A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is the first book of the All Souls Trilogy. I saw the television series first when I wasn’t aware of the books. These books have been on my reading list for a while, and I am glad to finish the first one. A Discovery of Witches is a fantasy book, that takes place in a world where creatures – Witches, Vampires, and Demons exist alongside humans.
Diana is an American scholar and historian who moved to Oxford University. She is a witch but has never been to master magic. She chooses to stay away from this world and focus on her academics. One day, she takes out a book for her research, and her world turns upside down. The book is Ashmore 782. It’s an important book for all creatures and has been missing for centuries until Diana finds it by accident. This incident attracts a lot of attention from other creatures, including Matthew Clairmont, a vampire. Dianna is wary of Matthew at first, but slowly, they build a friendship. Both are academic and incredibly smart. There is a spark between them from the first moment.
The fantasy world created in this novel is similar to our modern world other than the aspect of creatures existing with humans. Creatures have been declining. Witches are losing power, vampires can’t sire anyone, and demons are driven mad. The book Diana finds might hold the key to survival for all of them. The mythology built by Deborah Darkness is explained and described very well and also, close in a sense to the mythologies we already know. There is a law amongst the creature congregation, that forbids romantic relationships between the creatures. Matthew and Diana’s love is forbidden and also, used as a reason to deem them dangerous, which is not the case.
Diana is an extremely powerful witch, but she hasn’t been able to use her magic properly until now. Her parents died horribly, and they bound her magic to protect her. Slowly, with Matthew and her aunts, she realizes her true potential. Matthew is a vampire who has lived for centuries, and there is obviously a lot he keeps to himself. I loved the way Diana and Matthew’s relationship builds up before they get together. Matthew tries to constantly protect Diana, but that is more instinctual. They support each other and stand with each other, and that’s important because their being together is forbidden.
There are a lot of other characters and stories intertwining, but it is difficult to explain them in brief. The main focus is on Matthew and Diana. We discover this world through Diana’s eyes more because it’s all new to her too. She has always pushed this part of her life aside, but now she is in the middle of it. The romance between Matthew and Diana is beautifully portrayed, and it doesn’t happen right off the bat. They don’t have big fights or miscommunications which is refreshing. All the characters in the book are well-developed, and I feel we will find out more in the next two books. The adventure adult fantasy with a forbidden romance keeps you intrigued from the start.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is an adult fantasy book that met my expectations. It has a lot of positives with its story and characters. The elements of fantasy and romance blend together really well. I can’t wait to read the next two books of the trilogy.
*Click on the book cover above to get a copy.
Books and blues 
2 thoughts