452. Shadow of Night
Rating: ☆☆☆1/2
Recommended by: Joni Renee Zalk
Author: Deborah Harkness
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
584 pages, published July 10, 2020
Reading Format: Book
Summary
Shadow of Night is book two of the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness, an historian of science and medicine. In this book, we follow witch Diana Bishop and vampire Matthew de Clairmont as they travel back in time to Elizabethan England. While searching for the Book of Life, they encounter Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh and Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia.
Quotes
“Memories were short and history unkind. It was the way of the world.”
“Children needed love, a reliable source of comfort, and an adult willing to take responsibility for them.”
“With knot of one, the spell’s begun.
With knot of two, the spell be true.
With knot of three, the spell is free.
With knot of four, the power is stored.
With knot of five, the spell with thrive.
With knot of six, this spell I fix.”
“fine initium novum,’” Matthew said, gazing upon the land of his father as though he had, at last, come home. “‘In every ending there is a new beginning.”
“In every moment, for the rest of my life, I will be choosing you.”
“For storms will rage and oceans roar,
When Gabriel stands on sea and shore,
And as he blows his wondrous horn,
Old worlds die and new be born.”
“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.”
“Change is the only reliable thing in the world.”
“Sex and dominance. It’s what modern humans think vampire relationships are all about,” I said. “Their stories are full of crazed alpha-male vampires throwing women over their shoulders before dragging them off for dinner and a date.” “Dinner and a date?” Matthew was aghast. “Do you mean . . . ?” “Uh-huh. You should see what Sarah’s friends in the Madison coven read. Vampire meets girl, vampire bites girl, girl is shocked to find out there really are vampires. The sex, blood, and overprotective behavior all come quickly thereafter. Some of it is pretty explicit.” I paused. “There’s no time for bundling, that’s for sure. I don’t remember much poetry or dancing either.” Matthew swore. “No wonder your aunt wanted to know if I was hungry.” “You really should read this stuff, if only to see what humans think. It’s a public-relations nightmare. Far worse than what witches have to overcome.”
“Nightmares are like Master Harriot’s star glass. They are a trick of the light, one that makes something distant seem closer and larger than it really is.” “Oh.” Jack considered Matthew’s response. “So even if I see a monster in my dreams, it cannot reach me?” Matthew nodded. “But I will tell you a secret. A dream is a nightmare in reverse. If you dream of someone you love, that person will seem closer, even if far away.”
My Take
While Shadow of Night is the weakest entry in the All Souls Trilogy, it is still a fun romp through Elizabethan England with two very engaging characters. My biggest complaint about this book (and all the books in the series) is its length and verbosity. A little editing would go a long way.
