Dear "Twilight" fans,
Rejoice! Even though "Breaking Dawn Part 2" is the final installment of Stephanie Meyer's bestseller "Twilight Saga," another vampire trilogy is on the way, just with a little twist.
"Shadow of Night,"published by Viking, by Deborah Harkness is the second book in the "All Souls" trilogy and continues the story about a witch and a vampire's love. Similarly to "Twilight's" Edward and Bella, the hero of the book is a stunning, brooding vampire attracted to a warm-blooded mortal, but she has powers of her own (she's a witch).
The "'Twilight' for grownups" novel, released July 10, 2012, recently topped the Hardcover Fiction New York Times Bestseller list. "Shadow of Night" also made it to #4 on the USA Today Best-selling Books list. It did better than the first book in the trilogy, "A Discovery of Witches," which was #8 last year.
"The response has been absolutely thrilling, and I'm so pleased that readers are excited about the next steps in Matthew and Diana's journey," Harkness tells USA TODAY. "The third volume of the trilogy is in progress, and there are some surprising twists and turns to come."
Described on the book's website,
"'A Discovery of Witches' 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. Drawn to one another despite longstanding taboos, and in pursuit of Diana's spellbound powers, the two embark upon a time-walking journey.
Book two of the 'All Souls' Trilogy plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies and subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew's old friends, the mysterious School of Night. The mission is to locate a witch to tutor Diana and to find traces of Ashmole 782, but as the net of Matthew's past tightens around them they embark on a very different journey, one that takes them into heart of the 1,500 year old vampire's shadowed history and secrets. For Matthew Clairmont, time travel is no simple matter; nor is Diana's search for the key to understanding her legacy.
Shadow of Night brings us a rich and splendid tapestry of alchemy, magic, and history, taking us through the loop of time to deliver a deepening love story, a tale of blood, passion, and the knotted strands of the past."
The Washington Post said, ""Shadow of Night" makes a satisfying beach read, with enough surprise cameos and fun facts to offset its longueurs."
The New York Daily News said in their review, "Deborah Harkness could not escape the comparisons last year to Stephenie Meyer with her first novel, 'A Discovery of Witches.'"
"The novel went wide, becoming an international best-seller as word spread this was "Twilight" for grownups."
Other publications give Harkness rave reviews.
Entertainment Weekly: "The joy that Harkness, herself a historian, takes in visiting the past is evident on every page. . . . A great spell, the one that can enchant a reader and make a 600-page book fly through her fingertips, is cast. . . . Its enduring rewards are plenty."
People Magazine: "Fans of Harkness's 2011 debut A Discovery of Witches will be delighted. . . . Harkness delivers enough romance and excitement to keep the pages turning. Readers will devour it."
Harkness will sign copies of "Shadow of Night" at 6:30 p.m. July 31 at Murder by the Book in Houston as a part of her U.S. Summer Book Tour.