The Literary Puff

I’ve been blown away by this entire series. It has kept me completely captivated for the last couple of weeks and I am so sad it’s over. Very few stories have sucked me in like this world has and I have loved every second of it. I didn’t find the writing predictable, I adored all the characters and the depth of detail and I simply adored the complexity of the story. Hooray for a female character that is strong, brave and unafraid to do what she has to but most importantly is unapologetically herself. Bravo for a male character who has flaws, knows what they are and doesn’t pretend otherwise and who walks with his head high into the unknown and makes himself truly vulnerable. Praise has to be given to Harkness for creating a story so rich, detailed and believable that I feel I lived this story with them. All good things must come to an end, which I’ve had to remind myself over and over again as I reached the end of this marvellous series. It was a beautiful ending for most characters ye...

And the world of Matthew and Diana continues to grip my whole being firmly in its hands. Shadow of Night was equally as fantastic as A Discovery of Witches. In this incredible instalment of the All Souls series, history meets one of the best stories I have ever read—and I do not say that lightly. Deborah Harkness writes with such knowledge and intelligence and weaves a story so rich in detail with twists and turns you don’t expect. Her characters pull you in and wring every emotion known to man from you. She writes such a believable story that you can’t help but hang on every word. Diana and Matthew share some truly beautiful moments in this instalment and we meet characters I didn’t think we would ever get a chance to. and As the story unfolds you’ll find that there are many moments where you’ll feel every emotion they do—I know I did. By the end of the book, you’ll have a sense of foreboding in your stomach about what exactly is about to unfold in book three and I cannot wait to ge...

My first dive into Matthew and Diana’s world came through the TV show, but after watching the first episode, I decided I needed to read the book first. From the first chapter I was absolutely sucked in. Diana and Matthew are wonderfully real and relatable even though they’re a witch and a vampire. They’re both complex and both characters come with an abundance of issues they both have to navigate their way through together. Their love story is one of the most beautiful and profound I’ve ever read and it’s intensity is breathtaking. The story and the world Harkness has created is multi-layered, very real and incredibly believable. I devoured this book in mere days—quite a feat given it’s size—and in the rare moments I wasn’t thinking about it, I was sleeping. It was just one of those books that has you saying, “at the end of this chapter I’ll go to bed” only to realise you have read another four and it’s the early hours of the morning—not that I regret a thing! Now I’ve come to the en...