Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy, Bk 2) (All Souls Series)

If you're expecting the same style and structure in Shadow of Night as you saw in A Discovery of Witches, you will be disappointed. A Discovery of Witches was placed entirely in the 21st-century over a period of weeks, and predominantly focused on the love-at-first-sight relationship (and negative implications thereof) of Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont. A Discovery of Witches set forth the issues to be addressed in the trilogy: the depth and breadth of Diana's magic, the connection between alchemical history and allegory to Matthew and Diana's relationship, the Congregation's covenant precluding relations among creatures (particularly in relation to love and procreation), and the meaning behind the allusions foretelling Diana and Matthew's relationship.

What certain reviewers of Shadow of Night seem to have focused on, with deleterious effects on the ratings for the book, are issues which no self-respecting student of history would allow credence: the issue of inconsistency in time travel theory, and excessive detail with regard to context. First of all, time travel is a plot device utilized in science fiction, and no theory in physics actually posits the potential reality of backwards time travel. It follows, therefore, that the use of time travel belongs to the realm of high speculation. As it relates to Shadow of Night, time travel is utilized only twice by the protagonists, and should have little impact on the overall flow of the book. Second, without the copious amount of detail--names, places, quotidian experiences--described in the book, the idea of traveling back to 1590 is subverted. So if, as some reviewers would prefer, anonymous names, brief descriptions, and fewer characters were substituted for the content that comprises Shadow of Night, the events that did pass might as well have occurred in the 21st-century.

So, on to Shadow of Night. The book is divided into parts, and largely follows this pattern: the bulk of each part follows Matthew and Diana's travails in 1590 Elizabethan England, France, and Prague, and near the end of each part there is a brief scene highlighting some aspect of the present, either relating to the Conventicle or the Congregation and some of their member's responses and actions relating to Matthew and Diana's time travel, or as in the case of the Congregation, relating to how they can undermine Matthew and Diana's objectives. Admittedly, the first time a present-day scene arises, it is a bit off-putting, especially as there is no date identifying the scene as occurring in the 21st-century. As the book devotes 98% of the scenes to Diana and Matthew, the other 2% of the book perhaps hints to the questions that will be answered in the third book of the trilogy, e.g. what happened to Emily Mather; what became of Peter Knox's plans to attack Sept-Tours as well as to find and recruit Matthew's errant son Benjamin on the side of the Congregation; what role have and will Phoebe or Rima play in forwarding the causes of the Congregation or the Conventicle; and who else are members of the de Clermont family and where have they been all this time?

A Shadow of Night answers some of the questions posed in A Discovery of Witches: what Diana's power really is, what the goddess Diana took in exchange for allowing Diana Bishop to save Matthew's life, whether Matthew and Diana can conceive a child, what was contained in the three missing pages of Ashmole 782 and why the book came to be broken, and (to a certain extent) how the three objects they used to travel from the 21st-century to 1590 came to be passed down through the years. Unbeknownst to Matthew and Diana, but suggested to the reader, is who has an idea of where the two other missing pages are located.

Overall, the book was very enjoyable, and I look forward to seeing some of the new characters further developed in the third book. As Phillipe de Clermont and Stephen Proctor were featured in Shadow of Night, it might not be a stretch that in the third book we'll understand more about Rebecca Bishop and Ysabeau. Also, the third book might finally explain more clearly what is meant by "It begins with absence and desire; it begins with blood and fear; it begins with a discovery of witches," for it is mentioned throughout Shadow of Night as a means to fathom the unfolding of events, but the exact meaning may not be realized until the entirety of Ashmole 782 is pieced together in the 21st-century.

Anyway, if you're looking for a book with plot and a great deal of fluff, this book is not for you. If you were excited by A Discovery of Witches, are a student of history of science or merely a person who enjoys learning, and are realistic about what building a stable and enduring relationship entails, Shadow of Night is a fantastic book to add to your collection. It is quasi-historical fiction, with a bit of romance, at its best.

Last week I was mostly MIA... Well that's thanks to the fact I had started this book. It's a hefty read just like its predecessor was, and just like the final installment will be I'm sure. Once again I was transported into a world of humans, witches, vampires, daemons and more... And once again I LOVED it.

This book picks up right where book one left off. We find Diana and Matthew at the destination of their time walking... the year 1590. Elizabethan England. I am someone who has a lot of love for anything to do with history. I love reading about past eras, whether in fact or fiction. So I was excited to follow this story and devour every single detail I could, not just about the characters but also about the setting...

There is a lot of detail packed into these pages. For me I love a book with a heavy dose of detail as long as it adds to the story being told and in this case it was certainly warranted. There is no way the author would've been able to paint such a vivid picture of the Elizabethan era if she didn't spend the page space on building up every little detail from the clothing, the food, the buildings, the etiquette right down to the smells and strange little quirks of the period. I LOVED the detail that Deborah Harkness went into. I didn't begrudge one single sentence of her world building. It was beautifully done. I really enjoyed that the same level of care that Harkness took in the first book with describing the scientific aspects of the story was also paid to the historical aspects in this installment. For me I think what really highlighted the almost unimaginable alien feel of the time period was that we were seeing it through Diana's eyes. Through her very modern, current day eyes. For as much as she is a history buff, she is still from our way of life. Having her deposited into 1590 highlighted just how much the world has changed.

Time traveling can be a very tricky plot to both write and follow as a reader. I really enjoyed the authors take on this subject... that said, there is always going to be some threads of the story that do raise question marks and it's certainly no different here. I do wonder about the 'old' Matthew who reappears with apparently no knowledge of the events his future self participated in after Diana and 'current' Matthew return back to the current day. Think about it too hard and there are a lot of 'what if's' there. Also the creatures that are let in on the secret of the time traveling have their future completely re-written, just by the fact they know what they know. But the implications of all of this can't ever possibly be fully covered and explained.

On the other hand, the fact that the characters need to be careful about altering history is brought up quite a few times and this is actually one of the parts of the time traveling storyline I really enjoyed. How the author focused on the seemingly smallest things (the set of miniatures for example) and linked through them to chapters set in the current day was the perfect way to tie the story together and keep the pace and story going in the here and now as well as in the past. I loved that we got to check in with characters such as Marcus, Em, Sarah, Ysabeau and Sophie as well as some characters that weren't familiar from the first book but I'm sure will be by the end of the last. This last point also goes for the characters introduced in the past. I loved getting to meet the people from Matthews past that I had heard of, I loved following Matthew and watching him be able to see people that he had lost long ago. There were some very poignant reunions; the chapters spent on their visit to Sept-Tours were my absolute favorites of the whole book.

The plot-lines covering the manuscript and Diana's powers all progressed at least in part. As far as Diana's learning of her craft, even though I felt like it was a bit stop/start on the whole, I still really loved the direction this storyline ended up taking. There were some unexpected surprises and reveals about Diana and her powers and it was so satisfying that by the end of this book she had actually moved forward in learning about and managing her powers. The manuscript had a lot of writing time spent on the hunting of it. The actual acquiring of it...Not so much. But that doesn't at all reduce the shocking discovery about its nature and I'm very interested to see where this particular storyline heads next, it's gotten steadily creepier and creepier and I'm sure there's much more of that to come.

Finally...The love story. As much as this is a story about creatures, magic and time travel, it's just as much a story of a romance. The relationship between Matthew and Diana is the crux of this series. Everything comes back to them and their connection and in this book everything is taken up a few notches and we start to see exactly what is riding on this love story. Both characters develop and grow along with their relationship and I love that there is progress in this respect. Nothing drives me crazier than a love story that's stagnant. Probably my biggest hope for Diana and Matthew is that they get some form of HEA once all is said and done. I'm still unsure what that HEA will look like, but I am staying optimistic!

So yes, this is a long read. Yes, this has A LOT of detail, historical and otherwise and yes it is based on a romance. I feel that all of these aspects make it work as a brilliant second installment in this trilogy. It feels like we are hurtling towards all of these threads of stories being tied into finality and I literally cannot wait until July 15th when the final book is released... I can guarantee I won’t be sleeping much that week... I have big hopes.... huge hopes!

After first hearing about A Discovery of Witches, I embarked on a journey with Diana and Matthew that was completely a enthralling, once in a lifetime experience. I have since read ADOW 3 times and have been impatiently waiting for the second book in the trilogy to surface. After getting my hands on a borrowed ARC, I was able to skip ahead of line just a teensy bit.. Suffice to say, it was worth the wait. If you haven't yet,BUY THESE BOOKS! Shadow of Night continues that amazing journey and picks up right where ADOW leaves us, and still leaves me burning with extreme impatience (already) for the third and final book in the trilogy.

The book is a masterpiece of blending paranormal fantasy, historical fiction, and romance all into one seamless being. We are immediately sunk into Elizabethan London on the hunt for Ashmole 782, and thrown so many actual historical characters it can almost make the reader dizzy! The execution of said historical figures- Christopher Marlowe, Elizabeth I, etc and how they are presented to us within the story is both plausible and enlightening at the same time. It is clear that Ms. Harkness did significant historical research in the creation of this novel (as she is, in fact, a true historian after all) and in how these characters would integrate into the lives of Diana and Matthew. We follow the lead characters from The Old Lodge, back to Sept Tours, back to London, to Prague, and then back to London again in a truly epic historical journey. Along the way we learn, alongside Diana and Matthew when their marriage hits snags,secrets, heartbreak and lies, in addition to watching Matthew learn to forgive himself for the past and Diana learn the truth about herself as well as her parents. In addition to Diana and Matthew's journey into the past, we are given snippets of what events are unfolding in the future. For example,minor changes during their timewalking adventures (jewelry, simple journals,etc) are having immediate future effects. These brief views in the future are both sad and enlightening, giving the reader knowledge that Diana and Matthew are not privy to. Through their journey, they answer many of the questions asked in ADOW, but we are left with just as many new questions that gathered along the way. The book ends with the lead characters safely back in the present where they belong, but as this is only the second book in the trilogy, the problems are far from over with Ashmole 782 and the Congregation.

As stated before, I may be a little biased about these books. I am a historian of science, as well as a huge book/romance/paranormal sap. But it confuses and concerns me to read other reviews that state the book has no plot. Certainly, not everyone will enjoy every single book they come across, or not like the story, or the historical aspects, or the characters.. but clearly, how anyone can even read 3 chapters into the book and state the book has no plot is simply ridiculous in my opinion.

Ultimately, huge congratulations to Ms. Harkness on continuing this amazing story in epic form. Sometimes, the second book in the series can be weak. But, with a Shadow of Night, I was not disappointed at all. The worst part in all of this is I know I will have to wait just as long if not longer for book 3! For me, these books rank right up there with Harry Potter. This is a story to be enjoyed over and over, with new things to learn each time and lessons that we can all learn from and apply to our daily lives in some fashion. Thank you, again, Ms. Harkness!

I highly recommend this book series. This is the second book of the Discovery of Witches series. This book mainly takes place in the past where the protagonist Diane Bishop (a powerful witch with time weaver abilities) and her love interest Matthew (a vampire) take a trip through time to Elizabethan London. They are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and Matthew’s old friends from the School of Night. They escape the danger in their present, to find the missing Ashmole 782 that came to her unexpectedly, and are desperate to find it again. All eyes are on her as she is the only person who has brought that book back since its disappearance hundreds of years ago.

Diana seeks a witch to tutor her in magic as she struggles to wield it on her own. Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a different and vastly more dangerous journey than they had anticipated. She needs to learn to control her magic and find the Book of Life before others who have devious plans to use the knowledge within.

Diana and Matthew timewalk to 1590 in search of witches who can teach Diana about her magic; they also hunt for an elusive book; strengthen their relationships with each other, their fathers, and the various creatures they spend time with; and, though they thought it impossible, Diana becomes pregnant.

(Though reviews are inherently subjective, I prefer to provide some organization to my opinions through the use of a personal rubric. The following notes may contain spoilers.)

Plot and Setting: 4.4 -- Plot is engaging from start to finish. Has many unique elements, no major holes, and a sense of focus. Major plot points are dropped or not resolved (cliffhanger). Setting is clear and believable. Timeline may be a bit hard to follow. A unique element here is that we basically have 2 simultaneous timelines. Not only are Matthew and Diana learning more about themselves and each other, there are also complicating factors and dangerous predicaments in both the 16th and the 21st centuries. The main focus is the past, but scattered scenes from the present keep reminding us that time is passing there, too. There are so many different elements at play, but, amazingly, it holds together well. The timeline is harder to follow here than in book 1, mainly because it's spread over a longer period of time. There's at least one spot where things don't seem to line up, but the landmarks of different festivals and feast days help maintain clarity.

Characters: 5 -- Relatable, realistic, interesting, dynamic characters. Even minor characters have depth, as do the relationships between characters. While all the characters from the first book are continuing their own stories, we only get glimpses of the 'present,' and get introduced to a whole new cast of characters in the past. There's really no overlap beyond Matthew and Diana, and all the new characters we meet are at least as vivid and fascinating as those we met before. The depictions of actual historical figures have that additional interesting element of fiction representing, at least a little, historical truth. Some very powerful (and complicated!) family relationships, especially as Diana and Matthew relate to Philippe, Stephen, and Jack and Annie.

Mechanics and Writing: 5 -- Few, if any, typos, punctuation issues, or word errors. (<3/100pgs) Intelligent use of POV. Skillful writing that adds to the story. Errors include: mild punctuation or formatting issues, some small inconsistencies. POV is mainly 1st-person Diana, with some scenes (all or almost all when Diana is not present to narrate) in a sort of universal 3rd-person narrative, dipping into the thoughts of whoever is needed to tell the important details.

Redeeming Value: 3.2 -- Partially focused uplifting themes or lessons. Drugs, alcohol, violence, etc, are not glorified, though there is definitely shaky ground. Several mildly explicit sex scenes. Implied moral guidelines for behavior. More of the kind of vampire morality that involves bloodshed and power plays. The added element of blood rage, which takes a vampire even further into unreasoning violence. A few scenes involving characters high on opium, though this is not looked on with approval. Diana and Matthew are married, and they have sex. It's described in more detail than I would prefer, but really the focus each time is on how sex plays into their overall relationship. In other words, it's fairly explicit, but not gratuitous. Some great themes about second chances, reconciliation, forgiveness, family, and love.

Personal Enjoyment: 4.5 -- I loved it. Highly enjoyable and very entertaining, with perhaps an issue or two that tempered my pleasure. I’d enjoy reading it again.

Certain books captivate your attention right from the start and stay with you long after you've finished reading them. Shadow of Night is most certainly one of those books.

I was a huge fan of A Discovery of Witches and was eagerly awaiting the sequel as soon as I was done reading the first novel. I absolutely loved Shadow of Night and was not dissapointed in the slightest. In many ways I enjoyed this novel even more than the first. I loved that the sequel picked up right where DOW ended. The authors detailed description of each place that Matthew and Diana visited in the past really made me feel that I was actually there and seeing through Diana's eyes.

I will say that there are many new characters thrown into the sequel, often times many come in at once, and you must pay close attention to take in what is going on and who is saying what at certain points in the book. However, the characters are so richly written that it's well worth it to keep a mental checklist of who's who, and also there is a helpful character listing in the back of the book to correspond with each place Matthew and Diana are currently in. I also enjoy Ms. Harkness's dry humor in the way that the characters interact with each other as well.

I have read many of the reviews, and have noticed that several people have commented that the theory of "time-walking" was flawed and that the theory seemed to change throughout the book. I will say that the theory did seem to change several times, but only because Matthew and Diana really had no idea as to the rules of "time-walking" and visiting the past, and how their time there would effect the future as well. They were both figuring things out as they went along, so it was a natural progression that the theories changed as the novel moved on. I also have read that the novel read somewhat like a history book because of the author's love of history. However, I felt that the history was woven into the storyline and helped establish the setting. Also, being that the main character Diana is a historian herself, it would make sense that the details that were noted would be looked at by Diana since that is her passion and life's work.

I enjoyed the flashes to present day while Matthew and Diana were still in the past and how current events were corresponding with what was happening in the past as it was happening, I felt it really helped tie everything together. You also are really able to see the progression of not only Matthew and Diana's relationship, but of their understanding of each other as individual persons and his/her needs. It makes their relationship seem more believable and not stagnant.

I so enjoyed this novel from start to finish and was so sad to have finished it as quickly as I did. I will definitely be re-reading it again (not flying through the pages quite so quickly!) hoping to take in some points that I missed from the first time!! I of course am eagerly awaiting the final book in the series to see how the story finishes!

For those of us who have read and reread the first two of Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy novels, I am guessing that like me, you yearn for the third in the series and check her website often. But that kind of quality cannot be rushed so we wait and some of us reread them. These novels are packed with details and character depth that they warrant rereading. I hardly ever reread a book no matter how good the book, nor how bored I am. But there are always exceptions to the rules and I do love those exceptions. Even if you do not like novels with witches and other creatures, even if you would never read Tolkien's books or Harry Potter or anything with magic in it, make an exception and read these. She has an amazing understanding of people (for what does it really matter if a character in a book is somewhat different as her characters are; we are all different in some manner). And she has a way of finding the healthy and loving solutions we would all like in our lives and rarely find in our reading. Deborah Harkness has created a world within our world which is intricate, and exciting; with in-depth characters you love and those you do not; but all of them are believable. As you read you will find that the species of her characters is much less import than their ability to love even when it is difficult and to face their fears and desires. This novel picks up exactly where the last ended and I was lucky for it was available when I finished Discovery or Witches. In this one there are more and delightful characters added. Together they make a whole and set the stage for the third and last book. If you have ever found yourself less than happy with who are, if you have ever known great joy or fear or deep sorrow, if you struggle to master yourself or have problems loving yourself or trusting others, you will find the same struggles within the novels' characters and even better: the hope and joy we all want. In fact, Harkness writes so well that they are more than characters; you may find yourself or friends within her pages. I enjoy historical novels with some mystery within them. There are many authors I can recommend but none do as wonderful a job. Deborah Harkness is an historian and a very, very gifted writer. No wonder she needed to branch out into novels. While I liked historical settings, until these books, I never realized what wealth history can add. These books are not just set in an historical time, they involve real people who she threads through her stories; albeit she takes some artistic license with a few of them yet still gives us something believable. Her approach makes it all the more enjoyable. She writes so well that I actually bought one of her history books. History can be fun if told by an excellent storyteller and Deborah Harkness is that. I should know for I am a story teller and a poet and very difficult to please. "It began with absence and desire, it began with blood and fear, it began with The Discovery of Witches", which is the title of the first book. Long ago, I wrote poems about the same forces in life for desire, blood and fear are central concerns no matter what else comes our way. Oh and few more notes: aside from her first novel debuting at #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list, being named one of the best books of February 2011 by Amazon, and selling in at least 34 countries another tidbit which may interest you is that Warner Bros bought the movie right and hired David Auburn (Lake House) to adapt the stories. And you can bet those of us who have loved her novels are anxiously awaiting the first movie. Check out You Tube for more on that.

Shadow of night is the second book in the series. Discovery of Witches being the first.

In this novel Diana and Matthew travel in time back to the 1500's to find a book that may contain secrets that no one is very sure what those secrets might be. They are also traveling back in time in hopes of finding a teacher for Diana and her strange witch powers.

Unfortunately for them when they get to the 1500s Diana's magic seems to have changed. To make matters worse they are in a time where supernatural beings are feared and prosecuted. So finding a teacher is proving to be quite difficult. There is also the fact that once they are back in time Matthew is not the same Matthew Diana has some to get to know and love. He is slowly changing back to his old ways, to the way he was.

All in all this is a good book. There are several things I did not enjoy though. First the history of the book is wonderful, but its just to drawn out. There is to much of it. I want to read a novel not a lesson in history. I mean its great that the author has taken the time to make things very accurate and her history knowledge really shows but its overwhelming and I found myself skimming over parts where it went on and on about details that were not necessary.

The book is also quite slow to begin. The first 10% or so of the book (On kindle) nothing happens. Oh sure we meet lots of people, most interesting is the school of night guys, but other then that ... nothing! Nothing on Diana and learning to be witch. Nothing on looking for a book.

I also had some issues on the time traveling part. For myself anyway it didnt make sense. During the book sometimes the author cuts back to the present time when Matthew and Diana family find new details about the past (like letters and such and things that have changed), but why is the current time not stopping? If the past were to change it would be logical to deduce that we would never know things changed, that the new details were always there. My other problem was at the end Diana and Matthew of course come back to the present time. But why didnt they just come back moments after they left? How can someone come back to a future they dont know? And why was the old Matthew replaced with a the new Matthew, would the past Matthew stay? Again these are questions I asked, and we all know time travel isnt possible, yet. And this is my personal opinion.

But the author does a nice job of adding the school of night with a twist. It is neat to see old characters that were so influential to the past in a book that could hold so many secrets.

I also had some issues that we dont know what happened to their old friends from the past. Like what happened to little Jack? I do hope in the 3rd book she lets us know.

All in all if was a nice read and great addition and lots of twist and turns I didnt see coming. A Must read even with its few flaws :)

4.5 stars

This book was full of things to love! Adventure, intrigue, history, magic, and of course some romance.

I absolutely loved the first book, it was an easy 5 star rating for me. I read the first one super fast and was eager to start the next book. But I have to admit I didn’t read this one as fast as I had hoped and I admittedly didn’t like it as much as I liked the first and here is why.

The time travel angle was a fun plot twist and I thought it added a lot to Matthew’s character that we were missing in the first book. However, I felt that by moving the plot to a completely new setting and period called for more world building. This book introduced a host of new characters and a completely new period in history…..and a lot of time was spent world building and creating back stories etc which was necessary but for me, slowed down the momentum of the overall series a bit.

That’s not to say that this book was any less entertaining and fun to read, it just slowed things down in a way that I wasn’t expecting. I did love meeting some new characters though. I don’t want to giveaway anything away for people who haven’t read the books but let’s just say, I loved meeting more of the Clairmont family.

In the first book, there was a lot of romance and the focus was really on Diana and Matthew. It was nice in this book to focus more on the ‘adventure’ part of their story and get back to finding the book and solving the mystery of the book etc. However, I did want a little more ‘romance’ in this book. For me it just wasn’t as ‘romantic’ as the first book, though there was more sexual contact and professions of love but it lacked romance for me.

I can’t wait to read the conclusion and find out what happens to Matthew and Diana next! A wonderful installment to a fantastic series, but wonderful in a different way.....different than I was expecting.

This book is a bloated, inconsistent, almost plot-less beast of a novel that all in all, is surprisingly readable - thus it does get three stars. Middle-aged lovers Diana and Matt have just time-walked back to 1590 at the start of the book. They have three very clear purposes. 1) to be safely hidden 2) to find Ashmole 782 in its intact form in the past to bring it back to the present. 3) to find a knowledgeable witch who can teach the hapless Diana how to use her powers. Once tasks 2 and 3 are accomplished, they will return to the present. Diana and Matt's witch and vampire family (and the daemons) back in the present all are apparently in some danger while Matt and Diana figure things out. But that does not really hurry Matt and Diana, aka the most oblivious and self-important couple in the world's history, along in their quest.

Some spoilers ahead - It takes about half of the long, long book before they even have Diana meet a witch willing to help her. And it's not because they have been exhaustively searching. They don't even look for the All-important Ashmole-782 at all, but ask one of Matt's Renaissance friends to look for the book and basically forget about it while the couple gets lost in Renaissance-nostalgia. Matt, of course, used to live in the Renaissance since he is an old vampire so it is literally a walk down memory lane for him. Diana (and the author) are similarly wrapped up in too much obscure Renaissance detail. Dress, speech patterns, writing things in a journal correctly, etc.

Far worse, however, than the endless Renaissance minutiae and poor pacing of the story are the inconsistencies. Matt is supposed to be this brilliant scientist and shrewd political figure. He is the head of like 50 top secret government and religious societies (not really much of an exaggeration). However, he is an incompetent, mentally deranged boobie in this book. We learn he has lots of trauma from the past. We learn he has a genetic condition called blood rage. In this book, Matt cannot make a good decision. Going to 1590's England to hide from witch persecution? Hmmmm. Having no plan to disguise his marriage or stay in hiding with Diana, though secrecy and hiding was one of the reasons for going back in time? Matt's friend Christopher Marlowe (yes, THAT Christopher Marlowe!) hates Diana, and endangers her several times. But the supposedly psychotically overprotective Matt does nothing about it until about the tenth time. Then what he does makes no sense. About the only time he makes sense is when he wants to go back to the present when Diana is pregnant (for modern medical care). But then she reveals to that she actually cannot travel forward in time cuz she hasn't learned that yet. But she did this several times in the last book you ask? Look - a tree! Diana made it in an alchemical lab with her historically significant best friend, Lady Pembroke. Also Benjamin is in this book! Remember everything you read about him. I promise you will thank me if you go on to read the next book (Pssst.... Benjamin is called Herr Fuchs in this book about 99% of the short time he is even mentioned).

Diana's witch-teacher(s), when they finally arrive in the story, reveal that Diana is.... a weaver. What is a weaver you might well ask? It is a witch that can create new spells (by weaving them), but cannot carry out any existing spells. Phew! Diana has yet one more explanation for her lifetime of incompetence. We learn weavers were almost all killed due to being feared by witches around the world. Yet all these witches are delighted with Diana as she can make new spells for them to use. They don't yet know about her procrastinating habits. Diana also has lots of fire, water, earth and wind and can do magic without spells. She uses colored thread to make knots. One knot, two knots, three knots, four. With any luck, she will get up to 9 knots (of course she will get 10). The knots are really important for some badly explained reasons. And it is hard to tell if it is real thread or some kind of mystical, ephemeral thread. And it is impossible to tell how the thread relates to spells. Diane participates in a big séance where she creates a dragon (really a fire-drake but c'mon) familiar that hides in her ribs and - Oh look another tree! It's a super-meaningful Rowan tree Diana made with magic! One branch of the tree remained and was used to make a box for her thread. The box was so well crafted that no nails were needed for the joints. A tree was carved on it. I was pretty lost at this point and decided not to try to understand Diana's witch powers. All you need to know is that Diana is the most special and powerful witch ever, but she still has a lot to learn. (Note - the same philosophy also helped me deal with the logistics and technicalities of time-travel in this book. I decided not to try to understand it after a while and just accepted that it didn't make sense).

Anyways during all of this, Matt and Diane travel to France and Prague and meet all kinds of historical figures. They meet Matt's dad (a character I liked overall, but was a long digression from the main plot). They get married (yes, they are already married like 3 times, but they do it again), they get pregnant, miscarry, buy mousetraps and adopt two street-urchins. They stay months and months in the past, building a life. Finally they meet Diana's dad who was a time-walking witch too. He abruptly says Matt and Diana are being idiots and messing with the space-time continuum by staying so long in the past. They decide it's time to head back to the present, but do so at a leisurely pace. Ashmole 782 (remember that?) is left in the past because it would mess up the time stream or something to bring it back intact (GRRR TEETH ACTUALLY GNASHING AT THIS POINT). Someone completely unrelated to anything in the book invents a telescope and that is important enough to get several pages and a chapter devoted to it. The two poor street urchins are left in the past without a word, and minimal help for the future (couldn't Diana have given Annie some money to set up as a seamstress??) Oh yeah, an important and beloved character is dead in the present. Oh look - a tree! It grew out of the fireplace in Diana's present-day home and seems pretty magical. Hope that turns out to be important.

I should apologize for this long, meandering review, but it sort of fits the novel. Yet I read all three books in the series and go back to them sometimes when I want something mindless and familiar to read before going to bed. The plot is a tried and true formula, and it is somehow better than the sum of its parts, though admittedly not by much. I wish Harkness had a better editor, but then maybe the books would be less original and more formulaic. Anyways, I think this one earns three stars. It's OK, but not good.