The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

By Kimberly on July 16, 2024

I devoured The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness in audio format, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda as the author took us to meet the maternal side of Diana Bishop's family. Magic, suspense, secrets and more await you in this unputdownable edition to the All Souls series!

The books in All Souls series are ones I own both in hardcover & audiobook. I usually listen first and then read my hardcover copies. To me, The Black Bird Oracle feels like the start of a trilogy and I am hoping we get a new book next year. If you haven't started the series or watched them, I encourage fans of fantasy, romance, magic, suspense, historical fiction, mystery and well written, addictive, must devour fiction to own them, pet them and feed them your soul regularly.

Could you pick up The Black Bird Oracle and begin here? I think so. Harkness does a wonderful job of acclimating new and familiar fans to Matthew and Diana's story and world. Of course, I recommend devouring them all from the beginning.

I will try to keep this spoiler free. The tale begins at the beginning of summer. Diana and Rebecca are just returning home when a black bird delivers a message. Then, Diana and Matthew receive a formal demand from the Congregation that their children Pip & Rebecca are to receive their witches test. They say all things come in threes, and Diana also receives a letter from a great-aunt she never knew existed. Gwyneth Proctor's letter simply reads: It's time you came home, Diana. And just like that, I was all in. Despite my desperate attempts to make the story last, I lost waaaay too much sleep devouring this tale.

I loved visiting Diana's paternal side of the family and seeing Diana explore that side of her magic. Ravenswood is situated outside of Salem, Massachusetts, and is an active witch community with family lines dating back to the Salem witch trials. Diana Bishop herself is from the line of the first witch to die. From the witches' council to the memory bottles, I was all in. As always, Harkness wraps history, prophecy and magic into her tales. The story is brilliantly paced and of course I lost sleeping listening over and over to just one more chapter.

I loved getting to know Gwyneth, the cousins, and Diana's children. Diana will be tested and face a nemesis, but she will also grow as a witch as she embraces both dark and light.

The tale left us in a good place, but hints of things to come and this fan needs more.

Except for A Time's Convert, which shares a different perspective, the series is narrated by Jennifer Ikeda. Jennifer has become the voice of Diana, Matthew and all the other wonderful characters in the series. She does an exceptional job of capturing the tone of the story, the character's emotions, passions, and fears, as well as their unique personalities. Ikeda enhances Harkness's story, making listening my first choice.

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