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Book Review : The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

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

The Blackbird by Deborah Harkness is being held up in front of a laughing gargoyle and greenery
  • Category : Fantasy
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Headline (16 July 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1035410168
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1035410163

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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 WitchesShadow of NightThe 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

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