As I write this review, I am deep in the middle of watching the third and final season of A Discovery of Witches – a TV series I love almost as much as the books it is based on, which is a rare occurrence.

Marcus is one of my favourite characters from the All Souls trilogy and I was keen to uncover his story, to see what had made him into who he is. I loved all the touches linking him to Diana for hundreds of years before their paths actually crossed. The balance between the historical fiction of Marcus’s story, and the contemporary beginnings of Phoebe’s journey is beautifully done, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Phoebe evolve.

I adore Deborah Harkness’s writing style. Her world building is completely absorbing, and I always find it incredibly hard to stop reading her books to do real world things like eat or sleep! I live in hope that one day she is inspired to write further based in the world of the All Souls Trilogy, so that I can learn more about my favourite characters (I’m looking at you Gallowglass and Miriam).

Oh, and if the TV folks are reading this, I would love to see this book as a spin off series from A Discovery of Witches.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

With the recent series of ‘A Discovery Of Witches’ on UK TVs and, soon to be seen across the worl seen across the world, now is as good a time as any to get into the story of Diana Bishop, the witch and Matthew Clermont, the vampire. Please don’t start with ‘Time’s Convert’ as it is the fourth book in the series, so only read on if you are up to speed with the original trilogy. This sequel to the trilogy uses already established characters and fills in some of the story of those who supported Diana and Matthew in their quest for understanding.



The Congregation has backed off and Diana has established hearth and home with the long lived Matthew de Clermont. Phoebe, the girl-friend of Marcus, who is the sired son of Matthew, prepares to take on becoming a vampire. We follow her story and delve into Marcus and his troubled past. Sired and virtually abandoned by Matthew. the story of Marcus follows the colourful times of revolution in the newly minted States of America and in the bloody revolt against the aristocracy in France.

The main drive of the narrative is the vampirification of Phoebe and Marcus’ story with interesting titbits of the life of Diana and her children. This feels a fairly safe sequel which doesn’t really add any meat to the story about the Congregation. We are left hanging on the potential future shenanigans of the Congregation member the vampire Gerbert and others. I’m left also thinking that this may be deliberate now that there are going to be at least three TV series. We need to keep these characters moving around the chessboard but nothing and no one will be sacrificed just yet.

Having said all my qualifications, it did not hinder my enjoyment of the continuing story but I miss the dilemmas of the previous three books where I felt there was more drama and a more dynamic storyline. What I like about the book is the historical elements and how it manages to bring the narrative beautifully full circle. The historical events are woven through where man’s inhumanity against man and the enduring humanity of the vampire clash and contrast. It’s a clever use of history and the long-lived vampire taking that oh so long view.

Really struggled with this one and could not finish it.
No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get on with Deborah Harkness' books, even though I really want to as everything about them should appeal to me! For some reason, I just find her heroines a bit annoying. maybe I should give up now!

Reading Times Convert was an absolute joy for me. All the main characters from the trilogy are there and it was brilliant catching up with Matthew and Diana and their twins, whilst also learning more about Marcus and Phoebe. Deborah Harkness is a wonderful writer, whose descriptive writing and historical knowledge make her books such an amazing read. The same detail is in her characterisation, making them realistic which may seem strange as most are vampires and witches. Obviously there is also the fantasy side of this book, a magical and historical realism, that blends seamlessly together bringing the reality of our world but with the addition of witches, vampires and demons.

Marcus’s story is a really interesting one, he was part of the American Civil War before being made a vampire. Through him Deborah Harkness is able to bring the horror’s of the war, the injuries, death, into the story. What surprised me was the fact that Small Pox was feared as much, if not more so than the British Army, and killed many people, which resulted in many trying to vaccinate themselves by giving themselves a mild form of the disease. Marcus’s time in New Orleans is referenced a few times in the All Souls Trilogy as a period where he rebelled and caused a lot of trouble as he struggled with his vampire status, and in this book his decadence and fall from grace is told with more detail.

To contrast with Marcus’s story there is Phoebe’s transformation. Phoebe is being cared for by her maker Miriam and Matthew’s sister Freya as she transitions, which causes a few funny moments, like learning to walk again, and restraining her strength as she keeps breaking things with a simple touch. More light relief comes in the form of Matthew and Diana’s twins Philip and Rebecca who are half vampire and half witch, and even as toddlers cause trouble weaving spells an Phillip has a Griffin familiar called Apollo who causes mayhem.

Times Convert is an utterly fabulous read and a must for All Souls fans, but can be read as a standalone. When I finished the trilogy I felt bereft, and wanted to know what happened after especially with the twins, and this book fed that need for me. Brilliant writing, detailed historical storylines and very memorable characters make this a magical and fascinating read. Simply stunning, I want more.

While I loved the first book in the series, I’ve struggled as I’ve delved in deeper. This book is no exception. It felt more of a cash in and fan lip service than a sincere story that the writer wanted to tell.
That said, there will be a wanting audience for this who love the world and want whatever the writer can give them.

I enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it as much as the original trilogy. The parts I liked the most were the glimpses of Matthewand Diana Bishops life with their children.
This main thrust of the story was on Marcus Whitmore and his girlfriend Phoebe who had taken the decision to become a vampire and Marcus’s mate.
As Marcus waits for his reunion with Phoebe he shares his past with Diana.
I loved this and felt the past really came to life with the historical detail.
All I wanted to read next was the first in the trilogy again!
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an ARC
#TimesConvert #NetGalley

I initially thought that this book was part of the All Souls Trilogy, until I read that wasn't the case and that this book was set in the same world. I haven't read any of the All Souls Trilogy yet this book really caught my eye and interest so I decided to go ahead with my gut feeling of wanting to read this on.

The cover is certainly striking! It is an eye-catching bright red clock & surround and the inside is a beautiful night sky blue. This cover was the first thing that attracted me to the book and encouraged me to want to read the blurb, To be totally honest until I had read the blurb and decided I wanted to read it I hadn't even noticed who the author was.

The genre I have seen listed for this book is Historical Fiction however I would also add Paranormal, Fantasy & Romance too. I really enjoyed the mixture of paranormal's featured in this book. It primarily has Vampires, Witches, Daemons and Warmblood's. Warmbloods are what humans are referred to in the book.

So I guess most people will have been watching the Discovery Of Witches on Sky TV. I probably should point out I have neither read the book or watched the TV program, though I have pre-ordered the DVD as I have heard so many book friends enthusiastically recommending it.

Within the first few pages I felt drawn into the book I enjoyed being introduced to all the different characters.

I guess you could say the book is kind of told from three different points of view. There's the "present" day with the character of Phoebe who is to become a vampire to be with Marcus her chosen love forever. Phoebe and Marcus have decided to do Phoebe's turning and transition the more old fashioned way. An older vampire will bite Phoebe and give her blood in return as well as mentoring her until she is under control enough to safely go among the worlds normal citizens without putting anyone's life at risk.

Another of the viewpoints is also set in the "present" that of Diana, a witch mated with a vampire called Matthew De Cleremont. Their pairing is an unusual one and did go against convention, but they have so far proven they are mates. They have twins, a boy called Philip, Pip for short and a girl called Rebecca and called Becca for short. These two children are an unknown entity really as they are half vampire and half witch. No one is sure which trait will be dominant or how the children will turn out. In fact some vampire members of the family believe that Diana should cast some sort of spell on her children binding their powers so they cannot use them at all. The De Cleremont twins are involved in some rather funny situations. For example, Becca is a biter! Which most warmblood children go through a phase of biting but the fact Becca is a vampire and may accidentally bite another vampire is a worry as any vampire bitten by Becca could retaliate and kill her.

The third section or point of view of the book is when Marcus discusses his past with Diana who is really keen on history. Despite Matthew saying no one should ever ask a vampire about their name or their past Diana cannot help encouraging Marcus to reveal his past when he starts talking about it. We learn the reason Marcus had to leave his home in Hadley, when he shoots and kills his father Obadiah whilst attempting to protect his mother, Catherine and his sister Patience from further abuse and another beating. I loved how Marcus' name seemed to change regularly and sometimes quite accidentally.

The sections describing how Phoebe is discovering and coping with her new vampire talents such as the hearing, the vision and stronger feelings were quite detailed and so descriptive. They were certainly interesting, such as Phoebe befriending the cat whom she is supposed to feed from as a "baby" vampire and is told not to get too attached to as she will probably kill the cat. Phoebe has other idea's and names the cat,and manages to feed without killing it.

I should admit I did have a bit of difficulty with some of the historical dates, jargon etc. At one point I actually thought about leaving the book for a while and coming back to it. I was even advised that I should have probably have read the All Souls Trilogy prior to starting Times Convert. I stuck with it and once we as readers started to get to know more about Marcus and his life, or maybe I should describe them as his lives I felt compelled to read on to learn more about this man who was fascinating and had many names and had reinvented himself before he became a vampire. The book reveals how Matthew sired Marcus and how with the help of the rest of the De Cleremont he taught Marcus the very rules Miriam is teaching Phoebe in the present day. It is really interesting seeing how things have changed or sometimes not changed between the era Marcus was made a vampire and the present day and the issues she has to overcome and the rules she must learn to obey. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the vampire etiquette through the eyes of Marcus, also observing the different members of the De Cleremont family and how their etiquette expectation slowly change or adapt and then seeing the most modern vampire etiquette through the eyes of Phoebe.

I really liked a lot of the characters such as Phoebe's family being surprisingly understanding about her decision to become a vampire to be with Marcus forever. I enjoyed disliking the rather jealous sister of Phoebe who it seems has always been the centre of attention and is quite willing to reveal her sisters secret if she can benefit from it in any way.

I loved the relationship between Matthew and Diana and their stand against interfering in what ate will decide about their children's futures. Philip and Becca sound adorable and I thought it amusing that Becca has the big tough guy vampire Baldwin around her little finger, he really dotes on her.

Another character I loved was Ysabeau the strong female vampire who is head of the family and to be feared, admired and loved by the rest of the De Cleremont family. Ysabeau is mother to Matthew and grandmother to Marcus.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing this book were that I couldn't believe that I almost stopped reading this book! I am so glad that I stuck with it and in the end I really did enjoy it. This book has certainly made me want to read the All Souls Trilogy as well as hoping for more following the Times Convert book.

So now my dilemma is do I try to read the Discovery Of Witches before I watch the TV show? I think I probably should. . . .I have purchased the All Souls Trilogy ebook ready to read. I have so many books to read. . . like most other book lovers I would love more time to dedicate to reading and reviewing!

If you’re going to write great big doorstops about vampires and witches, with huge settings and an intricate world, then comparison to Anne Rice is almost unavoidable. However Harkness very much does her own thing. If there’s a good story with enough plot, and the author can manage engaging prose, then I don’t mind a slow unwinding narrative that seems to take the scenic root. In fact it really worked for me. I enjoyed the dual POVs in alternating chapters. I found the richness of the world building suited the story. On the surface quiet, more literary fantasy, but plenty of action within the character journeys. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley, Deborah Harkness and Headline for my ARC of Time's Convert.
Please note that I won't include spoilers for this book, there will be minor spoilers for the first 3 books in the series where necessary for the point of this review.
Time's Convert is a spin off of the All Souls Trilogy which has recently been televised under the name of the first book A Discovery of Witches.
It focuses on the story of Marcus the vampire son of Matthew De Clermont and his soon to be mate, Phoebe. Time switches between Phoebe's current transformation into a vampire in the modern world and the back story of Marcus' transformation on the battlefields of the American revolution.

I must say that I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first three in the series. The pace was much slower and nothing exciting really happened. Although the love story in the first 3 was a slow-burn this one felt almost slow enough to stop. Peppered with tales of battles and war (which I hate) the historical element wasn't as interesting for me personally as the Tudor history in books 1-3.

On top of that, I didn't like the characters as much. Diana and Matthew have become domesticated, settled into their home and rear-ring their children, and phoebe was frankly annoying. Everything she did got on my nerves and in turn this made Marcus annoying because I couldn't figure out what he saw in her. She had the same petulant child attitude as Jessica from True Blood.

Which brings me to my next point, this wasn't the only similarity I found myself noticing with this book. While the first 3 felt really original and fresh, this one seemed to draw a lot (intentionally or otherwise) on other fictional vampire stories I won't say too much without spoiling the story but I felt way too many tie ins particularly to The Originals.

It hasn't put me off reading this series but I really didn't enjoy it as much as previous ones.

I’ve been an avid fan of the Discovery Of Witches trilogy since the books were first published so I was beyond excited to receive Time’s Convert as a review copy from NetGalley.
I must admit it has been a while since I read the last book in the trilogy so I had to think hard to remember some of the minor characters who appeared in this book and indeed Phoebe was elevated to a story of her own although she only appeared briefly in the last novel.
This book was about Marcus’s back story- his life before he became a Vampire and his subsequent adventures. There was a lot of detailed history of the American Revolution as well as the French Revolution and many famous characters of this period were introduced. As I had not studied either period of history I knew very little about most of them. Maybe the American Revolution part of the story might be more meaningful to a US audience. Many battles were described as well as medical procedures from that time and I must admit the battles did go over my head occasionally as there were a lot of them in the book.
The second strand of the novel regarded Phoebe’s rebirth as a Vampire so she could marry Marcus. This is set in the present and Miriam is her Vampire mother which means that she bites her in order for the conversion to work. This section was also quite graphic at times when Phoebe’s Vampire feeding habits were described; Sometimes I found this part of the story rather distasteful.
Finally the book talked about Matthew and Diana’s life with their twin children who were approximately two years old. This was really about how the children were developing and whether they would become witches or vampires.
The overall theme of Time ‘s Convert seemed to be family and how different families work. It examined Marcus’s human family as well as his Vampire family and looked at why he behaves as he does in the novels.
Phoebe is embraced into a new Vampire family although she still feels the connection to her human parents. Diana thinks about her childhood and family whilst trying to bring up the twins in a safe way without curtailing their magic powers.
Although I enjoyed this book I found the three part narrative slowed down my reading and I didn’t find the plot as compelling as in the earlier books. It was set over a short period of time and just felt like a brief addendum to the previous books.
I would have liked to have seen more about Diana and Matthew’s life but maybe that is being saved for the next book!
The historical research was excellent but sometimes I felt there was too much time spent on the Revolutionary periods and this served to make the book less of a compelling read.
There was very little romance in the story which was an aspect of the previous books which I had really enjoyed.
Overall I would say that this book would go down well with fans of the original trilogy who have been waiting a long time for the next instalment but it is not my favourite book in the All Souls series.