For those of you who did not read my hilarious summation of my severe disappointment, I found this book severely disappointing. Not only did it reduce what could have, and should have been a totally bad-ass female lead into a sorry excuse for a tear stained Kleenex, it failed to wrap up any of the multitude of interesting and complex plot lines that started in books 1 and 2. More frustrating than failing to wrap them up was the myriad of plot lines that were wrapped up in an overly simplistic way - riddled with more holes than a carnival shooting gallery wall.
The book starts out with a lot of arguing about what is the best plan for Diana who is now the most powerful witch in the world and carrying impossibly conceived vampire/witch twins. (stop me when this sounds exactly like your favorite teen vampire drivel). Diana, who again note is THE MOST POWERFUL WITCH IN THE WORLD, not to mention a high caliber scholar is notably absent from an opinion and a voice about her own fate. Peripheral characters who have been mentioned in passing, (who are naturally all dudes, since ladies need protecting) are added to Diana’s security detail. Many pages are wasted looking for lost but incredibly important artifacts (again, stop me when you realize a bunch of teen wizards did a better job of this in the Deathly Hallows) before they magically show up by owl, as if delivered by Dumbledore himself. the decision is made that Diana and Matthew must part so as to establish their own family, away from the cackling and maniacal Baldwin, who is currently in charge. This was possibly the most aggravating point in the book, it was a more frustrating read of Harry Potter 5 where Harry is all “angst angst angst angst nobody likes me, everybody I love dies” because at least he had a community to remind him that he was being a huge Debbie Downer. It was slightly less aggravating that the multiple blank pages Stephanie Meyer's made the “artistic” choice to include in New Moon, to describe Bella’s depression after Edward leaves. Yep, this is book is only slightly less aggravating than Twilight. At least Diana gets a voice, no matter how pathetic, and lame, and wishy-washy it is, she has a voice.
Diana continues to be a drip, Matthew continues to atone of the sins of his past by creating his own personal hell of regret, and there you have the middle of the book. Finally equipped with all the pages of the Book of Life, the last one floating in as if on a silver parachute from a wealthy (and bored) patron of the Capitol, Diana puts them altogether only to become the book of life herself. She springs a tree from her head, and sports some new tats that detail the history of magical things, we are then brought to the monstrously boring conclusion where Diana sits around and argues with the Covenant until all her enemies are defeated. She then retires with her two half witch, half vampire babies and Matthew and lives in subservient marital bliss.
Overall my biggest disappointment stems from my own expectations. A Discovery of Witches was a fantastic, smart, and intriguing read that promised a really enjoyable trilogy. While Shadow of Night lacked some the first book’s fast pacing and spent more time on living in Elizabethan England than on plot development I found it enjoyable as an independent work of historical fiction. This last book really fell flat, especially on the promise that was delivered upon in the first book. Diana’s transformation form strong, independent, brilliant scholar, to completely dependent and self doubting uncertainty was perhaps the biggest let down. Young women and girls aren’t the only ones who need Hermione Granger, the March sisters, and Katniss - grown women need them too.
Boots says: Mom spent way too much time reading this, and not enough time rubbing my belly. This book made for a delicious crew toy, and an excellent nap pillow. I might read it, if it were taped up on the walls of my litter box.
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