Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop have returned to the
modern day world after their time-walking adventures in the
prior novel. The relationship between them is condemned by
the Congregation as they are viewed as different species.
Diana is a witch, specifically a weaver, while Matthew is a
vampire. The Congregation, composed of witches, vampires,
and daemons, forbids their union in their covenant and is
putting obstacles in their path. Meanwhile, Matthew's
vampire son, Benjamin Fuchs, is hunting for Diana and
Matthew and his anger knows no boundaries. Will Matthew and
Diana find the balance they so desperately need in order to
survive when everything seems stacked against them?
THE BOOK OF LIFE is the concluding book in the All Souls
Trilogy and is definitely best appreciated in the
context of the series as a whole. Deborah Harkness has
crafted a saga that is stunning, both in its scope and
intensity. THE BOOK OF LIFE returns readers back to the
roots of the first novel and the mysterious manuscript,
Ashmole 782, where we finally get all of our questions
answered.
Deborah Harkness expertly blends fantasy and science
together as Matthew, Miriam, Chris, and the graduate
students seek out the answers that have eluded Matthew for
so long. The scientific angle adds an air of authenticity
to the storyline that contrasts perfectly with the
supernatural aspects involving witches, vampires, and
daemons. I love that we also return back to the book
research and revisiting the libraries for answers as well.
THE BOOK OF LIFE offers readers a satisfying conclusion to
what has become one of my favorite series of all time.
Deborah Harkness does a magnificent job at weaving together
past and present as she cleverly ties all the pieces
together. I cannot rave enough about THE BOOK OF LIFE. THE
BOOK OF LIFE and the entire All Souls Trilogy are
masterfully done!
The highly anticipated finale to the #1 New York
Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Discovery
of Witches
After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the
second book in Deborah Harkness’s 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.