A Discovery of Witches
- set item rating to 0.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 1 out of 5.
- set item rating to 1.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 2 out of 5.
- set item rating to 2.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 3 out of 5.
- set item rating to 3.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 4 out of 5.
- set item rating to 4.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 5 out of 5.
Add a Comment
Add Tags
Add More
Save to a List
-
Save to a Shared List
Print
Item Details
- Description
- Full Record
- Author Notes
- Contents
- Excerpts
- Reviews
- Summary
- A\V Summary
Searching for more content…
Witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont. The orphaned daughter of two powerful witches, Bishop prefers intellect, but relies on magic when her discovery of a palimpsest documenting the origin of supernatural
… More »Witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont. The orphaned daughter of two powerful witches, Bishop prefers intellect, but relies on magic when her discovery of a palimpsest documenting the origin of supernatural species releases an assortment of undead who threaten, stalk, and harass her.
« LessCommunity Activity
Age
Add Age Suitability
bribear thinks this title is suitable for 16 years and over
Faize thinks this title is suitable for 15 years and over
Summaries
Add a Summary
Diana Bishop is a witch in denial. An orphan born to a prominent witch family, she's ignoring her magical heritage to pour her energy into academia. She's travelled to Oxford's Bodleian Library to research a lecture she's giving on alchemy - but when she orders up one ancient manuscript, she unwittingly unleashes a maelstrom of supernatural power. Soon, she can't walk to her study carrel without tripping over some witch, vampire or demon brimming with curiosity or malicious intent. One such creature is Matthew Clairmont, a handsome fellow academic with a sanguine disposition. As other supernatural creatures become more threatening, Diana finds herself warily grateful for the help he offers. Can she survive the powers she's unleashed to become the witch she's meant to be? Is the real Matthew the kind, chivalrous man she's come to know, or the bloodthirsty hunter of whom she finds hints? The answers to these questions will determine the fate of the uneasy worldwide peace between witches, demons, vampires and humans.<br /> Like *Harry Potter*, *A Discovery of Witches* features an orphaned witch with latent legendary powers who encounters a great evil. It shares a great sense of mythology and place, too – you can practically smell the Bodleian when you're reading, and Oxford almost becomes extra character in the book. Diana's aunts' bewitched home in Wisconsin shares the same haunted architectural quirks readers loved in Hogwarts. And, like *Twilight*, an apparently-doomed romance with plenty of sexual tension and a sense of destiny takes centre stage in the action (but be forewarned: readers frustrated by the unresolved tension or the gender politics in *Twilight* will find themselves pretty annoyed with this book, too). This first book in the *All Souls* trilogy will also appeal to readers who enjoy the time travel elements and exhaustive research of authors like Diana Gabaldon (*Outlander* series) and Susanna Kearsley (*The Winter Sea*, *Marianna*). Other potential appeal factors include emphases on yoga, literature, and serious wine and book collecting. A great story to pick up for Hallowe'en, you'd best read the book now while the hold list is short, because the movie rights have already been purchased by Warner Bros. Oh, and good news for your future addiction issues: The second book, *Shadow of Night*, is anticipated for a summer 2012 release.
frist in Trilogy--All Souls Trilogy next novel 2012
Slow at the beginning but reached a point where I didn't want to put it down. Can't wait for next book in series!
Find it at OPL
Loading...
Please keep in mind that some of the content that we make available to you through this application comes from Amazon Web Services. All such content is provided to you "as is". This content and your use of it are subject to change and/or removal at any time.
Comment
Add a CommentI was pretty sure I'd read this. I did. It is a good read, so, I will read it until I head to the library to pick up more books.
I really enjoyed this book, but then again, I'm an adult who loved the Twilight series... so take my opinion with a grain of salt. =)
I hated this book. I gave it one star because the original idea of approaching witches, vampires, etc. from a "historical" point of view had promise. What ruins this, and I mean RUINS this is the contrived romance at the heart of this book. It's another case of a strong, independent woman, (according to the sentences that say she is strong and independent), that immediately falls in love and then essentially hands her fate over to a controlling dude. She literally melts into water at one point when her boyfriend leaves. SHE MELTS INTO WATER. For crying out loud. Don't read this unless you're looking to baby step your way out of a harlequin romance rut.
I enjoyed this supernatural adventure/love story as well as the second book in the series. Can't wait for the last one. After reading quite a few of the comments below, all I can say is people read way to much into most books - and they can't spell either LOL
I loved this book. Contrary to some of the other reviewers, I found the writing and the pacing of the story quite wonderful. The pacing is similar to that in The Night Circus; not slow, but methodical in its unfolding. This isn't a fast paced action fantasy, so readers looking for that may not find this book to their liking. However, if you like complex and richly detailed storylines, then A Discovery of Witches definitely delivers.
The writing is a bit stilted. The plotting is a tad slow and cumbersome. The action is somewhat lacking. Aside from that, it was pretty good.
I could barely make it through this book and think it belongs in the Finer Things Club of stuffy drivel. I wanted to throttle the main character at every turn and couldn't understand the witch/vampire romance. What exactly did he see in her?! These are adults and there needs to be more logic behind their decisions. This book was unoriginal but made to seem original by layering in superfluous information about pretentious topics like wine, rowing, art, and yoga. I think this book is a reflection of its author - an arrogant intellectual who thinks she's smart enough to jump on the supernatural themes bandwagon and trick some unassuming adult Twi-hards into buying her book(s). She's laughing all the way to the bank while I'm renewing this book 3 times at the library so I can try to get through it in under 3 months.
I read this book a year ago, I loved the characters specially No-non sense Diana Bishop who at the end could no longer ignored the fact that she is a powerful witch...it is a fast read, a real page turner.
Moves too slowly for me. My wife iw reading now.
Really disappointing. The pacing was very slow and overall there was not enough action. Around page 112, I gave up and skipped to the back to find out what happened. The dialogue was a bit stilted. I was engaged enough to find out more about the story but lost interest in reading the entire novel. DOW may be good for romance enthusiasts who enjoy a dash of urban fantasy.