A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

*This review was originally written in May of 2020, but was not published until January of 2022.*

This will be my second read through of the All Souls trilogy. I read in first in early 2018 and I loved it so much that I didn’t pause between reading, and ending up reviewing all of the books together, which resulted in a poor review. I have been wanting to re-read them again for a while, and after suffering through the Twilight Saga, I decided this was the time to read them.I had forgotten how much takes place in the first book, A Discovery of Witches, let alone in the entire trilogy. But it was just as magical the second time around.

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

Diana Bishop is a historian currently working on alchemical research at Oxford University. She does not like thinking about the fact that she is a witch, and scolds herself every time she has to use magic. But when her path intertwines with the vampire Matthew Clairmont, magic will have to become a bigger presence in her life. What drew them together was an old alchemical textbook, Ashmole 782, a book missing for long over a century that Diana mysteriously found; but their fates have been pulling them together for much longer than that. Ashmole 782 has long been believed to hold secrets of the creatures, and everyone wants it. Even more, a relationship between Diana and Matthew is forbidden. With forces working against them on all sides, and Diana’s magic suddenly coming into power, time is limited on not just learning the secrets of the book, but also discovering the unknown powers Diana holds that ties her to the secrets of the world of creatures.

First and foremost, Harkness is one of the best authors I have ever read. Seriously, I put her up there with Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Ruth Ware, and Marisa Meyer. Her attention to detail is impeccable. Nothing slips past her, and everything ties in together. If something doesn’t make sense yet, it will in one of the later books (I can say that having already read them all). Her stories have no holes. And the fact that she is a historian of science as well, I know that what I am reading is accurate. And then she blends it in so perfectly with these stunning characters who you need to know everything about. Really, she is who should write all the history books; history class might have been more interesting then. I would read anything by her.

(Source: Giphy)

Now on to the actual book. Oh my goddess! So much happens in the first book, it’s insane! We start out at Oxford. This is where Diana and Matthew meet, in the Bodleian Library. It is also where you meet some really important characters that come into play in later books, particularly Peter Knox. After Diana receives a threat, she and Matthew go to Sept Tours is France. Sept Tours is a landmark location in all of the books, and is a place I would so much love to visit. Here, we also meet Ysabeau and Marthe, Matthew’s mother and her house keeper. Once again though, more danger strikes, and the pair flee to New York where Diana’s aunts live in the old Bishop house. This is the final setting of the book, which only takes place over the course of a month. But you meet so many important characters and establish relationships with them, and the trials that Diana and Matthew endure during this time is outrageous. Both almost lose their lives once each, and for a vampire, that is no easy feat. Despite the importance of settings and characters, the book is not rushed or over-crammed with knowledge. Little nuggets are dropped for later discussion, but nothing is out of place.

This trilogy contains two of my favorite female characters of any book: Diana and Ysabeau. They are strong, powerful women who you do not want to cross. They are fearless and will protect their loved ones until their dying breaths. But they love so completely, they are not afraid of vulnerability, and they own up to their mistakes. They both acknowledge weaknesses they have, and they can forget their strengths. But they are human...erm, well, sort of. They are human qualities that we all possess. Harkness didn’t invent these weak women who need men to take care of them, nor did she create women who need no one. She gave us women like ourselves, who embrace the bad ass woman in themselves (or will grow to).

(Source: Giphy)

I will always love the worlds of magic. I am continually drawn to it because I believe there is magic in the world. You can’t look at the world and not see the magic in it. The All Souls trilogy shows the reader the light and dark sides of magic, and how the shades of grey get blurred. A Discovery of Witches is just an introduction to it. The reader learns about the Covenant and its history; how it was created for good, but has morphed into something evil. You see Diana’s magic and the beauty it can create, but also the destructive nature of it. And Matthew’s darkness, but the light within him that Diana brings out. I believe we learn more about demons in the second novel, but they too are filled with light and dark and everything in between; just like the world we live in and the people in it.

I am excited to move on to the next book, Shadow of Night, and I am proud that I can finally give this trilogy the reviews and praise it deserves. While I don’t plan on reading the Companion Book or Time’s Convert this time around, I do have full reviews for those. For people who love the All Souls Universe as much as I do, I strongly suggest them.

(Source: Giphy)

Rating: 10/10
Author: Deborah Harkness
Series: All Souls Trilogy (Book 1 of 3)
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Paranormal
Dates Read: May 5-10, 2020