Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Shadow of Night

Reading this series has been such an experience for me. As someone who grew up with such intense love for YA fantasy, moving into adult fantasy has been a little bit of a struggle. While yes, I find myself relating with the characters a bit more because I'm in their age group, it seems like adult fantasy, as a whole, takes a much slower pace to focus on world-building. I'll admit that I prefer quicker paces and more focus on character development, but I'm learning to appreciate this genre more and more, and the All Souls books are really helping with that!

Because this was a sequel, it followed the same progression as a lot of fantasy sequels and slowed down a lot to introduce you to the world in which the characters are living. I found myself zoning out a few times, but I think that a lot of that had to do with the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of historical references (which is why I tend to stay away from historical fiction) and so the true immersion into the 16th century was a bit uninteresting to me, personally.

That being said, I did, however, really enjoy how so many of the characters were real people. Maybe it's not exactly what they were like in reality, but it made the story more fun because it gave me the chance to imagine what they could've been like in those circumstances. There were a few really interesting references to well-known individuals that made my mind continue to ponder long after I finished the book (ex: Annie and who she actually was!)

One of the things this series has done is stick in my brain. Just like when I finished the first book, I've found myself revisiting the plot of the sequel to consider certain things and how they could play into the future of the story. Even though I might not have been 100% immersed in every single part while I was actively reading, it won't leave my mind now that I've completed it. This alone makes me all the more excited to dive into The Book of Life.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

Content Warnings

btrz7's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

1.5

Oh God, I thought this book would never end.
For as much as the premise sounds interesting and just what I would love (magic creatures time travelling to the past), the book itself falls miserably short of anything.
First, I think I just read a book with absolutely no plot. It drags on and on and on and you really don't know what's the point of it (or rather, you know what the point is meant to be, but the book itself seems to have forgotten). Second, the two main characters became kind of insufferable. Matthew seems to be the most important man at any point in space and time, who knows everyone of importance, is involved in everything, and can influence just about anything and anyone. Diana is the most special witch to have existed, and despite knowing nothing about magic, she is also apparently one of the most powerful. Together, they go through time and meet a new historical figure every 10 pages or so. Forgetting, along the way, everything they're there to do.
So yeah, I fail to see what this book accomplished in the trilogy, as most of it seemed to be both of the main characters dressing up and going out and being dramatic about their marriage.

Content Warnings

annaem's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

“Sometimes it seems like the world is full of invisible potential that is just beyond my grasp.”

This is the second book in The All Souls Trilogy. I loved the first book and so was really keen to read this second installment, especially as the first book, A Discovery of Witches, ends on a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, the second book did not really live up to my expectations.

Matthew and Diana, a vampire and witch, have travelled back to Elizabethan London and perhaps it is the time period that made this book difficult for me, as it isn’t one that I love. The purpose of their time travel is for Diana to learn magic and for them to try to retrieve Ashmole 782, an ancient manuscript. However, their adventure goes very much off track, and they become embroiled various other adventures, which I found frustrating. Like A Discovery of Witches, there is a strong sense of place which I really enjoyed and I definitely got into the book more as it progressed. Overall I did like this book, but I definitely didn’t love it. I will still read the final book though - I want to know what happens!!

Content Warnings

msjk427's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I had been looking for something immersive and this series has really done the trick. While the switch to the Elizabethian past took a moment to get used to, once adjusted, it made me realize just how much I love historical fiction. Matthew and Diana's relationship and storyline deepens and draws the readers in like a finely woven tapestry.

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