Title: All Souls Trilogy #1: A Discovery of WitchesAuthor: Deborah Harkness
Date of Publication: February 8, 2011
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book
Synopsis: In the course of her research on alchemy Diana Bishop requests a manuscript called Ashmole 782 which she quickly discovers is laced with magic. Coming from a long line of witches dating back to the days of Salem Diana's magical linage is unmistakable, but she wants nothing to do with it. After sending Ashmole 782 back to the stacks she discovers that it has been missing for centuries, and her calling it out has caused a major disturbance in the supernatural community drawing out a number of paranormal creatures, including the handsome and enigmatic vampire Matthew Clairmont. As witches turn against witches and Diana finds herself in more danger than ever Matthew takes it upon himself to protect her. As they fall in love their fates become entwined and they must discover the truth of Diana's power and why only she can discover the secrets of Ashmole 782.
My Review:
First off I would love to thank TheScientistAndTheHealthNut for recommending this book to me because I absolutely adored it! When I first started A Discovery of Witches I was a bit worried, at almost 600 pages it was a big commitment. However I quickly fell in love with the characters and the setting and found it nearly impossible to put this book down.
I am a complete history nut and I loved the history in this book, from Matthew's past ventures to the sprinkling of historical facts about alchemy, I devoured any mention of history. Part historical, part romance, and part supernatural A Discovery of Witches offered the perfect blend of all my favorite genres.
Diana was a great heroine; not the stereotypical witch her ways of using magic, such as witchfire and time travel, were refreshing. Unlike a lot of heroines I never found myself frustrated with her actions, she was brave when she needed to be and she was angry or broken when she needed to be. Diana's relationship with Matthew was steamy, but adorable at the same time; I couldn't help but root for them every step of the way.
I also loved Matthew's character. Fiercely protective, his devotion to Diana was mind blowing. I couldn't help but fall a little in love with him myself as he coddled and cared for Diana, pushing his predator nature aside to protect her. Just like Diana, Matthew is not a stereotypical vampire. Classy and sophisticated, Harkness blows a breath of fresh air into her vampire characters.
With extremely few dull spots the novel itself is full of action and romance. From kidnappings, torture, time travel, and magic to the copious amounts of romance it was completely impossible for me to put this book down. The perfect bend of action and beautiful detail this novel hardly left a moment for me to get bored.
Weather its romance, history, suspense, or the supernatural, A Discovery of Witches has something for everyone. I would recommend this book one hundred percent and would give it six stars out of five if I could. The only way to truly grasp how wonderful this book was is to read it for yourself. Which I heartily recommend!
5/5
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