Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
A Discovery of Witches
A Discovery of Witches: A Novel | Deborah Harkness
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. 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. Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
micaelapriestley
Mehso-so

"As far as I can tell there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning year after year...One is fear. The other is desire." #februarybookclub #3of24booksin2023 #bookclub

quote
Smlambert725

“It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches.”
#March2023

blurb
Ladygodiva7
post image

I do like to read some supernaturals!

#snowflake #snowflakes #papersnowflakes

review
kissmehardy
post image
Pickpick

Idk what wild impulse made me #reread this, but I'm so glad I gave in. I love the layers and the vampire lore and the way Matthew and Diana interact. Should I watch the TV show? #fantasy

review
eden.s.volk
A Discovery of Witches | Deborah E. Harkness
post image
Pickpick

If I could rate this book a million stars, I would. Loved every minute of it. Magical and romantic. The romantic vibes reminded me a bit of Twilight, but this was much more intellectual than Twilight. Very heavy in history and science. Can't wait to read the next ones!

7 likes1 stack add
blurb
MoonWitch94
post image

#Two4Tuesday

1: Tie between Hermoine Granger AND Diana Bishop.

2: Stephen Lawhead‘s Fantasy trilogy “Song of Albion”. Modern historians fall through a cairn and end up in a magical Celtic realm. To save their own time, they must save Albion—or both will cease to exist. Hermoine & Diana would do well in these novels.

✨Anyone can play; how about it, @Blerdgal_Fenix @Branwen @swishandflick

Meshell1313 Ooh good choices! 2mo
TheSpineView So right, they would be awesome in that world. Great picks! 2mo
36 likes3 comments
blurb
Sleepswithbooks
post image

Starting off 2023 on this much anticipated adventure. Thank you @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for my series of what I expect to be a magical journey 🪄 ✨✨✨

#Happy2023 #ADiscoveryofWitches #Litsylove #Booklove #ReadaJourney #Magic #MailboxHappiness

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks You‘re very welcome 🤗💫🌟 3mo
61 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
galueth28
post image

I'm really enjoying this series, despite the very meandering plots and the romance being a bit iffy. But the worldbuilding is cool, and there's a cool magic house and time traveling 🤷‍♀️

#adventrecommends @emilyrose_x

review
paisleyjess
Mehso-so

This is very similar to Twilight. I might have enjoyed it more if I knew that instead of thinking it was about witches in academia.

review
StaceGhost
post image
Pickpick

Started promising but then ended cinematically. Still, there are many parts I loved! I think I‘d have preferred if it stayed more focused on old manuscripts & the mystery at the heart of it all. Still, a lovely holiday read!

Also, I took the time to decorate my desk yesterday! I love my Yuletide goat 🐐🧙🏻‍♀️

AmyG Love your plants!!! 3mo
AllDebooks I love it all, gorgeous display 😍 3mo
StaceGhost @AmyG @AllDebooks thank you! I‘m so excited to have an office space with enough light for plants 🪴 I don‘t even care that it‘s a cubicle lol 3mo
Chrissyreadit 😍 3mo
MoonWitch94 The Yule goat is great! 3mo
45 likes5 comments
blurb
Scochrane26
post image

Right now, A Discovery of Witches is my favorite. I think the cast is great, & I didn‘t mind small changes or what was left out. Could have done with less politicking in the first season though. #sundayfunday @ozma.of.oz

ozma.of.oz That‘s a fun pick! Thanks for sharing! 4mo
WJCintron So far, the series The Queen‘s Gambit by Walter Tevis. They did an excellent job with set dressings, wardrobe and following almost every detail to a T. Even the dialogue is spot on! LOVE when they respect the books and the author‘s work which is where the story was born in the first place. 😃🙌 4mo
Scochrane26 @WJCintron I still haven‘t watched that one yet or read the book. I‘ve heard such good reviews about it, so I need to watch soon. 4mo
WJCintron @Scochrane26 I really recommend it. They are both great!🙌😃 I don‘t think you‘ll be disappointed. Keep me posted. 👍 4mo
30 likes4 comments
review
Ericalambbrown
A Discovery of Witches | Deborah E. Harkness
post image
Pickpick

I ran across the tv series on AMC+ and gave it a go because I liked the cast. The chemistry between the leads was hot enough to melt your damn teeth so I had to pick up the books once I realized they were a thing. I really like this one! I‘m a science nerd and loved the academic bits that others apparently have found boring (according to other reviews). I really liked the secondary characters and how the author plays with the genre. Good stuff!

Vansa I loved this series!I absolutely love how cleverly she weaves in vampire stories with scientific explanations,and the bits about DNA testing and so on are excellent.And when they travel to the Elizabethan Age... absolutely LOVE it. 4mo
Ericalambbrown @Vansa Exactly! And OF COURSE Christopher Marlowe was a daemon! 🤣 The whole thing with species decline and blood rage . . . I love that the vampires are all using their time in scientific discovery. But I also kinda really want Gallowglass to get his own book. 4mo
CarolynM Supernatural stuff is really not my thing, but I enjoyed this book a lot and the next one even more🙂 I got distracted and didn‘t finish the third one, I hope to get back to it one day. 4mo
SamAnne All these comments have just prompted me to stack a book Indefinitely didn‘t think was my genre! 4mo
64 likes2 stack adds4 comments
review
Mrs_B
post image
Pickpick

Loved reading this book, couldn‘t put it down.
We went to Oxford today and had to of course take in some of the sights where the book is set!
Top Left: The Radcliffe Camera
Top Right: The Bodleian Quad
Bottom Left: All Souls College

My husband and I have been terribly remiss about getting our alumni reading cards for the Bodleian, we need to do that so next time we can go and read in Duke Humfrey‘s!

63 likes1 stack add
blurb
Dcueto
post image

Figured it was about time I reas this one ❤️

review
kimmypete1
post image
Pickpick

Just as wonderful the second time around. Can‘t wait to dive into the second one again!

blurb
TheSpineView
A Discovery of Witches | Deborah E. Harkness
post image
blurb
fredamans
post image
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I had this one on my shelf forever and decided to give it away 🖤🧙‍♀️ 5mo
Eggs 🤍🖤🤍 5mo
fredamans @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😞 the book is long but very good! 5mo
26 likes3 comments
review
Skeeterisme
post image
Pickpick

Just a good as the times before

Sleepswithbooks I have this in my TBR pile and am looking forward to reading it for the first time 😃 6mo
Skeeterisme @Sleepswithbooks the first read is wonderful. You‘ll love it. Enjoy! 6mo
49 likes2 comments
blurb
MidnightBookGirl
post image

After a few days off, it‘s time to join Matthew and Diana on September 30th. #ADOWrealtimeread

46 likes1 stack add
blurb
MidnightBookGirl
post image

I'm enjoying reading a book like this! Plus, I've only listened to the audiobooks, so reading this in print has been fun- forgot Matthew's creepiness, but I guess that's why it's sometimes referred to as Twilight for adults, lol. Two more chapters to go!

**Also, if you like challenges like this, then A Night in the Lonesome October is 31 chapters that match the 31 days of October. I've re-read that a few times.

34 likes1 stack add
blurb
MidnightBookGirl
post image

I‘m doing a real time re-read of A Discovery of Witches, which starts today- Sept 18th. #ADOWrealtimeread

Erinsuereads Ohhh what's a real time read? I've never read this but it's been on my tbr forever 6mo
Bookishlie Ooooooo I might need to do this!! 6mo
MidnightBookGirl @ErinSueMreads so the book opens on Sept 18th, so you read chapter 1, then chapter 2 and 3 happen on Sept 22nd, so you read them on that day, and I think it goes until October 31, mostly one or two chapters that match up to the dates@ 6mo
Erinsuereads That's so fun! Can I join you??! 6mo
MidnightBookGirl @ErinSueMreads Absolutely! Please do!
6mo
41 likes5 comments
review
Hitchhikerbooks
post image
Pickpick

Harkness's writing style has a simple elegance to it. I can only imagine the level of research that went into writing this story. It's refreshing to see a novel of this genre and subject matter finally treated with a certain level of genuinity.

annahenke I love this series so much! It‘s definitely a favorite. 6mo
Hitchhikerbooks Have just started watching the tv show 6mo
7 likes2 comments
blurb
Dragon
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

#thoughtfulthursday @MoonWitch94 thanks for the tag 1.definitely romance- need that HEA ending 2. Yes . 3. I reread this trilogy then went on to reread every Lisa Keypas historical romance I could get my hands on Tagging all the Littens who want to play 💚🐉

blurb
MoonWitch94
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

#BasicWitchSwap Favorite Things!

26 likes1 stack add
review
living_for_literature
post image
Pickpick

Great worldbuilding, forbidden romance, very slow burn. Could get stuffy at time with the historical and scientific background info, but a great paranormal dark academia read.

blurb
La_Cori
post image

#alphabetgame
#letterD

This time I couldn't choose just one book.. this three books have a special place in my heart! 🖤

A Discovery of Witches
Dune
Il Dottor Zivago

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

blurb
EclecticBookLover
post image

Enjoying the morning even if I'm not enjoying my book. I'm too far along to stop, but the romance in this really bothers me. It's just not done well. 😕

Linsy This one wasn't my favorite either. I've been curious about the tv show tho... 8mo
EclecticBookLover @Linsy I think I might enjoy the show more than the look. The romance seems so juvenile. 8mo
32 likes2 comments
blurb
MoonWitch94
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

#WondrousWednesday is here again!

1️⃣ Deborah Harkness 🤩

2️⃣ Any of the All Souls series by Deb Harkness (if you haven‘t read them already)

3️⃣ my two friends who I had a breakfast date with this morning ☕️🧋🍳🥐🥑

✨It is late in the day, so if you haven‘t played yet, please do! How about it, @BarkingMadRun @Sleepswithbooks @CBee @Zuhkeeyah

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🖤🖤🖤 8mo
Eggs Thank you 🌹🙏🏻🥰 8mo
melissajayne Read the entire All Souls trilogy and really like it. 8mo
37 likes3 comments
review
kissmehardy
post image
Pickpick

YES. Oh my God, how did it take me this long to get to this book? I love all the plot threads, I love Diana and Matthew, I love the Bishops' haunted house and Ysabeau's French fortress, I LOVE IT ALL. #fantasy

review
KristiAhlers
post image
Pickpick

I‘m having a hard time understanding why I put reading this one off for so long. I love the setting and the characters and I‘m eager to start the next in the trilogy. I will finally watch the show once I‘ve read them all!

LeeRHarry One of my favourite ever series - heading to a friend‘s today to watch the third season together 😊 9mo
54 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
SmartSassery
post image
Pickpick

What an interesting story. It's not action packed but it kept me completely enthralled. A nice smooth read with an excellently constructed backstory. I look forward to finishing the series.

blurb
Scochrane26
post image

Loving my new mug. Brought it to work today, too bad I can‘t read while I have my hot chocolate. Pawley‘s Studios made it.

review
Anoukeboek
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image
Pickpick

Just amazing. It doesn't happen that often that a book sings this perfectly in harmony with my soul. The story moves at a slow pace, which gives time to describe the ordinary things, like what Diana eats, or how she commutes to work. I absolutely loved the parts in the library, how she requests books, how she handles and takes notes on them. The romance happened a bit too quickly maybe, but every other part makes up for it. Loved, loved, loved it!

8 likes1 stack add
review
geekymomma
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
Mehso-so

It was a very slow beginning that I almost put it down. Then halfway through it picked up but then it felt like too much was crammed in before the end. I am intrigued and will be reading the next book in the series but I'll give it a couple books before picking it up.

review
Darklunarose
post image
Pickpick

It took 5 weeks to read but I really did love this story.

LiseWorks I love the series 13mo
Darklunarose @LiseWorks im loving it too, seems it was just what I needed to read. 13mo
78 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
geekymomma
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

I decided to try this one again after watching the first episode. 160 pages in and my attention is slipping.

blurb
Darklunarose
post image

Cats and boxes! At least Adele and Peace are not fighting over this one…yet!

GondorGirl Adele and Peace are beautiful! 😍 13mo
LitStephanie So cute! 13mo
Darklunarose @GondorGirl they truely are! I couldn‘t be without these two. 13mo
See All 6 Comments
Darklunarose @LitStephanie they are very cute! And always doing cute and/or naughty things! 13mo
KellyK 🥰 Sweet babies! 13mo
Darklunarose @KellyK ❤️ 13mo
75 likes6 comments
blurb
SkeletonKey
post image

I usually like reading a book before I watch things based on it so I started reading this one. But it‘s kind of… not good? I‘m going to keep reading to see if the writing gets better since it is loved by many but not sure it‘s for me.

Maybe I‘m just burnt out on the idea of vampire romance.

Does it get better?

alisiakae No, it does not get better. I stuck with it to the end on my 2nd try because I was in the right mood for it, and ended up giving it a thumbs up. I finished the whole series, and they get progressively worse. I liked it just enough to keep going to find out how everything was resolved (there was also a character in the 2nd & 3rd books I LOVED). I'd bail now if you're not enjoying it. 14mo
ElizaMarie I liked the first 3 books (but I also did them #Audio) and sometimes with more dull writing listening to it helps (?). I am really struggling with the last one (also on #Audio), but the show really is good, I am enjoying it. 14mo
Avanders I also bailed on this one… I got so far (60% done?), googled some spoiler reviews to see if it got better, and firmly decided, after reading a bunch of spoilers, to absolutely not finish reading the book. Not for me either… 🤷🏽‍♀️ (edited) 14mo
See All 6 Comments
SkeletonKey @4thhouseontheleft @ElizaMarie @avanders - Thank you for the honest reviews! I‘m going to bail because I can tell it‘s going to eat up way more of my time than I want. If I were in a different mood maybe. I‘ll watch the show now though and not feel like I‘m missing much, haha. 14mo
Liatrek Oh man I had to bail on this one and just ended up watching the show instead. 14mo
SkeletonKey @Liatrek - That‘s my plan! The writing was so clunky and I‘m surprised an editor didn‘t catch all the weird inconsistencies in the first few chapters alone. 14mo
34 likes6 comments
review
Dudess420
Pickpick

My favorite trilogy!!

blurb
Darklunarose
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

We have been pretty much isolating since November except for the drs and vets. Yesterday one of my supports decided to drive us to the reservoir which recently opened to the public as we could get out but stay away from people. 15 minutes and it was bliss. Will need to find more natural things to do while we wait out this Covid disaster.

Nutmegnc Looks like a great place! 1y
KathyWheeler What a pretty place! 1y
Darklunarose @Nutmegnc it‘s really beautiful. When the kids go back to school and it‘s quieter my kids and I will go walking round here. 1y
See All 6 Comments
Darklunarose @KathyWheeler it is, so hard to think it‘s just in the suburbs. 1y
tenar We‘re isolating except for doctors, too, and getting out into nature when possible has helped so much. Glad you have somewhere pretty to visit! 1y
Darklunarose @tenar ❤️❤️❤️ hang in there! We do what we have to. Nature is utterly amazing for picking us up 1y
72 likes6 comments
blurb
Darklunarose
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

Desert pizzas good for breakfast, right?

bnp Of course! (So are savory pizzas.) 1y
Darklunarose @bnp savoury pizza is breakfast food without a doubt 1y
65 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
Darklunarose
post image

This came from. The library yesterday! Time to dive in!

Theshadedbuffalo Me too! 1y
Darklunarose @Theshadedbuffalo I‘ll be interested to see what you think. I have been holding off watching it because I‘m ant to read the books first. 1y
persephone1408 I just finished season...the first season was phenomenal but the last one...not so much. I still liked it and am glad I watched first. It can only go up from there. 1y
See All 8 Comments
Darklunarose @persephone1408 I must watch it after I read the books. I wish I had read the outlander books first as well. Lesson learned there 1y
persephone1408 @Darklunarose I've watched outlander 5 times and I just started the books. I definitely wish I could've read them first, I'm having a hard time reading the book. 🤷🏻 but so far its exactly the same. If it was different I dont think id have so much trouble. 1y
Leahkl Better your than me. This book was definitely not my cup of tea 1y
Darklunarose @Leahkl I can see it wouldn‘t be everyone‘s, but so far I am enjoying it. 1y
48 likes8 comments
blurb
Theshadedbuffalo
post image

Starting this one on kindle today- I‘m a bit behind the curve haha.

BookNAround I just read this one last year and was amazed by how it sucked me right in. 1y
Theshadedbuffalo @BookNAround oh awesome! I have the trilogy, so I‘m really looking forward to it! 1y
24 likes2 comments
blurb
BookBosomed1
post image

Does Matthew ever stop being a possessive dude? I‘m 200+ pages in, but I truly cannot stand him. I do love the dark academia aesthetic, science, and history. Do I keep going or bail?

Aims42 I bailed for that same reason. I just couldn‘t take it anymore and reading felt like a chore 🙄 You‘re not alone if you bail 😉 1y
BookBosomed1 @Aims42 Oh, thank you for that affirmation and reassurance. I‘ve tried and I just feel tense, annoyed, and mad reading it, which I don‘t think is the intended goal. 🤣 1y
Aims42 @BookBosomed1 Happy to help! Too many other great books out there to stick with “meh” books 😏 I think I made it halfway and a chapter started with something that made me roll my eyes and I just couldn‘t keep going. It worked out though, I bought the book at Goodwill and passed it along to a friend who LOVED it 😆 1y
15 likes3 comments
blurb
tpixie
post image

🥳 Kindle Deal today! The Trilogy for $1.99 🥳

Dragon One of my all time favourite trilogies- too bad I already own it - great deal! 🧛‍♂️ 1y
tpixie @Dragon that‘s probably why it‘s on sale most people own it already! I listened to the first book when it 1st came out & loved it but somehow got sidetracked on other books ( I think because of clubs). I never finished the other 2, so I bought the deal and then I‘ll probably audiobook/eread all 3! 1y
Dragon Thanks @tpixie it took me awhile to warm up to books 2&3 but give them a chance- they‘re worth it- I have read the whole trilogy 3 times - which is a record for me 💚🐉 1y
tpixie @Dragon wow!! I better move them up my TBR!! 1y
Scochrane26 I saw this deal earlier & will prob get it when I get home. Have the physical copy of the first book but not the whole trilogy. 1y
35 likes5 comments
blurb
ElizaMarie
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

Spending the morning with this :)

Loving getting lost in this. The show is so beautiful!!

#AllSouls #DOW #SeasonOfTheWitch #DiscoveryOfWitches
@MoonWitch94

blurb
Dragon
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

@MoonWitch94 #thoughtfulthursday. @Eggs 1. Agatha Christie remains the Queen of the unreliable narrators so the novel has to meet that standard. 2. Audio colouring books 3. The tagged book is the first in my favourite series

tpixie She wrote this book with a nod to Christie & her earlier books, including Roger Ackroyd 1y
28 likes1 comment
review
katy4peas
post image
Pickpick

I really enjoyed listening to this one as part of @MoonWitch94 ‘s read along. It was full of humor, likable characters, and interesting science and history that pulled me in. I find all of the evolution and DNA parts fascinating and think Harkness did a great job with research in order to be able to add that to her storyline. I couldn‘t put it down and I‘m looking forward to book 2!! #teammatthew

katy4peas I will say I don‘t like that Matthew is so possessive of Diana. However, it is explained that that is in a vampire‘s nature and I appreciate that he shows growth in being able to let her take charge of the time walking (because he has to) but he also shows growth in other ways where he lets her be herself and take care of herself and he tries to back down. She is also very independent in her own right. 1y
Vansa Quite honestly, this book was still when Deborah Harkness was hewing to Twilight tropes- Matthew's domineering nature, Diana's deference to him to begin with,watching her while she sleeps and so on.She dismantles these tropes entirely, as you said,from the last third of the book and completely in the next 2( except for one more Twilight trope she keeps but only one!) 1y
66 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
ElizaMarie
Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness
post image

Started to watch this series. It follows the book very well. And it's just visually stunning. But.. I was busy doing things when I was watching (like it was in the background) so I might restart it soon (got to episode 3?)

#AllSouls #DOW #DOWRTR #SeasonOfTheWitch @MoonWitch94

MoonWitch94 I really loved it! It was pretty true to the book which I loved! 1y
ElizaMarie @MoonWitch94 I had tagged you when I first wrote this and totally misspelled witch! ha! anyway, I had been watching it in the background while doing homework, but no I feel like I have a better chance to focus on it. it was just so pretty so far! 1y
34 likes2 comments