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9/10
[b:Shadow of Night|11559200|Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy, #2)|Deborah Harkness|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320604137s/11559200.jpg|16499524] is excellent. Most of the story takes place in the 1590s and [a:Deborah Harkness|3849415|Deborah Harkness|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1404866722p2/3849415.jpg]’s familiarity with and understanding of Elizabethan London is obvious. I found myself feeling less impatient with Matthew and Diana in this book, and appreciated the care the author takes with the secondary characters. Several bittersweet scenes will stay with me, I’m sure. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the final book of the trilogy ( )

What a winding journey through time! More history for my history-loving self. I found myself unhappy during the first section of the book with time spent at the School of Night. I'll be honest, I was doubting whether this series was for me even though I enjoyed the first book. For the first 100 pages or so, it felt like Michael and Diana were at odds amongst some rude gentlemen, stuck and unable to move forward. Then, finally, the plot began to move again and the relationship finally developed! While I think the hops from place to place felt a little forced (just as I was getting comfortable they were travelling again), I was enamored with how Harkness tied the history and culture in with the storyline. The book was a little long in my opinion, with time spent introducing a near-overwhelming number of characters and on details that have yet to tie into the plot. Nonetheless, I'll certainly be reading the next book! ( )

I'm well and truly hooked on this series. I have some other library books to get through before I pick up the third and final instalment. I'm looking forward to it but not... don't want it to end! ( )

I never think there's much to say with second or third books because I never want to give anything away.

Book one ends with Diana and Matthew leaving modern day behind and traveling to 1590 with the goal of finding witches to help Diana learn her powers, but the plan doesn't go smoothly. Matthew and Diana get caught up in living. They spend a lot of time talking to people and meeting up with famous people in history: Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth, Doctor Dee, Marlowe, and William Shakespeare is mentioned. Those are merely a few of the people. I kept wanting them to focus on their goals, but they were living their lives. Matthew has to take on the job he had at this time in history, as the Matthew of this time period disappears because they can't both be in the same place. This problem is never really explained. Where does he go? Does he know? Matthew leads a complicated life as a spy and a member of the Conference (the group that makes decisions for the demons, vampires, and witches--can't recall the actual name). Eventually, Diana actually meets some witches that can train her, but these are very short scenes. How Diana will be this amazing witch with so little training is beyond me. Matthew and Diana get married, they meet family that vows to protect Diana, they meet the vampire who rules London, they get closer to each other emotionally, they take care of two stray children, and they journey about a lot. You see a lot of this time period as they look for Ashmole 782.

Overall, it was fine. They're moving about with lots of characters you wonder how it will all flesh out in the end. There are some chapters in the modern period that only show that Matthew and Diana are changing the past. It ends with their return. ( )