Shadow of Night by Deborah Harknes

The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.

Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending,Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.

Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.

Stating that I like YA, is really an understatement. I heart YA. Does someone make T-shirts for that saying yet? I should do that. OK. Back on track. I typically stay in the genre of YA, but Deborah Harkness's A Discovery of Witches was wonderful. Like adults, (most), I felt Shadow of Night, like A Discovery of Witches was more mature. The characters were. The story line was. The pacing, even though something was always happening, seemed to move at it's own pace.

I was very anxious to get back to Matthew and Diana. There relationship is a giant compromise, in the end, because they are both so stubborn, but in the end, they bend, because they are mates, lovers, married, best buddies!  

So Matt and Diana find themselves in 1599, and you know who we meet - Matthew's father. He's terrifying, handsome, and a manipulator. So why do I love this character so much? Because he loves Matthew. The things he does to both Diana and Matthew are, I don't know? Reverse psychology? Tough Love? Deranged? The bigger picture? I just wish it was possible for him to be part of the next installment. 

After ADOW, when Diana was gong back in time to look for a witch to help her figure out her powers (and boy is it something when she finds out), I thought it would be easy. Yeah, I totally forgot how much women who practiced anything outside of the religion that was in at the time, were persecuted. I mean. I know my history, but in my head, for the story, it all went smoothly. This is not the case for Diana, and I loved how Harkness, made Diana struggle to conform to the times. Diana just didn't show up and be part of that world.

There were a lot of trials and tribulations the couples have to go through. 

THE HISTORY! OMG! THE HISTORY and the people of history involved. I found myself looking up more information about the people that Matthew knew during this time period.  I needed to know more about them. 

It was a wonderful story and again, I'm waiting for the next one!