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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This falls into my fun light read category. I'm not big into the whole vampire book trend so I can't comment at all on how this relates to the Twilight series, but thought this was quite fun. Somehow bringing in evolution and science makes it more entertaining from my point of view. This was a little border line romancey for my tastes, although the only romance novel I ever read was for a college women's lit class so maybe I shouldn't judge. If that type of thing really really puts you off you might not want to read this book.
I decided to listen to this audiobook as it was a free download.
The story follows Historian Diana Bishop who discovers a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, having kept her magic roots hidden she has been unknowingly using magic to get through her own life. Finding the manuscript brings her into all sorts of creatures who are determined to get their hands on it and will do whatever it takes to get it.
This was a very interesting book, not just another story of vampires, witches and demons. It had more depth to the relationship of the characters and a wealth of historical knowledge including differnt characters from history, and various time periods covered when Matthew was discussing his past life being a 1500 year old vampire there was alot to cover! It weaved together a lot of history, legends and scientific subject matter, to create a very intersting and satisfying read, taking the reader or listening in this case on a beautiful journey.
The relationship between Diana a witch and Matthew a vampire had me turning the pages to see how this impossible realtionship between two different species could work, and I have to say I was not disappointed. I am looking forwards to reading the next book in the All Souls Trilogy and other works from Deborah Harkness.
The story follows Historian Diana Bishop who discovers a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, having kept her magic roots hidden she has been unknowingly using magic to get through her own life. Finding the manuscript brings her into all sorts of creatures who are determined to get their hands on it and will do whatever it takes to get it.
This was a very interesting book, not just another story of vampires, witches and demons. It had more depth to the relationship of the characters and a wealth of historical knowledge including differnt characters from history, and various time periods covered when Matthew was discussing his past life being a 1500 year old vampire there was alot to cover! It weaved together a lot of history, legends and scientific subject matter, to create a very intersting and satisfying read, taking the reader or listening in this case on a beautiful journey.
The relationship between Diana a witch and Matthew a vampire had me turning the pages to see how this impossible realtionship between two different species could work, and I have to say I was not disappointed. I am looking forwards to reading the next book in the All Souls Trilogy and other works from Deborah Harkness.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really wanted to like this more. I ended up so disappointed. Really strong beginning, I loved the character and the writing in the first few chapters, but as the romance unfolds, the character turns into a Mary Sue, and the story falls in to all the loathsome cliches of a bad romance.
It took me over a month to read this book - something that never happens to me. It was well written and interesting enough to keep me engaged, even amidst a glacial pace. It could’ve used a more stringent edit to get the plot moving.
I enjoyed the overall story and will continue to read the other books in the series.
That said there was a lot of repetitive aspects that were distractin (ex: the constant references to the warmth of Diana's skin vs the cold of Matthew's). I also really disliked the speed at which Matthew and Diana relationship moves and the repercussions for Diana's independence. I feel like Diana quickly morphed from a strong, independent, career driven woman to a damsel in distress. I hope the development of her character in the next books brings her back around to strength and confidence.
That said there was a lot of repetitive aspects that were distractin (ex: the constant references to the warmth of Diana's skin vs the cold of Matthew's). I also really disliked the speed at which Matthew and Diana relationship moves and the repercussions for Diana's independence. I feel like Diana quickly morphed from a strong, independent, career driven woman to a damsel in distress. I hope the development of her character in the next books brings her back around to strength and confidence.