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Feb012011
BOOK REVIEW: ‘A Discovery of Witches’ by Deborah Harkness
by Carolyn • Posted in 3.5 Star Reviews, Authors E-H, Book Reviews, Headline, Paranormal Romance, Reviews by Carolyn
Title: A Discovery of Witches
Author: Deborah Harkness
Publisher: Headline (UK) | Viking (US)
Publication Date: Feb 2011
ARC: 608 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Review Copy
Reviewed by: Carolyn
RATING: 7/10 – Very good
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires.
Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels.
REVIEW:
‘A Discovery of Witches‘ is an incredibly atmospheric novel where each page is full of lavish detail that was obviously painstakingly researched. It’s a huge book, which took me a long time to finish compared to other paranormal romances. This is due somewhat to the large amount of detail, but it is no reflection on the quality of writing, which is wonderful.
Each sentence has been lovingly crafted and although this isn’t a quick read by any means, each page was a pleasure to read. The research of science and alchemy is immense and gives the book a richness that for me was hard not to like, even if at times it made for slower reading, but then I was in no rush.
I especially loved the descriptions of the old university libraries, it was sumptuous and I could imagine I was actually there, able to smell the musty leather and hear the soft rustle of pages that so often accompanies old libraries and ancient books. The opening scene is one of my favourite passages in the entire novel.
As well as witches and vampires, I really enjoyed having different otherworldly creatures throughout the book too, and although Diana is a witch she’s also very human with regards to her emotions. Diane is fiercely independent which I loved and I admired her for the passion she had for her work.
All the characters are well-rounded, believable and true to their personalities. However, I did find that with so much world-building and the laying of foundations, I couldn’t connect as much as I would have liked with the two main characters.
The romance between Matthew and Diana is pretty intense, but then the entire book only spans just over a week, and a lot happens in such a short space of time. However, although they are in love there are still secrets between them and they have a lot to learn about each other.
I liked Diana and Matthew but at times I found Diana frustrating that she wouldn’t use her witchy powers due to fear and irritated with Matthew for constantly wanting to protect her – it felt suffocating rather than romantic.
In times of danger, I wish they would just stand side by side and fight, equals in every way. I much prefer a woman who can protect herself and isn’t afraid to use whatever she has at her disposal to defeat her enemies, this Diana does shine through near the end of the book but it’s only a glimpse, maybe there is more to come in future books, as ‘A Discovery of Witches‘, I’m very pleased to say, is the first in a trilogy.
VERDICT:
‘A Discovery of Witches‘ is a delicious, sumptuous read, full of mystery and intrigue and three-dimensional characters. The rich descriptive prose leaves you excited for the next novel in this epic series. I can’t wait to find out what the alchemist book holds for the future of Diana and Matthew and all the witches, vampires and demons of the world. A highly recommended read!
8 Comments
Nice review, this sounds interesting. I'm not sure which cover I like better : )
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I'm glad you liked A Discovery of Witches. I can't wait to get my hands on it!
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This sounds great. Thanks for the great review
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I'm ordering this one for my library. It sounds almost like a literary paranormal romance. Fantastic review! I can't wait to read it myself.
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Midnyte Reader – I think I like the UK cover best (red)…
Tara – It a very good read, I hope you enjoy it
asamum – You're welcome!
Christina T – It is a very well written novel, sometimes a bit slow but as I said in my review I wasn't in any rush to finish it. I read a few other books around it too to break it up which worked for me. I hope you like it
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This sounds like a very good book, I'll be keeping my eye out for it. Interested & nervous about the alchemy content.
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Hello
Good review. I also enjoyed this although found the romance towards the end to be a bit 'sugary'. I guess I prefer the chase!!
Lynn
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Great review! I'm late to the game (I just finished it last night) but I did appreciate the textures and richness the author provided. I'm with you on this one! Lovingly detailed.
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