The Black Bird Oracle

In Harkness’s fifth novel in the “All Souls” series (following Time’s Convert), twins Pip and Rebecca, children of Diana Bishop and Matthew de Clairmont, are due for their magical abilities assessment. On the day the family gets the summons from the Congregation that the twins are ready for their test, a group of blackbirds delivers a message to Rebecca, telling her to come home. Subsequently, Diana also gets a mysterious letter to return home. Diana travels to Ravenswood, the Proctor family home near Ipswich, MA, where she uncovers secrets about her family’s shadowy history. While there, she must undergo several trials to prove she is worthy of practicing higher magic while learning that Rebecca carries her own special talents. Narrator Jennifer Ikeda offers a strong performance, using appropriate inflections and skillfully setting the tone. Whether witches, demons, vampires, or ghosts, the characters are readily distinguishable, and the back-and-forth of conversations is easy to follow. While series fans will enjoy meeting new characters, they will also be delighted to connect with familiar favorites in this novel that is infused with a warm sense of home.