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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Spoilers herein!
After the middle-book-syndrome problems in [b:book two|11559200|Shadow of Night (All Souls, #2)|Deborah Harkness|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320604137l/11559200._SY75_.jpg|16499524], the plot picks back up in The Book of Life. It's still slow and still feels like it takes absolutely forever to accomplish what book one set out to achieve, but the time between is filled with more interesting developments.
When you look at the series as a whole, it's really wild just how long it took for Diana to finally re-obtain (a third time!!) the super important and super mysterious manuscript, only to absorb it. She and her cohorts re-visit a closed-for-construction library to use an out-of-order tube system to try calling the book again. And then sit around for two hours! Just to see if it will work! Instead of using magic! All this while very important and terrifying things are going on elsewhere. That's bonkers. And also on brand at this point.
Speaking of terrifying things going on elsewhere, even though the Benjamin stuff was more high stakes than anything else and had a much more succinct story arc, it STILL took everyone FOREVER to prioritize it. Benjamin is raping and murdering on a LIVE STREAM and they're just like, well, we'll nurse the twins for a bit first. IDK. The pacing in all of these books is so strange.
I'm still confused by the whole build up to the blood rage thing. Matthew's son*, who has been killing innocents and garnering the notice of the humans, making it into the papers, etc, is this big gigantic threat to all the creatures’ safety (never mind the humans I guess). The Congregation is foaming at the mouth and there's a kill order from Matthew's own brother. But then just kidding, never mind? Matthew has control over his so it can be taught, but also the cure they've been building toward is a nothing burger b/c DNA and genetics? But then Diana is all NOT MY SON and we're all just cool in the end?
Diana telling her completely forgotten bestie that she's a witch and Matthew's a vampire was hilarious. I forget besties name, but he accepts the weird without any hesitation, as does his entire class of research scientists who sign NDAs so they can work with Matthew on testing creature DNA. Again, the secret keeping in this book is outrageous. EVERYBODY KNOWS.
I suppose the Congregation stuff was satisfying in the end? It was nice to have a protagonist--even as special snowflakey as this one--end up with an actual job. The author sort of tries to hang on to the whole tenured professor thing but it falls apart back in book one and never really resembles a career again. I really don't know what the Congregation DOES other than serve as a light antagonist throughout the series, but now Diana is on the board or whatever and I presume she'll be able to peruse their clay tablet collection at some point.
But really, I didn't hate this! I listened while I worked on my home renovation projects and didn't hurl my earbuds across the room even once.
Some spoilery series-wide curiosities/weirds:
1. If time walking is easy enough for Diana's father to take causal afternoon strolls through Elizabethan England, and if Matthew and Diana spending literal months (almost a year?) hanging out in said time period with little to no consequential butterfly effect, why was there zero discussion about Diana traveling back in time to prevent both Philippe's and Emily's deaths? (The TV series sort of addresses this, but the book never does.) No one teaches her how to time walk or explains any of the rules (other than her dad telling her not to stay in a different period for longer than a week or two & he only did this by accidentally running into her - he didn't leave her any guidebooks to follow or prepare her in anyway before he died). She can alter history so the proper man gets credit for the invention of the telescope? But saving lives is out of the question?
2. Philippe remembers Diana visiting him while he was being tortured & killed by the Nazi's, but she has no memory of this. At the time I assumed it was because she hadn't gone yet, though if she hadn't, Philippe wouldn't have the memory (see point three b/c the pretzel-braining you have to do to make all of this work isn't consistent). But she never does go. So it just happened and she can't remember? There are later hints that she did something magical to alleviate Philippe's suffering or helped protect his memories, but I never could piece together what actually happened.
3. Diana's centuries old nephew, Gallowglass, remembers Diana from the 1590s, then at Philippe's behest, watches over her throughout her entire life. Soooo he's watching over her when she's born and growing up -- before she's traveled back in time (pretzel! brain!), but he remembers that she has because plot reasons! If Gallowglass remembers future Diana and watches over her, then Matthew ALSO should have remembered her, but he doesn't.
4. Since Matthew doesn't remember Diana before meeting her for some reason, shouldn't there have been a moment after they return from the 16th century when he remembers remembering Diana? Or shouldn't he remember being confused after disappearing for almost a year and returning to stories of a witch bride?
5. In book two, I think, Isabeau is searching through her books to locate a message from Philippe to reassure herself that Matthew and Diana have arrived safely in the past. While searching, Diana's aunt, I think, tells her it probably hasn't been written yet. But if Philippe and Gallowglass have known since before Diana was born what would happen, the note would have been hanging out in the library for 400+ years. It would have made more sense if Isabeau was sifting through the messages she'd already found over the years to reinterpret one she'd already received. HOWEVER...
6. If Philippe remembered Diana from the past and went so far as to set her a hulking Viking vampire guardian, you're telling me that he wouldn't have prepared his witch-hating wife to expect a future witch bride for her son? But Isabeau gives no clue that she was expecting Diana, nor does she roll out the welcome wagon for her and warms very slowly after lots of threats and trying to scare her off.
7. Diana's father tells her that he's aware of the grizzly way he and his wife are going to die. He does not use any of his time walking abilities to save their lives or ensure one of them survives to raise their daughter. Cool. So they had advance warning that they would be orphaning their super special prophesied witch daughter, yet made almost no preparations for her other than spellbinding her and telling her a fairy tale they hoped she'd remember. What is even the point of time walking? Also, if Diana could find the ribbons and unravel the spellbinding, won't the witch who tortured her (can't remember the name, starts with an S) be able to eventually unravel hers?
8. Gallowglass being in love with Diana for 400+ years is the saddest and weirdest thing ever. Maybe even weirder than Jacob imprinting on a newborn, because Gallowglass is in love with a girl that does not exist... and then does exist in infant/toddler/child/teenager form. And he just lurks around keeping her safe I guess. Diana's father is AWARE of his presence and who he is and again does nothing to prepare his daughter for anything. If another book comes out and Gallowglass ends up with Diana's twin daughter I'm going to smash something with my bare fist.
9. * The whole family thing is weird. While I can see the logic behind creatures like vampires wanting to create covens or 'packs' for safety and companionship, the whole mother, father, son, daughter thing is bizarre. They're all a million years old and yet there's an older sibling hierarchy? There are family trees? There is a difference between making a vampire but then it feeds on someone else's blood so it's not blood related? Or it is? Like, Matthew is Phillipe's and Isabeau's "son" but Diana is their BLOODED daughter b/c Phillipe smeared some of his blood across her forehead?
Anyway, I guess if you can get through book two and like vampire romance, I'd still recommend? Question mark?
After the middle-book-syndrome problems in [b:book two|11559200|Shadow of Night (All Souls, #2)|Deborah Harkness|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320604137l/11559200._SY75_.jpg|16499524], the plot picks back up in The Book of Life. It's still slow and still feels like it takes absolutely forever to accomplish what book one set out to achieve, but the time between is filled with more interesting developments.
When you look at the series as a whole, it's really wild just how long it took for Diana to finally re-obtain (a third time!!) the super important and super mysterious manuscript, only to absorb it. She and her cohorts re-visit a closed-for-construction library to use an out-of-order tube system to try calling the book again. And then sit around for two hours! Just to see if it will work! Instead of using magic! All this while very important and terrifying things are going on elsewhere. That's bonkers. And also on brand at this point.
Speaking of terrifying things going on elsewhere, even though the Benjamin stuff was more high stakes than anything else and had a much more succinct story arc, it STILL took everyone FOREVER to prioritize it. Benjamin is raping and murdering on a LIVE STREAM and they're just like, well, we'll nurse the twins for a bit first. IDK. The pacing in all of these books is so strange.
I'm still confused by the whole build up to the blood rage thing. Matthew's son*, who has been killing innocents and garnering the notice of the humans, making it into the papers, etc, is this big gigantic threat to all the creatures’ safety (never mind the humans I guess). The Congregation is foaming at the mouth and there's a kill order from Matthew's own brother. But then just kidding, never mind? Matthew has control over his so it can be taught, but also the cure they've been building toward is a nothing burger b/c DNA and genetics? But then Diana is all NOT MY SON and we're all just cool in the end?
Diana telling her completely forgotten bestie that she's a witch and Matthew's a vampire was hilarious. I forget besties name, but he accepts the weird without any hesitation, as does his entire class of research scientists who sign NDAs so they can work with Matthew on testing creature DNA. Again, the secret keeping in this book is outrageous. EVERYBODY KNOWS.
I suppose the Congregation stuff was satisfying in the end? It was nice to have a protagonist--even as special snowflakey as this one--end up with an actual job. The author sort of tries to hang on to the whole tenured professor thing but it falls apart back in book one and never really resembles a career again. I really don't know what the Congregation DOES other than serve as a light antagonist throughout the series, but now Diana is on the board or whatever and I presume she'll be able to peruse their clay tablet collection at some point.
But really, I didn't hate this! I listened while I worked on my home renovation projects and didn't hurl my earbuds across the room even once.
Some spoilery series-wide curiosities/weirds:
1. If time walking is easy enough for Diana's father to take causal afternoon strolls through Elizabethan England, and if Matthew and Diana spending literal months (almost a year?) hanging out in said time period with little to no consequential butterfly effect, why was there zero discussion about Diana traveling back in time to prevent both Philippe's and Emily's deaths? (The TV series sort of addresses this, but the book never does.) No one teaches her how to time walk or explains any of the rules (other than her dad telling her not to stay in a different period for longer than a week or two & he only did this by accidentally running into her - he didn't leave her any guidebooks to follow or prepare her in anyway before he died). She can alter history so the proper man gets credit for the invention of the telescope? But saving lives is out of the question?
2. Philippe remembers Diana visiting him while he was being tortured & killed by the Nazi's, but she has no memory of this. At the time I assumed it was because she hadn't gone yet, though if she hadn't, Philippe wouldn't have the memory (see point three b/c the pretzel-braining you have to do to make all of this work isn't consistent). But she never does go. So it just happened and she can't remember? There are later hints that she did something magical to alleviate Philippe's suffering or helped protect his memories, but I never could piece together what actually happened.
3. Diana's centuries old nephew, Gallowglass, remembers Diana from the 1590s, then at Philippe's behest, watches over her throughout her entire life. Soooo he's watching over her when she's born and growing up -- before she's traveled back in time (pretzel! brain!), but he remembers that she has because plot reasons! If Gallowglass remembers future Diana and watches over her, then Matthew ALSO should have remembered her, but he doesn't.
4. Since Matthew doesn't remember Diana before meeting her for some reason, shouldn't there have been a moment after they return from the 16th century when he remembers remembering Diana? Or shouldn't he remember being confused after disappearing for almost a year and returning to stories of a witch bride?
5. In book two, I think, Isabeau is searching through her books to locate a message from Philippe to reassure herself that Matthew and Diana have arrived safely in the past. While searching, Diana's aunt, I think, tells her it probably hasn't been written yet. But if Philippe and Gallowglass have known since before Diana was born what would happen, the note would have been hanging out in the library for 400+ years. It would have made more sense if Isabeau was sifting through the messages she'd already found over the years to reinterpret one she'd already received. HOWEVER...
6. If Philippe remembered Diana from the past and went so far as to set her a hulking Viking vampire guardian, you're telling me that he wouldn't have prepared his witch-hating wife to expect a future witch bride for her son? But Isabeau gives no clue that she was expecting Diana, nor does she roll out the welcome wagon for her and warms very slowly after lots of threats and trying to scare her off.
7. Diana's father tells her that he's aware of the grizzly way he and his wife are going to die. He does not use any of his time walking abilities to save their lives or ensure one of them survives to raise their daughter. Cool. So they had advance warning that they would be orphaning their super special prophesied witch daughter, yet made almost no preparations for her other than spellbinding her and telling her a fairy tale they hoped she'd remember. What is even the point of time walking? Also, if Diana could find the ribbons and unravel the spellbinding, won't the witch who tortured her (can't remember the name, starts with an S) be able to eventually unravel hers?
8. Gallowglass being in love with Diana for 400+ years is the saddest and weirdest thing ever. Maybe even weirder than Jacob imprinting on a newborn, because Gallowglass is in love with a girl that does not exist... and then does exist in infant/toddler/child/teenager form. And he just lurks around keeping her safe I guess. Diana's father is AWARE of his presence and who he is and again does nothing to prepare his daughter for anything. If another book comes out and Gallowglass ends up with Diana's twin daughter I'm going to smash something with my bare fist.
9. * The whole family thing is weird. While I can see the logic behind creatures like vampires wanting to create covens or 'packs' for safety and companionship, the whole mother, father, son, daughter thing is bizarre. They're all a million years old and yet there's an older sibling hierarchy? There are family trees? There is a difference between making a vampire but then it feeds on someone else's blood so it's not blood related? Or it is? Like, Matthew is Phillipe's and Isabeau's "son" but Diana is their BLOODED daughter b/c Phillipe smeared some of his blood across her forehead?
Anyway, I guess if you can get through book two and like vampire romance, I'd still recommend? Question mark?
I really like this series overall. This book was very dramatic and exciting, although I thought the actual "book of life" part was a bit much. Would still recommend!
This is the last book to one of my favorite series ever! I'm so sad that I've reached the end. However, this was a very good ending to the series. I was shocked at some of the twists and turns. And I fell in love with Diana and Matthew's characters even more. Deborah Harkness did a wonderful job creating and leading us to solving the mystery of Ashmole 782. I loved the return of the characters from Shadow of Night! I don't want to say any spoilers but especially the character that was a little pickpocket! I loved that he came back to Diana and Matthew.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am sad that this trilogy is over...however I think that she left some loose ends open for future books set in the same world (Gallowglass, Phoebe, Chris/lab, etc)
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed this book. The Book of Life is better than the second one. What I liked about the third is that Diana became a strong woman and was no longer a victim. When she takes control the story is at its best. Well worth the wait.
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No