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Note: This review contains light spoilers for One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig.
Years after the events that saw Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clairmont overturning the ban on inter-species romance and the establishment of their own scion, they face new challenges as their twins turn seven years old, the age when witches get their magic tested. Bright Born though they may be, Diana knows that the Congregation will want to have them tested and that they’ll display extraordinary talent, which will put them in danger. Eager to avoid having them spellbound as her mother did before her, Diana seeks a way to protect her family by delving deeper into the Proctor side of her family, and treading the pathways of Higher Magic.
The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness is the fifth installment of the All Souls series, and although it does share quite a bit in common with earlier books, the novel feels more like the beginning of a new adventure rather than a continuation of the old. The story picks up with an uncanny summons to the New England town where Diana’s father hailed from, and that gives Diana the opportunity to explore how much power her father had in his lineage in the form of Higher Magic, a restricted path that apparently most witches are tested for at some point in their career and Diana’s mother showed proficiency in. Along with this is Diana’s concern for her children, who the Congregation wants to test now that they’re at an age where their magic is manifesting, and so Diana is seeking a way of both discovering more of her own power and a means of standing as a bulwark against the Congregation’s interference in her family life.
Ultimately, the book is an intriguing installment for some of the elements Harkness developed throughout the story, such as a semi-sentient deck of tarot cards and a collection of memory bottles, which lends itself well to the new world that Harkness is likely trying to create. There is also a lot of similar elements in the story to the previous books, which can make it an entertaining time for fans of Harkness’s. However, there are quite a few elements about the story that feel like they’re caught between something new and something old, which can make the experience of the novel a little less appealing for those who are more accustomed to the tight storytelling that Harkness has displayed in the original trilogy.
For casual readers, the book will certainly appeal to fans of the original All Souls Trilogy, and the developments laid out in Time’s Convert. It sets up an interesting mystery that will likely launch more books dealing with Diana Bishop, so if someone enjoys the kind of adventures that come when witches, wizards, vampires, and demons need to find new sources of power to challenge the structures that seek to keep them from a life where they want to harm no one, then The Blackbird Oracle will likely offering an appealing adventure.
For writers, Harkness’s latest installment offers some lessons in the difficulty of building a new story on the foundations of an ending that already feels satisfying to readers. It’s unclear whether the All Souls series was intended as a trilogy or a longer series, but the first three books do set up a pretty satisfying arc to Diana and Matthew’s relationship that’s hard to build further on within the context of the original narrative. The expansion of issues in The Blackbird Oracle aren’t inherently bad, but Harkness does showcase how balancing the need for an expanded plot and emotional depth can be a challenge when years pass between the initial threats a couple faces and new ones arise, because the stakes are inherently different. Harkness’s novel can offer some insights into ways to move the story forward when facing this kind of challenge for writers who are struggling with it.
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Next Up: The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heath O’Neil
A Final Note
The Coffeehouse Creative is a place to flex creative muscle while working on other projects. That means that alongside book reviews, you’re likely to find:
Travel pieces that have brought joy the writer’s life
Reflections on writing and the life that it brings with it
Recommendations on marketing and management practices
Notes from a graduate student looking to survive the studies
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