Review: The Book of Life by: Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by: Deborah Harkness (July 15, 2014)

561 pages

Genre: Adult/Supernatural

Publisher: Kensington

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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.

With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.

My Review

Waiting for The Book of Life to come out was completely worth it, and I would do it over and over again. The Book of Life was a solid ending to a great trilogy. I can honestly say that I’m not sure I have ever enjoyed a third book in a trilogy more than this one. I was in Book Nirvana. For fans that didn’t enjoy the second book as much as the first book you are in luck, The Book of Life is more like A Discovery of Witches.

The Book of Life picked up right where Shadow of Night left off. Matthew and Diana are back in the present and finding the book, keeping the family together, and trying to stay alive are just few of the hardships they must face.

I love Matthew and Diana. I love them separately. I love them together. I love them. Did I mention that I love them? The best part, I pretty much love all of the minor characters in this trilogy as well. All of them. Okay, I think it’s time I move on.

The Book of Life is the darkest book yet in this amazing trilogy full of vampires, witches, and deamons. Even though the atmosphere is more intense than ever before, Harkness manages to also include moments of happiness among her characters, even during dark times. While reading my heart broke and then it mended, I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time, unraveling the secrets it held in its pages. Did I mention that I read this big book in one day? Well I did. It was that captivating. I never wanted to leave the world Harkness made. The Book of Life was full of unexpected events and brings what it means to be a family to a whole new level. I loved every second of it. It maybe did get a little weird at times, but nothing I couldn’t handle.

If you are A Discovery of Witches fan then I’m certain you will enjoy the final installment in the trilogy. Grab a copy and have fun reading about more of Matthew and Diana’s adventures. Retreat into the magical world Harkness created and enjoy.