A Discovery of Witches

Great story totally worth the read recommend the entire trilogy I love the romance between both the characters. Character development is awesome.

It's rare to find a book that you think about even when you're not reading it and whose world you're more involved in than your own. But that's how it was for me with Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches - a book that's pure magic to me (no pun intended). It's now in a three-way tie for my all time favorite book (with Jennifer Lee Carrell's Interred with Their Bones and Anne Fortier's Juliet, in case you were wondering). The very fact that I wanted to read it again right away and was actually sad to have to return it to the library says a lot. (I've since purchased a copy from Amazon of both the hard back and audio book.) The story centers on Diana Bishop, a 30-something historian who specializes in Medieval alchemy. When researching at Oxford, she accidentally calls up a long-lost, spellbound manuscript, Ashmole 782. She senses something strange about it and opens it, but doesn't read it. Although she's descendant from a long line of witches, she wasn't trained to use magic and so doesn't realize the impact of her ability to break the spell. She returns the manuscript just like any other book. That's when a host of vampires, demons and other witches start following her every move, all desperate to unlock the mystery of Ashmole 782, even if it costs Diana her life. Along the way she discovers she does indeed have magical powers (something else those otherworldly creatures are interested in) and forges an unlikely bond with vampire Matthew Claremont, an alliance that will both threaten and change her life in ways she could never imagine. I've seen this book described as "Twilight for the academic set." That's like comparing foie gras with a hot dog. Yes, they both have controlling vampires. That's where the similarities begin and end, in my opinion. Twilight was a teenage love story with nothing more at stake (seriously, no pun intended) than Bella's life and heartbreak. This book is about the interaction of witches, humans, vampires and demons (which could be seen as an analogy for racial tolerance), evolution and the future of all of their kinds. It's about magic and mystery and their place in a scientifically dominated world. I'd say the stakes are a little higher here. I had no idea there were vampires in this book when I picked it up. It contains three of my very favorite things: ornate libraries, an old, mysterious book, and magic (the Wiccan kind, not the Harry Potter kind), so I was hooked immediately. Even if that doesn't do it for you, the mystery surrounding the manuscript of Ashmole 782 will. I'm a huge fan of character-driven fiction and a Discovery of Witches excels in character development. You learn so much about them from their day-to-day lives and interactions with each other. Some are likeable, others are not, and there are a few you don't know if you can trust. Diana is by far my favorite, but then again, I relate to her on a number of levels, including her love of history, old books and unfortunate propensity toward panic attacks. For some odd reason, I was captivated by Diana's hobby of rowing (sculling to be precise) and plan to take that up myself as a result of having read this book. Matthew, despite being the main love interest, doesn't make me fall in love with him. I like him as a character, but I think it's my inability to trust him that keeps me at a distance. My favorite character is Marthe. Somehow, her mix of humor and down-to-earth wisdom is the perfect foil to Diana, Matthew and Ysabeau, all of whom can be too serious. The world, writing and plot of this book are also handled with expertise. I've never been to any of the locations, nor had I ever seen sculling before, but thanks to Harkness' evocative descriptions, I could see and hear it all. And all of the meals and wine that were described kept me hungry and in need of a drink (in a good way)! I especially love the Bishop House, which really is a character unto itself. It gave the book some much-needed levity. A Discovery of Witches seems to be a love it or hate it book, judging from the number of one- and five-star reviews on Goodreads. It's a very layered story, and if you only take the time to focus on one point, you're going to miss a lot. This is a book that should be savored. But that doesn't mean it's not without its flaws. There were some plot points I didn't believe and others that I felt deserved more explanation, but I'm trusting Harkness has her reasons for handling things the way she did. That's one of the problems with not being able to read a series all the way through. A lot of times the author does things a certain way that will make perfect sense once you can see the story as a whole as she does. But as readers, we don't have that option along the way (at least not until all the books come out). (This is the short version of my review. If you want to read my long, spoilery, very passionate review, you can find it on Goodreads under Nicole Evelina - but I would suggest reading the book first because I touch on almost all the major plot points.) PS - If you get the chance to listen to the audio book, Jennifer Ikeda does an incredible job as the narrator.

Introduction Review of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness A Discovery of Witches is a witchy coming-of-age story about an American historian by the name of Diana Bishop. The story opens with Diana conducting research into the history of alchemy at the Oxford Library. She requests several manuscripts one of which is Ashmole 782. She quickly determines that this book is locked by a spell which she breaks without understanding how. It has several pages missing, and she is surprised when the “words shimmered and moved across its surface—hundreds of words—invisible unless the angle of light and the viewer’s perspective were just right”. She realizes that the book is a palimpsest and contains secret messages protected by magic spells. Even though she is a descendent of witches, she strays from using or understanding magic and decides to return the book rather than investigate it further. “Here, with my hard-earned doctorate, tenure, and promotions in hand and my career beginning to blossom, I’d renounced my family’s heritage and created a life that depended on reason and scholarly abilities, not inexplicable hunches and spells”. Matthew Clairmont is a vampire who oversees a DNA research program and has discovered potential problems with the DNA of future generations of creatures. He has discovered that creature powers in the 21st century have becoming weaker than that of their descendants. He is sure that the answer to this problem is hidden within Ashmole 782. Diana does not realize that other creatures (vampires and daemons, as well as other witches) have been searching for this manuscript for centuries. Matthew Clairmont is able to recognize Diana’s magical power and knows that she has accessed the book. Eventually he becomes her protector and they fall in love. Relationships between creatures have been forbidden for centuries. It does not take Diana and Matthew long to realize that they are in danger. Other witches are after Diana due to her magical abilities and her power to access the book. All creatures are after them due to prejudice towards their illicit love affair. Review Diana Bishop is portrayed as a competent scholar who chooses to abandon magic and live as a human. There is enough character development to provide a likeable protagonist. This is done with a first person POV portraying Diana’s limited perspective. I didn’t feel that Matthew’s character was as well-developed a Diana’s. There were glimpses into his character from Matthew’s perspective by a change of POV to third-person in a few chapters. However, I am left feeling somewhat detached towards Matthew. I would have loved to have seen the POV shift between Matthew and Diana told from each character’s first-person perspective. I felt that there were too many characters needlessly introduced that added little to the story. As the story progressed, it was sometimes difficult to remember who all of the characters were. My biggest complaint is the nonstop descriptions used within the book. I love a descriptive book that makes me able to visualize the surroundings. Here there is too much here, and I frequently found myself skipping ahead and then having to go back because I had missed something of importance. In other words, I think this book could be about three-fourths of its current size and I would not miss anything of importance. I have heard other readers describe this book as just another “Twilight”. I disagree with this. If you are not a fan of this genre then you should not write reviews. The only similarities I see between this book and “Twilight” is that both novels contain a main character who is a vampire and there is a romance between the two protagonists in both novels. Bella Swan is not a witch, and Diana Bishop is not a high school student. The plots, twists, characterizations, and settings are in no way similar between these two novels. The main similarity would be that Twilight was made into five movies and The Discovery of Witches was made into a series consisting of three seasons. The mystery that surrounds Ashmole 782 is compelling and plays a significant part in the plot of this book. Conclusion. If you like fiction that revolves around witches, magic, and vampires, you will most likely enjoy this book. If you do not like this genre, then skip it as you won’t like it. There is a lot of fun here and it is an enjoyable read. Deborah Harkness is able to use her education and produces a fun book that strips away the common themes associated with vampires. I enjoyed it immensely and will read the next book in the series.

Deborah Harkness does so well in creating the individual worlds of the character within the world of the ordinary. Every character brings their own rich reality. So enjoyed walking through history from such personal perspectives and always compelled to keep reading through the rich tapestry and turns of the character’s lives who are broken and imperfect and relatable. History combined with science and art and belief - so fun to get lost in it all and definitely enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while doing so.

A Discovery of the Witches "It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches..." The Discovery of the Witches is the most fascinating book I have ever read. My God, the amount of knowledge one must possess to be able to write a such complex story. It's not an easy read and don't go in hoping that it is. I think, that in order to completely enjoy and appreciate the story for what it is, and it is a piece of art, in my opinion, you have to have at least some basic knowledge about some of the significant historical events, old books or manuscripts, a little about biology or/and science. You don't have to know the exact details of the events or context of the manuscripts, but you need to at least have heard about dem. The rest is explained. If you think that the chromosome might be some kind of rare plant, that grows in the Amazons, and the DNA is a new boy band, fighting for the spotlight with One Direction, this book is not for you! The story starts with a witch, Diana Bishop, going out and about with her day, doing her research in Oxford's Bodleian Library, going through her everyday routine, but this time, she discovers a very rare manuscript (which actually exists in real life, or existed, to be precise), by accident (?). She is a historian and young scholar at the university, and the descendent of witches. She knows she is a witch, she have known that her whole life, but she refuses to use her magic, because of what happened to her and her family in the past. She wants to be normal. She is aware that the vampires and daemons exists. She can feel them, but refuses to acknowledge dem. The moment she touches the manuscript weird things start happening. Suddenly, she can feel every eye of every witch, vampire and daemon on her. And here is when we meet the vampire and the professor, Matthew de Clairmont. There is a lot of mystery surrounding de Clermont. Even though he is an employ of the university, he doesn't lecture or take on the apprentices. He is known for his studies of neutral mechanisms and prefrontal cortex (whatever the hell that means :-D), and his studies and publications on wolves. Which explains nothing about why he decides to approach Diana Bishop. And that's why Diana decides to dig around for information about him. Why the sudden interest? The more she discovers about him, the more suspicious he looks. But the thing is, Diana have enough secrets of her own. The most amazing thing about this story is the way author describes witches, vampires and daemons. She describes them based on her research, as a historian, and the tales that we (humans) have been passing on to the others, from generation to generation. There are a lot of actual facts. Regardless, if you believe that such creatures exists or not, there were times when people did believe that they did exist. Another thing that amazed me was the way author used historical events, the breakthrough scientific publications and well know classic literature, to twist/super-naturalize it, for it to suit the story, and make me believe that all I knew about it was not as important as I thought it was. It made me believe, that all that, was only a small pieces of the puzzle, of the bigger picture, in the Diana Bishop's and Matthew de Clairmont's story. It was mind blowing. It reminded me a lot of the move The da Vinci Code. That is the only thing that I can compare this book to. In the movie, at the end, outside the church, Tom Hanks says to what's-her-name "You know, we never actually found any evidence that Jesus was a "he" and not a "she."". Movie ends and you left thinking "WTF?!". That is pretty much how this book made me feel. It made me doubt everything that I know :). Usually, when I read a book in this genre, I adjust my expectations to sustain degree. I know that there will be either vampires, witches or daemons, that the story is fictional and that anything is possible. But with this story, it was hard to tell where the actual truth ended and the fiction began... This book can be analyzed from many different angles. One might think that it's about forbidden love and overcoming the obstacles. Others might think that it's about more important things like finding the answers to the questions like "Who are we? Why are we here? What's our purpose?". For me, it's about all of the above. The thing that makes this story so realistic is that witches, daemons and vampires are asking the same questions as we, humans, have been asking for centuries :-D. I don't blame those who gave up on this book halfway through. The first half of the book is slow-paced. Not as in it's boring, but there is not a lot of action going on (fighting, killing, sex and so on). The author goes into a great details explaining things that Diana Bishop comes across or remembers. This book focuses on the fact that knowledge can be just as powerful as the physical strength (Learning, planing, strategizing, then striking). But it suits the story. You can't rush when you are asking such an important questions, right? :-). It have to be properly explained. There are a lot of secrets surrounding two main characters, the mysterious manuscript and supporting characters as well. That is why the story can't be rushed. Even though the book was a 600 page brick and it took me a while to finish, I enjoyed it quiet a bit and can't wait to start the Shadow of Night. " Comperi, Comperi' she said. 'Merces amb tot meu cor' he said quietly. Al rebeire. Mefi. T'afortissi."

I was originally led to A Discovery of Witches by a review that called it "Twilight for adults." That was enough to get me to buy it but once I started reading, I could quickly see that there is so much more to this novel than another simple girl-meets-vampire story. Author Deborah Harkness has created a brand new world that incorporates vampires, witches and daemons and it never fails to entice and engage. A history professor, Harkness incorporates her intense knowledge of and love for history into her debut novel (and what better way to do this than with a vampire who happens to be 1500 years old!). So, along with a thrilling plot involving a love affair between two species who, heretofore have been forbidden to intermingle, she introduces us to historical events which enrich the plot and characterization significantly. In addition, the locations she utilizes -- Oxford, England; Sept-Tours, France; upstate New York -- add colorful and interesting backdrops to the proceedings. Diana Bishop is a witch who has denounced her bewitching abilities so she can focus on keeping her scholarly research as pure as possible. But, when she calls up a book from the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library -- Ashmole 782 -- she is suddenly surrounded by witches and daemons and one very handsome and intelligent vampire (Matthew Clairmont). It seems everyone is intrigued by Diana's interest in this book, which has been hidden for many years, and they want to see how the magic in it affects Diana or how Diana's magic will affect the book. But, their interest in Diana and her magic puts her in grave danger so Matthew steps in to protect the young scholar. He flies her to France to keep her safe in his family's castle. There, the two can no longer deny their love for each other, which introduces an even more dangerous situation -- the threat of The Congregation (made up of witches, daemons and vampires), whose mission is to keep the three species from intermingling. But, most threatening of all is a witch named Satu who is ordered to learn just how much magic Diana has in her soul. Diana and Matthew must use their wits and considerable abilities to stay one step ahead of the dangers that threaten to end their lives...and their enduring love. I was completely swallowed up in the world created by Harkness. (And, this from a reader who has never fully embraced the fantasy or science-fiction genres!) The book includes a compelling plot that incorporates interesting moments in history but it succeeds because of the two main characters. Diana is a feisty, strong and intelligent scholar who does not shirk from danger. Meanwhile, Matthew is a powerful, smart and protective vampire whose history (and passions) run deep. Together, they are a complex pair who work through their difficulties in an intelligent, mature way. But, complicating matters are the mysteries each keep secret from the other and by the emotions that develop from keeping these secrets; this is where the soul of the book is found. This is the first of a planned trilogy of books and the conclusion of this volume has apparently disappointed some readers because of its lack of a typical conclusion. But, the ending excites me and makes me hope the second volume will be published sooner rather than later (it is planned for 2012). Harkness has introduced us to a plethora of intriguing, complicated and engaging characters who truly get under your skin! Imagining their adventures in Volume 2 promises even more fun for the reader. If you are looking for a simple love story, this book is not for you. But, if you are ready for a mature story that incorporates mature characters, deep emotions, moments in history and a wild-and-woolly plot, you should go straight to to the 1-Click button and buy it! I loved A Discovery of Witches and look forward to reading it several more times before Volume 2 is released!

Some spoilers in this review - I read this book based on a recommendation and was unfortunately disappointed in it. All the 2-3 star reviews pretty much nail what is wrong with this novel. It is poorly written, cliche'd and maddeningly lingers over descriptions of wine and yoga classes. I mean, I lost count of how many times the characters just sit around sniffing different bottles of wines and listing all the different scents (oak? cinnamon? raspberry?). They then go on to praise each other's ability to sniff fine wines and compare the different scents each one was able to pick up. yawn. The plot is meandering and sometimes uninteresting. The protagonist is a 30-something year old witch named Diana Bishop. She is from an old witching family in New England (yes, they are descended from the original Salem witches!). Diana has purposefully avoided using her powers out of some noble idea that she wants to live in a human's world as a human. She is beautiful and athletic and a tenured Yale Professor in her early thirties. Her area of expertise is alchemical history. She has not yet found true love. All this changes when she accidentally checks out a powerful magical book from an Oxford Library. This book is called Ashmole 782, and it has all the secrets of magical creatures in it. Since she avoids all magic, she returns the book to the stack without analyzing it very much. The next day, the library is full of magical creatures (witches, vampires, and daemons) who are all interested in this book. One of the vampires is the sexy, rich scientist Matthew de Clermont. It is love at first sight for him and Diana. But wait! Witches and vampires aren't supposed to date each other! Uh-oh. Anyways, the rest of the book revolves around the development Diana and Matthew's forbidden romance and sometimes learning more about the importance of Ashmole 782. Along the way, we learn that Matthew is an obsessive, overprotective jerk (but still sexy?), connected with every famous person or life event since the 1500's (he was a Knight Templar! he knew Shakespeare! He probably was Neil Armstrong!). We meet his family and learn that he loves wine. Diana also likes wine. They both like smelling endless bottles of wine. They also attend yoga and ride horses, all described in excruciating detail. Sometimes Diana is tired, sometimes she is unknowingly tricked into marriage. Bad guys show up occasionally, and vague, poorly described threats hang over our happy couple. A sinister "congregation" is referred to, but they are pretty bad apparently at tracking Diana down. Diana discovers a bunch of new powers and is of course the most powerful witch ever. However her powers are inconsistent and she can't seem to use them. She doesn't use her powers because she was always different and spells didn't work for her. Also we learn her parents bound her so she couldn't do spells (then they sacrificed themselves to protect her while she was still a child (??)). So pride, incompetence, being spellbound? Whichever reason makes the most sense at the moment is why Diana doesn't use her powers. There are good things about the book. I liked the character of Ysabeau, Matthew's forbidding vampire mother. The author's joy in writing about history and alchemy often shines through which adds a bit of enjoyment to the novel. There is a house that the witches live in in New England that has a personality, which was a creative mechanism and well-done overall. Oh yeah, the daemons. They don't do much. Overall the story pretty much works as the framework of a forbidden romance between vampires and other beings is a tried and true formula. Not a terrible read but definitely not as good as it is hyped up to be on Amazon.

A Discovery of Witches is a vampire romance. Let me say that again. A Discovery of Witches is a Vampire Romance. Oh sure the title mentions `witches' instead of `vampires' or other vampire clichés like blood, darkness, or night. It has witchy symbols on the cover and the synopsis calls it "equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense". But don't be deceived, this is a vampire romance. If you don't like vampire romances, then this book is not for you. You say you like vampire romances? So do I! But I've got a little more news for you before you decide to read this book. There's no boinking in A Discovery of Witches. There is kissing and...enough other stuff to freaking make a reader hopeful. But no boinkage. A Discovery of Witches is a boinkless non-YA vampire romance, which is as rare a creature as the ancient texts Diana studies. If you need your vampy heroes to get lucky, then this book is not for you. Still around? Really? Alrighty then, brass tacks. To my boinkage-loving surprise, I actually enjoyed this book a bunch. I found myself staying up late and jonesing for the 30 minutes of reading time I get during lunch. It is that absorbing. The first half is an interesting mixture of vampire romance and Dan Brown-ish academic-searches-for-ancient-treasure-despite-opposition-from-secret-society mystery. I loved the Oxford setting and supernatural creatures. Characters are thoroughly fleshed out with several backstories. This adds to the page count, but since the backstories are delightful little historical vignettes I enjoyed them nonetheless. But it's the second half of the book that really drew me in, as it is mostly devoted to the romance. If you're an emotion junkie like me you'll have trouble putting the book down after you hit that halfway mark. However, (here is why I believe this book gets so many 1 and 2 star ratings) our Oxford and Yale educated PhD heroine loses IQ points as she falls in love. We're told constantly how smart, brave, and intimidating she is, but those traits are inadequately demonstrated. It leads to this crap: "Even putting cups on a tray, you look formidable." (barf) The Bishop house saved this book in my eyes. Just as Diana was becoming too much of a ditsy damsel in distress, she arrives at the Bishop house and falls into her element. This is where she worms her way back in to my good graces. All hail the Bishop house! It's my favorite character, and the most fabulous part of the book. I hear there's a movie in works, and I will watch it solely to see how they portray the Bishop house. Despite Diana's annoying degradation of IQ, reading A Discovery of Witches is an enjoyable experience. I'm looking forward to Book 2 (more Bishop house, please!). 4 stars. (I sooo wish I had a way to track how many people stopped reading after "no boinking"!)

One of the read best I have read in some time

Gostei bastante! Tive curiosidade depois de assistir a série e achar que ficou muito corrida. As minhas espectativas de que a história seria desenvolvida com mais calma e detalhes foi atendida! Apesar de ser o primeiro livro da autora, ela consegue mergulhar em um mundo novo com boa desenvoltura e escrita! Gostei muito, continuarei a ler a série!

Una novela entretenida. Toca temas de amor, lealtad, suspenso y traición. Muy adictiva.

I originally watched the series, now I'm hooked and had to buy the book. As we know, you'll get a better story from publication.

I first encountered this series on the TV version. As the method of tv and reading differs, the way the story are told are different as expected. But the book gives more in-depth understanding of alchemical/historical material than of tv and quite interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed both medium as a result. Looking forward to reading the second and the third trilogy!