Editors Reads Verdict
A satisfying conclusion to the All Souls trilogy — the mystery of Ashmole 782 is resolved with genuine ingenuity, and the emotional payoff for readers who have invested in Diana and Matthew is complete.
What We Loved
- The resolution of the Ashmole 782 mystery is inventive and earned
- The emotional payoff for trilogy readers is complete
- The expanded creature mythology is consistent and coherent
Minor Drawbacks
- Requires the previous two volumes — entirely non-standalone
- Some plot threads are resolved more quickly than their setup warranted
Key Takeaways
- → The secret of creature origins is simpler and more alarming than the mystery suggested
- → Political change requires the willingness to be present for its consequences
- → Love across category lines always generates conflict with those invested in keeping categories intact
| Author | Deborah Harkness |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Viking |
| Pages | 561 |
| Published | July 15, 2014 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Best For | Readers who have completed A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night completing the trilogy. |
The Conclusion
Diana Bishop returns from Elizabethan London to the present with Matthew Clairmont and the knowledge she has gained — about her witchcraft, about Ashmole 782, and about the history of creatures. The Book of Life resolves the mysteries that the first two volumes established: what is the content of Ashmole 782, who is behind the threats to Diana, and what will happen to the Congregation’s prohibition on cross-creature relationships.
The conclusion is satisfying in the ways that readers who have invested two long novels in Diana and Matthew’s relationship require it to be. The mystery of the manuscript — what it contains and why creatures of all kinds have wanted it for centuries — is resolved with genuine ingenuity that rewards the patience the trilogy requires.
The All Souls World
Harkness built one of the more consistent and detailed fantasy world systems in popular fiction across the three volumes. The creature taxonomy (witches, vampires, daemons), the political structure (the Congregation), and the historical mythology (what happened to creatures across different eras) is internally coherent and feels genuinely researched rather than improvised.
The third volume is not quite as historically rich as Shadow of Night — it is largely set in the present — but it is the most plotted of the three, and the pacing that felt slow in the middle volume picks up considerably here.
Our rating: 3.9/5 — A complete and satisfying trilogy conclusion for readers who have committed to the All Souls world.
Reading Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "The Book of Life" about?
The conclusion of the All Souls trilogy — Diana and Matthew return to the present, the mysteries of Ashmole 782 are resolved, and the conflict between creatures and the Congregation reaches its conclusion.
Who should read "The Book of Life"?
Readers who have completed A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night completing the trilogy.
What are the key takeaways from "The Book of Life"?
The secret of creature origins is simpler and more alarming than the mystery suggested Political change requires the willingness to be present for its consequences Love across category lines always generates conflict with those invested in keeping categories intact
Is "The Book of Life" worth reading?
A satisfying conclusion to the All Souls trilogy — the mystery of Ashmole 782 is resolved with genuine ingenuity, and the emotional payoff for readers who have invested in Diana and Matthew is complete.
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