The book of life

The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night.

Look for the hit TV series „A Discovery of Witches,“ streaming on AMC Plus, Sundance Now and Shudder.

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present–facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved 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.

Editorial Reviews

Weaving an extraordinarily rich story of magic and science, history and fiction, passion and power, secrets and truths, Harkness delivers an unforgettable and spellbinding finale that’s not to be missed.“
–USA Today

„Juicy and action-packed.“
–People

„Pure escapist summer fun.“
–Jodi Picoult, Parade

„The epic and erudite vampire-witch romance comes to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion in the action-packed All Souls trilogy ender.“
–Entertainment Weekly

„A stirring, poignant saga.“
–Us Weekly

„The charm in Deborah Harkness’s wildly successful All Souls trilogy lies not merely in the spells that its creature characters cast as they lurk pretty much in plain sight of humans, but in the adroit way Harkness has insinuated her world of demons, witches, and vampires into ours. . . . From the novel’s poignant opening, Harkness casts her own indelible spell of enchantment, heartbreak, and resilience. . . . She is terrific at bringing her magic world to life, maintaining a fast-paced, page-turning narrative.“–The Boston Globe

„This trilogy is a superlative example in a subgenre you could call realistic fantasy–think Harry Potter but for grown-ups or Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Witches, vampires, and daemons exist, along with time travel. But this world also is recognizably ours, not a wholly made-up setting like George R.R. Martin’s Westeros. When done well, as it is here, this sort of fiction provides characters who are recognizably human in their desires and actions even if most of them are creatures with supernatural powers. Through them Harkness succeeds at the hardest part of writing fantasy: She makes this world so real that you believe it exists–or at the very least that you wish that it did.“
–Miami Herald

„Harkness has immersed and spellbound readers with her alternative universe. . . . Her ambitious melding of scientific and historical detail is inventive and brings surprising depth. . . . The Book of Life brims with sensuality, intrigue, violence and much-welcome humor.“
–Los Angeles Times

„Secrets and mysteries are finally revealed in the entertaining and satisfying conclusion. . . . The entire trilogy is a delightful plunge into the world of magic, witches and vampires, where love breaks all rules and happy endings are possible.“
–Shelf Awareness

„There is no shortage of action in this sprawling sequel, and nearly every chapter brings a wrinkle to the tale. The storytelling is lively and energetic, and Diana remains an appealing heroine even as her life becomes ever more extraordinary. A delightful wrap-up to the trilogy.“
–Publishers Weekly

„Harkness herself proves to be quite the alchemist as she combines elements of magic, history, romance, and science, transforming them into a compelling journey through time, space, and geography. By bridging the gaps between Harry Potter, Twilight, and Outlander fans, Harkness artfully appeals to a broad range of fantasy lovers.“
–Booklist

„The witch Diana’s and the vampire Matthew’s quests to discover their origins and confront the threats to their star-crossed union tie up as neatly as one of Diana’s magical weaver’s knots. . . . As in the previous two installments, there are healthy doses of action, colorful magic, angst-y romance and emotional epiphany, plus mansion-hopping across the globe, historical tidbits and name-dropping of famous artworks and manuscripts. . . . It’s still satisfying to travel with these characters toward their more-than-well-earned happy ending.“
–Kirkus Reviews

„The adventure never lets up. . . . History, science, and the unpredictable actions of paranormal characters with hidden agendas all swirl together to create a not-to-be-missed finale to a stellar series.“
–Library Journal
– From the Publisher

05/19/2014
In the final installment of Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy (after Shadow of Night), witch historian Diana Bishop and her vampiric husband, Matthew Clairmont, freshly returned to the present from their sojourn in Elizabethan England, have ample challenges to contend with. They still seek the missing pages of Ashmole 782, the mystical manuscript known as the Book of Life and the key to the origin of all supernatural beings, and now must negotiate the internal politics of Matthew’s extended vampire family. Also to be considered is the Congregation of vampires, witches, and daemons, who will not look at all kindly on the impending birth of Matthew and Diana’s twin children. Meanwhile, Matthew and Diana are stalked by Matthew’s murderous son Benjamin, and to save everyone, Diana must master her skills as a weaver–one of the rarest witch powers. There is no shortage of action in this sprawling sequel, and nearly every chapter brings a wrinkle to the tale. The storytelling is lively and energetic, and Diana remains an appealing heroine even as her life becomes ever more extraordinary. A delightful wrap-up to the trilogy. (July)
– Publishers Weekly

06/15/2014
The eagerly awaited third title in Harkness’s trilogy (A Discovery of Witches; Shadow of Night) picks up right after historian/witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return from the past, and the adventure never lets up until the final page. The need to discover the truth continues to drive Diana in her relentless search for the magical manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Harkness delves more deeply into the political machinations of her world in this outing, weaving in a meaningful message about how ignorance, fear, and misinformation can drive a culture, with ramifications for generations to come. VERDICT History, science, and the unpredictable actions of paranormal characters with hidden agendas all swirl together to create a not-to-be-missed finale to a stellar paranormal series. Readers new to the trilogy should read the novels in order, as an understanding of past events and the players involved is essential for full enjoyment of this final book. [See Prepub Alert, 1/10/14.]–Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta
– Library Journal

2014-05-17
The witch Diana’s and the vampire Matthew’s quests to discover their origins and confront the threats to their star-crossed union tie up as neatly as one of Diana’s magical weaver’s knots.In the resolution of the All Souls trilogy, Diana’s impossible pregnancy with Matthew’s twins advances as various forces seek the couple’s separation, their destruction or both, mainly due to the covenant against liaisons across supernatural species lines. While Matthew searches for genetic answers to how he and Diana could be cross-fertile and what that will mean for their children, Diana seeks magical revelations from the missing Ashmole 782 manuscript, the fabled Book of Life. Figures from their pasts also resurface, injecting additional danger and urgency into their search. The novel lacks the sweep of the previous book (Shadow of Night, 2012), which offered a vivid immersion into the daily life and court intrigue of late 16th-century London and Prague. But, as in the previous two installments, there are healthy doses of action, colorful magic, angst-y romance and emotional epiphany, plus mansion-hopping across the globe, historical tidbits and name-dropping of famous artworks and manuscripts.There are few surprises, but it’s still satisfying to travel with these characters toward their more-than-well-earned happy ending.
– Kirkus Reviews