Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Author:Deborah Harkness
Publisher: Viking Adult
Date of Publication: July 2012

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. 

 Shadow of Night was one of my most anticipated books  of 2012.  I absolutely loved the first book, A Discovery of Witches. (My review)  Unfortunately, I can't really say that about the sequel. Since I have mixed feelings about the book,  I'll break it down into what I liked and disliked.

What I liked: I did like the overall story.  The love story between Diana and Matthew was strengthened in this book.  We get to see their love grow deeper and they learn so much about each other.  We also finally get to see them consummate their marriage.

There are a few surprises about Diana and Matthew that were interesting.  The truth of Diana's powers should prove useful in the final book.  I also loved seeing how things they did in the past affected the future. Kind of like the butterfly effect.  The glimpses of the present time definitely elude to major events.  I wonder if we will see what transpired while Diana and Matthew were gone in the next book.  I don't want to say what these things are as they would definitely be major spoilers.

What I didn't like:  First, the book was LONG.  It comes in at about 22hours of audio time or 500+ pages.  While I don't normally mind long books, this one definitely dragged in places.  Matthew and Diana spend the entire book in the past.  I felt there were parts of the book that really did nothing to advance the story.  They go back in time for Diana to find a witch to teach her how to use her magic as well as look for the mysterious Ashmole 782.  Once they get there, it seemed to take forever for them to get to her magic lessons and to find the book. They also meet up with so many people, that it was hard at times to keep the characters straight.  Also, for a group of people who want to stay hidden from the humans, it seems a lot of people in the past know of their existence.

I don't recommend reading this one without first reading A Discovery of Witches.  It picks up right where the other left off. Any reader without the background of the first book would probably find themselves lost.  There is really no recap until well into the middle of the book.  It had been over a year since I read the first one and even I found myself having a hard time orienting myself to the story and characters at first.

So, I guess you could say I have so-so feeling about the book.  I'm hoping the last book captures magic of the first book.  The next one, an as yet unnamed book, comes out some time in 2013.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Kari's most anticipated of 2012

Most of mine are sequels.Are you looking forward to any of these as well?

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Kari's Top 10 of 2011

Here are mine in no particular order.  Honestly, I had more than 10 but these are the ones that stood out for me.
  (OK I cheated like Autumn and added an extra to make 11.) Enjoy!



The Last Blind Date By Linda Yellin
Forbidden by Ted Dekker
Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall
Cloaked by Alex Finn
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton
Die for Me by Amy Plum
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb

A Discovery of Witches

Author: Deborah Harkness
Publisher: Viking Adult

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

A Discovery of Witches is the debut novel by Deborah Harkness. First, let me say that this book is long. It comes in at 579 pages and the audiobook (which I listened to) is about 24 hours of listening time. But, it was well worth the time. It is very a descriptive piece of writing, but really that really enhanced the book and I think would have taken away from the story had the author tried to use less words. Jennifer Ikeda, the narrator, did a wonderful job with her narration and character voices.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this book. I can say now that I am so glad I gave it a shot. I loved this book. I was afraid it was going to be another "Davinci Code" type book, but what I got instead was a beautiful love story filled with history, intrigue and lots of emotion. A Discovery of Witches is in some ways a Romeo and Juliet story. Diana and Matthew are two creatures who find love despite the laws that say a witch and vampire can't love each other. As a result, they find themselves in a war, fighting for their lives and for those around them. Diana and Matthew are 2 characters that I won't soon forget. I loved how their relationship slowly gained momentum over time and was actually based on more than lust. Matthew's courtship of Diana was very touching. In addition to their relationship with each other, I enjoyed their interactions with their friends and family. The secondary characters in this book really enhanced the story.

Ms. Harkness has created a wonderful, unique world in which vampires, witches and demons exist, but humans are, for the most part, ignorant of them. I liked that she changed the mythology on vampires and demons in her world. They don't have to avoid the sun, they don't have to live in a mostly rainy region, and their fangs only come out when the have to feed. Demons are born as demons, they aren't possessed. They are very smart and not necessarily evil. It was a nice change of pace.

I would definitely recommend this book. According to the author's website, this is the first in a trilogy. I hope the next book comes out soon, because the ending made me want more. Can we say, "cliffhanger"? There is so much packed into this book, that I won't try to sum it up. I'll let you discover it as I did; by letting the story unfold and enjoying the journey.

--Kari