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.
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AMAZING!!! You have to read this one!! (along with the Trilogy)
Diana Bishop comes from a long line of witches and while doing research in Oxford’s Library finds a long lost manuscript which summons an underworld of creatures seeking the same manuscript. This book has a little of everything…romance…suspense…mystery…and you never know what’s going to happen next.
A perfect quarantine book, fun, sweet, and romantic and page-turning. I love how it plays freely with old tropes about vampires, witches, and daemons and how clever it is in mixing alchemy, science, and magic.
There aren’t enough adjectives to describe this book. There is something about Diana and Matthew that makes you just want to be friends with them. The cast of characters are relatable, and you wonder how that could possibly be as they are witches and vampires! Harkness weaves a beautiful, believable tale that wraps you up in its magic.
Decadent, clever, and often unpredictable, this story blooms over the pages, unfolding one petal at a time to reveal a complex world of witches, vampires, and demons, and the magic of living amongst them.
The Discovery of Witches has everything a reader could want rolled into a neat package within the spines on one book. It’s imaginative, whimsical, realistic, funny, a page-turner. The author takes a tried and true archetype of a romance between a man and a woman and gives the reader an obstacle by making the hero a vampire and the heroine a witch. The two should not mix, but let’s take it even further and add in a book that no one has seen for hundreds of years, a book that could reveal the true secrets of life between witches, vampires and demons. Be sure to read the other two books in the series Shadow of Night and Book of Life. They will not disappoint. Shadow of Night The Book of Life
I’m not one for vampire lore, but the All Souls Trilogy had a unique premise, was well-written, and kept me glued to the pages when the characters time-traveled to the 16th century in book 2. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy stories about magical creatures.
This book is the first of 3 books and is in a paranormal or fantasy genre. It is an outstanding story that I heartily recommend. It especially appeals to history lovers (especially the second book). This book is currently being made into a tv series starring Matthew Goode!
A Discovery of Witches is at the top of my “favorite books of all time” list. I love it so much that I have re-read it 3 times now. I very highly recommend this book.
This is one of my all time favorites. It’s action packed, has tremendous character development and a great story. Can’t wait for more from Deborah Harkness.
I’m really enjoying this series as a total change of pace. The colorful and creative take on a book full of witches, vampires and daemons, mixed with science and history has been such a fun adventure. I needed something different, it’s been a crazy year for all of us, and this was just the thing. I love the memorable characters, the tantalizing landscape of both modern day as well as jumps into history (especially book 3!), and the intellectual take on magical beings and alchemy. Loads of fun. And I keep reading far too late into the wee hours.
A highly detailed fantasy tale of witches, vampires, and deamons. Lovable characters, breath-taking settings, and a plot so full of adventure and discovery that it’s sure to be an enjoyable read to fantasy lovers everywhere.
The third book in this series has been out for a while, but I’ve just finished it. I’m recommending the first book in hopes you’ll discover the same magic inside as I did. Although, sometimes I felt some places in the book were overly descriptive, I can’t deny I was swept up into Ms. Harkness’s world. She gives a refreshing spin to our long loved vampire, and who among us can say no to a powerful witch? Harkness’s story is as entertaining as it is inspirational. I hope you will check it out.
I really enjoyed the witch versus vampire love story in this one. And now it’s on AMC as a TV series. It will be fun to see how this deviates from the book. There is a lot of history but I didn’t mind it. Great book for fans of the paranormal.
Love this book, a wonderful take on Witches, Vanpires and Demons.
I got so involved with Matthew and Diana that I have purchased the rest of the Deborah Harkness’ All Souls books along with “Time’s Convert”. Wonderful books and audiobooks. I am waiting with baited breath for the sky one TV series to get the U. S.!
Paranormal at its best!
Loving a good story is a positive addiction. Most authors have it, which is why we’re avid readers as well as writers. A really good story is a treasure and the giver of the gift – the author – should be appreciated. I stumbled on Deborah Harkness’ A Discovery of Witches – free on BookBub at the time – without great expectations, and it probably sat on my Kindle for awhile before I actually opened it. But when I started reading, I practically did a double-take.
This book has the kind of excellent writing that seamlessly pulls you into the story. Its characters have depth and interesting quirks (beyond being a witch or a vampire), scruples and wounds. I became an immediate fan. Here are some juicy samples:
“ Much of what qualified as magic was simply desire in action. Witchcraft was different – that took spells and rituals. But magic? A wish, a need, a hunger too strong to be denied – these could turn into deeds when they crossed a witch’s mind.”
“Magic is desire made real.”
“When a witch concentrates on something she wants, and then imagines how she might get it, she can make it happen.”
Stories are a great teaching tool because we easily absorb indirect learning. Through stories we witness a process outside ourselves, relax our defenses and activate our imaginations. All these factors encourage us to consider what’s possible without reaching or resistance. Maybe we’ll even recall a time when we concentrated on something we wanted, imagined how to get it, and ended up making it happen. A Discovery of Witches is rich with insights that flow naturally as events unfold.
So a few pages into the book, I’m thinking “Wow! I’ve discovered a rising star.” And then I went to Ms. Harkness’ website and learned that I’ve come way late to the party. A television series based on her bestselling book is already in production. Good job, Ms. Harkness!
Reading this book was rather like watching a tv series versus watching a movie. The characters had depth, but was slower moving, but in a good way. I went to buy the next in the series, so yes, I thought this book was good.
One of the best series of three books I have ever read!
Great, original story line. I was so hooked after the first book, I paid full price for the second and third books of the series. I’ve NEVER done that before!