I'm finally able to sit down and share my thoughts with you on the finale of the All Souls Trilogy, The Book of Life. This is basically another review catch up as I finished this book a while ago, yep - "bad Blogger!!!", I know. Better late than never, right? Right.
Publisher: Viking Penguin | Penguin Audio
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Hardcover: 561 pages | Audio Length: Approx 24 hours
Narrator: Jennifer Ikeda
Source: Audible
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Historical Fantasy
Review Date: February 17, 2016
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’ enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Hardcover: 561 pages | Audio Length: Approx 24 hours
Narrator: Jennifer Ikeda
Source: Audible
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Historical Fantasy
Review Date: February 17, 2016
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’ enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.
Fist, let me just say that I'm so happy that I got my hands on this trilogy after the trilogy was complete. The Book of Life was released two full years after Shadow of Night, and as a reader of series, that's a very long wait. For those of you that did have to wait, I know you thought the payoff was so worth every moment. I know that's how I felt and I only had to wait a month and a half in-between because I didn't want to be ahead of my book club.
Same as with previous installments, this is no quick read. By that I mean, not only is it a huge book and long audiobook (even when listening at 1.5 - 2x speed), but you also want to savor it as you know that it's coming to an end. I went back and forth with wanting to rush through it all to find out how it all ends, to wanting to slow down so that I could thoroughly enjoy Mathew and Diana...Yes, I actually like Matthew in this installment. If you haven't seen my previous reviews on this trilogy, then let me just say that I have a love, hate thing going on with the Matthew's character. I seriously couldn't decide if I liked him, until now.
Diana's character stays the course and becomes as powerful as you'd expect. Matthew for once is acting his age and he has some actual wisdom when it comes to his wife and her abilities. Which is a change of pace for Mr.Old As Dirt. All of their family and friends have pretty substantial parts in this story and all of the pieces come together like a puzzle. Every character has a point and I just loved that about Harkness's style. I started to feel as connected to many of the minor characters as I did to Diana and Matthew. I loved Gallowglass, Chris, Marcus, Ysabeau, Fernando, and more. I could go on and one. They are stellar and evolving characters.
The villain is a nasty one, which was a good thing. I enjoy a dreadfully awful villain because I can only buy the hero and heroine's rolls if they defeat someone really evil. Harkness delivered us a true villain to defeat.
Diana's character stays the course and becomes as powerful as you'd expect. Matthew for once is acting his age and he has some actual wisdom when it comes to his wife and her abilities. Which is a change of pace for Mr.Old As Dirt. All of their family and friends have pretty substantial parts in this story and all of the pieces come together like a puzzle. Every character has a point and I just loved that about Harkness's style. I started to feel as connected to many of the minor characters as I did to Diana and Matthew. I loved Gallowglass, Chris, Marcus, Ysabeau, Fernando, and more. I could go on and one. They are stellar and evolving characters.
The villain is a nasty one, which was a good thing. I enjoy a dreadfully awful villain because I can only buy the hero and heroine's rolls if they defeat someone really evil. Harkness delivered us a true villain to defeat.
If you've been reading along or even if you've long since finished the trilogy then this isn't a spoiler! I especially liked how Matthew and Diana's twins turned out. They are a perfect image of both of their parents and family lines. I personally would love to jump forward 20 years and see how they are in the world, and what becomes of them.
My only real complaint about the title is that like the previous two books, there were a few chapters that had a lull in the plot and action. While I really enjoyed the trilogy, I personally think that each book cold have been a little tighter with the plot and shaved down in size a little. With that said, I was especially satisfied with the end. I felt that the story was tied up in a nice bow..
I listened to this on audiobook, same as the others. Per usual Jennifer Ikeda nails it. She's got these characters figured out and her abilities to move seemly between them and keep them all in their own likeness and recognizable is an ability that can't be done well by many. With such a huge amount a characters, is astonishing. It's a gift. Her voice lends to an even richer experience and keeps you listening.
I recommend this trilogy for anyone who loves historical fiction blended with fantasy and for those who love a witch loves vampire story. Since I don't know if we'll ever get that look into the future I'm hoping for, I'll have to settle for the spin off, The Serpent's Mirror. I have no clue how many more books are in the plans, but I will be reading along - or listening if they are able to snag Ikeda for the narration.
Beyond that, I'm pretty excited to watch this as a television adaptation as well. If done right, It could be awesome.
Before you go, check out a few of my favorite quotes.
“I see you, even when you hide from the rest of the world. I hear you, even when you're silent.”
"...a willingness to change was the secret of survival.”
Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
My only real complaint about the title is that like the previous two books, there were a few chapters that had a lull in the plot and action. While I really enjoyed the trilogy, I personally think that each book cold have been a little tighter with the plot and shaved down in size a little. With that said, I was especially satisfied with the end. I felt that the story was tied up in a nice bow..
I listened to this on audiobook, same as the others. Per usual Jennifer Ikeda nails it. She's got these characters figured out and her abilities to move seemly between them and keep them all in their own likeness and recognizable is an ability that can't be done well by many. With such a huge amount a characters, is astonishing. It's a gift. Her voice lends to an even richer experience and keeps you listening.
I recommend this trilogy for anyone who loves historical fiction blended with fantasy and for those who love a witch loves vampire story. Since I don't know if we'll ever get that look into the future I'm hoping for, I'll have to settle for the spin off, The Serpent's Mirror. I have no clue how many more books are in the plans, but I will be reading along - or listening if they are able to snag Ikeda for the narration.
Beyond that, I'm pretty excited to watch this as a television adaptation as well. If done right, It could be awesome.
Before you go, check out a few of my favorite quotes.
“I see you, even when you hide from the rest of the world. I hear you, even when you're silent.”
"...a willingness to change was the secret of survival.”
Happy Reading & Listening,
~Tamara
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| Get the Audible version here: 
| Get the Audible version here: 
