A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

What it’s about:

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

(Summary taken from www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches?from_search=true).

 

This book contains some of my favorite things: magic, libraries, and a smart female lead. Diana Bishop is a force to be reckoned with; I loved seeing her progression throughout the book and her learning how to control her powers, as well as accepting her identity as a witch.

I thought there was a nice progression of the relationship between Diana and her new partner-in-crime, vampire and scientist Matthew Clairmont. He gravitates toward Diana as soon as she opens the manuscript and wants to help her. They work together to solve the mysteries of this magical document, while still making time for brunch and vampire yoga classes.

The book has a lot of movement, falling into three sections:

The beginning takes place in Oxford as we follow Diana discovering the manuscript, meeting Matthew, and facing all the creatures that come after her. I love the setting of Oxford and seeing the set up of all the mystery.

Then we see Diana and Matthew travel to France to meet his family. I enjoyed seeing more of Matthew’s character and learning more about him. This is also when we see the relationship deepen between Diana and Matthew.

The last third of the book is probably my favorite–it’s all about the witches. We follow Diana and Matthew as they travel to her home in New York, where she grew up with her aunt. The house has its own personality and and “acts out” whenever guests come around. We see Diana learning more about her powers and how to use them. Reading the parts at Diana’s home in New York made me want to visit and be a part of the group!

The ending is packed with all the good stuff and leaves you hanging, eager to know what happens next. Overall, this book was magical and so much fun to read. I couldn’t put it down!

Rating: 5/5 stars

 

P.S.

A Discovery of Witches has even been adapted into a TV show! It is currently airing in the U.K. and will be broadcasted in the U.S. next year. Check out the trailer for it, I think it looks awesome!: