Shadow of Night

A Novel

By: Deborah Harkness

Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 24 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

The number one New York Times best-selling sequel to A Discovery of Witches, book two of the All Souls Series. Look for the hit TV series A Discovery of Witches, streaming on AMC Plus, Sundance Now, and Shudder. Season Two premieres January 9, 2021!

Picking up from A Discovery of Witches' cliff-hanger ending, Shadow of Night takes reluctant witch Diana Bishop and vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew's old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782—the lost and enchanted manuscript whose mystery first pulled Diana and Matthew into one another's orbit—deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew's past tightens around them. Together they find they must embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey.

©2012 Deborah Harkness (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A captivating and romantic ripping yarn, Shadow of Night confirms Deborah Harkness as a master storyteller, able to cast an addictive tale of magic, mayhem and two lovers." (E.L. James Chicago Tribune)

"The joy that Harkness, herself a historian, takes in visiting the past is evident on every page.... A great spell, the one that can enchant a reader and make a 600-page book fly through her fingertips, is cast.... Its enduring rewards are plenty." (Entertainment Weekly)

"Fans of Harkness’s 2011 debut A Discovery of Witches will be delighted.... Harkness delivers enough romance and excitement to keep the pages turning. Readers will devour it." (People)

Even better than A Discovery of Witches

Where does Shadow of Night rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Shadow of Night and A Discovery of Witches are both in my top 5 books of the year.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite characters are Matthew and Diana. They are an awesome team I can't pick one over the other.

couldn't put it down

What did you love best about Shadow of Night?

The story line

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mac Although he was just a flegling he was strong enough to help when he needed to.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Riker had Lokar and waited for Angela to shoot him so that she could have closer

If you could take any character from Shadow of Night out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Forge. He had a kind heart. He allowed himself to be captured to be near his child.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Maddening!

What made the experience of listening to Shadow of Night the most enjoyable?

It is a interesting weave of hear and then, suspense, drama, romance with laughter sprinkled in for good measure.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Isabel is a woman after my own heart! She acquires what she wants and takes no prisoners. She does not worry about political correctness.

Which character – as performed by Jennifer Ikeda – was your favorite?

Jennifer does a great job especially changing characters. I really enjoy her sound effects!

Who was the most memorable character of Shadow of Night and why?

Mathew. We all long to be as noble and intense as he.

Any additional comments?

OK, you know it is a sequel and that there is at least one more to come, but you find yourself screaming at Deborah to not leave you hanging there. Please, Deborah, come to some conclusions!

what a twist and weave!

I don't get through books quickly, so listening to them on my way to and from work is a treat. The reader is outstanding!

Not as good as the first Discovery of Witches

If you could sum up Shadow of Night in three words, what would they be?

bridging story

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gallowglass - adaptable, develops throughout the story and is actually then the one constant knowlege between all times

What three words best describe Jennifer Ikeda’s performance?

solid, nice listening

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

The ending was very disappointing in that it was very hasty, left the reader unpleasantly hanging and emphasized the fact that this book was simply one to bridge the first and the last in the triology. Not as good as the first Discovery of Witches

Narrator makes it

After reading Discovery of Witches, I wasn't sure whether to continue or not. I don't spend Audible credits lightly and each volume is definitely an investment - more of time than dollars. That said, the narration made it hard not to follow them into Elizabethan Europe.
I read other reviews that complained of the details, but I thought the story moved along at a reasonable pace. And, if you don't like history, I'm not sure you'd enjoy this series anyway.
I read this book over 5 days, listening at 1.5X. It was easy to follow along. I'm not sure I would have stuck with the printed version, and would have been far more likely to read in small bursts over a much longer time period if I did.
As the middle volume of a trilogy, I wasn't overly anxious for it to end, as I knew I'd be left with many unanswered questions and over 20 hours of more reading to hopefully get them answered. But the narrator kept me from growing tired and so I'm off to purchase the final installment and continue on Diana's journey.

great sequel. worth the read

great follow up to the first book. was hesitant to start it but glad I did

Fantastic!

Loved it! Fantasy and Science Fiction blended magnificently. I'm looking forward to the next step in there journey.

Extremely Satisfying

When I miss the characters after reading Ms. Hardness' book, I am extremely satisfied by listening to the audible version. The performance is very good and has only added to my enjoyment of the series.

Just as good as the first

I love this series and I LOVE this reader! Jennifer Ikeda is amazing and really helps the story progress. The story is complex and there are so many characters that have distinct accents and she does them all perfectly so you don't get lost at all. It's long and I've listened to the entire series more than once. Ready for a 4th one!