I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts about The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness.

- Category : Fantasy
- Publisher : Headline (16 July 2024)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 464 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1035410168
- ISBN-13 : 978-1035410163
The first shadows fall on a Friday afternoon when a single, dying raven lands on the pavement in front of Diana Bishop, harbinger of an invitation that reads, ‘It’s time you came home, Diana’.
Diana is a witch and scholar; her husband Matthew Clairmont, a vampire. Their intense love for one another awoke the dark powers within her and dissolved the Covenant between the three species – Witch, Daemon and Vampire – that live alongside humans. Now, the governing Congregation has decided it must test the magical powers of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Becca. Concerned with their safety, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family’s future and travels to Ravenswood, the Proctor family home.
There, Diana begins a new era, becoming her great aunt Gwyneth’s pupil in higher magic. It’s time to confront her family’s past – and her own, inescapable desire for greater power.
The Black Bird Oracle Review
I don’t have the words to say how much I loved this fifth story in the All Souls series. I savoured every moment, every word … in my opinion, The Blackbird Oracle is the best yet!
Diana and the Proctors’ took up my every thought so when I wasn’t reading, I was still immersed in this world. My dreams were coloured by what was happening, I was so caught up in the higher magic and relationships.
Diana’s appearance at Ravenswood causes quite a stir in the witchy community. And that’s even before Gwyneth’s training begins. The conflict that was bubbling under the surface blows up leading to an amazing scene and a surprising capitulation.
Matthew takes a back seat in this story as he gives Diana space to make her decisions. I felt as if Diana was very much in control. As her higher powers develop, she tries an experiment that goes terribly wrong, leaving Matthew shaken and I wondered how long-term the effect would be on their relationship.
What I particularly loved:
• the scene in the Ravens’ Wood with Becca and Matthew. It felt so joyful.
• The visit to Sarah. Lots of things become clear.
• Experiencing the memory bottles.
• Salem.
• Julie’s energy!
• The labyrinth and the encounter.
• Diana’s magical training.
The secrets that spill make a lot of sense and it’s becoming clearer how the ties bind and thread through.
So excited for what’s to come next!
An easy 5 stars from me.
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About the Author
Deborah Harkness is the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, Time’s Convert and The World of All Souls. A history professor at the University of Southern California, Harkness has received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and National Humanities Center fellowships. She lives in Los Angeles.
Follow Deborah Harkness on X @DebHarkness and Instagram @debharkness, and visit www.deborahharkness.com and www.facebook.com/AuthorDeborahHarkness