A Discovery of Witches is one of my absolute favourite books.

I found Diana rather refreshing as she’s much older than your typical female fantasy protagonist. I love a career driven woman and I especially love the insights and representation of women in academia we get in this novel. I also really appreciated Diana’s struggles with anxiety.

This is an excellent example of found family. There are so many reflections throughout the trilogy of what makes a good parental figure and such beautiful examples of characters stepping up and forming unconventional families. Sarah, Em, Ysabeau, Phillipe and Agatha were just fantastic parental figures. I would also love to acknowledge how wonderful Hamish, Miriam, Marthe and Marcus are - I could go on about side characters forever!

Deborah Harkness really showcases her knowledge of European History and insights into academia. The explorations into the history of science and alchemy alongside modern science made for such an intriguing read against a supernatural setting. For a book rooted in so many facts somehow still felt incredibly magical.

I absolutely love a slow burn romance and this really did deliver on this front. You could cut the tension with a knife! I loved Matthew.

I really enjoyed Harkness’s spin on supernatural creatures, in particular the concept of demons in this world. This book just felt so magical!

Oxford University as the primary setting was wonderful and so detailed - I really felt immersed! Every setting in this book was depicted so beautifully and I never wanted to leave them behind.

This is an absolute must read for fantasy and historical fiction lovers!

I really, REALLY wanted to like this one more. I was in the mood for something witchy but I got a vampire novel instead (although, there was a bit of witchcraft towards the end!).

Things I loved:
The characters - I could really visualise them and I loved the feeling of family with them all. It was definitely a found family story.
The witch's house - how it feels and creates rooms and reacts with emotion, I loved it!
The descriptions of Oxford - Oxford is a really special place for me and I loved the descriptions of Oxford - it was like I was actually there and very true to the Oxford I know and love. The descriptions of the other settings were also fantastic.

Things I didn't like:
The romance - it wasn't sexy, it was possessive "you're not a damsel in distress" but I won't let you out of my sight. Maybe it was good romance a decade ago but I was wanting more. And calling each other wife and husband less than a month of knowing each other. UGHHH!
The repetition at the start. Studying in the library - going for a run/row - breakfast - studying in the library - yoga - studying in the library - dinner.

Overall, this was a solid three stars. I don't think I will be reading the rest of the books but I will be checking out the TV show. If you liked Twilight fifteen years ago you would probably like this book.

A slow burn forbidden love story between a witch and a vampire. Diana Bishop is a reluctant witch who unexpectedly finds a mysterious manuscript. Matthew Clairmont, a vampire, meets Diana in his search of this book.

The romance between Diana and Matthew was sizzling. However, I wished the story moved along more quickly. I would recommend sticking it out: the ending got me hooked and eager to read the sequel.

Loved this book! Loved the characters and the setting. Will definitely be buying the rest of the series!

I watched the Sky series first and wanted to know more detail about their story. I am so glad that I read the book as it is so much more evocative than the series was. I very much became invested and interested in what would happen next...

Honestly, any book that starts with a library in Oxford is an instant hit with me. Add in a hint of magic, and I am in love. I have visited Oxford on a couple of occasions, but this book made me yearn to spend more time there discovering the streets, museums and libraries.

It is not always the bog dramatic scenes that make a book, and certainly in this case it was the smaller things that kept me coming back for more. I particularly enjoyed the simplicity of the scene that sees a vampire and a daemon sharing confidences over a game of chess. In fact, the message of acceptance that is shown throughout the book through the coming together of the different creatures is really what gives this book it's heart.

This is a big book, and there is lots to love about it, but my particular favourites were the Bishop house, with its unique personality, and Marcus who I adored at first sight. I am very much looking forward to reading his story in Time's Convert.

Decent book with a lot of very interesting elements and dark creatures. I could totally see why a lot of people have called this twilight for adults it definitely has a similar vibe. The start was very slow and it took a good 100 pages to really get going. Ultimately a good read but definitely not my favourite.

In Oxford University’s Bodleian Library, Diana Bishop is researching ancient alchemy. She requests manuscript Ashmole 782 and unknown to her it is bewitched. This starts a chain of events which Diana is the centre of. Diana is a witch who refuses to use her powers after her parents were killed and is set on a normal life. But with fellow witches, vampires and daemons all wanting the book for themselves it becomes harder for her to deny her powers. With the help of a Vampire called Matthew de Clermont, they try and uncover what it all means while hiding from the forces of the magical world.

This book is a great read for anyone who wants, adventure, magic and romance with a bit of danger. The main characters are both very stubborn and set in their ways and when they first come together I wasn’t sure it was right for them to be helping each other. I soon saw past that and it brought the story together. The world of this story is rich, the details of Oxford University and surrounding areas are spot on. You get pulled into the world and feel part of the story, I engaged with all the characters, which can be hard to find in some stories, but each character enhanced the experience. In ways its the classic girl falls for a vampire a thousand years older than her, which personally I love, even if some find it weird, it is just a story right?!
Overall I loved this book.

I wanted to read this book for a while but just never got around to it. I am so disappointed in myself as it was truly a great read.

I found myself hooked early on and couldn’t put it down. I instantly connected to the characters Dianna and Matthew and wanted to know their full story.

I love the mystery and fantasy focus of the book and despite being a common genre, I feel this story has a difference. The story is a bit drawn out in some points but that didn’t detract any from my enjoyment.


I would definitely recommend this book and will be reading the rest of the trilogy.

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley but this has in no way influenced my opinion or review.

We follow Diana, a witch and gifted academic as she is studying the history of science and alchemy at Oxford university when she meets the handsome, enigmatic Matthew who happens to be a vampire. Witches, vampires and daemons aren't supposed to mix but Matthew becomes a more persistent presence in her life because Diana has discovered and unlocked a magical historical text that all of the witches, vampires and daemons want to obtain. What follows is an exploration into Diana's repressed powers, the mysteries surrounding her parents death and her family, the investigation into ancient manuscripts, the conflict between all daemons/witches/vampires, Dianas DNA and the budding, dangerous relationship between Diana and Matthew.

I loved the incredibly quick, easy and engaging writing style of this book, it hooked me instantly and I didn't want to stop reading, despite it being over 600 pages. I loved the settings (especially Oxford and France), I liked the supernatural and almost folktale elements and the relationship between all of the supernatural creatures as well as the frowned upon relationship between Diana and Matthew. It was much more about their relationship that I thought it would be and there were elements of cheesiness and eye rolling at times but overall, I did like reading about their relationship and their journey.

I can see why some people utterly adore this book as it has a very mysterious, magical and engaging style that makes you want to keep reading and reading but I can also see how it would appear as very cheesy, slightly Twilightesque and too long for others. I fall in the middle as there were definitely some cringey and cheesy lines and scenes through the book and it was a bit laggy towards the end of the book but I throughly enjoyed the process of reading it, it was entertaining and I would recommend recommend it for a great supernatural read (although it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be).

This is the first in the All Souls trilogy and has just been made into a major Sky television production, so if you haven't read the books yet the show might entice you to read all about Matthew and Diana.

Diana, who is a witch reluctant to use her magic, inadvertently calls up an influential magical manuscript, which in turn sets a series of disastrous events in motion. It is also the event that brings her together with a suave vampire called Matthew.

I know her reluctance to use magic is a major part of the plot, but man I really wanted to shake Diana at times. A lot. Come on woman zap someone, drown them, fly or cast a freaking spell. Enough with the virtuous witchy spiel. Surely being all sanctimonious and non-witchy gets tiring when someone is trying to spell you to death?

I was a little surprised by the strong focus on the romantic side of the plot, especially because the rest of the premise is very interesting from a magical perspective. It has elements of quite a few popular urban fantasy series including time travel, conflict between demons, witches and vampires, and a fateful connection between soulmates.

Harkness delivers to the romance and urban fantasy readers in equal measures, which is probably why the series is so popular. It's full of drama and tender moments of craving mixed with the new throes of passion and love. It isn't exactly what I expected, but I am interested to see where it goes.

I can totally see how people hate this book (all that eating and drinking, the insta-attraction, the dominant male, many bits that are a bit draggy and soooooo cheesy etc. etc.), it has so many flaws that made me roll my eyes a lot, yet at the same time, I was just hooked. It is funny how this happens sometimes, the moment when we love something despite - or maybe even because - of its flaws. I wouldn't be surprised if Harkness wasn't a Gabaldon fan, this had so much of Outlander about it. I loved it and it was such fun to read for me that I am already looking forward to reading the other two in the series... Count me as a fan.

This is the first book in the All Souls trilogy and my favourite of the series. From the moment Deborah Harkness transported me to the Bodleian library with Diana Bishop I was hooked. I could not resist; this book has always the elements I love – old dusty books, libraries and magic bundled together with descriptive pose and intriguing characters. Lots of characters to discover and love besides the main characters, Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont. There are the witches including Emily and Sarah, the extensive vampire family including Miriam, Marcus, Ysabeau and Marthe and deamons especially Hamish. They all have depth and stories beyond this series.

Diana is a character who grew as her back story was revealed throughout the book. As a witch who loves research into the history of alchemy I longed to see the imagery she was seeing in the old manuscripts. Matthew Clairmont has all the element you would expect of a fictional vampire – wealthy, unrealistically handsome, tall and strong with overprotective tendencies but he is grounded by his flaws. They make him more realistic. His back story and secrets add to the depth of character. I found it refreshing that the relationship between him and Diana was more balanced than many vampire stories. She is not your usual damsel in distress.

This a mature paranormal novel with a wonderful blend of unique characters, history, science, location and description to form an epic adventure involving romance, fear and drama. Deborah Harkness has not just created a story for Diana and Matthew she has created a world to explore so it feels as if any character could easily have their own novel. Long after I put the book down my mind would drift back to the plot and characters.

A discovery of witches by Deborah Harkness.
When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it's an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she's kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana's discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels...
Warning this is a long read. But a good read with likeable characters. Little bit slow in places but picks up now and then. I liked Diana and mathew. I just took my time. 4*.

I put my review on the wrong book because I was so excited to review.

This is the perfect opening to a trilogy. I love the main characters and eventual love interests. The plot pulls you in from that first scene in the library.
I love the cliffhanger. It's amazing.