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Time’s Convert (Book 1 of The All Souls Universe) by Deborah Harkness Review

Hey ForeverBookers,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Long time, no see! I’ve just finished reading the 4th book in the All Souls series, “Time’s Convert” by Deborah Harkness, which is about witches, vampires, ghosts etc so perfect for this time of year! I suppose it could also be classed as a companion novel to The All Souls Trilogy! 

4 Stars!

DO NOT read this if you haven’t read the All Souls Trilogy as it’s the preceding collection of novels in this series. You need to read it first so you’re not confused. The characters aren’t introduced again. They’re just thrown at us in Time’s Convert because we should already know them. 

I’m not going to review Time’s Convert in depth here. I will next year when I read the series AGAIN! I haven’t reviewed the other books in depth, I’ve just summed up what I thought of them, as well as giving a few plot points. I’ll do that here for Time’s Convert! 

We start with Phoebe who we meet in Shadow Of Night, book 2 of the original All Souls trilogy. She fell for Marcus, Matthew’s vampire son in the second book. She’s wanted to become a vampire since then. Miriam (Marcus’s vampire colleague) agrees to be the one to change her. Phoebe has a last meal with her human family as a goodbye near the beginning of the book. Her father doesn’t want her to become a vampire but all Phoebe wants is to be with Marcus forever. However she’s told by Miriam, her sire that that won’t happen for at least 90 days. Miriam is very strict with Phoebe. Françoise, a character we meet in Shadow Of Night is significant in helping Phoebe become the vampire she will be.  

In the 90 days preceding their reconnection, Phoebe must learn to be a vampire without Marcus’s assistance. She must learn control as well as how/when to feed. Can she do this? You’ll have to read to find out...

While this plotline is going on with Phoebe, we see Diana and Matthew at their home - “Les Revenants”, in France. This is the other present day storyline. We see Diana learning to become a mother to both Rebecca and Phillip as well as Matthew being the hero type character he was in the original trilogy - always trying to save the day. I thought these parts were cute. I really WISH there had been more of them and less of the historical parts. It wasn’t that these parts weren’t interesting or well written, they were. It’s just that I don’t particularly care for Marcus or his backstory. Rebecca and Phillip certainly become their own individual people in Time’s Convert. They’re still side characters but I can see them being main characters in future books. Other than Diana, Matthew, Becca and Philip we see Ysabeau, Marthe and Baldwin in the present day chapters too. Baldwin comes to further accept Matthew’s scion in Time’s Convert. Jack and Fernando also make appearances.  

I didn’t overly like the historical parts about Marcus because they weren’t what I was expecting. I thought Time’s Convert would be far more focused around Phoebe and her becoming a vampire, than Marcus or his backstory. I expected a little history but not over half of the book! 

Marcus was born in America in the 1700’s. His dad was abusive to him and his mother. He had a sister called Patience while he was human. Most of the novel is dedicated to seeing Marcus grow into the man he is in the present day. We don’t hear of his family after he becomes a vampire, apart from a moment where he sees Patience. That’s the part where Marcus turns his back on his life as a human.  I don’t, personally like reading about male main characters. Most of Marcus’s backstory was about him as a soldier in the Revolutionary War where he was around men. I didn’t feel I could connect as well as I could to say Diana’s parts because I’m female and I’m not interested in warfare. Also most of Marcus’s story was depressing and it was told in 3rd person narrative, which I’m not a huge fan of. Diana’s parts have always been first person, ever since A Discovery Of Witches (book 1 in the All Souls Trilogy. Her parts were also happier in “Time’s Convert”, than Marcus’s.  

It did however pick up slightly when Matthew came into the historical parts but this was over half way through the book. I feel as if some of the history could have been edited down and some more present day parts could have been added or at least those that were there could have been extended. We only got I think one or two parts with Matthew and Diana alone together. It would have been nice to see more of these. I feel as if the author might have thought ‘Diana and Matthew have had their time. Let’s not include them so much here’. I hope and pray that this is NOT the case and that in the future books (there will be more...YES!) we see more from my favourite literary couple. 

There is a little LGBT rep in Time’s Convert through Sarah and Agatha. We never see them kiss but I think we’re meant to suppose they’re together, now that Em’s gone. 

Although The All Souls series is still my favourite series EVER, Time’s Convert wasn’t my favourite. As I wrote above, I don’t particularly care for Marcus and I expected more romance for him and Phoebe. However, I did really enjoy seeing Diana, Matthew, the twins and the other characters from the previous books. But I also expected more romance from Diana and Matthew as well. That’s why I’m giving “Time’s Convert” 4 Stars! It was good, just not fantastic! 

Stand by for my next review...coming soon! 




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