Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks.
But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
I have long come across this title when visiting bookstores and have been curious. However, after Twilight Fever, I am wary of so many romantic fantasies which tout themselves as being more than. So wary.
I really love supernatural and paranormal stories for their inventive mythos. I acknowledge it is not easy to reinvent such a thing these days, what with great re-workings of supernatural origins created by authors like Anne Rice (she's my fave), but kudos should always be given for giving it a shot. These are the reasons I will read a paranormal or urban fantasy, not for the romance.
What led me to read A Discovery of Witches was not the book, but the adapted show. Of course I was going to watch it. I love vampires and witches. I binged it and was put out when I finished the second season. I wanted to know what happened next! So naturally I turned to the book...
First, the differences with the show are many. It's what you expect from an adaptation, not everything in the book will be fitted in. I loved the show for it's fast pace. There's romance, but Diana doesn't completely lose herself. She bites back. She has a spine, to a degree. The character of Matthew is even likeable with his touch of misogyny because what character can not be charming when they are played by Matthew Goode?
Do you know what's not in the show? Supernatural yoga. I don't remember any yoga, at all, but it features in the book. Here's what's in the book which isn't in the show (no spoilers);
FLUFF. So much so, that what could be a cute and interesting story was overwhelmed with detail. For instance describing food, what teas Diana was drinking, her physical activities, and Diana's career. I was hoping the story would feature a strong female character who did have a firm interest in her career and not lose herself to romance. You can have both in real life. It's not healthy to lose herself in a relationship.
That's the other thing. Sure, Diana was obsessed with her career and began by spurning Matthew's attention, but very quickly she changed and the next thing you know we've got a patriarchal and dominating romance once again a'la Twilight.
What I learnt from reading A Discovery of Witches is, if the mythos is interesting and creative with a light story I will forgive an urban fantasy up to a point. I will keep reading. While I took long breaks after combing through oversharing details, I did finish the story. I'm contemplating if I want to waste my time reading the second instalment as I don't like fluff, but I really enjoyed the lore and the intertwining rivalry between the species. Finding out the whys helped move the story along. There was some action, but not enough.
Do I read the series, get through the fluff and put up with the self-involved romance, or do I have the patience to wait for the continuation of the show? This is the question. The most important question.
- Author: Deborah Harkness
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction - Add to Goodreads or StoryGraph
- Find At: Kinokuniya - Dymocks - QBD - Abbey's - Booko
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