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)

Loved it. Can't wait for the next one.

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

exciting, historical, well-written

Who was your favorite character and why?

Phillipe. He's such a surprise to love. I wanted more of him.

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

Matthew. She did such a brilliant job with the male voices in this.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The scene with Phillipe and Diana. Incredibly touching.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait for the third installment.

You won’t be disappointed

The story picks up right where the first leaves off. Deborah Harkness does a fantastic job of depicting the past and highlighting the many faces of Matthew. You’re introduced to many new characters and each one is more interesting. For as intricate as the storyline is I never found myself lost or confused. Jennifer Ikeda is an amazing narrator - incredibly talented. If you loved the first book, this is even better!

Better Than The First

If goodreads is to be believed, the second installment of this trilogy isn't everyone's cup of tea. However, I enjoyed this one more than the first. It might just be because the author stopped reminding me every few seconds that Matthew was a vampire. :) I found both main characters more likable, although Matthew seemed like a totally different person (vampire) than in A Discovery of Witches. Bring on the next one!

Exceptional story told by a skilled story teller..

I consumed the book like it was chocolate cake and felt regret in realizing that I'd reached the final chapter and the book was complete. Thank God there is a third book, which I will start immediately.

Just as good as discovery of witches!

Maybe even better! Diving into the third one!
Definitely recommend this series! It’s absolutely fantastic!

AWESOME AUDIO BOOK!!

I WAS SO INTO THIS BOOK, THAT I CARRIED MY FIRE TABLET EVERYWERE I WENT! I CANNOT WAIT TO START THE NEXT BOOK!

Lovely Performance

Jennifer Ikeda gives a wonderful performance in this novel. Her gift for varied voices is amazing.

Fun series

I had no expectations about this book and enjoyed it immensely! It speaks to gothic romantic & intelligence I like to imagine.

Vampires, Witches, History & Love and Other Magic

In this book that forms the middle book in the trilogy, our duo pursues the dark mystery across time. With a magical creature fiction that continues to hold together nicely and a richly imagined rendition of the past populated with familiar characters and events, the adventure continues across time as love deepens and power builds. The central mystery remains a mystery. But, the characters are collecting both the tools and the clues to solve the mystery, encountering a myriad of creatures all of whom are invested in either helping or interfering in the quest for a solution. The trip across time allows the relationship between the characters to deepen as they learn more about and adapt to one another. The trip to the past provides opportunities to build characters, bolster the legend and provide closure with respect to the future past.

A very satisfying listen - Definitely looking forward to the finale of the trilogy.

At this point, the narrator has become the voice of the books.

Liked it better than the first book

Any additional comments?

I was hesitant about listening to this book after some of the violent scenes in the first book. However, the characters were compelling and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I found this book to be gentler than the first and more to my liking. All of the details build a rich world that is hard to leave. Looking forward to book 3.