Deborah Harkness
Deborah Harkness has published 9 books across 3 series. The recommended reading order starts with John Dee's Conversations with Angels (2008).
Deborah Harkness is an American author and historian of science and medicine. She is known for her All Souls series of novels, which began with A Discovery of Witches in 2011. Harkness holds a PhD in history and has received prestigious fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Fulbright Program. Her academic work has focused on the history of medicine and alchemy. While researching her first novel, Harkness discovered an ancient, long-lost book of spells known as the Book of Soyga, an element that later informed her fiction. She currently works as a history professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she lives. The All Souls series includes the titles Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, and Time's Convert, and has been adapted for television.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of All Souls Non-Fiction Books
- Tagsnon-fictionfantasyromanceparanormal-romancehistorical-fictionhorrorDescriptionDeborah Harkness invites readers back into the All Souls universe with a volume that functions less like a traditional guide and more like a scholarly key to a hidden world. This companion is an essential roadmap for those who have navigated the tangled timelines of Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clermont, offering a granular look at the history, alchemy, and magic that underpin the series. It is a dense, illuminating text that rewards the obsessive reader, peeling back the layers of lore that often flash by in the heat of the narrative. What makes this work significant is its insistence on the reality of its fiction. Harkness, a historian of science, treats her own creation with rigorous academic curiosity, grounding the fantastical elements in real-world texts and locations. The book does not merely explain; it expands, transforming the trilogy from a story into a lived experience. It challenges us to see the magic in the mundane details of our own history, blurring the line between the scholar’s desk and the witch’s spell. For the dedicated fan, this is not optional reading; it is the final piece of the puzzle. It deepens the emotional resonance of the original trilogy by providing the intellectual weight that gives the magic its consequence. You will close the book feeling not just entertained, but profoundly educated in the mysteries of the All Souls world.Publication date17 November 2015Amazon rating4.5/5Print length136LanguageEnglishPublisherPenguin Books
- Tagsnon-fictionfantasyromanceparanormal-romancehistorical-fictionhorrorDescriptionDeborah Harkness has done the impossible, transforming a standard companion guide into a vital historical document. The World of All Souls is not merely a supplement to the #1 bestselling trilogy; it is a rigorous, scholarly expansion of the universe she built. By applying her genuine expertise as a historian, Harkness elevates the genre of fan companions. She treats her own fiction with the same academic weight she applies to real-world alchemy and science. The result is authoritative. It is essential. This volume peels back the layers of the All Souls universe with precision. You will find detailed character biographies and synopses, yes, but also the hard facts underpinning the magic. Harkness explores the science of creatures and the intricate history of the time periods. She opens her personal files to reveal the architecture of her world. From the lifestyle of a centuries-old vampire to the chemistry of a witch’s power, no stone is left unturned. It is a deep dive into the intellectual skeleton of the narrative. Beyond the scholarship, this book captures the sensory texture of the series. It offers recipes and wine recommendations that bring the fictional world into your kitchen. The artwork dazzles, providing a visual map to the story’s geography. Whether you are a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, this handbook bridges the gap between reader and observer. It grounds the fantasy in reality. It makes the magic tangible.Publication date8 May 2018Amazon rating4.8/5Print length496LanguageEnglishPublisherViking
Order of All Souls Trilogy Books
- Tagsfantasyromancesuspenseparanormal-romancehorrorthrillerDescriptionWhen historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, she inadvertently invites magic back into a life she has meticulously ordered around human logic. Though born of impeccable witching lineage, Diana has long rejected her heritage, haunted by the violent death of her parents and the belief that human fear is more potent than any spell. But this discovery acts as a beacon, drawing the eyes of powerful witches, destructive daemons, and long-lived vampires to Oxford, forcing her to confront a world she has spent years trying to escape. At the center of this gathering storm stands Matthew Clairmont, a vampire geneticist whose enigmatic presence both alarms and captivates her. As Diana finds herself inexplicably drawn to him, she crosses ancient lines of enmity, binding herself to a creature she should fear. Together they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript, but with every revelation, their feelings deepen and the fragile balance of peace between creatures begins to unravel, threatening to destroy everything they are trying to understand.Publication date27 December 2011Amazon rating4.4/5Print length592LanguageEnglishPublisherPenguin Books
- Tagshistorical-fictionfantasyromancemysteryparanormal-romancehorrorDescription1590. Elizabethan London is a labyrinth of soot and secrets, the perfect backdrop for Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont’s desperate flight. They have left the safety of the present behind. The air is thick with the smell of burning coal and the whisper of conspiracy. Here, history is not a distant lesson but a breathing, dangerous entity. The School of Night is no mere literary club. It is a clandestine gathering of radical minds, including Walter Raleigh and Christopher Marlowe, bound by intellect and the occult. Matthew moves among them as a predator among peers, his past a tightening knot of loyalties and debts. Diana seeks a witch to teach her craft, but finding a teacher in this age is fraught with peril. This is not a simple romance. It is a gritty immersion into a world where magic is real but hidden, and spies are everywhere. The stakes are higher than ever. The search for the missing manuscript, Ashmole 782, drives them deeper into a web of political intrigue and ancient rivalries that threaten to consume them both. Harkness excels at the texture of the past. She captures the claustrophobia of the era, the constant threat of violence, and the vibrant intellectual ferment. The narrative is urgent and precise. The couple’s bond is tested by the weight of history. It is a vastly more dangerous journey, one that demands they confront the ghosts of who they used to be.Publication date10 July 2012Amazon rating4.4/5Print length592LanguageEnglishPublisherViking
- Tagsfantasyromancesuspenseparanormal-romancehorrorthrillerDescriptionAfter the dizzying time travel of Shadow of Night, historian and witch Diana Bishop finally returns to the present with her vampire mate, Matthew Clairmont. They settle back at the ancestral stronghold of Sept-Tours, but the reunion is bittersweet as they face a depleted family circle and the looming threat of the Congregation. The hunt for the missing pages of Ashmole 782 becomes more desperate than ever, shifting from the dusty archives of Oxford to the opulent, dangerous palaces of Venice. It is a race against time where ancient magic clashes with modern science, and the secrets of the past threaten to unravel their future completely. This finale is a sweeping tapestry of power and consequence, weaving together the loose threads of a saga that has spanned centuries. Harkness masterfully balances the intellectual thrill of discovery with the raw, aching intensity of a love that defies the laws of nature. As Diana and Matthew uncover what the witches knew all along, the stakes rise to a breaking point that demands a terrible price. It is a deeply satisfying conclusion to a trilogy about the bonds of chosen family and the enduring courage required to change one’s destiny.Publication date15 July 2014Amazon rating4.5/5Print length576LanguageEnglishPublisherViking
- Tagsfantasyromancesuspenseparanormal-romancehorrorthrillerDescriptionThe air in this novel hums with the quiet, dangerous magic of centuries past, a world where history bleeds into the present and nothing is ever truly forgotten. It is a place of shadowy libraries and moonlit rituals, where the weight of immortality presses down on the characters, shaping their desires and their fears. The atmosphere is thick with secrets, inviting you to step into a reality just beneath the surface of our own. At the heart of the story is Marcus Whitmore, a vampire torn between the blood-soaked battlefields of the American Revolution and the complexities of modern life. We watch him transform from a young surgeon into a creature of the night, a journey that is as painful as it is mesmerizing. His struggle to reconcile his human past with his supernatural future drives the narrative, giving it a deep, resonant emotional core. Alongside him stands Phoebe Taylor, a modern woman with a sharp mind and a fearless heart, who chooses to leave the light for the darkness of Marcus’s world. Their relationship is a dance of trust and transformation, a testament to the enduring power of love across the boundaries of time and species. Together, they navigate the treacherous politics of the Creature world, facing threats both old and new. This is not just a story of vampires and witches, but a profound exploration of what it means to be human, even when you no longer are. It is a tale of sacrifice, loyalty, and the search…Publication date18 September 2018Amazon rating4.4/5Print length448LanguageEnglishPublisherViking
- Tagsfantasyromancechildrenparanormal-romancehorrorDescriptionSeven years have passed since Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clairmont dissolved the Covenant, yet the Congregation’s grip remains tight. A formal demand arrives, insisting that the magic of their young twins, Pip and Rebecca, be tested. It is a chilling echo of the past, a bureaucratic threat that forces Diana to confront the very trauma that once left her spellbound and powerless. Desperate to shield her children from a life of scrutiny and fear, Diana turns away from the Congregation and toward a mystery buried in her own bloodline. She answers a summons from Gwyneth Proctor, a great-aunt she never knew existed, whose invitation is simple but loaded with intent: It is time to come home. This choice pulls the family from the safety of the present into the shadowed history of the Proctor clan. At Ravenswood, the ancestral family seat, Diana enters a rigorous tutelage under Gwyneth’s guidance to master higher magic. Here, amidst the hallowed ground, she must finally reckon with the dark legacy of her ancestors and her own terrifying potential. The central question is no longer just about survival, but whether Diana can release her fear of her own power to secure a future where her family can truly be free.Publication date16 July 2024Amazon rating4.5/5Print length464LanguageEnglishPublisherBallantine Books
Order of Non-Fiction Books
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionHow does a brilliant mathematician and trusted advisor to Queen Elizabeth I reconcile cutting-edge science with conversations with spirits? John Dee, the Cambridge-educated natural philosopher, did not see a contradiction. For Dee, the supernatural was simply another frontier of the natural world, a realm to be mapped with the same rigor he applied to astronomy and alchemy. His life’s work was not just calculation, but communication, utilizing scryers and a crystal ball to bridge the gap between the earthly and the divine. Deborah Harkness dives deep into Dee’s marginalia and diaries to dismantle the myth of the mad magician. She argues that these angelic sessions were a desperate, logical extension of natural philosophy. As the apocalyptic fears of the era grew, Dee sought knowledge beyond the crumbling limits of contemporary science. This was not superstition; it was research. Harkness places these intense seances within the turbulent political landscapes of London and Prague, revealing a man trying to save a world he feared was ending. The result is a fascinating study of intellectual desperation. Harkness shows that Dee’s conversations were an attempt to practice science when nature itself seemed to be dying. It is a compelling look at the thin line between genius and folly. The history of science is rarely this strange or this human.Publication date21 August 2008Amazon rating4.5/5Print length268LanguageEnglishPublisherCambridge University Press
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionThe air in Elizabethan London is thick with soot and secrets, a place where the boundaries between the empirical and the magical are deliciously blurred. Deborah Harkness invites us into this teeming world, not through the lens of fiction, but via the vibrant, chaotic reality of the scientific revolution on the cusp of ignition. It is a time when alchemy was not a pseudoscience, but a serious pursuit of knowledge, and the streets of the capital buzzed with intellectual fervor. Harkness trains her scholarly eye on the community of practitioners who gathered in the shadow of the old St. Paul’s Cathedral, a hub she dubs the Jewel House. These were the men—and occasionally women—who dissected corpses, collected exotic flora, and stared into the heavens, driven by a relentless curiosity that we would recognize today as the scientific method. Their world was one of collaboration and competition, where ideas were traded as fiercely as goods in the market nearby. What makes this history so vital is its insistence on the human element of discovery. We see the anxiety of a new age dawning, the friction between ancient authority and innovative observation, and the sheer physical labor involved in creating knowledge. It is a portrait of a city thinking, a collective intellectual awakening that feels as urgent and precarious as our own modern era. To read The Jewel House is to understand that science was never a cold, sterile endeavor, but a deeply social, messy, and passionate pursuit. Harkness proves that the…Publication date28 November 2008Amazon rating4.3/5Print length384LanguageEnglishPublisherYale University Press
Frequently Asked Questions about Deborah Harkness
The recommended reading order for Deborah Harkness's books is to begin with the Order of All Souls Trilogy, followed by Time's Convert, which continues the story of the trilogy. After that, readers can explore the non-fiction companion books, The All Souls Real-Time Reading Companion and The World of All Souls, for deeper insight into the series' lore. Her earlier non-fiction works, John Dee's Conversations with Angels and The Jewel House, are separate and can be read independently of the All Souls series. The Black Bird Oracle is a recent addition to the All Souls world.
A good starting point for Deborah Harkness's books is A Discovery of Witches, the first novel in the Order of All Souls Trilogy. This book introduces the main characters, the magical world, and the central conflict that drives the series. It sets the stage for the subsequent novels and establishes the rich historical and supernatural elements that define her work. Reading this book will provide a solid foundation for understanding the narrative arc and the relationships within the series.
While some of Deborah Harkness's books can be understood individually, reading the Order of All Souls series in its intended order is highly recommended to fully appreciate the unfolding narrative and character development. The trilogy, A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life, follows a continuous storyline. Time's Convert directly follows the events of the trilogy. The non-fiction companion books are best read after the main series to avoid spoilers and enhance understanding.
Deborah Harkness primarily writes series, most notably the Order of All Souls. This series is comprised of interconnected novels that follow a chronological narrative and explore the same world and characters. While her earlier works are non-fiction and stand alone, her fiction output is organized around this central series. Time's Convert is a novel set within the All Souls universe that continues the story threads from the initial trilogy. The Black Bird Oracle is a recent addition to this interconnected world.
Deborah Harkness has written ten books. This total includes the five novels in the Order of All Souls series: A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, Time's Convert, and The Black Bird Oracle. It also includes two non-fiction books related to the All Souls universe: The All Souls Real-Time Reading Companion and The World of All Souls. Additionally, she has written two earlier non-fiction books: John Dee's Conversations with Angels and The Jewel House.
The first book Deborah Harkness wrote was John Dee's Conversations with Angels, published in 2008. This non-fiction work explores the historical figure John Dee and his interactions with purported angelic entities. It was published in the same year as another of her non-fiction books, The Jewel House. These earlier works established her as a scholar and writer before she began her popular fiction series.
Deborah Harkness's most recent book is The Black Bird Oracle, published in 2024. This book expands upon the world of the All Souls series, offering readers further exploration of its magical elements and characters. It follows her previous works within the same universe, including the novels of the Order of All Souls Trilogy and the subsequent novel Time's Convert. The non-fiction companion books also delve into the details of this established world.
Deborah Harkness writes historical fantasy novels. Her fiction is characterized by elements of magic, alchemy, vampires, witches, daemons, and historical settings. She often weaves together supernatural themes with real historical events and figures. Her non-fiction works, on the other hand, focus on historical scholarship, particularly concerning the Elizabethan era and figures like John Dee.
John J. Donohue
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Jessica Fellowes
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Ramez Naam
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John L. Campbell
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We verified the reading order for Deborah Harkness's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: April 2026
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