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"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches, a novel about what it takes to become a vampire. Set in contemporary Paris and London, and the American colonies during the upheaval and unrest that exploded into the Revolutionary War, a sweeping story that braids together the past and present. On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it show more seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life, free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply-held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood. Fast forward to contemporary London, where Marcus has fallen for Phoebe Taylor, a young employee at Sotheby's. She decides to become a vampire, too, and though the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable in the modern world than they were in the 18th century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both--forever. A passionate love story and a fascinating exploration of the power of tradition and the possibilities for change, Time's Convert will delight fans of the All Souls trilogy and all readers of magic, the supernatural, and romance"-- show lessTags
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I am an unrepentant fan of A Discovery of Witches and the rest of the All Souls Trilogy, but this one didn't hit that same sweet spot for me, although in some ways it was better than I'd hoped for.
Set in the same world as the All Souls books, with all the same characters, this book focuses on Matthew's vampire son, Marcus, and his soon-to-be-mate Phoebe, as she goes through the process of becoming a vampire. This is the excuse/framework Harkness uses to delve into Marcus' story, one rich in American Revolution history and personal tragedy.
Told in 3 alternating points of view, Phoebe's present day (3rd person) narrative of her transformation was the part of the book I liked least. It involved a lot of vampiric tropes that felt a bit show more tired, and there was a cat introduced that damn near ended the book. The cat is not harmed, but I'm not at all satisfied with the role it plays in Phoebe's new life; it felt like Harkness was purposefully screwing with readers and the unwritten rule of 'don't harm pets'. Either way, I just wasn't that invested in Phoebe - though I did like Freyja.
The second point of view was Marcus' flash-backs into his life before and after becoming a vampire. This was, if not a more enjoyable tale, one that was a hell of a lot more interesting. Rich in historical backdrops and characters, these sections were vivid and heartbreaking. The occasional small gaps in story flow were almost invisible, overwhelmed by the rich storytelling. It also helped that these were the parts that involved Gallowglass, my personal favorite character in the books.
The final point of view was, for me, the best, because it was told in first person present day by Diana and involved almost all the old characters I know and love from the trilogy. Here are Diana, Matthew, Marcus, Sarah, Ysabeau and the rest, spending the summer in the south of France, listening to Marcus tell his tale while Phoebe is in Paris learning to be a vampire and not properly appreciating her pets. Diana and Matthew's kids provide some scope for funny antics, and the overall relaxed plot of this book means it's easier for Harkness to indulge in scenes involving the kind of family dynamics everyone thinks are hilarious in other people's families. I enjoyed the humor woven through these sections almost more than I did any other part of the book.
The story is complete, but there are subtle hints that more books about the other characters may be forthcoming. Baldwin seems the most obvious choice, though I'm holding out for Gallowglass to get his 15 minutes. A girl can hope, anyway. show less
Set in the same world as the All Souls books, with all the same characters, this book focuses on Matthew's vampire son, Marcus, and his soon-to-be-mate Phoebe, as she goes through the process of becoming a vampire. This is the excuse/framework Harkness uses to delve into Marcus' story, one rich in American Revolution history and personal tragedy.
Told in 3 alternating points of view, Phoebe's present day (3rd person) narrative of her transformation was the part of the book I liked least. It involved a lot of vampiric tropes that felt a bit show more tired, and there was a cat introduced that damn near ended the book. The cat is not harmed, but I'm not at all satisfied with the role it plays in Phoebe's new life; it felt like Harkness was purposefully screwing with readers and the unwritten rule of 'don't harm pets'. Either way, I just wasn't that invested in Phoebe - though I did like Freyja.
The second point of view was Marcus' flash-backs into his life before and after becoming a vampire. This was, if not a more enjoyable tale, one that was a hell of a lot more interesting. Rich in historical backdrops and characters, these sections were vivid and heartbreaking. The occasional small gaps in story flow were almost invisible, overwhelmed by the rich storytelling. It also helped that these were the parts that involved Gallowglass, my personal favorite character in the books.
The final point of view was, for me, the best, because it was told in first person present day by Diana and involved almost all the old characters I know and love from the trilogy. Here are Diana, Matthew, Marcus, Sarah, Ysabeau and the rest, spending the summer in the south of France, listening to Marcus tell his tale while Phoebe is in Paris learning to be a vampire and not properly appreciating her pets. Diana and Matthew's kids provide some scope for funny antics, and the overall relaxed plot of this book means it's easier for Harkness to indulge in scenes involving the kind of family dynamics everyone thinks are hilarious in other people's families. I enjoyed the humor woven through these sections almost more than I did any other part of the book.
The story is complete, but there are subtle hints that more books about the other characters may be forthcoming. Baldwin seems the most obvious choice, though I'm holding out for Gallowglass to get his 15 minutes. A girl can hope, anyway. show less
When I picked up Time’s Convert in the store, I didn’t know it was set in the same world as the All Souls Trilogy. It’s something of a cross between a sequel and a spinoff. The story takes place right after the trilogy concludes but focuses on Matthew’s son, Marcus.
Marcus’ love, Phoebe, has chosen to become a vampire to stay with him. The story opens with her at Freyja’s home waiting to be turned by Miriam. Adjusting to being a vampire is far from simple, so Phoebe will be kept apart from Marcus for at least 90 days while she learns how to handle her new reality. The book switches between three POVs: Phoebe, Diana (with whom Marcus is staying), and Marcus in pre-revolutionary America (before and after he was turned). Marcus show more is struggling emotionally with the separation, and also with the nightmares of his past. He begins telling his history to Diana, alternating with Phoebe’s transformation. All of it building to the infamous “New Orleans.” I liked the structure a lot because it told Phoebe and Marcus’ stories in parallel, while also giving readers more of Diana and her twin Bright Born children.
The book does not have a traditional MacGuffin-driven plot, but that didn’t keep me from being completely engrossed. Harkness’ love of history is just as evident here as in the original trilogy, but her attention to detail also underpins the vampire lore in her world. Phoebe struggles to control her new speed, strength and the overwhelming sensitivity her enhanced senses bring. Cotton sheets simply will not do when you can feel every single fiber in the fabric!
I love the world Harkness has created and I am eager for her next story. May I suggest telling us Fernando’s story? Overall, fans of the trilogy will likely enjoy this as well, but I wouldn’t recommend that new readers start here. Too much is missed if you don’t have the history from the first 3 books. show less
Marcus’ love, Phoebe, has chosen to become a vampire to stay with him. The story opens with her at Freyja’s home waiting to be turned by Miriam. Adjusting to being a vampire is far from simple, so Phoebe will be kept apart from Marcus for at least 90 days while she learns how to handle her new reality. The book switches between three POVs: Phoebe, Diana (with whom Marcus is staying), and Marcus in pre-revolutionary America (before and after he was turned). Marcus show more is struggling emotionally with the separation, and also with the nightmares of his past. He begins telling his history to Diana, alternating with Phoebe’s transformation. All of it building to the infamous “New Orleans.” I liked the structure a lot because it told Phoebe and Marcus’ stories in parallel, while also giving readers more of Diana and her twin Bright Born children.
The book does not have a traditional MacGuffin-driven plot, but that didn’t keep me from being completely engrossed. Harkness’ love of history is just as evident here as in the original trilogy, but her attention to detail also underpins the vampire lore in her world. Phoebe struggles to control her new speed, strength and the overwhelming sensitivity her enhanced senses bring. Cotton sheets simply will not do when you can feel every single fiber in the fabric!
I love the world Harkness has created and I am eager for her next story. May I suggest telling us Fernando’s story? Overall, fans of the trilogy will likely enjoy this as well, but I wouldn’t recommend that new readers start here. Too much is missed if you don’t have the history from the first 3 books. show less
In the fourth book in the All Souls series, Marcus' partner Phoebe is set to begin her transition to a vampire. The traditional process requires them to separate for 90 days as Phoebe acclimates to her new self and life and the waiting pushes Marcus to recall his own experiences growing up in America just prior to and during the American Revolution and his own early days as a vampire. At the same time, Diana and Matthew grapple with what their twins abilities might be.
I went into this novel knowing only that it was supposed to be Marcus and Phoebe's stories and so did not expect the novel to include as much of Diana and Matthew as it does. And I'm not sure how much I like it as a result. As a novel with fuzzy genre lines somewhere show more between fantasy and historical fiction, the sections recounting Marcus' youth were the most compelling to me. The Matthew and Diana content felt a little tacked on and the transitions between all the various viewpoints wasn't always smooth. That said, I did enjoy the novel and getting to both know many characters better and also see ongoing developments with the twins, and having diluted Matthew time is always preferable as he still frequently rubs me the wrong way. If you enjoyed the first three novels in the series, this isn't a must but it is an enjoyable continuation if the summary tickles your fancy. show less
I went into this novel knowing only that it was supposed to be Marcus and Phoebe's stories and so did not expect the novel to include as much of Diana and Matthew as it does. And I'm not sure how much I like it as a result. As a novel with fuzzy genre lines somewhere show more between fantasy and historical fiction, the sections recounting Marcus' youth were the most compelling to me. The Matthew and Diana content felt a little tacked on and the transitions between all the various viewpoints wasn't always smooth. That said, I did enjoy the novel and getting to both know many characters better and also see ongoing developments with the twins, and having diluted Matthew time is always preferable as he still frequently rubs me the wrong way. If you enjoyed the first three novels in the series, this isn't a must but it is an enjoyable continuation if the summary tickles your fancy. show less
I was a little hesitant to pick up this book since I finished the All Souls Trilogy nearly a decade ago and only remembered about half of it. I surprised myself, as apparently I remembered enough to enjoy this continuation of the series. This book explores more of Marcus' story and includes plenty of interesting flashbacks to the American and French Revolutions. I enjoyed the tale, and the exploration of what it means to be a new vampire, although it lacked a lot of the danger and tension that drove the plot in the first three books.
86 points/100 (4 ½ stars/5)
Marcus Whitmore, originally Marcus MacNeil and going by many other names, has been many things in his life. Son, soldier, doctor, troublemaker,willfully independent. He has also met the woman he wants to spend the rest of his long life with. Phoebe Taylor wants to be with him, forever. She just has to make it through the change from human to vampire.
Time's Convert popped me right back into one of my favourite series again, and I hold it dear for that very reason. I've read the All Souls trilogy three times since I found it in March of last year, and I have adored reading it each of those three times. Now I get to see Marcus and Phoebe take a mostly center stage, though I get to see Diana and Matthew as show more well.
If you haven't read the All Souls trilogy, you should not read this book or this review first. In fact, if you haven't read it yet you should just drop everything and go read it now! It is one of my favourites. While a lot of the chronology of Time's Convert takes place prior to the start of the All Souls trilogy, the present day of the story definitely takes place after. You would spoil yourself on the magic of All Souls. I also feel that, just a little bit, that Time's Convert relies on the reader having read the trilogy beforehand.
Time's convert tells three stories, interwoven between the chapters. The present and the past is interwoven through the story. It takes place in the form of Marcus' memories as well as little snippets from news articles or letters from the time period.
The first story is the story of Phoebe's change from human to vampire. I actually loved it. Most of the time, the change happens quickly, or off screen. The learning curve is told, but not shown. This isn't the case with Phoebe's turning. It is a monthslong process, where she has to basically relearn how to do and feel and sense everything. And we get to see most of it. It is fascinating, and I really love how Harkness manages to tell a tale that I didn't even realise I have rarely got to see before.
The second, and larger in my opinion, story is the story of Marcus. We first see him as a child, right as the Revolutionary War in the Americas is starting up, ready to go off and be a soldier for his country. We see him as he grows up from that young, naive boy into a soldier, and then into a doctor, before finally seeing him as he makes his own transition into being a vampire. We see him chafe at the rules in both his human and vampire lives.
These two stories juxtapose each other very well. We see two completely different transitions, two totally different lives. I like how they contrast.
The last story is the present day, and we get to see Diana and Matthew and the children! This side is supposed to be about distracting Marcus for a while, but Diana steals the show. Probably because it is in the first person from her perspective! It is mostly about Diana and Matthew raising two very challenging toddlers. No ruining it, but the event that happens in Chapter 24 is the best thing to happen in the entire series. I cheered. I just absolutely adore getting to see the children grow up.
We get to see a lot more of my favourite character in Time's Convert, and that is Philippe. I absolutely adore Philippe. The best chapters in the trilogy were when Matthew, Diana and Philippe are together at Sept-Tours. It is sometimes difficult for me to know when thought strays into spoiler territory, so if you don't want to know anything, stop reading now. However, I just hate the way Philippe acts in this book! I hate it! I can't look up to him at all! I'm so sad!
Spoiler:Due to the circumstances in this book, we just don't get to see Phoebe and Marcus really together. I'm really disappointed because I wanted to actually see what made them want each other. We could see it clearly with Diana and Matthew. But, I still have no clue why Marcus even likes Phoebe and vice versa. It feels like their relationship has been hidden from me, and I don't know why. The book focused more on Marcus' past than their relationship, and I'm not even certain why this is being described as "A passionate love story" because it isn't.
Time's Convert was a great reintroduction into one of my favourite series. I got to see more of the American Revolution than I ever wanted to see again after reading Outlander. I got to see an amazing change to being vampire. And, I got to see the beautiful children again. All in all, I loved it.
To read more of my reviews, check out keikii eats books! show less
Marcus Whitmore, originally Marcus MacNeil and going by many other names, has been many things in his life. Son, soldier, doctor, troublemaker,willfully independent. He has also met the woman he wants to spend the rest of his long life with. Phoebe Taylor wants to be with him, forever. She just has to make it through the change from human to vampire.
Time's Convert popped me right back into one of my favourite series again, and I hold it dear for that very reason. I've read the All Souls trilogy three times since I found it in March of last year, and I have adored reading it each of those three times. Now I get to see Marcus and Phoebe take a mostly center stage, though I get to see Diana and Matthew as show more well.
If you haven't read the All Souls trilogy, you should not read this book or this review first. In fact, if you haven't read it yet you should just drop everything and go read it now! It is one of my favourites. While a lot of the chronology of Time's Convert takes place prior to the start of the All Souls trilogy, the present day of the story definitely takes place after. You would spoil yourself on the magic of All Souls. I also feel that, just a little bit, that Time's Convert relies on the reader having read the trilogy beforehand.
Time's convert tells three stories, interwoven between the chapters. The present and the past is interwoven through the story. It takes place in the form of Marcus' memories as well as little snippets from news articles or letters from the time period.
The first story is the story of Phoebe's change from human to vampire. I actually loved it. Most of the time, the change happens quickly, or off screen. The learning curve is told, but not shown. This isn't the case with Phoebe's turning. It is a monthslong process, where she has to basically relearn how to do and feel and sense everything. And we get to see most of it. It is fascinating, and I really love how Harkness manages to tell a tale that I didn't even realise I have rarely got to see before.
The second, and larger in my opinion, story is the story of Marcus. We first see him as a child, right as the Revolutionary War in the Americas is starting up, ready to go off and be a soldier for his country. We see him as he grows up from that young, naive boy into a soldier, and then into a doctor, before finally seeing him as he makes his own transition into being a vampire. We see him chafe at the rules in both his human and vampire lives.
These two stories juxtapose each other very well. We see two completely different transitions, two totally different lives. I like how they contrast.
The last story is the present day, and we get to see Diana and Matthew and the children! This side is supposed to be about distracting Marcus for a while, but Diana steals the show. Probably because it is in the first person from her perspective! It is mostly about Diana and Matthew raising two very challenging toddlers. No ruining it, but the event that happens in Chapter 24 is the best thing to happen in the entire series. I cheered. I just absolutely adore getting to see the children grow up.
We get to see a lot more of my favourite character in Time's Convert, and that is Philippe. I absolutely adore Philippe. The best chapters in the trilogy were when Matthew, Diana and Philippe are together at Sept-Tours. It is sometimes difficult for me to know when thought strays into spoiler territory, so if you don't want to know anything, stop reading now. However, I just hate the way Philippe acts in this book! I hate it! I can't look up to him at all! I'm so sad!
Spoiler:
Time's Convert was a great reintroduction into one of my favourite series. I got to see more of the American Revolution than I ever wanted to see again after reading Outlander. I got to see an amazing change to being vampire. And, I got to see the beautiful children again. All in all, I loved it.
To read more of my reviews, check out keikii eats books! show less
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 show more of everything and all. :) Those kids are sooo cute! And bitey. :) show less
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 show more of everything and all. :) Those kids are sooo cute! And bitey. :) show less
I consider this more a fun little interlude to the Bishop-Clairmont family saga than anything that furthers their story. We do not learn much more about them other than about Marcus’ past. We don’t seem anything of his present-day existence. Phoebe’s transformation transpires exactly as I expected it would. It is fun to see another Clairmont “child” and interesting to see Baldwin soften slightly. Still, I wanted more. There was no danger, no threat within the story. It was all too safe.
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Deborah Harkness was born in 1965. She received a B. A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1986, a M. A. from Northwestern University in 1990, and a Ph. D. from the University of California at Davis in 1994. She is a professor of history at the University of Southern California. Harkness is a well-regarded historian of science and medicine, show more specializing in the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries. Her first novel, A Discovery of Witches, was published in 2011. She is the author of the All Souls Trilogy. In 2006, she began a wine blog entitled, Good Wine Under $20. It provides an online record of her search for the best, most affordable wines. She made The New York Times Bestseller List with The Book of Life and Shadow of Night. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Deborah Harkness is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Time's Convert
- Original title
- Time's Convert
- Original publication date
- 2018-09-18
- People/Characters*
- Marcus MacNeil; Matthew Clairmont; Phoebe Taylor
- Important places*
- Londen, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk
- Important events*
- De Amerikaanse Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog
- Epigraph
- A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong,
gives it a superficial appearance of being right,
and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.
But the tumult soon subsides.
Time makes mo... (show all)re converts than reason.
-Thomas Paine - First words
- 12 MAY
On her last night as a warmblood, Phoebe Taylor had been a good daughter. - Quotations*
- Een lange gewoonte van denken dat iets niet verkeerd is,
geeft het een oppervlakkige schijn van juistheid,
en brengt aanvankelijk een geweldige verontwaardiging teweeg ter
verdediging van wat men gewoon is.
Maar ... (show all)het tumult neemt snel af.
De tijd maakt meer bekeerlingen dan de rede.
- THOMAS PAINE - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Evermore.
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- ISBNs
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