by Deborah Harkness Publishers Weekly In the final installment of Harkness's All Souls Trilogy (after Shadow of Night), witch historian Diana Bishop and her vampiric husband, Matthew Clairmont, freshly returned to the present from their sojourn in Elizabethan England, have ample challenges to contend with. They still seek the missing pages of Ashmole 782, the mystical manuscript known as the Book of Life and the key to the origin of all supernatural beings, and now must negotiate the internal politics of Matthew's extended vampire family. Also to be considered is the Congregation of vampires, witches, and daemons, who will not look at all kindly on the impending birth of Matthew and Diana's twin children. Meanwhile, Matthew and Diana are stalked by Matthew's murderous son Benjamin, and to save everyone, Diana must master her skills as a weaver-one of the rarest witch powers. 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. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved Book list Dedicated scholar, reluctant witch, and seasoned time traveler Diana Bishop returns to wrap up the wildly popular All Souls trilogy. After a supernatural meet-cute in A Discovery of Witches, and a time-traveling adventure in Shadow of Night, Diana and vampire/scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present, continuing their pursuit of magical alchemical manuscript Ashmole 782, aka The Book of Life; but before the secrets contained within the manuscript are revealed, Diana and Matthew must navigate the peculiarities of their essentially forbidden union. As the stakes grow increasingly higher, they prepare for a showdown in the demon world that could have direct and possibly dire consequences for their own families. 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. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With the first two volumes in this trilogy selling more than one million copies, and the movie version of A Discovery of Witches currently in development, the conclusion of this paranormal adventure is guaranteed to fly off the shelves.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2010 Booklist From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. Library Journal The eagerly awaited third title in -Harkness's trilogy (A Discovery of Witches; Shadow of Night) picks up right after historian/witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist -Matthew Clairmont return from the past, and the adventure never lets up until the final page. The need to discover the truth continues to drive Diana in her relentless search for the magical manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Harkness delves more deeply into the political machinations of her world in this outing, weaving in a meaningful message about how ignorance, fear, and misinformation can drive a culture, with ramifications for generations to come. -VERDICT 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 paranormal series. Readers new to the trilogy should read the novels in order, as an understanding of past events and the players involved is essential for full enjoyment of this final book. [See Prepub Alert, 1/10/14.]-Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |
|
|||
