A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches (2011) Deborah Harkness

I picked this up on sale, and one day when I was waiting and didn’t have a book, started reading it.

Problem with this is that I missed part of the title: “All Souls Trilogy.”

I was getting towards the end when I realized there was no way this story was going to be wrapped up.

Mind you, this is a LONG story–almost 600 pages in print. And it’s only the first of three? That’s … too long.

And it meandered a lot. I didn’t mind too much, when I thought it was a single book. But if you expect me to read two more books of meandering, you’re sorely mistaken.

Which is too bad, because it wasn’t a bad story at all: I enjoyed the science and history, and I liked the characters. But not enough to spend another 1200 (or more!) pages with them.

Diana Bishop is the last in a line of the Bishop witches–you know, Salem? Witch trials?

Turns out there are witches. And vampires. And daemons. And they have remained hidden from human throughout history (some were hidden better than others).

Some things I particularly liked: her vampires tended towards the sciences. Which makes sense. If you have all those centuries, why wouldn’t you spend all that time learning? And then applying that learning when you had the chance?

And what I liked, but found somewhat unlikely, is that her vampires seemed to have met all the important historical figures. I can see having meet a number of historical figures, but it seems like every person mentioned, this vampire met.

Which seems excessive.

Oh, and to make it all the better, the second book is a time travel book.

No thanks. Maybe I’ll read the third book when it comes out. If it goes on sale. And I have a lot of free time.
Rating: 5.5/10

Published by Penguin

• Browse the archives:
  
• Necromancing the Stone » »
• « « Death’s Rival