Book one of the New York Times-bestselling All Souls trilogy—“a wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight” (People). Look for the hit TV series “A Discovery of Witches,” streaming on AMC Plus, Sundance Now and Shudder. Season 2 premieres January 9, 2021! Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight … sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.
Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar’s depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in book two, Shadow of Night, and concludes with The Book of Life.
more
Absolutely fell in love with this book and have read every book in the series!!!!!!
I love this book. And the entire trilogy. History, mystery, romance it has it all. The characters are so well written. She is a bit discriptive with food and wine at times. But that did no detract from the story. The TV series is great too!
Whether audio, digital or paperback, I haven’t stopped reading and reading again this book (and its two sequels) since I first picked it up in 2019.
Not gonna lie—I definitely bought this book because the cover’s pretty.
I do love witch-y reads though so I became interested pretty early in. It does start out a little bit slow, but picks up pretty well.
This was a read that, multiple times I felt ‘this might be better on the screen’. It’s super rare that I think that. I enjoyed the book, and will look into the series.
3 stars.
Note:
I both read the digital version and listened to the audiobook.
Digital version is formatted well, easy on the eyes, very pretty.
Audiobook’s narrator has a smooth voice (even when sped up), great tone and does a very good job of using different voices for different characters. A 5-star performance.
I enjoyed Discovery of Witches. It was a fresh take on the vampire and witch story, having Diana and Matthew being intellectuals- Matthew a scientist with a medical background who also has studied origins of species and genealogy and Diana is a historian specializing in alchemy. Usually, in vampire novels, all the vampire is interested in getting laid and the woman of interest is doesn’t have a brain to think for herself.
Though Matthew does become overly protective of Diana while she learns to use her magic, she does not always follow his direction. She does protect him, though. If I say too much, I will give away the book.
Like I’ve said before, I always loved fantasy and supernatural books but with the years I’ve become really picky with them.
I really loved the story of the book and the characters. Diana is such a strong and amazing protagonist; she is so fearless and ready to do what she has to for the people she loves. Matthew is also such a complex character and their chemistry was amazing.
I only found out about the books after seing the tv show and I had to read it. If you ask me, I loved the tv show more than the book (I would give the tv show a 5 star review and the book a 4,5) simple because there were some important scenes that I think they developt better
Alchemy, witches, vampires, adventure, Paris… So many interesting tidbits tossed into one amazing story. I am so very excited when I get to read a book about science nerd who is also an athlete. I can relate to this book on so many levels.
I usually get annoyed with the older experienced man encounters and falls in love with a young vulnerable woman. This romance has a bit of a twist so I am willing to overlook boring old trope. This story is well written, and the depth of the characters grows with every page.
I got a little bored with some of the descriptions of wine, clothes, and other details, but they do have some relevance.
I enjoyed the narration for this series, and I suspect I enjoyed the book more because I was listening rather than reading. This book feels like it is structured more like a screenplay than a novel.
This is the first book in a trilogy and is my absolute favorite story. The way the author creates the characters, the journey they go in, and the world they live is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Not only did I have a hard time putting this book down but I’ve re-read this trilogy so many times I’ve lost count. I’ve also listened to it on audio-book as I really enjoyed the speaker’s voice. This trilogy has been adapted to a 3 season series. The tv show stays close to the plot. If you are looking for a witchy read, do yourself a favor and pick up this book!
not my typical genre but loved it and went on to read the whole All Souls Trilogy
I Gave up on this book in chapter 23 (50%).
I picked this book up because the trailer for the TV show looked intriguing. The book is utterly boring. There are sparks of interest, but then it gets bogged down in minutiae. If you suffer from insomnia, this book will help you out. Otherwise, I would give this book a pass.
This had great characters but it also felt a bit predictable which I didn’t like. I finished it pretty quickly but I am not sure that I will read the next two books. At least not in the next few months.
To me the book read slow, because you get lots and lots of history (history of humans, history of magic, etc.). I did really enjoy the romance between Matthew and Diana, but it wasn’t exciting enough to quicken the pace of the story. Also, why does Diana sleep so much? I felt like half the book she was taking a nap or going to bed.
This book was above and beyond.
Heard about this book in an article about “books I had read before now”! I totally agree. The series is great. Vampires,witches, daemons not usually my reading material . These are exceedingly well written. Love all the historical details. Close to 600 pages per book. I read the first three in 2 weeks.
I loved the entire trilogy! A forbidden love between a reluctant witch and an ancient vampire that overcomes all obstacles, even space and time. This is a wonderful journey from beginning to end. You will fall in love with these characters and root for their love to last. A beautiful story.
I thought it was just another romance novel, only with witches and vampires.
This plot line is tiresome
A bit slow at first, but the series picks up rapidly.
This book was simply fun and well written. The history and the feel of the time really came across.
Fantasy escapism.