A review by theomnivorescientist
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Shadow Of Night is my favourite of the three books of the All Souls Trilogy. Matthew and Diana time travel to Elizabethan England where Shakespeare takes a backseat and many colourful figures from the past take this vampire-witch plot to a next level. We meet the secretive School Of Night club headed by Sir Walter Raleigh. Kit Marlowe is in love with Matthew de Clairmont ( of course he is ) and the Queen has a toothache which only Matthew can heal. This second volume is all about coming to face with your demons, accepting their realities, and moving on. Diana learns about her witch abilities and to control its stunning manifestations while Matthew faces his darkest animalistic version while he juggles meeting his father Phillipe (another strong character arc) and his life as the Queen's spy. There is so much in this novel it can be enjoyed just as a standalone historical mystery. Through alchemy, magic, literature, history, and Elizabethan London, Deborah Harkness has kept the charm of historical fiction alive making this not just another vampire fiction.