A review by bookbelle5_17
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Review of A Discovery of Witches
By: Deborah Harkness
            Diana Bishop is a powerful witch from a strong family linage, but she refuses to use it, because of the danger it presents.  While at Oxford she comes across a manuscript, Ashmole 782, which contains secrets that could affects all species of this world: Witches, Vampires, Daemons.  Soon she finds herself being targeted by members of each species and her only protection is handsome vampire Matthew Claremont, a biology professor at the school.  The pair find themselves falling in love, but it is forbidden for different species to have a relationship.
            This has been compared to the Twilight series and it does have the same type of romance, but I find this a more interesting story.  Both Diana and Matthew had more personality, but he does exhibit the same controlling and protectiveness of Edward Cullen. Diana fights back when he tries to tell her what to do. Both are academically minded, making them more relatable to me, and I enjoyed all the research scenes.  It was cool to hear all about the all the people Matthew encountered and that’s one of my favorite part of vampires is knowing they’ve experienced so much history.  I liked learning about the different species, and even though Harkness was writing a story about characters we have seen so many times before, she does her own spin on these creatures. Though, I do wonder if vampire fans might have issue with her take on vampires, because they come off as a little less menacing, though Matthew still comes off as dangerous to me.  He is still immortal and strong and fast.  Meeting both their families and exploring their homes. The romance is sweet and exciting to read about.  The writing is nothing great, but an easy and fast read.  It is slow in a beginning, especially the scenes when she is in being stalked for the manuscript.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings