The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness is a richly woven blend of historical fiction, romance, and supernatural intrigue, following scholar and witch Diana Bishop as she uncovers a hidden world of vampires, daemons, and magic. The trilogy begins with A Discovery of Witches (2011), when Diana, a reluctant witch and historian at Oxford, accidentally summons an enchanted manuscript—Ashmole 782—attracting the attention of Matthew Clairmont, a centuries-old vampire geneticist. Their forbidden love ignites a perilous quest across time, from Elizabethan London (Shadow of Night, 2012) to the mystical forests of upstate New York (The Book of Life, 2014), as they confront ancient secrets and a looming war between creatures.
Harkness, a historian herself, infuses the series with meticulous detail—alchemy, Tudor politics, and evolutionary biology—elevating it beyond typical paranormal fare. The trilogy is a love letter to academia, feminism, and the power of legacy, with a sprawling cast (including Queen Elizabeth I and Christopher Marlowe) and lush prose.
For fans of: Outlander’s time-traveling romance meets The Historian’s scholarly suspense.
