By: Deborah Harkness
Synopsis
Deep in the heart of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, scholar Diana Bishop requests a manuscript called Ashmole 782 in the course of her research. Coming from an old and distinguished lineage of witches, Diana senses that the ancient book might be bound up with magic – but she herself wants nothing to do with sorcery; and after making a few notes on its curious images, she banishes it quickly back to the stacks. But what she doesn’t know is that the old alchemical text has been lost for centuries, and its sudden appearance has set a fantastical underworld stirring. Soon, a distracting horde of daemons, witches, and vampires descends upon the Bodleian’s reading rooms. One of these creatures is Matthew Clairmont, an enigmatic and eminent geneticist, practitioner of yoga, and wine connoisseur – and also a vampire with a keen interest in Ashmole 782.
Equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense, A Discovery of Witches is a novel of epic scope, traveling from the cobbled streets of Oxford to the chateaus and mountains of the Auvergne to a small town in upstate New York. It also takes us into a rich fifteen-hundred-year history that spans Clovis and the Crusades, the Knights Templar, and the American Revolution. As Matthew and Dian’s alliance deepens into intimacy, Diana must come to terms with age-old taboos and her own family’s conflicted history – and she must learn where to modern woman she is meets the source of ancient power that is her legacy. With a scholar’s depth and the touch of a great storyteller, Deborah Harkness has woven a tale of passion and obsession; the collision of magic, alchemy, and science; and the closely guarded secrets of an enchanted world.
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the rest in the series. However, the romance aspect became a bit nauseating. I don’t mind when romance is part of the story. However, it became a bit much, at least for me. I understand that Diana and Matthew’s relationship is an integral part of the plot, but some of the more saccharine scenes could have been left out without hindering the story in any way. I fully appreciate love stories (I’ve been married since I was 18 to my high school sweetheart), but this one began to border on the ridiculous and could have been toned down a little. Less romance and more suspense. That’s just my opinion though. Keep in mind, I’m not a romance reader anyway.
The rest of the book was great. The plot moved at a good pace. The characters are likable. The foreshadowing leaves you curious. Fantasy and historical fiction all in one. Other than the overdone romance, what’s not to like?