Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

I finished Shadow of Night last night on a train ride from visiting a friend. I was very excited when it was first released. I really liked the first book, although it is about witches, vampires and daemons it is meant for adults and does not read at all like a cheesy teen novel. Although I like those as well sometimes.

For a long book, I believe I finished it in good time. It was easy to read and it didn't drag on, yet I was still disappointed in it. There were very few twists and turns in the plot line. It followed exactly what was laid out at the end of the last book. Diana and Mathew went to Elizabethan Europe so Diana could learn magic and they could try to find Ashmole 782. Not much else happened, the two spent the majority of the book travelling to different parts in Europe, talking to historical figures, and trying not to affected the future too much. Their new marrige was tested and grew as they learned more about each other. 

Harkness clearly did a lot of historical research into this book. Perhaps one of the reasons I did not find the book as great as the first one, is that I don't know a lot about European history. Mathew turns out to have been friends with several important historical figures, including Walter Raleigh and playwright Christopher Marlowe, both who I know nothing about. So I am sure I  missed out on several inside jokes. Whenever a new character was introduced I always wondered if they were in fact a real person, and if Diana and Mathew involvement was a role reserved for an unknown person in today's history books.

Despite my disappointment I will still read the last instalment. The third book will be back in present day, with the fight with the congregation continuing. I expect the ending of this series to be as exciting as the beginning. With everything that has happened and everything we have learned about Mathews history and family, I think this slower second novel is is leading up to a big finale.