April

For anyone that little bit obsessed with A Discovery of Witches, Time’s Convert is an essential read. I include myself in that. I love the weaving of fantasy and history. I wanted that little bit more of Diana, Matthew and the world of Deborah Harkness. Pure magical escapism.Time’s Convert has a very different emphasis to the Discovery of Witches trilogy. Whether you appreciate it or not, will depend on how you much you like Marcus and the domestic life of the Clermont-Bishops. We see Matthew Clermont and Diana Bishop again, together with their growing family. Matthew and Diana are raising children, who have a peculiar mix of talents.This is very much a standalone about Matthew’s son that he sired, Marcus. Siring for the uninitiated simply means that Matthew made Marcus into a vampire. Marcus is now in relationship with a human Phoebe. Phoebe wants to become a vampire, to share her eternity with Marcus. We follow this transformation and the weird rules to ensure this goes according to plan. Who would have thought vampires would be subject to so many rules and regulations? We find out about Marcus and his past, from his troubled home life to the battlefield experiences that shaped him. I was most interested in Marcus and the way he ducked and dived to survive the American Revolutionary War. He is a vampire, with a social conscience. His encounters with Matthew were enlightening.This was a welcome little addition to the All Souls Trilogy. As I have only just read them, I felt it followed on very nicely. Personally, I was more interested in the historical aspects of the story than the domestic bliss of Diana and Matthew. Obviously you would be stupid to go into this blindly, without having read the original trilogy. You would be totally befuddled.

M W

You know how sometimes you think you really want something but then you get it and you wish you hadn't because you realize you were better off without it? That's how I feel about this book. It wasn't bad but it just seems like a totally unnecessary interlude. I wish Harkness had either gone totally in the past to explore a side character's life or had waited until the twins were grown up enough to actually add something new to the mix. And a griffin? Really? I felt like I was in Castle Glower. I really did enjoy parts of the book but I still feel like I wish I could go back and unread this book so it wouldn't be a part of the series for me.

Cher

2 stars - Meh. Just ok.Unlike the majority of Goodreads readers, I found the author’s All Soul’s Trilogy to be underwhelming and overrated, despite having a plot synopsis that rang several of my trigger bells. Comparing the author to Diana Gabaldon and Neil Gaiman is, shall we say, misleading. I picked this one up under the impression that it is a stand alone novel. It is actually more of the same dull, passionless characters, except now you also have the tedium of parenting toddlers included. But wait, there’s more! In this novel you will also find characters that are the most special kind of special - 3 especially special characters to be exact. Newsflash for authors and publishers - readers are incredibly over this trope! On a positive note, I must admit that Persephone was a brilliant name choice for the kitty. However, Harkness and I are simply not a great fit for one another, and I do not intend to pick up another novel by her.-------------------------------------------Favorite Quote: You’ll be wanting to ripen a bit more before you take me on. First Sentence: On her last night as a warmblood, Phoebe Taylor had been a good daughter.

Bradley

Picking this book up is like coming home. Truly, we get lots of character goodies in this. Diana and Matthew and their precocious kids, for one, but it's the whole Clermont clan that shines.In particular, this novel is REALLY about Phoebe and Marcus. And the American Revolution. And the French Revolution. And the best part is, I don't have to use much imagination. We get ALL of Marcus's history! And we get to see baby Phoebe as a new vamp. :)My favorite parts are all in the past, however. Marcus had a troubled past and we get to see his start as a medic in the R. War, but probably most interesting was the French Revolution. What a nightmare. But don't get me wrong, this book has a modern plot just as good as the past. You know, the fate of everything and all. :) Those kids are sooo cute! And bitey. :)

Stacee

I was totally in for another story in this world and I was thrilled to see how Marcus and Phoebe’s story was going to play out. I loved the format the most: we got a chapter of Marcus’s past, a chapter of Phoebe as she learns to be a vampire, and a chapter of Diana and the current household. It was such an interesting way to tell the story and get the details of how everyone was fairing. Plus, I love love loved seeing how Marcus came to be Matthew’s son. I have a lot of feelings and I don’t know how to put it into words, so all I will say is that it is everything I didn’t know I wanted.**Huge thanks to Mysterious Galaxy for giving me an arc*

Sharyl

This is a sequel to the All Souls Trilogy, which I enjoyed immensely. Time's Convert was good, but...not as good. Don't get me wrong, though, it was still candy to me, and I'm still impressed with the pacing and the fact that she's obviously done her historical research. There were some parts that flirted too long with being silly and corny, and also some words that were overused, in my opinion. Mostly, it was an interesting look at Marcus's prior life and his chosen mate's decision to be with him--forever. Evermore. Evermore. (You get the idea.)That's not to say that I won't be tempted by another book in these series, because I am a bit curious about the twins...Deborah Harkness has yet to resolve that. So, if you loved All Souls and want more, this is a bit of fun, and nothing more.

Sarah

Thinking that I was reading more of a history lesson than a fictional novel, I felt that this book failed to deliver on everything I had expected. Following Marcus’s background in intense detail, we are given scattering episodes of Diana, Matthew and her growing twins; and a little bit more of a focus on Phoebe, as she transcends from human to vampire. This book was not what I was hoping for and I think Harkness has taken the trilogy just one step too far.For fans out there of this trilogy, we have all come to love Marcus and Phoebe, but really enjoy reading about Matthew and Diana. These two are what define this series but instead, Harkness has focused on Marcus and Phoebe. Told through flashbacks, we are given a detailed account of how Marcus came to be a vampire. The suffocating detail on the French and American revolutions were far too heavy for my liking. Whilst it certainly enhanced Marcus’s character, now knowing all about his background rather than the passing references offered by the previous novels, reading this book felt dry, slow and uninteresting. There is no passion, there is no real sense of danger and there is very little excitement. Having provided readers with a rough background of Marcus’s story, this book gives the full picture.I enjoyed seeing how the different references came to life. Moments from the other books suddenly made a lot more sense and you really get an understanding into Marcus’s character. However, I wanted to read more about Phoebe’s struggle as she changes into a vampire. I also wanted to know more about Diana and Matthew as they begin to learn that they don’t just have a set of twins who are a handful.It’s been several months since I read the last book in the series and this certainly impeded my enjoyment of the book. I found it difficult to recollect character names and their position within the de Clermont circle. My enjoyment would have benefitted from a character list at the start – from memory, only the second book in the

Teresa

3.5-4 starsI finished this several days ago, but I'm so behind, I didn't get to mark it until now...and I don't remember much anymore. I just know that it was great to be back in this world, I wasn't as invested in Marcus and Phoebe going into this and not much that happened in this book changed that. But the fact that Matthew and Diana had a rather large role helped to make this a mostly enjoyable read.

Liz Barnsley

The All Souls Trilogy is one of my all-time favourite series, a series I gladly tell everyone to read. Since finishing, I’ve been holding out for the next Deborah Harkness book I could read. Like many, I was expecting a certain story years ago only to be given Time’s Convert today. Time’s Convert may not have been the book I was originally anticipating in the universe, but I was more than happy to dive into it.I would happily drown in any story set in this universe, but with Marcus being a character I adored in the original trilogy I was perfectly content to read more about him – both his past and the present. I will be honest and say I did not adore this in the way I adored the original All Souls trilogy, but it was still a delight.In many ways, we have three stories taking place throughout Time’s Convert. We have two taking place in the present – we get to follow our main characters from the original series and we get to see the development of a new vampire – and we have one taking place in the past – the story of Marcus. There wasn’t quite the level of action in this book that there was in the original trilogy, but there were plenty of elements to enjoy.I admit, things were a bit slow in place, there were times when things did not seem to be moving at the anticipated rate. However, we were introduced to many things that I hope we get more of in the future. Although this book was not to the same mind-blowing level as the original trilogy, it really was a great look back into the world I love so much. I really cannot wait to read even more in the universe, as there are so many things I’m looking forward to seeing.Overall, Time’s Convert was worth the wait. It may not have been the story I hoped for, but I was plenty happy with my journey back into one of my favourite universes.

Tracy

I absolutely loved The All Souls Trilogy! I was so excited when I saw this book coming out! I couldn't wait!! I have now discovered that having read the Trilogy 4 or so years ago and not having it fresh in my mind is a large problem. It started on page one when I couldn't remember who the hell Phoebe is. It escalated from there. The writing is good. The problem is I don't really care about the characters because I don't really remember who they are and there is no suspense or action occuring in the story. So at 42% I'm utterly bored and giving up. My friend went back and re-read The Book of Life in order to get fully reoriented. She does remember Phoebe and does care about the characters. She's interested in the story. So, it seems just too much time has gone by for me....Maybe I'll try again later when I feel like re-reading the original series....

Amanda NEVER MANDY

Matthew’s son Marcus has found love and wants to make it official but it requires bringing his chosen one to the vampire side. The complications of this experience plus all the memories from his past it stirs up may be more than they can all bear. I am horrible about keeping up with new releases even when they are by authors I love. I currently only track three and I am lousy enough at it that my husband keeps track of two of the three for me. I live in this world where I float from book to book on my to read list and where my deepest thought into the future is about how long it will take me to complete that list. Adding thinking about any and all new books that I would want to add to that list is something I prefer to avoid.Imagine my surprise when this book appeared before me after scanning many different shelves and seeing nothing of interest or nothing that I would want to pay full price for. I had no idea that there were going to be more books in the series that I had fell in love with because the last book I had read left me feeling like it had come to an end. I guess technically this isn’t another book in that series and it should be classified as more of a spin-off story. This is my review so I am going to lump it in with the original series because it has enough of the original characters in play to be labeled as such.I eagerly dove in to this one and was quite happy with the speed in which I fell back in with the characters and their lives. I don’t have a memory of a story recap so I would say I didn’t notice it, which is how it should be. As mentioned in previous reviews, I find it annoying as hell when most of the first part of the book is devoted to it and it is so blatantly obvious that is what it is. A good author can weave it into the story without the reader being none the wiser.Things weren’t all rainbows and puppy dog farts with this one. Marcus's back story was a bit boring at times and the Revolutionary War name-dropping was extremely annoyin

Nikki (Saturday Nite Reader)

I listened to the audio thanks to Penguin Random House Audio - thank you!Unfortunately I did not jive with the narrator. About 2 hours in I got so frustrated that I put the audiobook aside for a few weeks. I only picked it back up because I wanted to know what was going to happen with Marcus and Phoebe. It was her voices for some of the characters, they didn't match the tone (in my opinion). I stuck with it and the story was a bit boring - I can't explain it but it didn't make my heart race of leave me on the edge of my seat needing more. There is no doubt that author Deborah Harkness is a talented writer and her historian background helps her develop descriptive stories. It was like a documentary of Marcus' life with snippets of Phoebe's and Diana and Matthew's current life. For a long story, I felt it was missing that something.

Lucia

"The touch we feel as a restraint when we are younger has a way of bringing us comfort later in our lives." Deborah Harkness is a safe bet. Story in Time's Convert follows three separated storylines that author weaves skillfully together without interupting the flow of the story. It was a pleasure to read it and I enjoyed myself immensely. This book is definitely a must-read for all fans of All Souls Trilogy. However, without knowledge of previous books you will be lost in the story and won't be able to truly appreciate it. Time's Convert presents not only deeper insight into Marcus's life but it also further develops the lives of Diana & Matthew - main characters from original trilogy. So make sure to read All Souls Trilogy before diving into this book. If you are All Souls trilogy fan, do not hesitate to read this novel. You will be rewarded not only with great writing as is the norm by Mrs. Harkness, but you will also get to spend more quality time with all your favorite characters. Time's Convert may not be as thrilling as initial trilogy; it lacks proper twist and plot afterall; yet I still flew through the pages eating up every single word. I can't get enough of these characters and I will definitely read everything that Mrs. Harkness writes about this fictional world of hers! PRE-REVIEW MARK YOUR CALENDARS EVERYONE! Sep. 18th 2018 is THE DAY :) I am super stoked for this book. All Souls Trilogy is my all time favorite paranormal series and I cannot wait to get my hands on Marcus's story! Info about other books from All Souls world: "For those of you wondering, THE SERPENT'S MIRROR (Matthew's life under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I), a book on Gallowglass, and whoever else happens to stop by and tell me their tale will follow in the future...definitely NOT in 2018." - from Deborah Harkness's Facebook

Sean Gibson

Deborah Harkness has created a new genre: luxury porn.Think about it: her vampires, at least those who belong to the de Clermont family tree, never age; are impossibly fit, no matter how much they eat (and they eat—and drink—anything and everything); are stunningly attractive and sensual; possess obscene wealth; boast genius-level IQs; and have all the attendant vampire superpowers, including super strength and speed and immunity to illness. They also get to sit around the kitchen table a lot and not really stress out too much about life. Basically, it’s every human being’s most extravagant dream, except for that annoying need to occasionally pilfer a little life fluid from some scum-sucking lowlife who had it coming to him anyway (or some enterprising entrepreneur who markets his or her plasma to a very discerning audience, which is a thing, apparently, which shouldn’t be surprising, because there are entire websites dedicated to people getting off whilst being tickled, so life, and the humans, are just weird). If you enjoyed the All Souls Trilogy, you’ll probably enjoy this one-off deep dive into the backstory of Marcus de Clermont, which features a lot of Revolutionary War-era and French Revolution-era history, a pellucid explication of what happens when someone gets turned into a vampire, and a lot of stunningly attractive people not aging as they eat and drink a crap load of stuff while saying intelligent things and watching over magical babies. Despite the heavy historical element, it’s a light and airy offering, absent the high stakes of its predecessor trilogy. Certainly an enjoyable read, but don’t start here if you haven’t yet delved into the All Souls world—you’ll be lost and probably a little bit annoyed at how easy life seems for these cats (trust me, though—they’ve gone through some stuff).

thebookbitch

Time's Convert was my most anticipated book of 2018. I was very lucky to receive one of very limited Advanced Reader Copies of the book and as soon as the proof came I dove straight in. The All Souls Trilogy told the story of Diana and Matthew on their quest to solving the mystery behind Ashmole 782. Time's Convert follows Matthew's son, Marcus and his girlfriend Phoebe while they go through their journey to be together. Initially I really enjoyed the first few chapters I read. I loved being back into a world I knew and loved so much and seeing scenes with Diana and Matthew made my heart warm. However, I started to realise that what I thought would have been a story was starting to lag and feel like a diary entry. The story is told in 3 ways; Marcus' story of his childhood and how he got into the army and fought in the war. We then have Marcus' current story while being away from Phoebe and then lastly we have Phoebe's story while she goes through her transition. With this in mind I kept reading on in hopes Deborah would create a plot twist that would change the story but nothing ever came. It continued on the diary format, living each day as they came doing very basic things that Mundanes would do despite them being Vampires. The one big thing that knocked me for six was the writing. The All Souls trilogy was filled with beautifully descriptive writings that captured the scenes and characters so well but everything in Time's Convert felt very simple. According to someone I spoke to on the book, Deborah said in an interview that the writing would be different because Marcus is 24 years old. However, that made zero sense to me because while Marcus was 24 years old when he was changed, he's actually over 200 years old so that doesn't really count as an excuse to the writing being lazy. With the writing being lazy and choppy I decided to eventually DNF the book at page 207. I truly tried to conquer my way through the novel but I just couldn't force myself to do it. I w

Attica Musings

As a story, it was decent, but as a romance it failed miserably. We missed Marcus and Phoebe falling in love (with the exception of the first meeting in book 3 of All Souls) and they were barely together. (Like 6% of the whole book!) I dreaded the flashbacks at first, then they became my favorite part, then I disliked them again. Marcus had promise as a character in past books, but between his depression in the present and his foolishness in the past, I was just annoyed with him. Rant warning: (view spoiler)[Because Marcus's first authority figure was bad he automatically rebels against everything. Including reason! He's told repeatedly not to create any more vamps (his first attempt turns out horribly) so what does he do? Create two dozen more of course! Marcus's actions caused tons of murders and even his being largely clueless doesn't excuse that he should've known something was wrong with his "children" and that he was responsible for their killing. (hide spoiler)]

Melinda

I LOVE the All Souls trilogy. The books are exciting, romantic, erudite, mysterious, and full of amazing characters, history, and far-off places. I had high hopes and expectations for this book, but I found (aside from history) it lacked all of the original books’ strengths. Where are the villains? The mystery? The suspense? The conflict? The plot? Hell - where even is the romance? While it was nice to spend time in this world again, I do not recommend this book to anyone who isn’t already a huge fan of the first three books. Disappointed.

Leigh Kramer

“Miracles should leave a mark, so that we can remember how precious they are.” p. 14I do believe I owe Marcus MacNeil an apology. I've been so anxious to read Gallowglass's story (which Harkness, bless her forever, plans on writing), that I viewed Time's Convert as somewhat of a placeholder. A way to bide my time until whenever Gallowglass's book arrives.But I should have known better, as Marcus's story is just as worthy of being told. It was such a delight to return to the world of the All Souls series. Diana and Matthew appear throughout this story and we even get Diana's POV. But Time's Convert largely devotes itself to Marcus's backstory during the Revolutionary War and his present day relationship with Phoebe who has decided to be reborn as a vampire.Matthew and Diana's relationship served as a great contrast to Phoebe and Marcus. They've settled into parenthood, although this is filled with many unknowns as the twins are rare Bright Borns (born to a weaver mother and vampire father who has blood rage.) I really enjoyed seeing them figure out how to parent their children and their paranormal abilities and what's the right amount of freedom and restraint. Marcus and Phoebe are separated for the majority of the book while Phoebe is transformed. The process of how vampires are made and then develop was absolutely fascinating. Some of Marcus's past recollections are crammed, abruptly moving from "showing" to "telling" and might have worked better if he was actually telling us, instead of us reliving those periods of his life. But this was a minor misstep and I didn't care overmuch. His experiences during the war and with his abusive father were heartbreaking but I really appreciated how this pushed him toward medicine and particularly how being a vampire was an asset when it came to curing or treating epidemics.I have missed all these characters and I'm so glad I got to reacquaint myself with them again. And of course, I treasured all those glimpses of Gallowglass.

Ashley

A little disappointing, if I'm honest. I was happy to read it, and it was nice to revisit familiar characters, and to get a deeper look into Marcus's past, but the whole 400 pages felt meandering and slightly pointless. There was no danger, no urgency, no mystery--none of the hallmarks of the original trilogy that made it so absorbing to read. It felt like a history lesson of the American and French Revolutions that just so happened to include vampires. The last 100 pages seemed rushed, though the conclusion was satisfying at least. I hope if Harkness decides to return to this world in the future that she can tighten up the stories and imbue them with a little more of the magic that was so integral to the first three books.

Suzanne

I loved author Deborah Harkness’ previous trilogy and was excited about this new work. I eagerly read it and quickly remembered the characters and the basic story, even though it has been awhile since I last read about them. This book, Time’s Convert, lacks focus, and I kept feeling as though I was being set up to read a multi-story arc that wouldn’t make sense until the final story. Those are my least favorite types of series; I prefer series that engage readers in character development and new adventures rather than piecemeal tales. This book has three partial stories, none of which are really very rewarding by book’s end. Phoebe becomes a vampire, Marcus reveals his human past and very early vampire years and Matthew and Diana’s twins begin to develop real personalities. The Phoebe/Marcus story could have been a good book or the twins could have been a good book but this was not enough anything to be a really good story. I remain hungry for more.