The Library Vault

All Souls Series: The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness 

“It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches.”

I am not sure if many of you know the quote, it is from the series known as A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. The latest novel from the All Souls Series has come out just in the nick of time for spooky season. The novel is called The Black Bird Oracle. The first time I picked up the series, I put it down immediately. I thought to myself, oh just another writer who wants to write a story about a witch. I couldn’t have been more wrong. 

It was a few years ago, around Fall and the coming of All Hallows Eve and, yet again, I was in a reading slump. An old coworker told me to read the Harkness series. I informed them that I tried and it wasn’t my vibe. My coworker insisted. It was a slow day at the library and I decided to remove it from the shelf and give it one more chance. That second chance sealed the deal. 

Harkness sets the stage immediately and its hard not to peel your eyes from its pages. I consumed the novels. They were cunning, smart, spontaneous, and an absolute joy. When I saw the latest novel, The Black Bird Oracle, I jumped at the chance to enter into the world of Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clairmont. Its funny how many chances we give books. Do you think we do the same for people? Books are usually forgiving because they can’t help their nature. They are just pages, meant to be read. Diana and Matthew may have a different opinion. If you have read the series, then you would know. There is one thing I can say and that this series is most definitely meant to be read.

As a reader, should you read the previous books in the series before attempting this one? I think so; however, Deborah does provide background to the reader throughout the novel. The story opens when Diana Bishop and her daughter Becca are sent two messages. One comes from the Congregation, a ruling order for Witches, Demons, and Vampires, and they mean to test Diana’s twin children magical abilities. The other is from a distant relative, a great aunt with the last name Proctor. The note states, “Its time to come home, Diana.” Now, if any of you are a fan of the Arthur Miller play The Crucible or know a thing or two about the Salem Witch Trials, then some of these last names may jump out at you. If not, that is perfectly fine. They reveal themselves in the words of Deborah Harkness. 

I can’t reveal much more, or I will tell the tale to its entirety. But, I can tell you, dear reader, that Diana follows the path of a familiar voice. The voice shows her a truth about herself that she had never imagined stepping in to or becoming. It also reveals harsh truths about her family’s darkened past and leaves us thirsty for more. Deborah provides the reader, not so much with a cliff hanger, but a tale that will progress to the next. As we wait patiently for the next novel in the series to debut, we can drink a wine that pairs perfectly.

The wine is Laloue Sancerre Rouge, a ruby pinot noir that goes down nice and easy. Now, many of you may be thinking that Sancerre is usually a white wine. You are not wrong, there is Sancerre Blanc and Sancerre Rouge. Before we delve into the wine, I will tell you a little bit about the region. Sancerre is wine district in France that is apart of the Loire Region. I love wines from Loire. Sancerre is known for Sauvignon Blanc, hence why many think of white wine; however, with the special climate it makes a mean pinot noir. It’s hard not to pair red wine with a book about vampires and witches. It only goes on par. Plus, all the vampires in the series drink an obscene amount of red wine. It goes down better than water, and I must say the Laloue Rouge does the same. The color of this light, distinguished pinot noir is a crimson red. It is fruit forward with a velvety texture. This racy red is perfect wine to pair in the all encompassing world developed by Harkness and this Sancerre will help pour through its pages. Enjoy this tale of absence and desire, blood and fear with a glass of Laloue’s Rouge on the side. Boo!