A Discovery of Witches

A Novel

By: Deborah Harkness

Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 23 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Book one of the New York Times best-selling All Souls Series—"a wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight” (People).

Now “[a] hot show that’s like Twilight meets Outlander” (Thrillist) airing on AMC and BBC America, as well as streaming on Sundance Now and Shudder.

Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar's depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in book two, Shadow of Night, book three, The Book of Life, and the fourth in the series, Time’s Convert.

©2011 Deborah Harkness (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter or Twilight.... An irresistible tale of wizardry, science and forbidden love.” (People)

“Romantic, erudite, and suspenseful.... Harkness attends to every scholarly and emotional detail with whimsy, sensuality, and humor.” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

“A thoroughly grown-up novel packed with gorgeous historical detail and a gutsy, brainy heroine to match.... Harkness writes with thrilling gusto about the magical world.” (Entertainment Weekly)

good read

Finished the book, nice turn on the usual Vampire genre. Also just turned in a TV series that I just started today to compare.

Very Enjoyable

I enjoyed how the story unfolded. It led me in one direction only to surprise me with an unexpected turn. The book had me on the edge of my seat one minute then laughing at the subtle humor the next. I'm ready for more discovery of witches.

Fabulous listen.

I read this book years ago and loved it. Listening to it was equally wonderful. Looking forward to the other two that follow.

Lost myself in this book!

Listened to it a 2nd time while waiting for my next Audible credit to add Shadow of Night to my library ... intelligently enchanting! Ms. Ikeda is a marvel; she brings the characters to life with their own unique personalities, speech cadence and accents. A truly gifted narrator.

Enjoyable read & loved the reader!

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

Yes, I've listened to it many times already! The reader is fantastic.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely! I listened to it in two long sessions because of it's length.

Any additional comments?

Please, please use the same reader for the two other books in the series! She was fabulous! I am very anxious to listen to the rest of the series when it comes out.

Eh, not as good as the hype

It wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. It was an ok love story with predictable progression. I don't like how Diana is portrayed as not liking herself and she idolized Mathew. She was supposed to be very strong and he didn't even acknowledge it until much later in the books. Reminded me too much of Twilight.

Unusual and unpredictable

I enjoyed this book with all it's twist and turns. I especially thought the reader did a very good job.

Good beginning

Sets the story for what I hope to be a very exciting next two books. Gets a little boring with Diana not seeming to be able to grasp who she is and I hope to see a transformation coming up. Lots of descriptions so you see and feel everything the main character does but it can make some scenes drag. Narrator is great! Wonderful accents for the various characters.

A history lover's delight

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

I rarely re-read books, but with such a multi-layered, captivating story and a brilliant reader, I've listened several times. Can't wait for book 2!

Incredible audio book!

I wanted to read this book on my Kindle but the price was too high so I opted for audio. I am so pleased I did! Jennifer Ikeda performed the book flawlessly giving each character believable accents and voices. I really enjoyed this book a great deal and found myself crushed when it was finished. Here's hoping Jennifer reprises her role as narrator on the next installment!