Synopsis
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.
My Thoughts
So A Discovery of Witches has been out for what? Like three and a half years? And I only just got around to reading it!By now I'm sure most people have already read it, so I'm just going to say a few words about what I thought about it.
Honestly, I loved it!
I found it a little slow to start with. Not the story line, but I felt like I was reading and reading and wasn't making any progress with the percentage of the book. Then at around the 30% mark, the pages seemed to fly by.
Deborah Harkness has created a magnificent world with this book. One that is targeted at an adult audience and one where the characters are not only adult themselves, but educated, mature and somewhat magical.
Highly recommended!
My Rating
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