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)

I LOVE THOS BOOK

I have it in hard copy as well. She reads it perfectly. I really enjoyed the narration

Under a spell

This series is so captivating! Love the characters and storyline. Love the narrator and her use of different voices for each of the characters. Jumping into book 3 immediately!

Hooked

Didn't think I'd like this series part way through the first one But then I could not put it down Then when it ended on a Cliff hanger Had to get 2nd one Now I'm hooked Well written and very believable With a little imagination It would explain a lot

Unexpectedly enjoyed the book!

Usually I hate time travel shenanigans but I felt this book did it great! I hadn’t realized how attached I’d gotten to the characters until it was too late and I lost some of my new friends, learned unsavory truths about others, and found joy in the rich detail laden world giving the story life.

Recommended, however....

Any additional comments?

I have read and listened to “A Discovery of Witches” more than a dozen times over the past year. I waited for “Shadow of Night” like a child eagerly anticipates Christmas. In this new book, Deborah Harkness weaves a beautiful story as the main characters escape into the past. The new characters in the story are refreshing and endearing. Once again, Jennifer Ikeda does a marvelous performance of every character. Also, as a history major in college, I found the detailed information on the Elizabethan era of England interesting. With all of that said, I missed some the “magic” found in the first book. I felt the detailed historical information slowed the storyline. Matthew’s point of view is rarely provided. I missed the quick wit exchanges between characters, the faster pace to the storyline, and the peaks and valleys in the storyline of the first book. While I recommend the book and, once again, eagerly await the third volume, I am hoping that the full magic that Harkness has the ability to provide in her writing will be found in the next book.

Harkness is an amazing story teller!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, yes! The subject of magic occurs in more than just the plot, the author casts a wonderful spell in telling this tale of an intellectual professor who tries to deny her gifts and a mysterious research professor who convinces her to acknowledge them while they both plow through ages of adventure in search of a book...

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the way this story was spun the most, and that it's author appears to acknowledge that her readers really can deal with an intellectual heroine.

Which scene was your favorite?

Phillipe's visit to the grove with Diana...

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I am reading this book in hard cover and will be listening to my audible version right after because I pick up things I hear in the audible version I missed in the written book and vice versa. The two together make for a fuller experience of the story.

I really liked it

Great book, I can't wait for the next one. Yes, the book was long, but I definitely feel I got my money's worth.

Excellent and entertaining

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it's very entertaining and written in a intriguing and clever way.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadow of Night?

Wedding day

Which scene was your favorite?

Fight with Luisa

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

I thoroughly enjoyed it

Any additional comments?

I can't wait for the last book in trilogy

Fast pace and page turner

I was glad to find that there was a sequel to 'Discoveries of Witches'. Exciting and page turn is this 2nd book like the first. With spells, weaving, vampires and demons. This book is full of the present and European past. Ready for the last of this series.

Skipping the rest of this series

I needed a long audiobook and this fit the bill. However, I had to rewind so many times because It lost my attention that it was probably 30% longer. Also, I realized the reason I listened to the second book was because of the cliffhanger at the end of the first book, not because I found the characters or the world created by the author sufficiently engaging. Just not my thing...