Deborah Harkness

I never think there's much to say with second or third books because I never want to give anything away.

Book one ends with Diana and Matthew leaving modern day behind and traveling to 1590 with the goal of finding witches to help Diana learn her powers, but the plan doesn't go smoothly. Matthew and Diana get caught up in living. They spend a lot of time talking to people and meeting up with famous people in history: Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth, Doctor Dee, Marlowe, and William Shakespeare is mentioned. Those are merely a few of the people. I kept wanting them to focus on their goals, but they were living their lives. Matthew has to take on the job he had at this time in history, as the Matthew of this time period disappears because they can't both be in the same place. This problem is never really explained. Where does he go? Does he know? Matthew leads a complicated life as a spy and a member of the Conference (the group that makes decisions for the demons, vampires, and witches--can't recall the actual name). Eventually, Diana actually meets some witches that can train her, but these are very short scenes. How Diana will be this amazing witch with so little training is beyond me. Matthew and Diana get married, they meet family that vows to protect Diana, they meet the vampire who rules London, they get closer to each other emotionally, they take care of two stray children, and they journey about a lot. You see a lot of this time period as they look for Ashmole 782.

Overall, it was fine. They're moving about with lots of characters you wonder how it will all flesh out in the end. There are some chapters in the modern period that only show that Matthew and Diana are changing the past. It ends with their return.… (mais)

This book was recommended to me by a parent of a student many years ago. I've had it on a list all of this time and finally listened to it.

The book was not what I was expecting. It's very scientific with history wrapped within. I don't feel the chemistry between the two characters, but that's not bothering me. Perhaps it's because I'm listening instead of reading? Nonetheless, I listened intently until finishing and very much look forward to listening to the second book.

As an English teacher, I enjoy the use of the Bishop family after having taught The Crucial so many times. I also like that vampires can be out in the sun and have families--those they've turned. I like that the demons, vampires, and witches are all coming together and forming their own family. I like that the vampires are not evil--although they are definitely capable of violence.… (mais)

Brutal quantities of borderline-abusive heterosexual kink in this otherwise inoffensive disposable urban fantasy. I know how common "strong independent woman falls for overprotective, controlling man and likes it" kinks are among straight people, but y'all need to negotiate that shit properly.

I was going to see if I could think of anything else to say about this book, but... no, not really.

Not great sequence of events:

0. main character puts up token resistance to getting Protected and Taken Care Of,
1. main character get kidnapped,
2. the kidnapper points out all the ways her special new instahusband is abusive and controlling,
3. you're cheering on the kidnapper and hoping this is a turning point in the story/relationship,
4. the kidnapper proceeds to torture main character near unto death,
5. main character spends the rest of the book getting PROTECTED and TAKEN CARE OF but now she's so traumatized she appreciates it.

A few points returned for ~witchy maiden aunts~ who are explicitly witches and explicitly married to each other? IDK, that's a trope I can get behind.

ALSO ALSO: [complaints about fantasy political systems] global government of tens of millions by an unelected board of 9 people (9!!) is a weird system of government and a very weird thing to replicate when you plot to overthrow the existing government.… (mais)