Review: The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness

• Series: All Souls Trilogy (Book 3)
• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (July 15, 2014)
• ISBN: 9780670025596
• Source: Publisher

It started with The Discovery of Witches and traveled through time in Shadow of Night. Now, in The Book of Life, witch Diana Bishop and her husband, Matthew Clairmont, a vampire, return to the present to continue their hunt for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages.

Pregnant with twins, Diana and Matthew are even more determined to discover the location of The Book of Life. Conception between a witch and a vampire was believed to be impossible and Diana knows that the answer lies in this precious volume. Ashmole 782 also holds answers to the origin of all supernatural beings, answers that may prove to be destructive if placed in the wrong hands.

Ashmole 782 holds the fate of the entire supernatural world. It will only unveil its secrets to the most powerful of witches and Diana knows she must be the one to find it. But now, her life isn’t the only one in danger. She must protect the twins growing inside her at all cost.  Their existence was foretold centuries ago, their birth and survival instrumental to the fate of so many others.  The hunt for this precious volume has always been of importance to Diana, but now that the lives of those close to her are in peril, obtaining The Book of Life is the only thing that will save them.

This is the part where I’m supposed to say, so eloquently and professionally, how much I loved this novel. Instead, I revert to my most deepest of emotions. I’ve devoured each of the books in this trilogy the instant I have them in my hands. My appreciation for them is so strong that I then follow up each read with a listen to each of the audiobooks. A trilogy like this is so rare, one that was obviously expertly crafted and developed.  The time, the research, the execution of this trilogy astounds me.

I distinctly remember the feelings I had after reading The Discovery of Witches. I thought…this author gets it. She has a passion for writing, for weaving a story, for creating a world so unique and captivating. Each word she pens is intentional, nothing is ever added as filler or fluff to beef up the word count. When I continued to read The Book of Shadows, I was shocked to see that she exceeded every expectation and hope I had for a second book.

I thought I would devour this book the moment it hit my hands. Instead, I did quite the opposite.  I came up with every excuse not to read it for I did not want the story to end. I essentially had to force myself to read it and when I did…well it was so worth the wait. In The Book of Life, Harkness has given readers the greatest gift possible.  Unlike the final book in many other trilogies, Harkness doesn’t just throw together answers to questions and tie together story lines that have weaved through each of the books. She reveals the answers slowly, providing  truly intellectual and well thought out answers to any unanswered questions.

If you have not had the opportunity to experience this trilogy, I beg you to do so. Don’t be turned off by the concept of vampires and witches, for the story that Harkness creates is so unlike any other you have read, I guarantee. Her spin on these supernatural creatures is unique and, it might sound strange to say it unless you’ve read it, heartwarming. I envy those of you who get to experience this trilogy for the first time. It is one that will always reside in my heart, a trilogy that I will read over and over and over again. Highly, highly, highly recommended.