13 November 2011

Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness book cover
I'd been looking forward to reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness for a long time, however I'm sorry to say that it didn't live up to all of my expectations.

According to the blurb, it's:
"A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together."
I pretty much go weak at the knees at the word 'manuscript' and I'd been looking forward to reading this book for a while.

Diana Bishop is a scholar, a witch and the main character of the novel.  She is studying alchemy in ancient texts and manuscripts (another reason I wanted to read this book) from the famous Bodleian Library in Oxford.

On a side note, I love collecting bookmarks, and when I was selecting a bookmark to use when reading Discovery of Witches, I chose a bookmark with an image of ancient manuscripts on the front, knowing the references contained in the novel.  However, I didn't know that the main character would be studying at the Bodleian Library and would you believe it, the image on my bookmark was from the Bodleian Library, and the back of the bookmark had some info about the Library; what a weird coincidence!

Sadly, that was the most excitement I had whilst reading this book.  Sure, I enjoyed the sections written in Oxford, where Diana was studying alchemy and the illuminated texts.  I enjoyed the discussions of history and the passing of time when Diana met the centuries-old vampire, however what spoiled the novel for me was the romance.  There was just too much!  The book was dripping with romance, and if I'd known what was in store or how much, I probably would have given this one a miss.

I was in a three star frame of mind until Diana - who was in love with a vampire - referred to the vampire's 'son,' who was a couple of hundred years old as her own son, ugh! Ridiculous!!

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Would you like to comment?

  1. That's too bad that this one was a disappointment.

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  2. Yeah, sometimes a book just falls of your expectations.

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  3. Hey I have just started a new book blog and I came across your's its simply amazing there is so much I can Learn from your blog.... some of the books you have mentioned I have seen them many times on the best selling stands ...and some on another... but never picked up .... may be your reviews can help me choose some .... any ways great work !!!

    Cheers
    Ritz.
    www.delectableflavors.blogspot.com
    http://ritznirvana.blogspot.com/

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  4. Thanks so much Ritz. Best of luck with your new blog, hope you enjoy building up your new blog as much as I have. We have the same taste in wallpaper, lol!

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  5. I read so many books, and I can't remember the last time I didn't finish a book. People keep saying they were hooked from the beginning?!? I'm not into witches and vampiers and daemons to put up with this horrible sad excuse for a story. It is just awful and so lame! Grow a brain already and read a decent book! Are people just reading this because it mentions vampires? So sad!

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  6. If you read my review I only gave this two stars and if you look at my blog, I do read a wide variety of books.

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Thanks for your comment, Carpe Librum!