A Discovery of Witches
Author: Deborah Harkness
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Paperback: 592 Pages
Source: Won from Eugenia @ Eugenia Writes!
Buy the Book: Amazon
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Book Description
In a sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches became the "it" book of early 2011, bringing Deborah Harkness into the spotlight and galvanizing fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and the descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar's depth to this riveting story of magic and suspense. And the story continues in Book Two, Shadow of Night.
Review
I wish I had a 50/50 button for this book. The beginning of this book was so slow that I thought I was not going to make it to the end. As you know I am not into chunky books for fear of getting into them and not being able to put it down cause I just need to get the end. Just cause I need to know what happens. Anyways, about 300 pages in I started to enjoy this book. The author Deborah Harkness loves to write a lot of detail and give her readers back story. I wanted to skip past most of it but the fear of missing something important stopped me. But honestly, Deborah you could have taken out about 150 pages of this book. The endless talk about mitochondrial DNA, the various wars, along with the history of alchemy began to feel like studying and not a fun, entertaining witch and vampire book. But once I made it through all that!!!!!!(AMEN!) the book got interesting.
All the characters are very well written and likable but my personal favorite character is the House. I love the personality that Deborah Harkness gives to the house. Yes, the house has a opinion and makes it know to everyone. GREAT CHARACTER!!
I loved the authors amazing use of food and smell. Diana and Matthew (who I am so in love with) talk about food, wine and smells of everything! I think this is the first book I have read were vampires eat (Matthew eats just once) and drink wine! And they drink wine all the time.
After the action started and all the back story, history, and medical slowed down a bit I began to enjoy the book.
As for the ending, the book leaves sooo many questions that I have to get the other books. If the pace of the second book moves like the end of the first book then I will read it. If not... I may pass!
I wish I had a 50/50 button for this book. The beginning of this book was so slow that I thought I was not going to make it to the end. As you know I am not into chunky books for fear of getting into them and not being able to put it down cause I just need to get the end. Just cause I need to know what happens. Anyways, about 300 pages in I started to enjoy this book. The author Deborah Harkness loves to write a lot of detail and give her readers back story. I wanted to skip past most of it but the fear of missing something important stopped me. But honestly, Deborah you could have taken out about 150 pages of this book. The endless talk about mitochondrial DNA, the various wars, along with the history of alchemy began to feel like studying and not a fun, entertaining witch and vampire book. But once I made it through all that!!!!!!(AMEN!) the book got interesting.
All the characters are very well written and likable but my personal favorite character is the House. I love the personality that Deborah Harkness gives to the house. Yes, the house has a opinion and makes it know to everyone. GREAT CHARACTER!!
I loved the authors amazing use of food and smell. Diana and Matthew (who I am so in love with) talk about food, wine and smells of everything! I think this is the first book I have read were vampires eat (Matthew eats just once) and drink wine! And they drink wine all the time.
After the action started and all the back story, history, and medical slowed down a bit I began to enjoy the book.
As for the ending, the book leaves sooo many questions that I have to get the other books. If the pace of the second book moves like the end of the first book then I will read it. If not... I may pass!
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to kids older than 12 years old and adults.
Challenges
This book is number 45 in my Goodreads Challenge
This book is number 45 in my Goodreads Challenge
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