Author: Deborah Harkness
Version: Hardback
Published: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Viking Adult
ISBN: 9780670023486
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Voice: First Person
Number of Pages: 584
NOTE: With this I am going to jump right to the review because this is the sequel to "A Discovery of Witches" and I don't want to give too much away. I purposely kept the synopsis of "A Discovery of Witches" short and vague because there are so many twists and turns in it that I didn't want to reveal any of the wonderful surprises. In that same vein I want to skip the synopsis part of this entry so that I don't accidentally give anything away. REVIEW: This was another win for Deborah Harkness. No need to worry about "A Discovery of Witches" being a fluke or beginner's luck because this second part is just as good, if not even better. It took me two weeks to read it, and the only reason it took so long was because I was in the middle of packing and moving. If I had, had the time I would have finished it in a couple of days. It was that good!
The story was even more full and complicated than the first one and in this volume Deborah Harkness' past as a historian really came in to sharp relief and let me tell you she didn't disappoint. Of course there were embellishments and small liberties taken but from what I could tell, based on my limited knowledge of Elizabethan London, she had really done her research. One of my largest pet peeves when it comes to books in a historical fiction novel is lack of research so I was overjoyed to find how well researched this was. It was one of my favorite parts about the novel.
Again miss Harkness' writing was superb, full of subtle poetry and beauty. And the way she wrote some of the most beloved characters from history, such as Christopher Marlowe, Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth and William Shakespeare, was so well done it was difficult to remember that they were fictional representations. I love when that happens! I find that a mark of truly great writing; when the reader can completely forget that the characters they are reading about aren't real somewhere in the world.
This was such a good book that I am actually missing reading it. And although logically I know that the third book won't be out for a very long while I still can't wait. Though I know that it is a trilogy I love her writing and these characters so much that I kind of wish the series would continue on. These books, both books in the All Souls Trilogy so far, are the whole package. Great story, superb writing, and characters that you fall in love with. I mean what more can you ask for in a book? I love them and I really recommend them to everyone. Even if you think that these aren't the kind of books you usually go for you should give them a try. They will surprise you in all the best ways. I mean honestly what else can you ask for when picking up a new type of book?
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A Discovery of Witches
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