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Note: This review is a correction; I unintentionally skipped from Shadow of Night to Time’s Convert, and last week promised a review of The Black Bird Oracle. To that end, there are spoilers for previous installments of the All Souls series, and The Black Bird Oracle will be published next week.
After returning from their 16th century refuge to the present day, Diana and Matthew realize that their absence has left their loved ones vulnerable in unique ways. With some family members dead, Benjamin — a murderous, deranged vampire and disavowed son of Matthew — on a rampage, and pages to Ashmole 782 still missing, Diana and the de Clairmonts have to find a way to bring the culprits to justice while dealing with the Congregation’s Covenant outlawing their very existence.
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness is a fascinating conclusion to the story arc Harkness began with A Discovery of Witches; it packs far more action into it than the preceding two, and that gives it a far more robust pacing than its predecessors. Personally, that made it significantly more enjoyable, because it didn’t have to do as much work setting the stage as the preceding installments, but it would also be hard to imagine just how Harkness would have been able to accomplish this if she hadn’t had the ability to lay the groundwork throughout the trilogy.
One thing that struck me on the initial reading of the novel was that Diana and Matthew’s relationship was undergoing an interesting transformation as Matthew shifted from the necessary protector to someone who was protecting a far more powerful entity. The Book of Life sees Diana come fully into her power and assume her role as a true member of the de Clairmont family, and that shifts the dynamics of her and Matthew’s relationship, even if it doesn’t undermine the existing love they share. Additionally, the action that builds throughout the novel gives an opportunity to showcase just how devastating both the de Clairmonts and Diana can be when they have a mind to be, which establishes the path to overturning The Covenant that threatens Diana and Matthew’s relationship.
A final interesting detail about the novel is that it sets up further exploration of the world in an intriguing way. This shouldn’t be surprising given the review of Time’s Convert, but despite the resolution of the issues with Benjamin, Peter Knox, and the Congregation that occurs, there’s still a sense of Diana having more challenges to face that isn’t entirely clear. The Goddess of Magic character that’s referenced several times indicates there will likely be more to the story, and that helps set the stage for Time’s Convert and other subsequent additions to the “trilogy.”
For casual readers, The Book of Life will appeal to anyone who enjoyed A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night, especially since it wraps up the series and offers a fairly satisfying conclusion to many of the outstanding story arcs. It’s also worth checking out the novel if you’re someone who enjoys a novel focused on vampire and witch warfare more than romance, especially since there’s significantly more attention paid to actual action in the novel than there were in the two prior. Additionally, the tie-in to World War Two might attract some history buffs who enjoy fantasy novels in their spare time.
For writers, there are many of the same lessons you would find A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and Time’s Convert, and they’re worth reiterating as Harkness is a skilled writer and storyteller. Adding to those lessons, writers are also likely to find value in The Book of Life from its ability to introduce new details about a character, such as a long lost son, without it feeling forced. It’s also worth noting that Harkness did a fairly decent job of hinting at the potential continuation of the All Souls Trilogy in this book, and writers who may want to continue exploring a world would find some decent tools outlined in The Book of Life.
If you’re interested in picking up a copy of The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness and want to support both The Coffeehouse Creative and independent bookstores, you can use the Bookshop.org affiliate link here.
Next Up: Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness
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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