Book Review: The All Souls Trilogy

I first encountered these books when I saw someone reading the first of the series on the commuter train a couple of years ago. I was intrigued by the title, A Discovery of Witches. But in this age of Twilight (which I am open about having a serious distaste for), I find myself almost embarrassed by my love of supernatural stories. I grew up immersed in supernatural stories and folklore. At age 11, a friend and I bought tickets for some age-appropriate movie, and then snuck in to watch Interview with the Vampire (sorry mom. Well, not really). My love of vampire and werewolf lore was something I enjoyed immensely, but with the development of some sparkly reinterpretations of said lore, it's become a bit of a delicate topic. All this to say: I love stories about witches, vampires, and werewolves - but I am hesitant to announce it openly because of how they've developed in the media in the last few years. And now, after the lengthy precursor, on to the actual books.

The All Souls Trilogy includes A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life. The protagonist is Diana Bishop, fictitious descendant of factual Bridget Bishop, who was executed during the Salem Witch Trials. Diana is a present-day historian, and the books follow her as she comes to terms with being a witch and solves the mystery of an old manuscript. The author's interpretation of supernatural lore is very interesting, as she brings a scientific approach to it. The books also take an interesting path into historical fiction and introduces some great characters along the way.

Each of the books is quite long, but I ended the trilogy wishing there was more. I definitely recommend these books. There's much more I could say about the story, but I won't to avoid spoilers. If you've read it, leave a comment, I would love to know your thoughts.