The Black Bird Oracle

The Black Bird Oracle, the highly anticipated fifth novel in Deborah Harkness's beloved All Souls series, weaves a tale of profound magic, familial secrets, and unyielding love. It all begins one fateful Friday afternoon when Diana Bishop, a witch and scholar, encounters a dying raven on the pavement. This ominous symbol comes with a cryptic invitation: 'It's time you came home, Diana'.

As Diana journeys back to Ravenswood, the ancestral Proctor family estate, she faces dark revelations about her lineage and the magical legacies passed down through generations. She must navigate the complex interplay between memory, history, and parenthood, uncovering secrets that have long been buried. Her great aunt Gwyneth takes her under her wing, guiding her through higher magic and helping her confront her own inescapable thirst for power.

Diana's husband, Matthew Clairmont, a vampire with whom she shares an intense, transformative love, joins her in this emotional odyssey. Together, they must protect their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Becca, from the scrutinising eyes of the governing Congregation. The Congregation, threatened by the dissolution of the Covenant between Witches, Daemons, and Vampires, has decided to test the twins' burgeoning magical abilities. Faced with these threats, Diana resolves to forge a new future for her family.

In true Harkness fashion, the lush prose of The Black Bird Oracle vividly brings to life a fantastical world where magic intertwines with reality. The novel's compelling exploration of maternal bonds and the legacies we inherit and pass on hints at the deep mysteries of the human heart.

'Haunting in every way. A story thick with family secrets, human heartache, and the kind of deep magic only Harkness can conjure. You will be enchanted.' - Leigh Bardugo

'The Black Bird Oracle deftly explores the nexus of memory, history, and parenthood – the magic, pain, and promises mothers pass onto their children. Harkness's lush prose makes a fantastical world real enough to touch.' - Jodi Picoult

Deborah Harkness, the Number One bestselling author, masterfully returns to the All Souls universe with this triumphant novel. By revisiting the era of the Salem Panic and revealing new facets of Diana's family history, Harkness illuminates the past in fresh and exhilarating ways.