Well, let me tell ya about this Book of Life thing, the one by that Harkness woman. It’s the last of a whole bunch of books, somethin’ they call a trilogy. This one’s about a witch named Diana and a vampire named Matthew. Fancy names, huh? They’re mixed up in all sorts of trouble, you see.
So, this Diana, she’s got magic in her blood, comes from a long line of witches, I reckon. And Matthew, well, he’s been around for a good long while, a vampire and all. They’re a couple, you know, like them young folks these days, but with more… magic and bitey stuff. They went off to olden times, to London, back in the 1500s. Can you imagine? No cars, no TVs, just… old stuff.
Anyways, they come back and somethin’ bad happened. Someone in their family, dead. So, they’re mad, real mad. They want to get even, find whoever done it. And that’s where this Book of Life comes in. Seems like everyone’s after this book. It’s got secrets, powerful stuff, maybe even the key to gettin’ their revenge. It’s like a treasure hunt, but way more dangerous, with witches and vampires and all sorts of creatures you wouldn’t wanna meet in a dark alley.
Now, this Matthew, he’s got a nephew named Gallowglass. Big fella, I bet. He’s been watchin’ over Diana since she was a baby, even before she knew about all this magic stuff. And wouldn’t you know it, he falls for her too. Messy, right? Like one of them soap operas on the TV, but with fangs. Poor fella, probably didn’t stand a chance against a sparkly vampire.
- This book, the Book of Life, it ain’t just about revenge though.
- It’s about family too, the ones you’re born with and the ones you choose, like that vampire family Diana joined.
- It’s about love, I guess, even though I don’t understand why a nice girl like Diana would wanna be with a bloodsucker.
- And it’s about magic, the kind that can heal and hurt, the kind that’s been around since before any of us were born.
The book talks about something called Ashmole 782, which is another name for the Book of Life. This book, it’s been missin’ for ages, since way back in 1859. Folks been lookin’ for it ever since, seems like. I reckon it’s got answers, maybe even the power to change things, make things right or make ‘em worse, depending on who gets their hands on it.
There’s all sorts of other things happenin’ in the book too. There’s this Day of the Dead thing, where they talk about La Muerte, the ruler of the remembered, and Xibalba, the ruler of the forgotten. Sounds spooky, doesn’t it? And there’s these boys, fightin’ over some girl. Young love, I tell ya, always causin’ trouble. It’s like they mixed up a love story with a ghost story. Makes my head spin, it does.
This Harkness woman, she’s a smart one, a professor and a historian, they say. She knows her stuff, all about history and magic and things. She put a lot of thinkin’ into this book, you can tell. It’s got all sorts of twists and turns, keeps you guessin’ what’s gonna happen next. It ain’t just a story, it’s got layers, like one of them fancy cakes they make in the city.
Now, I ain’t read the whole thing myself, you know. Too many big words and all that fancy talk. But from what I hear, it’s quite the tale. People are readin’ it, talkin’ about it, even writin’ study guides about it. They want to understand it all, the characters, the magic, the whole shebang. They even talk about the book’s meaning, like it’s supposed to teach you somethin’. Maybe it does, maybe it don’t. I reckon it’s up to each person to figure that out for themselves.
If you like magic, and vampires, and a good ol’ fashioned quest, then maybe this Book of Life is for you. Just be prepared for a bumpy ride, with plenty of danger and heartbreak and a whole lot of supernatural stuff. It’s a whole different world, you know, not like the one we live in. But maybe, just maybe, there’s a little bit of magic in our world too, if you know where to look.
And there’s book clubs and review groups talking about this thing. Guess folks like to get together and jaw about what they read. Seems like a good way to pass the time, I suppose, better than gossipin’ about the neighbors, though I do enjoy that too. They ask questions about the characters, and what the story means. It’s like school, but for grown-ups.
So, that’s the gist of it, the Book of Life. Witches, vampires, revenge, love, and a whole lot of magic. It’s a long book, I hear, but if you like that sort of thing, then go ahead and give it a read. Just don’t expect it to be easy, it’s got layers, like I said, like an onion, but hopefully with a sweeter center. And if you don’t like it, well, there’s plenty of other books out there, somethin’ for everyone, I reckon.
