The fifth book in the All Souls series by Deborah Harkness, The Black Bird Oracle, was released last month on July 16th. The All Souls series started with a trilogy, A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life in 2011, 2012, and 2014. Four years later, Time’s Convert was released in 2018. As a fan of the series for a long time (my copies are well-worn from reading through my teen years), I expected that to be the end of the story. I didn’t even read Time’s Convert in its release, since I was focused on college. When I heard about the fifth book coming out, I rushed to read the fourth to prepare.
The Black Bird Oracle launches readers back into the complicated life of Diana Bishop, a powerful witch married to the mysterious vampire Matthew Clairmont, now with nearly seven-year-old twins, Rebecca (Becca) and Philip (Pip). In this magically charged novel, Diana is called to higher magic and a Proctor family she never knew she had. The Congregation and old enemies return while she delves into another unknown, with further implications for her and her family’s lives.
While I try not to spoil any major plot points in this review, I do spoil some things about the book!
What enchants me about Harkness’s writing is the same that snares me about other favorites: her descriptions of the surroundings, characters, and actions. They are vividly detailed and littered with historical additions. Not only that, but Harkness involves all the senses in her books, from the scents that different characters carry to how nature looks to the feeling of a vampire’s, witch’s, or daemon’s glances.
I also loved the artistic details throughout the novel, like the feather on page 53, the raven on a branch on page 370, and the art representing each “Part.” The art that represents the All Souls series is what moved me to get my first book tattoo this year (shared at the end of the article)! If this plotline continues and gets even better, I might have to add a raven later.
Something Deborah Harkness does so well is making me feel a part of these characters’ lives. I will admit, I was a little sad when Becca talked in full sentences in the first chapter; the five-or-so-year leap from the fourth book to the fifth book felt like I’d missed out on family friends’ lives and the twins growing up. Though I doubt it would’ve been as exciting as this book’s events, considering how Diana let readers know that her magic had been somewhat dormant over the past few years. Sometimes I am so connected to Diana that I feel her reactions as strongly as if they were mine. The betrayal of the many adults in her life and the love she feels for them anyway hit me so hard. Her curiosity, depression, energy, and fear are all something I feel as I read.
Since it’s been ten years and more since Harkness started and ended Diana’s first journey, I’m happy to see that a lot of her characterization is still familiar. She’s still unsure of magic at times, still clumsy and hungry, still protective and kind to all types of people. Her emotions continue to be realistic too, quick to show up and quick to cry. It’s a trait I love to see in characters, considering how much I envy that type of vulnerability. She’s headstrong and courageous, always stepping up to a challenge. It was fun to see how her and Matthew’s traits manifest in their children too. I loved seeing how Pip and Becca were beginning to be characterized, with Pip taking on the emotional side of his mother and Becca being calmer like Matthew.
Harkness writes a lot of nods to the original books, too, especially in references to the time walking they did in Shadow of Night and references to the very first book, like the ribbon and princess story from Diana’s mother.
One of my absolute favorite bits of the book was the memory bottles. It was an excellent way to invoke more whimsy into the story, while also explaining things in more “showing” and less “telling.” It was a unique way to hear stories from long-dead characters, giving variety to the point-of-view. As a historical fantasy series, it brought in essential historical figures like Bridget Bishop and John Proctor, but also fictional characters like Diana’s parents.
All that to say I did dislike some things. I found aspects of The Black Bird Oracle inconsistent with the world-building Harkness did in the original trilogy. The fact that higher magic trials and their involvement with the Congregation and the entire Proctor family were kept secret from Diana was weird. I’m assuming several factors excuse this. She stayed away from magic most of her life and when her life was suddenly full of magic and the world of creatures, she was busy trying to stay alive. Now she’s busy raising her children while continuing to be a professor. Yet the secrets feel too big to have been kept from her without even a hint of them. I find it hard to believe Satu nor Peter Knox ever alluded to these inner machinations of witch possibility. Even Em never mentioned it, despite being an adept alongside Rebecca Bishop. I know it’s also likely this plot wasn’t thought of when the books were first written, so I tried to suspend my disbelief in this convenient improbability for the book to exist.
Still, there’s almost too much magic that’s different from the previous books. I was disappointed that Diana’s appearance in The Book of Life was never indicated in this book or the fourth, Time’s Convert. When she first absorbed the Book of Life, she had tree roots in her hair and words racing along her skin and in her eyes. Any time she asked a question, the Book of Life would try to answer her. It’s mentioned that Diana hasn’t been working a lot of magic in several years and that the Book of Life has gone nearly dormant, but that doesn’t make sense to me. For her to be so insanely powerful by the end of the trilogy and to now be back to square one in learning higher magic and new things about the world is a little jarring. There are a lot fewer nods to her being a weaver too, which was something I loved about the series. Its charm and secrecy were also lessened here.
The magic is less tangible and harder for me to understand since it’s more fanciful. While reading, I tried to learn alongside Diana and let go of disbelief and logic. It’s enchanting to see the blossom of magic in the book, even if I prefer the controlled magic from before. Some of the scenes were shorter and choppier than I’m used to with Harkness’s writing, too. This book is less linear than the others, pulling threads into the story as Diana does from the air in her weaving. It’s not necessarily bad, but different.
I admit that Part One was difficult for me since Matthew and other familiar characters were largely removed. Part of why I fell in love with the All Souls series is the love story between Diana and Matthew. The Black Bird Oracle is more about Diana finding herself and her history for herself, and in the end, for her children too. Although the first three books in the series helped Diana come to terms with magic, I felt like this book is a champion to choosing herself. The insistence that Gwyneth imparts to Diana that she figure out what she wants regardless of her heritage or Matthew or her children, was such an important lesson for anyone to learn.
That doesn’t mean Matthew was absent. Readers still get plenty of scenes with the two of them, filled with strife and suffused with passion. The arguments between them felt real. With many years together and parenthood over their heads, it highlighted how much work relationships are and continue to be. Diana tries to unlock Matthew’s Darkness and he has to fall in love with her Shadow. Even amidst difficulty, the strings between them remain strong. I don’t doubt that they will always support each other through the series when new problems arise.
If anything, I’m excited for the day I decide to re-read this book, as I often do with the original trilogy. I think I’ll understand it better on a second, third, or even fourth read. Harkness has a way with words and stories that make it just as fresh and sweet when read again.
The ending was the perfect cliffhanger to leave me thirsty for more. The return of Diana’s oldest enemy was jarring and roused my fury and fear. Diana’s oath and sacred symbol of the tenth knot and ouroboros gave me literal chills. The promise of more Harkness books hangs around me like the sweet scent of Diana and Matthew, honey and clove.
Deborah Harkness, welcome back. You’ve done it again and I can’t wait for the next!
While I’d consider the original trilogy 5 out of 5 stars and Time’s Convert around 4 stars, The Black Bird Oracle I’d give 4.5 stars. It has the feel of the original trio, but I had more critiques about the flow.
The Black Bird Oracle can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major retailers.
