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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Alchemy, genetics, and an enchanted manuscript - this book has it all! Oh, and did I mention the witches, vampires and demons that have co-existed in secret with humans for centuries? Combine all these elements with a supernatural legaslative league called the Congregation (bent of upholding the age-old lore of segregation between supernatural species), a medieval french Chateaux, a haunted house in upstate New York with a mind of it's own, and a unique protagonist and reluctant witch with magical DNA that could change the foundations of the supernatural world forever - and what do we get? 'A Discovery of Witches'. Oh, and time-travel to the 16th century. Can't forget about that.
I loved this book. I thought it was vastly oringinal and enthralling. I am so in love with pieces of fiction that employ one of my favorite literary games to play myself, which is taking many many subjects I have either studied, or have experties, or merely just find intruiging or interesting, and attempting to combine every element into a cohesive and continuous narrative. The more disparate the subjects, the better. Similar techniques are employed by many authors (Scarlett Thomas and the End of Mr Y and PopCo spring to mind immediately {on another tangent, Scarlett Thomas was one of my English professors at school, you should totally check out her books if you haven't already}), and that sentiment in writing really excites me. 'Geeked' I believe is the pertinant expression. So yeah, I was very excited when I finished this book. The beginning of the book took a while to find its rhythm, but I wasn't detered from reading it at the start, because the subject matter was so immediately appealing to me. A witch studying alchemy at Oxford university, who meets an enigmatic genetic physicist vampire and begins on a journey to reveal the mystery of an ancient enchanted manuscript? COUNT ME IN.
I also enjoyed the character and world building of this novel. Harkness is a true adept at creating characters that are at once captivating and at times, painfully flawed. It is so refreshing to discover a vampire-love-interest that doesn't have a squeeky clean past. How much more realistic to have a good vampire that embodies the tortured soul and complicated past of a man that has lived for over a millenia. And what happens when that past cannot be escaped? I love that these points were explored in 'Discovery'.
Saying that, I have to try to give a balanced review, and the literary critic in me finds it only appropriate to find room for improvement (although I do it, despite myself, with a certain amount of reluctancy). The editing could have been a little stronger. Don't get me wrong, I actually do enjoy the details that Harkness found necessary to include in her almost 600 page long debut novel - the protagonists tea-penchant, for example (a girl after my own heart), and its olfactory descriptions that peppered the pages of the book throughout. Wine was another beverage that found its way into the nostrils of readers, but by the end, I was starting to wish that the editor had been just a little less sentimental with Harkness' first born. I think a little more conciseness in this regard would have improved the pace of storytelling.
I am purchasing Shadow of Night as soon as my bank account can justify it. So excited and happy that the sequel will be set in 16th century London - one of my favorite historical eras! Kit Marlow here we come! ;)
I loved this book. I thought it was vastly oringinal and enthralling. I am so in love with pieces of fiction that employ one of my favorite literary games to play myself, which is taking many many subjects I have either studied, or have experties, or merely just find intruiging or interesting, and attempting to combine every element into a cohesive and continuous narrative. The more disparate the subjects, the better. Similar techniques are employed by many authors (Scarlett Thomas and the End of Mr Y and PopCo spring to mind immediately {on another tangent, Scarlett Thomas was one of my English professors at school, you should totally check out her books if you haven't already}), and that sentiment in writing really excites me. 'Geeked' I believe is the pertinant expression. So yeah, I was very excited when I finished this book. The beginning of the book took a while to find its rhythm, but I wasn't detered from reading it at the start, because the subject matter was so immediately appealing to me. A witch studying alchemy at Oxford university, who meets an enigmatic genetic physicist vampire and begins on a journey to reveal the mystery of an ancient enchanted manuscript? COUNT ME IN.
I also enjoyed the character and world building of this novel. Harkness is a true adept at creating characters that are at once captivating and at times, painfully flawed. It is so refreshing to discover a vampire-love-interest that doesn't have a squeeky clean past. How much more realistic to have a good vampire that embodies the tortured soul and complicated past of a man that has lived for over a millenia. And what happens when that past cannot be escaped? I love that these points were explored in 'Discovery'.
Saying that, I have to try to give a balanced review, and the literary critic in me finds it only appropriate to find room for improvement (although I do it, despite myself, with a certain amount of reluctancy). The editing could have been a little stronger. Don't get me wrong, I actually do enjoy the details that Harkness found necessary to include in her almost 600 page long debut novel - the protagonists tea-penchant, for example (a girl after my own heart), and its olfactory descriptions that peppered the pages of the book throughout. Wine was another beverage that found its way into the nostrils of readers, but by the end, I was starting to wish that the editor had been just a little less sentimental with Harkness' first born. I think a little more conciseness in this regard would have improved the pace of storytelling.
I am purchasing Shadow of Night as soon as my bank account can justify it. So excited and happy that the sequel will be set in 16th century London - one of my favorite historical eras! Kit Marlow here we come! ;)
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It started strong and then became like a wave. I didn't expect it to be as much of a vampire romance as it was. The female lead is written like every other female lead, "bookish, stubborn, too brave for her own good, doesn't realize how enticing everyone finds her," and the male lead is cliche, "dark, brooding, overprotective, controlling, but only because he loves her so much!"
The good aspects of this story were the magical parts, the alchemy, the prophecy, the "history", and the villains. I've run into an issue with fantasy books where I hate the main couple but generally like everyone else. While I didn't hate them in this story, there were many times that I found them both frustrating to the point that the story in totality sucked at that point. When the focus wasn't solely on them or it was focused on the above listed items, then it was good.
To acknowledge another review on here, I'm interested in seeing where this story goes but I won't read the next one for awhile.
The good aspects of this story were the magical parts, the alchemy, the prophecy, the "history", and the villains. I've run into an issue with fantasy books where I hate the main couple but generally like everyone else. While I didn't hate them in this story, there were many times that I found them both frustrating to the point that the story in totality sucked at that point. When the focus wasn't solely on them or it was focused on the above listed items, then it was good.
To acknowledge another review on here, I'm interested in seeing where this story goes but I won't read the next one for awhile.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Yes
4 stars for the many things I liked about the book- the sense of place, the atmosphere, the story, and the characters (mostly because in they already have faces in my mind from the TV series). However, I felt this was badly edited and could have done away with a hundred or so pages just on the mundane.. But, I still look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series, just not immediately.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I slogged through 400 pages of this book before giving up.
I could totally see how this book would be super popular 6ish years ago, but reading it in 2018, the story just feels trite and the romantic male lead is SUPER overbearing. Do not go into this book thinking it's a fantazy/adventure story, it's a just a romance story that happens to be between a witch and a vampire (and an uber cheesy romance story at that). Also the romantic male lead is an overbearing jerk who doesn't "allow" the female lead any space or individuality. NOT romantic, just controlling.
I could totally see how this book would be super popular 6ish years ago, but reading it in 2018, the story just feels trite and the romantic male lead is SUPER overbearing. Do not go into this book thinking it's a fantazy/adventure story, it's a just a romance story that happens to be between a witch and a vampire (and an uber cheesy romance story at that). Also the romantic male lead is an overbearing jerk who doesn't "allow" the female lead any space or individuality. NOT romantic, just controlling.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Reading about a vampire watching a woman sleep for 5 hours was not on my 2025 bingo card.
This book felt like a grown up, better written, love child of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight and Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian. It satisfied both of my love of historical fiction and vampire love stories. (I’m guilty of this cliche.) While the novel takes place in present day, the main character, is a historian (and a witch) set on uncovering a mystery centuries old. I found myself proud when I knew what historical figures or ancient poems they were talking about or on Wikipedia learning more when I wasn’t as familiar. I’d recommend this book to anyone who grew up with Twilight, but never quite got over the love of vampire love stories.