Review: The Black Bird Oracle

Like many newer members of the fandom, I discovered the All Souls Series during the COVID-19 pandemic after AMC adapted its first three books into a TV series. Since then, I've read and re-read the entire series. I've also prayed for the return of All Souls Con and eagerly anticipated the release of the newest installation—The Black Bird Oracle.

The novel isn't what many fans expected next, which author Deborah Harkness has addressed head-on. But when I read its synopsis and the pre-published excerpt from the first chapter my anticipation increased.

There were definitely parts of this novel that I enjoyed. However, taken as a whole, The Black Bird Oracle fell short of my expectations in some big ways. As such, this review is divided into pros and cons and contains some substantial spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

Pros

1. The Twins: It was nice to see more of Matthew and Diana's twins, Phillip and Rebecca, personalities in this novel. Readers last got to spend time with the twins in Time's Convert when they were toddlers, just beginning to speak. Still, they were full of personality and complications even then.
   In The Black Bird Oracle, set in the summer of 2017, when the twins are on the cusp of turning seven, we see their personalities evolve and expand. There are a few moments in this novel where their characters seem a bit inconsistent. However, this can easily be attributed to the changing nature of children.
2. Fun and funny moments: This novel also has some funny moments. For example, every interaction between Granny Dorcas, the straight-talking elf-braid-wearing resident ghost, and a mortal or vampire is quite humorous. There’s also a scene where Diana challenges another witch in a very Bhad Bhabie "catch me outside" way. Unfortunately, these moments weren't enough to buoy the entire novel.
3. Lovable new characters: Speaking of Granny Dorcas, she wasn't the only lovable addition to our roster of characters in this installation. The most notable of these is Diana's great-aunt Gwyneth, a stern, loving, patient senior witch and retired professor. She has a lot in common with Diana and aptly fills the role of favorite aunt. Similarly, Diana's cousin Julie quickly becomes the twin's favorite due to her fondness for adventure and love of the outdoors. Diana's new mentor Goody Katrina Wu is another stand-out character, as are her cousin Ike and his grandfather Put-Put.

Cons

1. Pushing the limits of suspension of disbelief: Even though fantasy requires a greater willingness to suspend analytical thinking than other genres, The Black Bird Oracle still manages to push this suspension to its absolute limits, nearly to the point of breaking. I was able to accept that Steven Proctor chose to be estranged from his family because of their ancestral connection to higher magic. However, the idea that Steven had a twin sister whose existence he and Rebecca kept hidden from Diana was too big a plot pill for me to comfortably swallow.
   Adding to my doubts is the fact the only purpose Naomi's character seemed to serve was to provide a rationale compelling enough to explain the absolute absence of Proctors in the first four books of the series. Then, of course, there's the birthday faux paus in chapter 27, which Harkness addressed during her Arts & Letters appearance in Dallas. Still, knowing that the inclusion of this error was an editing oversight only adds to the sense that there was too much going on in this novel.
2. Standing Room Only: Another issue I had with this novel was the sheer volume of characters introduced within its pages. Not only must we contend with the numerous members of the populous Proctor family, including its ghosts, but we must also reckon with the members of the Ipswich coven and a new member of the Congregation.
   Several pre-existing characters also appear in this novel, either in person or in memories. It's too much! I honestly don't even know why Myriam and Chris were in this novel at all other than to confirm that they're a couple?
   
   As I mentioned in the pros list, some of the new characters do shine through, but others seem to exist for the sole purpose of advancing or convoluting the plot. Similarly, appearances by some of the pre-existing cast are so rushed or brief that they read more like caricatures than the characters we've come to know and love. Whether old or new, there were simply too many actors on stage in this novel, and the story suffered because of it.
    
3. Was that really necessary? Unfortunately, Naomi’s character wasn’t the only unnecessary addition to the World of All Souls. Another character is introduced early in the novel and later revealed to be the true father of one of the pivotal characters in the series. While Naomi's character was clearly concocted as part of an absurd and possibly irrelevant part of the Proctor family lore, I couldn't think of any logical reason for the plot twist surrounding this mysterious character. Maybe Harkness is building to something that's going to happen in the next book, but it’d have to be both spectacularly important and entertaining to make this plot twist feel worthwhile.

Review

When I finished reading, the first thing I did was skim some of the short reviews on Storygraph. I found myself strongly agreeing with one reader's assertion that "there was too much and nothing going on [in the novel] at the same time" and that it felt like a "400+ page setup for the next book." I also couldn't shake the feeling that Harkness had allowed other people's expectations to disproportionately influence her writing like she was trying to fulfill some secret reader/viewer wishlist.

Sadly, my overall rating of this novel is 2.5 stars. But neither my criticism nor my disappointment is great enough for me to abandon the World of All Souls, nor do I believe that Deborah Harkness has lost her magic. I fervently hope that, like Diana, The Black Bird Oracle is simply Harkness's first step on the path to rediscover and reclaim her power; I look forward to venturing wherever that path may lead.