Book #136 - Shadow of Night (A Discovery of Witches #2)

Shadow of Night (A Discovery of Witches #2), Deborah Harkness
urban fantasy, paranormal romance, historical fiction
584 pages
Started 12/8/12
Finished 12/19/12
4 STARS

Shadow of Night was an epic read in every sense of the word. It wasn't one that I could devour in two days like I usually do. Note that it took me an entire EIGHT DAYS to read this book. That, like, never happens. And, it's not that it was boring or bad. It was a really good book. But, there was a lot that happened - I mean A. Lot. And, it had to be digested.

Diana and Matthew have traveled back in time to the late 1500s to get Diana the proper witchy training that she needs, while staying safe from their enemies. And, if they happen to find a certain creepy book while back there, all the better. Problem is, enemies are constant. And being in the past brings with it a whole new host of challenges and problems. But, if Diana and Matthew can stick together and keep their love strong, they might be able to conquer anything, anyone, and anytime.

Books like Shadow of Night amaze me. The amount of research that Deborah Harkness must've put into it is staggering. When you mix fictional characters in a real historical time period with real historical figures, it is so hard to get it right. So many times, the historical figures end up caricatures of who they really were, and it really cheapens the story line and makes the fictional characters seem hokey.

So, in a book of almost 600 pages, there were plenty of opportunities to screw this up. Harkness, however, was brilliant. Although the story became convoluted at times and a little hard to follow, the interweaving of the real and the fictional was done so very well. And, honestly, I think the story would've been able to follow a little easier if I had re-read A Discovery of Witches before tackling its sequel.

Shadow of Night was a really interesting read, and I wholeheartedly look forward to the third book in the series. This time, though, I think I'll try and do a re-read beforehand.