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When the Congregation demands she and Matthew test the magic of their seven-year-old twins, Oxford scholar and witch, Diana Bishop, forging a different path, confronts her family's dark past and reckons with her desire for even greater power--if she can let go of her fear of wielding it.
Deborah Harkness is back with another installment of the All Souls series. The series started with one of my favorite books, The Discovery of Witches. The Black Bird Oracle is book 5 in the series and doesn’t disappoint!
Set 4 years after the events in the Time’s Convert, we find Diana, Matthew and the 7 year old twins, Pip and Becca, living in Connecticut. It is almost summer and the family is planning their usual summer trip overseas. That is until a black bird dies in their front yard delivering a message to both Diana and Becca letting them know if it time to come home. Additionally, Michael and Diana receive a formal notice by the congregation that it is time to have the twins tested for what powers they contain.
Wanting to protect their children at all costs and keep them from needing to be spellbound as Diana was, she travels to the Proctor family home of Ravenswood located in Ipswich, Massachusetts. It is here that Diana begins training with the black bird oracle cards and begins her witch training in higher magic. Although Matthew is weary of the darker magic he relents that the children will be safe there while they discover more about the higher magic and what the Congregation really wants. Diana begins to forage a new path with her magic in the hopes of protecting her family and fighting those that wish to destroy them.
This story seems to be setting up more storylines revolving around Diana’s witch powers and the up and coming powers of the twins. I really enjoyed the parts of the story with the kids; so much fun! Matthew didn’t have a big role in the book which was disappointing, I hope we will see more of him in future novels. There is a lot of history regarding the Proctor side of the family that bogs the story down some, but over all, it was nice to be back with some of my favorite characters. I can’t wait to see what is in store for them in the future. - Laura, Library Director