Shadow of Night (All Souls, #2) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Dec 05, 2014 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fanboy-goes-squee, romance, fantasy, urban-fantasy

Re-read 12/17/17

I didn't dislike this novel any on a re-read. Indeed, knowing what's going to occur in the next novel actually improved the overall plot for me.

I originally came to the conclusion that most of the historical plots were relatively inconsequential. After all, aren't we playing tourists with the time-travel bits? But no. The plots and the carry-through with a large cast of characters both vampire and other feels entirely justified on the re-read.

Other than that, I pretty much sque Re-read 12/17/17

I didn't dislike this novel any on a re-read. Indeed, knowing what's going to occur in the next novel actually improved the overall plot for me.

I originally came to the conclusion that most of the historical plots were relatively inconsequential. After all, aren't we playing tourists with the time-travel bits? But no. The plots and the carry-through with a large cast of characters both vampire and other feels entirely justified on the re-read.

Other than that, I pretty much squeed all over again because of the mightily researched and loved past of 1590. Add a ton of real personages and give them so much life and verve and it feels like I just nerded out.

And the straight UF experience is only enhanced. :)

Oh, and let's be honest here. It's a romance. No matter how I try to deny it, it's all romance. :)

Original Review:

The inner English Lit fanboy in me went squee many times as I read this one. I was teased and thrilled and thoroughly amused by being plopped into Elisabeth's England and Austria and France, meeting all of the fascinating characters of the time. Shakespeare was always an inconsequential flop in the background and Kit was suddenly thrust into the limelight like I thought he always ought to have been.

The novel took a sharp turn from urban fantasy into historical fantasy, rich and detailed and a pure delight to behold. And yet, we all know language is always going to be a problem so I didn't really mind that late middle English was seamlessly translated into the modern English. It allows us the joy without any of the hardships. Indeed, the whole novel was some of the easiest complicated tales I've ever had the pleasure of staying up all night to read. I loved the first novel, but this one tickled a lot of fancy bones for me.

The plot in this or the previous novel is relatively inconsequential. The people are much more important, and the care and detail put into them is pure magic. Of course, magic is fun while the stormclouds slowly encroach upon the sunny day, but we can feel the raindrops forming and the time for preparation is slipping away.

I'm a big fan of this novel. Magic isn't much of a crutch, but the developments are enough to push the reader through a few of the snags. That being said, I had a great time reading it and have no regrets about the directions it has taken. I'm thoroughly invested. ...more

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Dec 20, 2017 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the second book in the All Souls trilogy and mostly takes place in 1590/1591 after Diana and Matthew have time-walked there to be safe from the congregation, find the manuscript of Ashmole 782, as well as a witch capable of teaching Diana about her strange magic.
It is thus that we meet characters like Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, Elizabeth I and even Matthew's father Philippe, who has quickly become my favourite character (along with Matt's nephew Gallowglass).
The book takes

This is the second book in the All Souls trilogy and mostly takes place in 1590/1591 after Diana and Matthew have time-walked there to be safe from the congregation, find the manuscript of Ashmole 782, as well as a witch capable of teaching Diana about her strange magic.
It is thus that we meet characters like Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, Elizabeth I and even Matthew's father Philippe, who has quickly become my favourite character (along with Matt's nephew Gallowglass).
The book takes place in London (Blackfriars), France (Sept-Tours), and Prague - as well as some modern places few and far between.

Once again, it is remarkable how much research has gone into the authenticity of the settings and Deborah Harkness has brought all the places to life in an uncanny way. I liked especially how she acknowledged and therefore incorporated the difficulties a time-traveller would definitely have to face, no matter how many history books one might have read. Too often in fiction people just travel back, wear the right clothes and all is well. Here, even the vampire who has lived through these times before has difficulties, let alone his modern-day wife, which only made the frame of the story more realistic.

It's therefore also no surprise that many things go wrong and it is once again friends and family Diana and Matthew have to rely on in order to survive - a theme already established in the first book that I adore as it also means the family you make, not just blood relatives.
It emphasized the point that history is not an exact science (no matter how much Diana would like it - and magic - to be just that) but rather one day after another just as in our lives and that the two protagonists have to improvise in order to get what they want and need. It's a process that makes them both learn about themselves as much as the world they live in and there are some sneaky similarities to the scientific mystery they are trying to solve.

One of my absolute favourite bits about this book was Goody Alsop and the coven of witches she assembled and how they taught Diana - so atmospheric, giving the reader this warm and comfy feeling! Just like Philippe did in his time's version of Sept-Tours! I really love that man.
The other thing I've come to really appreciate is the author's love for details. While the German dialogues (spoken at the court of the Emperor in Prague) were atrocious and the Spanish weren't much better (which made me wonder about the Latin bits - I really wish I had had Latin in school), there are many details added through the names of places or people such as the falcon named Šárka after a folklore character or Gallowglass having been an order of mostly Scottish mercenaries between the 13th and 16th century that lend their name to one of the best characters here because of that character's roots and personality. Even Peter Stubbe made an appearance through a newspaper article!

There is certainly heartship in here such as (view spoiler) and I expect there to be at least as much in the next book, but there are light and funny moments in here as well. These moments being so pronounced because every single character, main and secondary, is fully fleshed out and distinctive.

It might have taken me a while to read this but that is in no way the book's fault. While it is quite thick and dense with information and events, it is never boring and the audio version was, once again, very good. ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Veronique rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read2022, read2017

“Monsters always look just like ordinary men.”

Couldn’t resist diving back in this novel, and yes, this was totally due to the Sky tv adaptation, the third and final season being released in a few days. This second season was again very well crafted, bringing 1590 to life, with great photography, and screenwriter(s) that know the material inside out. This is visible in how they extrapolated what was happening in the ‘present’, to balance the narrative, and the relationship between Marcus and Pho ...more

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Jun 30, 2018 Ctgt rated it liked it

First half of the book was pretty slow thus the 3 stars

6/10

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Mar 23, 2013 Justine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: rereads, 2013-read, 2014-read

This was my re-read in preparation for reading The Book of Life. The first time I read this book was in March 2013. As was the case with A Discovery of Witches, it was completely worth re-reading Shadow of Night. A truly great story that I was happy to dive into once again.

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