A Discovery of Witches
A Novel
-
-
4.4 • 489 Ratings
-
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
Book one of the New York Times bestselling All Souls series, from the author of The Black Bird Oracle.
Look for the hit series “A Discovery of Witches,” now streaming on Netflix
“A wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight” (People).
Deborah Harkness’s 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, book three, The Book of Life, and the fourth in the series, Time’s Convert.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Historian Deborah Harkness takes the familiar setting of Oxford University and infuses it with magic, intrigue, and a dash of romance. The first book in her All Souls trilogy follows scholar and witch Diana Bishop as she accidentally unleashes a curse during her research and embarks on a journey to lift it. Harkness has studied the history of science, medicine, alchemy, and magic, and her knowledge of arcane details enriches the story. A Discovery of Witches will delight not only fantasy lovers, but also readers who enjoy epic dramas rich in historical detail.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Harkness's lively debut, witches, vampires, and demons outnumber humans at Oxford's Bodleian Library, where witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont. The orphaned daughter of two powerful witches, Bishop prefers intellect, but relies on magic when her discovery of a palimpsest documenting the origin of supernatural species releases an assortment of undead who threaten, stalk, and harass her. Against all occult social propriety, Bishop turns for protection to tall, dark, bloodsucking man-about-town Clairmont. Their research raises questions of evolution and extinction among the living dead, and their romance awakens centuries-old enmities. Harkness imagines a crowded universe where normal and paranormal creatures observe a tenuous peace. "Magic is desire made real," Bishop says after both her desire and magical prowess exceed her expectations. Harkness brings this world to vibrant life and makes the most of the growing popularity of gothic adventure with an ending that keeps the Old Lodge door wide open.
Customer Reviews
Good story
I enjoyed the story. The writing is so-so, I estimate.
The Discovery of Witches
I bought this book after reading several reviews in various publications, and was pleased that I did. I have just read some of the recent reviews on this site and had to smile. I have always understood that when you read fantasy, to really enjoy it, you must "suspend disbelief". I can't believe that those reviewers did that.
Does every story of a vampire have to be compared to the "Twilight Saga"? Please, give me a break, the characters are adults, and the historical references put this in a whole different category.
I would recommend this book to any one who likes history and fantasy, it stands on its own merits.
I look forward to the second part of the trilogy, and have already preordered my copy.
Wonderful Book
I loved it! Cannot wait for the second book!