Daemons, Witches, Vampires and Enchanted Books ... oh my!

The Bookbabe Reviews: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

So I have completed the last book in this freight train of a book and I can honestly say that I was not at all disappointed. Harkness built the right amount of drama, suspense and weaved just the right amount of magic. There are a few things that I was really excited to see happen in this book. We finally travel back to England with Diana and Matthew and the rest of the "clan". Diana is still learning about her magic and more of Matthew's secrets are coming to the surface. As a result their bond is tighter than ever. While they are finally coming to terms with how the blood rage will affect their lives and we get a glimpse of the madness of Matthew's son, Benjamin. We also get reunited with one of my favorite characters from the previous book (Shadow of Night), Jack. We also see the reappearance of Father Hubbard; who the last time around was shrouded in shadiness. That is still the case this time but their is also a surprising twist that I really did not expect. The best part of this book was seeing Diana let go of her fear and go into battle with the congregation. As she takes them on we get the impression that Harkness is leaving an opening for a possible return to the story line. Which honestly is exactly what you are going to want to see happen after you've finished this book. 

Best Scene:

Favorite Quotes:

   "No wonder Philippe always looks so exhausted," he said ruefully when he was through. "It's very fatiguing pretending you're in charge when your wife actually rules the roost" 

"As I am the end, so my lover is the beginning. I encompass the whole work of creation, and all knowledge is hidden in me " 

"If you truly love someone, you will cherish what they despise most about themselves" 

Witches, Vampires, Shadows and a bit of Elizabeth the first.....

The Bookbabe Reviews: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Well It took me much less time to read this book, then the almost two weeks it took me with book one. I was not at all bored with this book. This is mainly due to Harkness ability to pace the action and plot well. This book is littered with the familiar names and places from not only the first book but from history as well. From monarchs like Elizabeth 1 and Rudolf III to Walter Raleigh and the Lord of Northumberland. The most remarkable meeting of all (for me anyway) is Philippe; Matthews father. When Diana and Matthew travel to Sept Tours at his fathers request Philippee comes off as a brut. Mean and impassive and is the master of all those around him including his children. I expected this throughout the entire time they interacted with him however (as Harkness does so well) the character reveals himself. He slowly shows his care for Matthew and then for Diana. Slowly I begin to see why Ysabeau remains so in love with him, even after his death. What I loved about this book is we slowly see Diana and Matthew get to know one another better. We get to see more of Matthew's defenses shatter as Diana attempts to get closer to him. We see their relationship deepen and they arrive at a kind of understanding that only people truly in love can. Harkness really has a way of writing flawed, real and beautiful relationships. Another thing I loved about this book is the final coming together of the "family" behind Matthew and Diana. I can not wait to see them "fight" as a family unit. Of course, we find out that we have lost one of the members of the family and I can not wait to see how this plays out in the next book. I am also eager to see how Matthew's and Diana's new arrival will affect things as well. I give this book a four star rating; if you like this spoiler-less remove you can read many more at 

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Favorite Quotes:

"You are not just my heart but it's beating" - Matthew to Diana

“Gallowglass returned to Sporrengasse with two vampires and a pretzel"

“We don’t lock up books in this house,” Philippe said, “only food, ale, and wine. Reading Herodotus or Aquinas seldom leads to bad behavior"