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discogecko's review against another edition
Couldn't get past the evolution and genetics explanations... They're not accurate. Dislike the protagonist.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Stalking, Blood, and Death of parent
ruthee's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Unlike others, I didn’t actually mine the pace or world-building…but the abusive relationship (red flag, after red flag, after red flag) framed as ‘that’s just the way vampires are, and my love is enough’ was so bad it just kept taking me out of the story.
It’s not often (if ever) that I completely prefer a tv or film adaptation to the original material, but in this case, my love of the tv series was what got me through this.
In audiobook, the narrator was good, except when it came to any accent that wasn’t their own. The English/Scottish/Australian ones ranged between literally lol to offensive…so strange for a professionally produced book.
It’s not often (if ever) that I completely prefer a tv or film adaptation to the original material, but in this case, my love of the tv series was what got me through this.
In audiobook, the narrator was good, except when it came to any accent that wasn’t their own. The English/Scottish/Australian ones ranged between literally lol to offensive…so strange for a professionally produced book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
karly_ackley's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and War
jaynovara's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Confinement
Minor: Kidnapping, Medical content, and Pregnancy
piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I'm so torn on this. On one hand I love the mystery around the manuscript, the magic system, the convent, and all of that stuff. On the other hand I despise Matthew as a love interest. He could be the villain, he could be the best friend, he could just be a random vampire that they dragged in to all this, but I cannot stand him as a love interest. His character has some flashes of being interesting but by-and-large hes just a controlling, obnoxious Edward Cullen era vampire love interest.
And that's my biggest gripe with this book that it feels like a mix of National Treasure and the bad parts of Twilight. You can clearly see that this was written post twilight boom. I just hate this stupid relationship so much but I'm so interested in the actual plot that I might get sucked in and try the next book.
It was a bit long and a bit slow so it definitely could have cut about a 100 pages out but I did really enjoy the fact that even though it's all about magic, they did address the legalities of the legalities of their plan which was a fun thing to add. And also it raised a very good question about whether or not vampires can tell when somebody is menstruating and if they like it or not.
I initially gave this a 3 but its actually a 2.5. I cant think about it without thinking about how much I hated the "romance" so much it makes me mad.
And that's my biggest gripe with this book that it feels like a mix of National Treasure and the bad parts of Twilight. You can clearly see that this was written post twilight boom. I just hate this stupid relationship so much but I'm so interested in the actual plot that I might get sucked in and try the next book.
It was a bit long and a bit slow so it definitely could have cut about a 100 pages out but I did really enjoy the fact that even though it's all about magic, they did address the legalities of the legalities of their plan which was a fun thing to add. And also it raised a very good question about whether or not vampires can tell when somebody is menstruating and if they like it or not.
I initially gave this a 3 but its actually a 2.5. I cant think about it without thinking about how much I hated the "romance" so much it makes me mad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Torture
Moderate: Stalking
Harassmentmaggies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Started reading the series primarily because I want to watch the show, and now I'm even more excited to keep reading the series! I think it might have benefitted from some editing down—lots of repetition of the same sentiment or even sentence in just a few paragraphs, for example—but overall a really engaging fantasy story. The world of the witches, vampires, and daemons is laid out for readers as Diana learns the details, which is a simple and effective trick for this kind of world-building. Docked a star because it's just not believable to me that the entire book takes place over less than two months.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Stalking
Minor: Xenophobia and War
baearles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, War, and Pregnancy
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Stalking
Moderate: Mental illness, Child death, and Pregnancy
foxgloveandcrow's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun story that would’ve been improved by trimming out the minutiae and doing a bit more to introduce antagonists. New bad guys were often just dropped right in with no introduction. And I definitely didn’t need a chapter devoted to legal paperwork.
But I like the tv series a lot (which separated the wheat from the chaff, honestly), and I enjoyed the story and characters of the book a lot.
But I like the tv series a lot (which separated the wheat from the chaff, honestly), and I enjoyed the story and characters of the book a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Torture, and Stalking
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
What better way to get mentally ready for a trip to the Bodleian library in Oxford than by reading a book set partly in the Bodleian library in Oxford? I first read A Discovery of Witches in 2018 when I was leaving for my first solo trip to Oxford and it helped quite a lot with my stress because Diana, the main character, is literally shown taking each step to enter the library. This time round, I read it for the setting and because re-reading brings me much comfort. It really is a fun book, but also a rather deep one. On the one hand, I still love it as much as the first time, because there were lots of parallels to draw between supernatural creatures and queer people. On the other hand, this being the third time I'm reading it, I could no longer stand Matthew (the other MC)'s overprotectiveness and paternalistic behaviour (which are challenged, thankfully) and I really roled my eyes at the insta-love story and the direction their relationship took (I don't want to spoil you!).
But this novel is still very, very enjoyable - I found myself giggling and not putting the book down and having lunch at Blackwell's just because Diana did.
Having said that, you still may not know what this book is about. Diana is a historian of science studying alchemical manuscripts at the Bodleian where she meets Matthew, a vampire, while creatures of all three types (there are daemons as well) close in on her for studying a particular document at the Bodleian. There follows a romance between the two of them, the details of which I will not disclose, but it involves very spirited locations, danger and a whole lot of pining.
Rep: sapphic secondary characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Stalking, Blood, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder