If you have not recently read (or reviewed) the first book (D of W) you will probably be lost in a torrent you can't get out of. When they say this one picks up where A Discovery of Witches left off - they aren't kidding. So, before you get discouraged by: the mass of characters (so many that the text book includes a glossary of characters), or the tediousness of tea and wine (Harkness at one time wrote a blog about wine), or the seemingly pointless conversations, the contrived events, and other minutiae of Elizabethan England.Hang in there. I almost unplugged half-way through, which would have been regrettable. For me, that was the trick to *liking*.sticking it out to the end. They justified their confessions by, in the end, giving Shadow of the Night a shining review. Whew I liked this, but it took perseverance to get to *liking.* I don't just mean because of the 600 pages (24.5 hrs), and I'm not alone with my endurance problem - even some of the professional critics confessed to wanting to skip ahead, jump over some of the fettering details. While I recommend the book and, once again, eagerly await the third volume, I am hoping that the full magic that Harkness has the ability to provide in her writing will be found in the next book. I missed the quick wit exchanges between characters, the faster pace to the storyline, and the peaks and valleys in the storyline of the first book. Matthew’s point of view is rarely provided.

I felt the detailed historical information slowed the storyline.

With all of that said, I missed some the “magic” found in the first book. Also, as a history major in college, I found the detailed information on the Elizabethan era of England interesting. Once again, Jennifer Ikeda does a marvelous performance of every character.

The new characters in the story are refreshing and endearing.

In this new book, Deborah Harkness weaves a beautiful story as the main characters escape into the past. I waited for “Shadow of Night” like a child eagerly anticipates Christmas. I have read and listened to “A Discovery of Witches” more than a dozen times over the past year.

Shadow of night harkness