Stephanie's Reviews > The Book of Life

A disappointment, I'm very sorry to say

2-1/2 stars, generously rounded to 3 in consideration of the previous 2 books

I was so looking forward to the publication of this, the final book in the All Souls trilogy. I reread books 1 & 2 this spring as I impatiently waited for Delivery Day. So I cannot tell you how disappointed I was when I finally got the chance to read The Book of Life.

Perhaps the kindest way of explaining my response is that I COULD put this book down. It took me a week to finish, after multiple frustrated stops. The novel lacked focus, direction, excitement. There was so much TELLING and so little DOING. Even the main characters often felt muddled, like Ms Harkness had fallen out of rhythm from the plot. Ground was tread and then needlessly retread, but the must frustrating problem with the book was the introduction of seemingly important plot points that then went nowhere.

I've seen the other reviews on Amazon. They are predictably glowing. seems that this was everyone else's favorite book yet, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Here's my theory: Book 1 was born from a great idea. The writing was only so-so, but the plot and strong characters were able to carry it for Ms Harkness. Book 2 was where the author, a Professor of History, really hit her stride. She was having so much fun time travelling to Elizabethan England, and her excitement carried over to the page. But then she had to return to Modern Earth, and she didn't know how to land. She was out of ideas, and this inconsistent, boring, disaster of a book was the result.

Let's be honest: nothing I write in this review will stop you from buying the book, because you're either a fan that just has to know how it ends, or your a newbie that will be swayed by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. I'm writing this anyway, if only to convey my sadness over the fact that it could have been so much better.