I know it's been done to death, but I always love when vampires know famous historical figures, and I love it even more when the story goes back in time, and I love it even more when they meet Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth. Harkness livens up this version of the past with trips to Prague and France, and both Matthew's and Diana's fathers make an appearance which is both sad and heart-warming. You finally learn some hard truths about Diana's magic and Ashmole 782. This book, though a little too long for me, is full of wit and heart and love and sadness, and felt like a solid book and not just a bridge between the introduction and the ending.