TheWell Bookshop

Series · fantasy

All Souls

by Deborah Harkness

The All Souls series by Deborah Harkness has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with A Discovery of Witches (2011). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is The Book of Life.

Books
5 known books (5 novels)
Published
5
First published
2011
Status
ongoing
Shelved under
Fantasy
Last checked

Start here: A Discovery of Witches (2011) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches (2011)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. A Discovery of Witches

    Novel

    Deborah Harkness opened the All Souls series on 8 February 2011 with A Discovery of Witches , a substantial 608-page debut despite the series name suggesting a trilogy that would eventually grow beyond three books.

    View book

  2. Shadow of Night

    Novel

    Shadow of Night , the second book, followed on 10 July 2012 at 580 pages -- slightly shorter than the opener but published on almost the same date of the calendar year.

    View book

  3. The Book of Life

    Novel

    The Book of Life , released 1 July 2014, is the longest novel in the series at 672 pages and completes the trilogy the series was originally named for.

    View book

  4. Time's Convert

    Novel

    Time's Convert extended the story past its original trilogy structure, arriving in 2018 at 436 pages -- the shortest book in the series so far -- following vampire Marcus's turning during the American Revolution in a historical strand that alternates with a present-day storyline picking up directly after The Book of Life.

    View book

  5. The Black Bird Oracle

    Novel

    The Black Bird Oracle, published in 2024, is the fifth and most recent entry, running 464 pages a full decade after the series began, returning to Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont's world through the eyes of their now-grown daughter.

    View book

About the All Souls series

Deborah Harkness's All Souls novels follow Diana Bishop, a historian and reluctant witch descended from a powerful magical bloodline, and Matthew Clairmont, a centuries-old vampire and geneticist, whose romance across the supernatural divide sets off a war among witches, vampires, and daemons who have coexisted in secret alongside humans for centuries. It begins in Oxford with A Discovery of Witches, when Diana unknowingly summons a lost, magically significant manuscript from the Bodleian Library, and expands across the original trilogy into Elizabethan England, colonial-era intrigue, and a fight over the origins of all three supernatural species.

The appeal is Harkness's own background as a historian of science and magic: the world-building leans on real alchemical texts, genetics, and history rather than generic urban-fantasy furniture, wrapped around a slow-burn romance and an increasingly high-stakes family-and-species political conflict. It reads as equal parts academic mystery, historical time-slip fantasy (Shadow of Night sends Diana and Matthew back to 1590), and vampire-witch romance.

The original trilogy (2011-2014) tells a complete story, but Harkness has continued the universe: Time's Convert (2018) follows vampire Marcus's turning during the American Revolution alongside a present-day storyline, and The Black Bird Oracle (2024) returns to Diana and Matthew's world through the eyes of their now-grown daughter. The series remains active, with Harkness continuing to write in this world.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the All Souls series?

Five so far: the original trilogy (A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, 2011-2014), plus Time's Convert (2018) and The Black Bird Oracle (2024), which continue the story.

What order should I read the All Souls series in?

Publication order: A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, Time's Convert, then The Black Bird Oracle. Each later book assumes you've read the ones before it.

Do I need to read Time's Convert and The Black Bird Oracle, or does the trilogy stand alone?

The original trilogy tells a complete story and works as a standalone read. Time's Convert and The Black Bird Oracle continue the wider story afterward and are for readers who want more of this world, not required reading to feel the trilogy is finished.

Is there a new All Souls book coming?

Nothing beyond The Black Bird Oracle (2024) has been confirmed with a title or date as of this writing, though Deborah Harkness has continued returning to this world roughly every few years since the trilogy ended.

Is A Discovery of Witches a TV show too?

Yes -- Sky One/AMC adapted the original trilogy as a television series (2018-2022) across three seasons, one per book, starring Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode.

Reading order last verified .