Time's convert by Deborah Harkness
All soul's trilogy. Headline, 2018. ISBN 9780399564512.
(Ages: 16+) Recommended. Themes: Vampire/Historical fiction. Marcus
MacNeil is a centuries-old vampire who was made during the time of
the American revolution. This novelis split between Marcus's
memories of the past in 18th century America and his presence in the
21st century with his lover Phoebe as she begins to make the
transformation from human to vampire. He relives his own trials and
turmoils and ultimately discovers what family truly means to him and
to those he holds dear.
The characters of Time's convert were authentic to what time
frame they were set in and felt realistic and likeable as they
acted in ways that were true to what the novel painted them to be
e.g. the mentor or the villain. Since many of the characters in this
story were vampires the reader was able to see their attitudes and
beliefs from a much older time and how these ideas conflicted with
modern times. It was satisfying to see how the characters'
relationships with each other grow and their thinking shifts to fit
with the modern age as the experiences they endure shape them to be
wiser and more mature or the opposite. In turn, the reader's
relationship grows deeper as we see them struggle and overcome
challenges which give us a feeling of being connected to Marcus and
Phoebe.
The tone of the novel reads as a diary as Marcus tells us personally
the challenges and triumphs he faced as a newly made vampire and
Diana's a new mother and then Phoebes a newly made vampire in the
21st century. This creates a feeling of closeness with Marcus as we
watch him essentially grow up in front of our eyes. The reader ends
up caring deeply about what happens to Marcus and the people he
holds dear in the story. The switching point of views in the story
was an interesting a much-needed addition as we can see the
thoughts, feelings and trails of Diana, Phoebe and Marcus through
their own eyes. This was an effective way of driving the message of
the story about the meaning of family dynamics and maternal
relationships whilst also making it clear to the reader as each
character's experience is different and thus the reader can look at
the overarching theme from many angles.
The dialogue of Time's convert sounded extremely authentic
for the 18th century and modern day. This made it easy for the
reader to imagine what life was like in the different time frames
and feel more fully immersed in the story itself. Another
contributing factor to the story's allure was that each character
had a distinctive voice which showed rather than told the reader the
age, personality or even what religion the character was. This
helped in not only making the characters more memorable but also
aided in creating connections with the reader.
Amy Folker (Year 11 student)