Synopsis īook Two of the All Souls Trilogy plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies and subterfuge, and a group of Matthew's old friends who are part of School of Night. Much of the research for Shadow of Night came from Harkness' dissertation on John Dee. Harkness is a respected historian of science and an expert on the Elizabethan era, which gave her the inspiration for the 16th century setting of Shadow of Night.

Harkness has studied magic and the occult since 1983, which provided much of the inspiration for the series. Deborah Harkness began writing the All Souls Trilogy as a 'thought experiment' after noticing the popularity of vampire fiction. In 2011, A Discovery of Witches was published as the first installment in the All Souls Trilogy, debuting at number two on the New York Times Best Seller list. Shadow of Night is followed by The Book of Life, the final installment of the All Souls trilogy, which was released on July 15, 2014. Shadow of Night was first published in hardcover on July 10, 2012, by Viking Press, becoming a New York Times Best Seller upon its release. Harkness had previously studied England's Tudor period, in 2007 publishing a non-fiction book about the scientific revolution in Elizabethan London, The Jewel House. Some critics felt that the book had too many secondary characters and plot elements. Like its predecessor, A Discovery of Witches, it was praised for its blend of history and fantasy.

The book received generally mixed feedback from literary critics. Diana and Matthew travel back in time to 16th century London during the Elizabethan era. As the sequel to the 2011 bestseller, A Discovery of Witches, it follows the story of Diana Bishop, a historian who comes from a long line of witches, and Matthew Clairmont, a long-lived vampire, as they unlock the secrets of an ancient manuscript. Shadow of Night is a 2012 historical- fantasy novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness, the second book in the All Souls trilogy.

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