The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness mixes history, magic, romance and the supernatural as few can. The trilogy- A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life – centers around historian and witch Diana Bishop (Hacksaw Ridge star Teresa Palmer), who becomes romantically entangled with Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode from Downton Abbey), a vampire who has wandered the earth for many centuries. Diana first uncovers a bewitched alchemical manuscript called Ashmole 782, which forces her into the world of vampires and witches she never knew existed.
When Diana finds a manuscript in A Discovery of Witches, she meets Matthew and their relationship ignites something forbidden that fans voted for in our YA book adaptation March Madness! Their love threatens to expose the existence of witches and endanger them from the Congregation — an organization that upholds laws about no interspecies relationships.
Attempting to unravel the secrets of the manuscript in Elizabethan England — where Diana could be made to burn as a witch were they discovered — and searching for answers to how Diana and her father can both time walk, as well as information on species ending with extinction. Their journey interacts with historical figures and complicates their inheritance further.
The Book of Life: The final in the trilogy, this tome ties together all the threads as Diana and Matthew face down their enemies AND Matthew’s past. Diana may be ready to accept her fate as a weaver, one who can create new spells, and he’ll have to get back the lost pages of Ashmole 782 in order to save their world. It deals with family, identity and destiny versus free will.
Ways Reading the “All Souls Trilogy” Can Enrich Your Life
The Series The All Souls Trilogy That Has it All:Historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and science merge in this unique series us.hellomagazine.com Because this is the whole world that Harkness the historian as part of her supernatural bent, you get layers of historical accuracy added to one realm on top of another — and it’s a heady mix for anyone interested in historical fiction or fantasy.
Complex Characters:Diana and Mattheware characters with no edges, who shift against the backdrop of political intrigue and otherworldly discovery. For sure, their love story is the core of it but with all the issues they are dealing with., it just gives so much more depth to this than being a pararnormal romance.
Themes
The plot centers on power, legacy and family — the theme of being different in their oppressively ordered society that represses all inter-creature activity. The way Diana has grown, from a world-renowned academic witch who was hesitant to use her powers to the most powerful weaver-witch in centuries is amazing.
Depth of history
fans will love how richly drawn the settings are, especially in Shadow of Night, when we really get to experience Elizabethan London. This The All Souls Trilogy gives Harkness a basis in reality — which is just enough to make those otherworldly elements more engrossing.
Mystery and Suspense Of The All Souls Trilogy
Along with the long-simmering question of what exactly is Ashmole 782—the manuscript that could hold in its pages the secret to all supernatural creatures’ survival—the series storyline at large is rife with intrigue. With a backdrop like this its easy to become fully swept up in a believable and dark world of hidden ancient secrets crashing head first into modern day threats resulting in an edge-of-your-seat, quick read.
Bossy Female Protagonist Of The All Souls Trilogy
I’m honestly not sure what qualifies for this one beyond the obvious, but let’s assume that it is Diana Bishop learning who she is and her own abilities to reveal your full potential. For the same reason, Artemis is a positive focus for those readers seeking out an inspirational female protagonist who is intelligent and strong.
Science and Magic Exploration
I loved the way Harkness blended science with magic, through Matthew being a geneticist and Diana in pursuit of historical facts. It balances out the fantasy with depth and realism, which makes it widely relatable.
