Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read "A Discovery of Witches" several years ago but somehow missed the follow-up novels, so this summer, I have been catching up, re-reading "A Discovery of Witches", which is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy, and the next two in the series, i.e. "Shadow of Night", and "The Book of Life", respectively. I am a fan of creature novels, and rate the All Souls Trilogy as one of the best series I've read. It is intellectual, historical, with romance and elements of the supernatural thrown in for good measure, and well-written, all of which make great ingredients for a thrilling reading experience. In "A Discovery of Witches", readers are introduced to historian Diana Bishop who inadvertently calls up a mystical alchemical manuscript Ashmole 782 while doing research in Oxford's Bodleain Library. She attracts the attentions of handsome geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and soon enough discovers that he too is a creature, but unlike Diana, who is a witch, Matthew is a vampire. The Covenant that binds all creatures: witches, daemons, and vampires forbid commingling of different species of creatures, so when Matthew and Diana fall in love, all hell literally breaks loose. There are also other complications that add to the intrigue of the story: Diana's witch powers are somehow slumbering and only now awakening, although she has no clue how she is to unleash her powers or even control them; Matthew's love for Diana borders on the obsessive, resulting in overprotectiveness and possessiveness that irks Diana; Ashmole 782 is being sought after by all manner of creatures and places Diana's life in jeopardy as she is the only one who has been able to summon this elusive manuscript in a long time. The ensuing chaos sees Diana and Matthew travelling to France where they seek refuge in the ancient fortress of Sept Tours, which is also the de Clermont (Matthew's family) stronghold, where Diana comes under the scrutiny of Matthew's maman, the formidable vampire Ysabeau. I found this first novel to be an intriguing read; the author credibly weaves in scientific information into the narrative as both witch and vampire try to explain the existence of such creatures as themselves and what can be done to prevent them from becoming extinct. In the follow-up novel, "Shadow of Night", Diana and Matthew have time-walked into the past, into 1590 Elizabethan England where a new set of challenges greet the pair. Diana finds a group of witches who help her unravel the mystery of her dormant powers while the couple continues to grapple with the prejudices that come from their union. This second novel is very much historical as Diana's and Matthew's lives become entwined with the goings-on of the period such as the witch hunts in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth's strategies to cement her power, and more. Finally, the trilogy ends with the novel, "The Book of Life", and I found this last novel to be the most interesting and thrilling. This time, the story takes a very dark turn as Matthew and Diana return to the present only to find that there is someone from Matthew's past who is bent on destroying him and all that Matthew and Diana hold dear. If you love stories about vampires, witches, and daemons, and enjoy history as well as a dash of romance, the All Souls Trilogy is a thrilling and engaging read. This boxed set is lovely; it contains all three novels in hardcover and comes in a sturdy cardboard box. There is also a bonus in the form of Diana's Book of Days (small little notebook) and looks great on my bookcase.