Book Review – A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Hey lovelies!

I have been meaning to write this post for a while. It’s been a long time since I posted a book review. I do struggle to find the time to read books, so I’ve just joined the book club in my village and my first meeting with them is tomorrow (20/05/19). I’m hoping that as a result I’ll have to ensure that I make time to read and therefore can write more reviews on this blog.

Anyway, let’s get to it! Today I’m going to review A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

Why I chose to read this book:

I first watched this as the series on Sky (I think it was Sky, might be wrong) back in October and absolutely loved it so I had to read the book. There are two more in this series; the trilogy is called All Souls and I am definitely going to get reading the next one as soon as possible. The next two are called Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.

My thoughts on the story:

I loved it! One of the best books I think I’ve ever read. Certainly better than the series as all books are but as I loved the series so much I was rather intrigued if this would still be the case. I think that this book is beautifully written, and captivates the reader constantly; the story just flows seamlessly. I love the fact that Harkness has used these mythological creatures and turned them into her own excluding the common stereotypes. For example, a good witch with remarkable powers that she does not wish to use, a vampire that can still go out in daylight and doesn’t fly, and especially a daemon who’s characteristics are predominately that they are highly intelligent and diligent. I also love the idea of vampires using modern technologies such as mobile phones; I found this somewhat amusing.

My 5 favourite characters:

• Diana Bishop – The protagonist. I really like Diana. She’s a strong, independent, stubborn and intelligent woman and really likeable. Even when being protected by vampires she still holds her own, and her character doesn’t allow herself to be controlled or protected to a certain extent, despite the danger she is in. Although Matthew does his best to look after her, she is still resilient and able to make up her own mind. I also like that she likes to eat, talk about relatable!
• Matthew – I also really like Matthew. Although it seems like he underestimates Diana a little, it is clear that this is because he really cares about Diana, and I think he finds the fact that he cannot control everything she says or does attractive, because he is so used to people doing whatever he wants and finding his vampiric beauty and charisma difficult to resist. I feel that his character may change slightly in the next two books, as hinted by Hamish when he warns Diana ‘he wont be the same Matthew where you’re going’, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out through the series.
• Ysabeau – Although at first Ysabeau is less than warm and friendly, I liked her from the off. She is truly a caring mother for Matthew and is certainly wary of Diana which is understandable given the circumstances of her husband’s death. I do nevertheless like the fact that she warms to Diana when she sees how much Matthew loves her and becomes really concerned and caring for her.
• Sarah – I’m slightly biased with this as I know that Sarah was portrayed by one of my favourite actresses, Alex Kingston, in the series, however I think that character of Sarah is brilliant. There are many similarities between her and Ysabeau, both are protective of their family and wary of outsiders. Sarah is sassy and straight talking and is not afraid to stand up for her beliefs. She’s also very fond of coffee so let me tell you I can totally relate girl.
• Sophie – although Sophie only appears near the end of this book, I think there is plenty of time to show her characteristics. She is seriously kind hearted and can see the good in everyone. She is not bothered by anyone else’s species and treats everyone with respect. She’s a total dreamer which I love, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Harkness develops her character and how it pans out with her child in the next two books.

What rating would I give?

5 out of 5. There is nothing that I do not love about this book. Harkness is incredibly talented and I’m so excited for the rest of the trilogy. I’d 100% recommend this to anyone looking for a fabulous modern fantasy novel.

Thanks for reading!

Miche xx

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