If you loved A Discovery of Witches and the All Souls series, this is Marcus and Phoebe's story. While you could read it as a standalone I would suggest reading the other books in the series.

A great series about a family of vampires, a coven of witches and the daemons and creatures that threaten to destroy the balance of peace.

Who will survive, who will thrive, and who will save the world?

Even as a huge fan of the series, this title was hard to get through. It feels like there was not much point to the story, but rather just one long backstory. Quite boring

A wonderful continuation of the Discovery of Witches series. I would recommend that readers tackle the trilogy before reading Time's Convert. This new book will not make a ton of sense without it.

So glad to be back in the world of "All Souls"!!! Loved Marcus and Phoebe and really enjoyed getting to know Marcus better. Loved seeing Matthew and Diana again. Makes me want to go back and reread the trilogy.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

After the events of the All Souls Trilogy, we meet the lovers Marcus Whitmore and Phoebe Taylor as they try to start a new life together as Immortal Vampires. Phoebe has decided that she wants to be a vampire and marry Marcus under Vampire laws and because Marcus loves, he accepts to her wishes. Giving that Marcus has Matthew’s blood and it might have Blood rage in it, they have searched for different vampires to Sire Phoebe and after much looking they decide for Miriam Shephard, Matthew’s friend, and colleague. Because after the conversion the newborn vampire takes time to learn about its new life, Phoebe won’t be able to see Marcus for 90 days after her conversion. For the lovebirds, these 90 days are going to be torture, but Marcus’ Aunt, Fanny, has offered to host Phoebe and help her get through the 3 months of a newborn. Being a vampire, even a new one, is not easy and Phoebe is going to learn it the hard way.

At the same time, Diana and Matthew are dealing with raising their twin children. Philip and Rebecca are starting to show signs of parentage and it’s becoming harder for Diana and Matthew to adjust to the changes they are going through. For the 3 months of Phoebe newborn life, Marcus decides to crash in their house and mope around. This also gives Diana a chance to learn more about Marcus’ life, as he is dealing with haunting memories from his past.

After the 3 months, Marcus hopes that Phoebe might still love him, as he doesn’t know if the conversion will change her mind.

I really like Time’s Convert, the world of this series is very impressive and interesting that it was nice to see it through the eyes of other characters in the book. Reading how vampires are created and what they have to go through in their first days was very interesting.

One of the aspects of being a newborn and vampire that I liked was learning that their memory of being human was not the best. I liked the explanation that they gave about having too many thoughts and information in their mind to remember everything. It was interesting to learn that blood memory was not reliable and hazy.

It was great to read about Diana using her magic more in this book and in front of other people. I also liked that we got to see Diana as a historian and researcher again.

The twins are special. One is magical and the other more vampire, and Diana and Matthew have their hands full with them. It was so cute to read about the twins and their abilities, and how they interacted with other grown-up characters.

If you are a fan of Deborah Harkness and her work, All Souls Trilogy, then I recommend you, Time’s Convert. In this book, new lives and old ones interlace with one another, as new and old stories are told to the reader. Can love survive a vampire conversion? And how does one raise their half-witch half-vampire children?


*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Harkness first wooed readers with her All Souls Trilogy when vampire Matthew Clermont met witch and historian Diana Bishop. Time’s Convert expands upon that trilogy to re-introduce readers to Marcus, son of Matthew, as Marcus’s beloved Phoebe is undergoing the transformation from warm-blood to vampire.

In an illuminating view of Marcus’ life before he became a vampire, Harkness takes readers on a journey back to 18th century colonial America when Marcus begins his medical training with the soldiers fighting for their independence from England. The gritty reality of colonial America is every present, from the devastations of battlefield injuries to the decimation of rampant illness.

To better understand Marcus and how his relationship with Matthew has changed over the centuries, Harkness reveals how and when Marcus became a vampire and how his efforts to keep others alive by changing them into vampires resulted in an out-of-control exercise of a vampire’s powers.

Readers are re-introduced to Diana and Matthew, the witch and vampire couple at the heart of the All Souls trilogy. The unique powers exhibited by Diana and Matthew’s young twins is at times comical, yet purely magical, making one believe in the possibility that half-vampire, half-witch beings could truly exist.

Fans of the All Souls trilogy take heart-Harkness and her engaging characters are back and better than ever. And one need not be fans of even vampire fiction in order to enjoy this latest offering or any of the All Souls novels. The storytelling is so richly hued and the characters so magnetic that fans of all fiction genres will be entranced from the very first page.









https://sherimelnick.wordpress.com/2018/10/14/times-convert-by-deborah-harkness-vampire-fiction-at-its-best/

I began this book with much enthusiasm, but realized it was a companion title to a previously released trilogy. Nothing led be to believe this was anything but a stand alone or the beginning of a new series. I put it down for this reason.

The All Souls Trilogy is one of my favorites. Time's Convert is ostensibly a stand-alone novel, but in reality it would be difficult to understand and appreciate this novel without having first read the trilogy. Time's Convert follows three story lines: Phoebe's transformation into a vampire, Marcus reminiscing about his 18th century life, and Diana's twins developing powers. Unlike the trilogy, this is not a plot-driven novel. It lacks the mystery and intrigue that made the trilogy such a fast-paced read. Fans of the trilogy will enjoy having additional material to pick apart, but this is more akin to bonus material than a thrilling new addition to the series.

After 4 years, Deborah Harkness returns with a new book; Time’s Convert, which tells the story of Marcus’s life, both before he became a vampire and now. Marcus was born in the 1700’s and grew up in New Haven. Phoebe has decided to become a vampire and Marcus’s mate. The process and challenges that she will face, are no different than what Marcus faced so very long ago.

Harkness’s writing is superb and elegant. The words come to life on the pages, filling your imagination with the next chapter in the world of witches and vampires. Marcus’s life has been complicated from the beginning and to get to learn his story as a solder, then a doctor and so much more was a delight. The process that Phoebe endures to become a vampire and to grow as one was both surprising and interesting.

Diana and Matthew’s children round out this wonderful tale with how children that are born from the mating of a vampire and a witch can surprise even the oldest of creatures. I hope the next story to be told will be the lives of these two wonderful characters who are the same yet different.

I am a pretty big fan of Harkness's All Souls Trilogy; I've read it multiple times and love losing myself in that world. The trilogy had everything - romance, danger, magic, and some wonderful secondary characters who I enjoyed spending time with as much as the main characters. Marcus, a vampire, wasn't one of my favorites (he was mostly in the background of the trilogy), but I had high hopes for this new entry into the series. Unfortunately, I found it very disappointing. I didn't really learn anything new about any of the characters, and there isn't much plot beyond quickly moving Marcus from place to place to rub elbows with as many figures from American and French revolutionary history as possible. It was a slog to get through, which I never would have expected. I recommend skipping this book (or skimming it to get to the parts with Matthew and Diana's young family, which I enjoyed more than the pieces with Marcus's backstory and his fiance Phoebe's transition to being a vampire.)

3.5 stars

I first saw A Discovery of Witches in my local bookstore when it first came out. I bought the book and then kind of forgot about it. Like a ghost, the book haunted me from my bookshelf.

Eventually I picked it up to read and absolutely fell in love with the characters, story, and world that Harkness created. I breezed through all of the books and enjoyed each one for various reasons. I was genuinely sad when the series came to an end.

Then I heard that Harkness was coming out with a new book that was set in the same world as the All Soul’s Trilogy complete with old friends from the previous books!

On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus’s deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood.

Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor—the young employee at Sotheby’s whom Marcus has fallen for—is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Though the modernized version of the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable than they were in the eighteenth century. The shadows that Marcus believed he’d escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both—forever.

A passionate love story and a fascinating exploration of the power of tradition and the possibilities not just for change but for revolution, Time’s Convert channels the supernatural world-building and slow-burning romance that made the All Souls Trilogy instant bestsellers to illuminate a new and vital moment in history, and a love affair that will bridge centuries (summary from Goodreads).

So I had high expectations for this book. The All Soul’s series is one of my absolute favorites and I would hate if this book didn’t live up to the hype. Fortunately, I thought this was an ok follow up to a beloved series. While it lacked some of the mystery and tension that the All Soul’s trilogy possessed, it was still nice to revisit familiar characters and see their story play out.

For me, this book needed a little more drive in the plot. It seemed to meander at times and I felt that a clear plot like a mystery etc, would have helped tether some of the relationship plot points. The relationship plot points were the only thing driving this story and for me it needed a little something more.

I liked the alternating POVs, though I could have done without some of the flash back scenes, but over all I thought that that helped move the story on and keep readers interested in both of the characters.

Following up to such a tremendously popular series can be hard. Do you do something completely different that readers wouldn’t expect (JK Rowling I’m looking at you) or do you stick with what your readers are familiar with and do spin offs with new characters set in the same world (Diana Gabaldon and the Lord John series for example). It’s such a fine line and hard to decide. I personally like the new characters/same world option which is what attracted me to this book in the first place.

Harkness has already developed a strong world and memorable characters, that it makes sense for her to branch out and write other books on beloved characters. But for me this one just didn’t have the same magic as the All Soul’s series. It wasn’t bad by any means, it just didn’t have the same chemistry that the other series had. It’s almost impossible to not factor in the previous series when it comes to reviewing this book. If you haven’t read the All Soul’s series and are trying to decide if you should read the series first or this standalone…..I say read the standalone because on it’s own, it’s an excellent read but when compared to the series it lands closer to good.

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness

Kindle Edition, 400 pages
Published September 18th 2018 by Viking
ASIN B079KW48X9
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5
Genre: fantasy, vampire lit, romance
Memorable lines/quotes:

First line: On her last night as a warmblood, Phoebe Taylor had been a good daughter.

Summary: In continuation of her best-selling series, Deborah Harkness takes us on an adventure spanning from the American Revolution to modern day as we follow the early days of vampires, Phoebe Taylor and Marcus MacNeil. Marcus grew up in time of great change. He saw the birth of a new country but when he meets Matthew de Claremont on the fields of battle his life was changed forever. Phoebe, an art dealer and Marcus’s fiancé, has made the decision to become a vampire. In the early days after her rebirth, she learns that her journey to immortality is not any easier than it was for Marcus.

Highlights: I love Harkness and her writing. It is immediately engaging. I read the All Souls Trilogy several years ago which made the details of the story a little fuzzy. However, as I started this newest installment she gave tidbits that helped me remember more of the previous novels storyline. I was worried that in this new book I would not get to revisit characters like Matthew and Diana because the story focused on Marcus and Phoebe but Harkness must have known I would always want more of them. She alternates her chapters between the characters and plot lines. We jump from eighteenth century to the twenty-first and back again.
I have been fascinated with the American Revolution since middle school. I was pleased that Marcus’s story took us back to the American colonies and the fight for liberty. I enjoyed reading as Marcus met famous people of the time including the Marquis de Lafayette. After seeing Harkness at a Watermark event a few years back, I learned that her focus of study is on the history of science. It really comes through during this time when Marcus, as well as the nation, is dealing with a small pox epidemic. The history of inoculations for the disease was fascinating and fit perfectly into the story. I am so glad that small pox is not something that we have to worry about now because it looks truly frightening!
Phoebe is a character that I vaguely remember from the trilogy but I cannot say that I felt too strongly about her. In this book, she has a fascinating story. I loved seeing her progress as she fought her urges and dealt with the new strengths. Her first night out in the world interesting. In addition, her preference for the blood of middle-aged white women definitely made me laugh aloud!
Matthew and Diana’s twins were probably my favorite part of the story. Each of them have their own traits from both their mother and father. Watching their parents try to figure out how to deal with a daughter who drinks blood and son who can weave spells was entertaining. I do not want to give too much away but I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Lowlights: I wish I could get more Gallowglass! He makes a few appearances but not enough for me. Maybe the next book?! Please Deborah!!

FYI: I do not think it is a must but I would recommend reading her All Souls Trilogy, starting with A Discovery of Witches before picking this one up.

Time Convert, by author Deborah Harkness, is technically a standalone novel, however, it would behoove you to have read the All Souls Trilogy, particularly the final installment The Book of Life, before reading this book. The events for this story takes place a few years after the end of The Book of Life. Every character in this book is someone who is not new. They have all have appeared one time or the other in the previous installments. There are several distinct parts to this story.

The first part of this story begins with Phoebe Taylor's first days at becoming a vampire and follows her through the point where she can honestly be trusted to be alone, and without a chaperone to keep her from exposing herself and others. Freya, Ysabeau, and Miriam appear in Phoebe's story. It is a journey where she will have to learn how to become someone entirely different. Someone whose emotions are close to the skin, ready to break out and party. In case you missed it, readers originally met Marcus in A Discover of Witches and Phoebe Shadow of Night.

Phoebe and Marcus have chosen to adhere to an ancient tradition and ceremony which means that Phoebe will have to be apart from Marcus for 90 days, while her maker teaches her what it means to become a de Clermont vampire. While Phoebe is undergoing her transformation, Marcus is being guided by Diana to tell his origin story. In this world, asking a vampire when they became a vampire, isn't something normally asked. Marcus' story will take readers back to the Revolutionary War in the US and to the French Revolution.

I actually liked the back story because it is historical in nature. True events and characters show up in many different places, including George Washington, and Lafayette to name just a few. The third part of this story is a glimpse into the lives of Diana, Matthew, and their Bright Born children Rebecca and Philip. Diana, is a witch who is also a weaver able to perceive the woven strands of the past, present, and future, has come to accept that she is a witch. In fact, she shows some impressive skills in this story which she was afraid of doing in the previous trilogy.

Her only real concerns are her children who are gifted. Philip and Becca have magical powers parallel to witches which must be softened, monitored and disciplined into permissible behavior so that disaster does not strike, as it almost does several times. Being a parent is a huge adjustment to manage as well as how rapidly they seem to grow up, including Philip suddenly getting a griffin whom Philip names Apollo. If more stories are planned in this world, I would bet that they would be from the perspectives of both Becca and Philip. But, I could be wrong.

Harkness returns to the world of the All Souls trilogy (beginning with A Discovery of Witches) to look at the life of the de Claremont’s young rebel. Marcus Whitmore—Revolutionary War veteran, French Revolutionary, surgeon, specialist in evolutionary physiology, and vampire—seems lost in his memories as he is separated from his love while she is transitioning to a vampire, but Diana draws him out, asking him to tell his tempestuous story. This is a biography of a well-loved character, a mirror to the transition of another, and a happy, if turbulent (the twins jumping into the terrible twos early and Baldwin being Baldwin), reunion with the rest of the Bishop-Clairmont Scion. I was thrilled to be able to spend more time in this fascinating world!