I read Discovery of Witches the minute it came out and waited an agonizing 18 months for this sequel. In the recent past, I worried–will I like it as much as the first one? Will the character arcs resonate with me? Will this time-travel construct be effective?
Within the first few pages I knew my worries had been in vain. The continuing saga of Diana and Matthew was as fun to read as the first book, and Harkness handles her dip back into time effectively and believably, addressing things that others have overlooked (as far as I’ve seen) and addressed the time of Queen Elizabeth with a fresh wit.

We pick up Diana and Matthew right where we left off in the first book, and new characters are introduced (historical figures both actual and fictional) and woven together with the modern characters to create another seamless chapter in the saga. We all know that a third book is to come, so there is no illusion that the mystery will be solved in this title; but the lush world that Harkness creates is exciting and fresh.

Vampires have been overwrought by so many authors, but it’s wonderful to read new rules applying to these creatures of imagination. As Diana seeks to find out what is the key to her power, we are introduced to a rich pageantry of supernatural life in history.

My only complaint? Now I have to wait for the third book. But I enjoyed this book so much it’s re-piqued my interest in the first book, and I’ll be re-reading the pair of them in anticipation of the final book in the series