Shelf Awareness

“There is no shortage of action in this sprawling sequel, and nearly every chapter brings a wrinkle to the tale. The storytelling is lively and energetic, and Diana remains an appealing heroine even as her life becomes ever more extraordinary. A delightful wrap-up to the trilogy.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Harkness herself proves to be quite the alchemist as she combines elements of magic, history, romance, and science, transforming them into a compelling journey through time, space, and geography. By bridging the gaps between Harry Potter, Twilight, and Outlander fans, Harkness artfully appeals to a broad range of fantasy lovers.”
—Booklist

“The witch Diana’s and the vampire Matthew’s quests to discover their origins and confront the threats to their star-crossed union tie up as neatly as one of Diana’s magical weaver’s knots. . . . As in the previous two installments, there are healthy doses of action, colorful magic, angst-y romance and emotional epiphany, plus mansion-hopping across the globe, historical tidbits and name-dropping of famous artworks and manuscripts. . . . It’s still satisfying to travel with these characters toward their more-than-well-earned happy ending.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The adventure never lets up. . . . History, science, and the unpredictable actions of paranormal characters with hidden agendas all swirl together to create a not-to-be-missed finale to a stellar series.”
—Library Journal

About the Author

Deborah Harkness is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls series, which includes A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, Time's Convert, and The Black Bird Oracle. A history professor at the University of Southern California, Harkness has received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and National Humanities Center fellowships. She lives in Los Angeles.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Sol in Cancer

The signe of the Crabbe pertains to houses, lands, treasures, and whatever is hidden. It is the fourth house of the Zodiak. It signifies death and the end of thinges.

—Anonymous English Commonplace Book, c. 1590,
Gonçalves MS 4890, f. 8r

Ghosts didn’t have much substance. All they were composed of was memories and heart. Atop one of Sept-Tours’ round towers, Emily Mather pressed a diaphanous hand against the spot in the center of her chest that even now was heavy with dread.

Does it ever get easier? Her voice, like the rest of her, was almost imperceptible. The watching? The waiting? The knowing?

Not that I’ve noticed, Philippe de Clermont replied shortly. He was perched nearby, studying his own transparent fingers. Of all the things Philippe disliked about being dead—the inability to touch his wife, Ysabeau; his lack of smell or taste; the fact that he had no muscles for a good sparring match—invisibility topped the list. It was a constant reminder of how inconsequential he had become.

Emily’s face fell, and Philippe silently cursed himself. Since she’d died, the witch had been his constant companion, cutting his loneliness in two. What was he thinking, barking at her as if she were a servant?

Perhaps it will be easier when they don’t need us anymore, Philippe said in a gentler tone. He might be the more experienced ghost, but it was Emily who understood the metaphysics of their situation. What the witch had told him went against everything Philippe believed about the afterworld. He thought the living saw the dead because they needed something from them: assistance, forgiveness, retribution. Emily insisted these were nothing more than human myths, and it was only when the living moved on and let go that the dead could appear to them.

This information made Ysabeau’s failure to notice him somewhat easier to bear, but not much.

“I can’t wait to see Em’s reaction. She’s going to be so surprised.” Diana’s warm alto floated up to the battlements.

Diana and Matthew, Emily and Philippe said in unison, peering down to the cobbled courtyard that surrounded the château.

There, Philippe said, pointing at the drive. Even dead, he had vampire sight that was sharper than any human’s. He was also still handsomer than any man had a right to be, with his broad shoulders and devilish grin. He turned the latter on Emily, who couldn’t help grinning back. They are a fine couple, are they not? Look how much my son has changed.

Vampires weren’t supposed to be altered by the passing of time, and therefore Emily expected to see the same black hair, so dark it glinted blue; the same mutable gray-green eyes, cool and remote as a winter sea; the same pale skin and wide mouth. There were a few subtle differences, though, as Philippe suggested. Matthew’s hair was shorter, and he had a beard that made him look even more dangerous, like a pirate. She gasped.

Is Matthew . . . bigger?

He is. I fattened him up when he and Diana were here in 1590. Books were making him soft. Matthew needed to fight more and read less. Philippe had always contended there was such a thing as too much education. Matthew was living proof of it.

Diana looks different, too. More like her mother, with that long, coppery hair, Em said, acknowledging the most obvious change in her niece.

Diana stumbled on a cobblestone, and Matthew’s hand shot out to steady her. Once, Emily had seen Matthew’s incessant hovering as a sign of vampire overprotectiveness. Now, with the perspicacity of a ghost, she realized that this tendency stemmed from his preternatural awareness of every change in Diana’s expression, every shift of mood, every sign of fatigue or hunger. Today, however, Matthew’s concern seemed even more focused and acute.

It’s not just Diana’s hair that has changed. Philippe’s face had a look of wonder. Diana is with child—Matthew’s child.

Emily examined her niece more carefully, using the enhanced grasp of truth that death afforded. Philippe was right—in part. You mean “with children.” Diana is having twins.

Twins, Philippe said in an awed voice. He looked away, distracted by the appearance of his wife. Look, here are Ysabeau and Sarah with Sophie and Margaret.

What will happen now, Philippe? Emily asked, her heart growing heavier with anticipation.

Endings. Beginnings, Philippe said with deliberate vagueness. Change.

Diana has never liked change, Emily said.

That is because Diana is afraid of what she must become, Philippe replied.

* * *

Marcus Whitmore had faced horrors aplenty since the night in 1781 when Matthew de Clermont made him a vampire. None had prepared him for today’s ordeal: telling Diana Bishop that her beloved aunt, Emily Mather, was dead.

Marcus had received the phone call from Ysabeau while he and Nathaniel Wilson were watching the television news in the family library. Sophie, Nathaniel’s wife, and their baby, Margaret, were dozing on a nearby sofa.

“The temple,” Ysabeau had said breathlessly, her tone frantic. “Come. At once.”

Marcus had obeyed his grandmother without question, only taking time to shout for his cousin, Gallowglass, and his Aunt Verin on his way out the door.

The summer half-light of evening had lightened further as he approached the clearing at the top of the mountain, brightened by the otherworldly power that Marcus glimpsed through the trees. His hair stood at attention at the magic in the air.

Then he scented the presence of a vampire, Gerbert of Aurillac. And someone else—a witch.

A light, purposeful step sounded down the stone corridor, drawing Marcus out of the past and back into the present. The heavy door opened, creaking as it always did.

“Hello, sweetheart.” Marcus turned from the view of the Auvergne countryside and drew a deep breath. Phoebe Taylor’s scent reminded him of the thicket of lilac bushes that had grown outside the red-painted door of his family’s farm. Delicate and resolute, the fragrance had symbolized the hope of spring after a long Massachusetts winter and conjured up his long-dead mother’s understanding smile. Now it only made Marcus think of the petite, iron-willed woman before him.

“Everything will be all right.” Phoebe reached up and straightened his collar, her olive eyes full of concern. Marcus had taken to wearing more formal clothes than concert T-shirts around the same time he’d started to sign his letters Marcus de Clermont instead of Marcus Whitmore—the name she’d first known him by, before he had told her about vampires, fifteen-hundred-year-old fathers, French castles full of forbidding relatives, and a witch named Diana Bishop. It was, in Marcus’s opinion, nothing short of miraculous that Phoebe had remained at his side.

“No. It won’t.” He caught one of her hands and planted a kiss on the palm. Phoebe didn’t know Matthew. “Stay here with Nathaniel and the rest of them. Please.”

“For the final time, Marcus Whitmore, I will be standing beside you when you greet your father and his wife. I don’t believe we need discuss it further.” Phoebe held out her hand. “Shall we?”

Marcus put his hand in Phoebe’s, but instead of following her out the door as she expected, he tugged her toward him. Phoebe came to rest against his chest, one hand clasped in his and the other pressed to his heart. She looked at him with surprise.

“Very well. But if you come down with me, Phoebe, there are conditions. First, you are with me or with Ysabeau at all times.”

Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, but Marcus’s serious look silenced her.

“Second, if I tell you to leave the room, you will do so. No delay. No questions. Go straight to Fernando. He’ll be in the chapel or the kitchen.” Marcus searched her face and saw a wary acceptance. “Third, do not, under any circumstances, get within arm’s reach of my father. Agreed?”

Phoebe nodded. Like any good diplomat, she was prepared to follow Marcus’s rules—for now. But if Marcus’s father was the monster some in the house seemed to think he was, Phoebe would do what she must.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (May 26, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 576 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143127527
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143127529
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.3 x 5.5 x 8.4 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #23,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #177 in Occult Fiction
- #447 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)
- #838 in Paranormal Fantasy Books

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Deborah Harkness

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Deborah Harkness is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, Time's Convert and The World of All Souls. A history professor at the University of Southern California, Harkness has received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and National Humanities Center fellowships. She lives in Los Angeles.

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Customers find this novel to be a brilliant story with a well-executed ending that serves as an awesome conclusion to the All Souls Trilogy. The book is filled with wonderful characters, particularly strong female characters, and is vividly descriptive, drawing readers into a world of magic. Customers appreciate the historical elements, noting how it brings the past to life through its rich history and intersection with historical fiction.

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Story quality Ending Love of series Character development Writing quality Creativity History Adventure

2,974 customers mention "Story quality"2,854 positive120 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as brilliantly written and an entertaining read.

"I loved this series soooo much. The plot and subplots were amazing, the main character perfect, the side characters well fleshed out and loveable -..." Read more

"...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..." Read more

"...Deborah Harkness provides a fresh and engaging supernatural tale for readers with more serious tastes, and more life experience, shall we say,..." Read more

"...Characters: 5 -- Relatable, realistic, interesting, dynamic characters. Even minor characters have depth, as do the relationships between characters...." Read more

1,622 customers mention "Ending"1,404 positive218 negative

Customers praise the ending of the book, describing it as an awesome conclusion to the All Souls Trilogy with a continuous flow of the story.

"...The plot is wrapped up perfectly but the author definitely leaves it open for follow up books...." Read more

"...which I just finished, will, I believe, become a classic of the fantasy/romance genre...." Read more

"...Rather, it is a book that considers the vision, conflicts, and implications of a society where different races might live peaceably in harmonious..." Read more

"...True love, danger, sacrifice, and all that good stuff...." Read more

1,395 customers mention "Love of series"1,395 positive0 negative

Customers love this trilogy and consider it a must-read, with one customer noting it's more epic than the first two books.

"I loved this series soooo much...." Read more

"...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..." Read more

"...novel and provides a plethora of allusion and references to excite the discerning reader...." Read more

"...Congrats to Deborah Harkness. One heckuva series! I know how hard it is to put pieces together to form interesting characters or..." Read more

713 customers mention "Character development"634 positive79 negative

Customers praise the character development in the book, noting the well-written scenes and colorful personalities, with one customer particularly appreciating the witch's house as a character element.

"...The plot and subplots were amazing, the main character perfect, the side characters well fleshed out and loveable - perfect story telling...." Read more

"...She is more talented than anyone imagined...." Read more

"...Diana is a strong female protagonist...." Read more

"...Characters: 5 -- Relatable, realistic, interesting, dynamic characters. Even minor characters have depth, as do the relationships between characters...." Read more

662 customers mention "Writing quality"608 positive54 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its incredible skill, vivid descriptions, and brilliant narration.

"...on picking up the authors new books, just because there are SO many amazing details...." Read more

"...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..." Read more

"...Many ends are tied up in this last volume, and it is excellently written. I reread the previous two books..." Read more

"...This series is best read with the narration. The experience is over the top! Anyone who knows me knows I am not into vampires...." Read more

607 customers mention "Creativity"582 positive25 negative

Customers appreciate the creativity of the book, describing it as captivating and exciting, with a world filled with magic and whimsy throughout.

"...While Harkness’ debut novel is surprisingly immersive, the plotting at times leaves much to be desired...." Read more

"...Characters: 5 -- Relatable, realistic, interesting, dynamic characters. Even minor characters have depth, as do the relationships between characters...." Read more

"...Thank you for weaving a wonderful story that involves magic, history, adventure, and history...." Read more

"...This series is best read with the narration. The experience is over the top! Anyone who knows me knows I am not into vampires...." Read more

502 customers mention "History"502 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical elements in the book, noting how it brings the past to life and fills their time with new facts.

"...The way the author used actual historical characters and events, the magic, the world building, the creatures...incredible...." Read more

"...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..." Read more

"...weight to the historical elements of her novel and provides a plethora of allusion and references to excite the discerning reader...." Read more

"...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..." Read more

349 customers mention "Adventure"273 positive76 negative

Customers enjoy the adventure in the book, finding it both thrilling and entertaining, with one customer noting it maintains interest without becoming boring or too crazy.

"...Thank you for weaving a wonderful story that involves magic, history, adventure, and history...." Read more

"...Intelligent, considered, even poetic and able to make the alternate worlds of the vampires, witches and daemons, their politics and the science they..." Read more

"...It was FUN, fast paced and thrilling. And I wish the rest of the book was the same...." Read more

"...A long explanation of vampire family politics ensues. It is not interesting, but takes over the plot for much of the book and drives much of the..." Read more

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Cassie
Absolutely Perfect
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2025
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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.

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Nancy Brisson or N. L. Brisson
as they fall in love at first sight in the Bodleian Library at Oxford ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
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.

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Timothy Bardin
Book Review
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2016
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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.

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gizem
Süper
Reviewed in Turkey on June 15, 2019
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Cok eglenceli bir kitapp

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BellaCoimbra
Thoroughly gripping
Reviewed in Brazil on February 22, 2023
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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.

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Emi
とても楽しめました
Reviewed in Japan on November 14, 2014
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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。

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acoris
the Book of Life recencie.
Reviewed in the Netherlands on March 5, 2017
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Het engelse boek hoort tot mijn favorieten, aan de nederlandse vertaling heb ik me vaak geërgerd niet best gedaan. Niet zo best dus.

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F. Marinella
All souls trilogy
Reviewed in Italy on June 27, 2021
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Serie bellissima, consigliata se amate il fantasy storico, ben scritto e plausibile. Meglio se letti in lingua originale . Le traduzioni lasciano un po’ a desiderare. Creano dipendenza. Questi libri si rileggono volentieri più volte

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The Book of Life: A Novel (All Souls Series) Paperback – May 26, 2015

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5.0 out of 5 stars Süper

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly gripping

5.0 out of 5 stars とても楽しめました

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Absolutely Perfect

as they fall in love at first sight in the Bodleian Library at Oxford ...

Book Review

Süper

Thoroughly gripping

とても楽しめました

the Book of Life recencie.

All souls trilogy