Wednesday 6 March 2013

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness




I had downloaded this book quite some time ago, and it kind of got lost in the initial influx of downloads in my new Kindle. Realising that some of my earlier downloads were being passed over and forgotten about, I decided to create a new group on my Kindle – ‘Books I am eager to read’ and trawled through all the other groups and organised them. Then I discovered this one again.

I sat down one day and started reading it and by the end of page one, knew I would enjoy the writing, and by the end of chapter one, knew I would love it. I was aghast that I had missed it for so long - yet excited because I still had it to read – I was now at last on the journey.

I do enjoy a good story with Witches, Vampire and Demons, and any other supernatural creatures you care to include, but the added extra with this book is that they are not teens or at school, they were adults, thank goodness, The premise of the book is that there is an ancient book which these people know exists and believe it tells the story of their origins. The book begins in the UK where Diane is researching in Oxford University, she is in the library as is her habit, and has delivered to her the ancient books she has requested. One of the books, as soon as she touches it, makes her fingers tingle and she knows immediately there is magic around. Although she manages to open the book it is difficult to read as the letters are moving and there are layers of writing. As it isn’t relevant to her studies and she knows there is magic, she puts the book aside and returns it to the staff.
Diane is from a long and distinguished line of witches, but from childhood has avoided using/leaning about her powers mainly because her parents were killed, and the fact that they were both witches made her avoid the art. Part of being a witch, however is that she can sense when there is another witch or any other supernatural being around, and there have always been a few, and there is a group of local witches who have been trying to get her to join with them, but she has steered clear. After the morning she handled the book, she is conscious that there appears to more around than usual.

We soon meet the enigmatic Matthew – a vampire – and their confusing and uncomfortable relationship begins, which adds to the tension in Oxford. He begins to always appear to be around her, as well as the many more and every day increasing numbers of witches who are acting towards her in a threatening manner. She learns through Matthew, eventually that the book is very important to each of the supernatural classes, as they believe it contains very ancient information as to how they all began, and had been sealed using magic, which she had managed to overcome and open the book. She is effectively now in danger, as each group want her and the book to be the ones with the vital information.

There is a council made up of these supernatural creatures who decreed the their sort do not mix with each other, as they are desperate the Humans do not learn of their existence, so there is added danger as their evolving relationship is cause for concern to the council.

I loved this book, and could not put it down. The only reason it took me a while to read was finding the time, and the fact that it is a big book! I quickly checked and was delighted to find it is the first of a trilogy with book 2 already released (and in my Kindle) ‘Shadow of Night’.

If like me you enjoy these types of stories and yearn for a more adult story I would highly recommend this book.

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