• A Discovery of Witches

  • The All Souls Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: Deborah Harkness
  • Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
  • Length: 23 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (348 ratings)

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A Discovery of Witches  By  cover art

A Discovery of Witches

By: Deborah Harkness
Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
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Publisher's summary

Now a major Sky original production.

The number on international and Sunday Times best seller.

A Discovery of Witches is the first in the must-have, must-listen All Souls trilogy.

It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches.

Diana Bishop, a young scholar and descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she must navigate with a vampire, Matthew Clairmont.

This manuscript, Ashmole 782, holds the secrets of their past...and the key to their future.

©2011 Deborah Harkness (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Rich, thrilling...captivating." (E. L. James)

"Intelligent and off-the-wall." (The Sunday Times)

"A bubbling cauldron of illicit desire." (Daily Mail)

What listeners say about A Discovery of Witches

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    235
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Performance
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    206
  • 4 Stars
    68
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
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    7

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

I watched the show, and although I loved it, the book was better. It made the morning traffic bearable.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating!!

Vivid, excellent narration and very enjoyable. it is worth the listen. Can't wait to listen the next books in the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Would highly recommend this trilogy!

I really enjoyed this trilogy and felt the narrators voice suited the story perfectly!
I'm re-listening to the series and love it all over again.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amusing story and deeper than the TV series

Intriguing and fun story, slightly marred by the amateur and brackish English accent the narrator occasionally affects (and badly fails at).

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic!

i loved it! not hard to finish at all! wish there were a fourth book!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I am impressed!

Would you listen to A Discovery of Witches again? Why?

Honestly. It has been ages since I was last this impressed with a vampire story. This book has everything. Romance. True plot twists. Action. Intelectual stimulation. The narrator did a good job if you consider exactly how many characters is involved.

Yes the book is looooong. And yes it lost a star due to the lenght. But it is sure worth it.

I recommend this book and audiobook to all lovers of the genre even if you feel you have read it all now on witches and vamps...this book has some real plot twists that I really had fun exploring.

What did you like best about this story?

The novel plot twists.

What three words best describe Jennifer Ikeda’s voice?

Sooting and clear.

If you could take any character from A Discovery of Witches out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Hmmm. His mom. She is a treasure.

Any additional comments?

Cant go wrong with this one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

Easily one of my favorite books to listen to! The narrator is amazing!! So amazing!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

So much promise, so disappointing.

With such and intriguing set up, I can't believe I sat through over 20 hours of Twilight-esque waffling and no resolution.
The narrator did a very nice job of all the accents and characters but this book was way too fey.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

If I could give more stars I would!

Dragonfly in Amber meets Dracula,
and boy it's a good tale. I have already purchased the rest of the trilogy in anticipation. I just cannot wait to read them either, I have only got 20 minutes left of A discovery of Witches and I know despite the length of these books I will read them one after another. This tale is so involving, normally I am not a reader of anything that smacks of romance, but this one has me. I have gone up and down with the characters and cannot wait to see what happens next. The narrator is really good, she does not make it syrupy sweet so my gag reflex is not in any danger. So if you like Witches and you like paranormal (which is not something I enjoy normally so tit is a complete break in tradition for me) this book will keep you happy for at least 24 hours. I bet you get the other two books as well, just to see how the story goes, well I hope you do, because you will be missing out on a really good story if you don't.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

I didn't like it

What disappointed you about A Discovery of Witches?

I could only sit through a little bit

Has A Discovery of Witches turned you off from other books in this genre?

no

How could the performance have been better?

a different person

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A Discovery of Witches?

I didnt listen to all of it so I couldnt choose

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