A Discovery of Witches

A Novel

By: Deborah Harkness

Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda

Book one of the New York Times bestselling All Souls series, from the author of The Black Bird Oracle.

Look for the hit series “A Discovery of Witches,” now streaming on Netflix

“A wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight” (People).

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.

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

“Harkness conjures up a scintillating paranormal story. . . . Discover why everyone’s talking about this magical book.”
—USA Today

“Delightfully well-crafted and enchantingly imaginative . . . It has some of the same ineluctable atmosphere that made Anne Rice’s vampire books such a popular success.”
—Miami Herald

“A debut novel with a big supernatural canvas . . . Its ambitions are world-sized, ranging across history and zeroing in on DNA, human and otherwordly. Age-old tensions between science and magic and between evolution and alchemy erupt as Diana seeks to unlock the secrets of Ashmole 782.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Harkness, an eloquent writer, conjures this world of witches with Ivy League degrees and supernatural creatures completely—and believably—while maintaining a sense of wonder. . . . A Discovery of Witches is that rare historical novel that manages to be as intelligent as it is romantic. And it is supernatural fiction that those of us who usually prefer to stay grounded in reality can get caught up in. Pardon the pun, but Witches is truly spellbinding.”
—San Antonio News-Express

“Readers who thrilled to Elizabeth Kostova’s 2005 blockbuster, The Historian, will note the parallels, but A Discovery of Witches is a modern Romeo and Juliet story, with older, wiser lovers. Blood will flow when a witch and a vampire fall for each other. Author Deborah Harkness, a UCLA history professor, brings vast knowledge and research to the page.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Harkness works her own form of literary alchemy by deftly blending fantasy, romance, history, and horror into one completely bewitching book.”
—Chicago Tribune

“A Discovery of Witches becomes increasingly charming as it goes along. . . . A shrewdly written romp and a satisfying snow-day read for those of us who heartily enjoyed the likes of Anne Rice and Marion Zimmer Bradley. By the book’s rousing end . . . I was impatient for the sequel.”
—NPR

Can't Please Everyone...

If you decide what you read and/or listen to according to the reviews found on this web site then you will be cheating yourself. As you can tell from the reviews of this novel they run the gamut. I've never read a book that was "perfect"... even the ones that get across the board 5-star reviews aren't perfect. This is my advise... those of you who are hyper critical about narrators take the time to listen to the audio sample of the story offered for every selection on the site, the selection is usually fairly long and should give you amble time to judge the quality of the narration. It should also give you taste of the story. I liked this book and I thought it was a new twist on the vampire story... lots of new material... lots of interesting visualization and I thought the narrator was very good. I know these things are expensive and if you get one that disappoints you then that's wasted money in your mind, but consider that the taste for a story is as varied as our opinions of everything else in life... my father said, "opinions are like .... everyone has one and no one is interested in yours except you!"

Spoke to the author through Facebook!

This book has something for everyone! It has a fast paced plot that includes fantasy, romance, action, suspense, mystery, and historical fiction. The narrator was excellent especially considering the many accents that were required for the characters.

I wrote to the author on her Facebook page and she wrote me back almost immediately! Good news for anyone else who enjoyed this book!

Me: Just finished your book which I purchased from audible.com
I was hooked right away and thought the narrator was wonderful in further bringing the characters to life. I'm so glad to read there's going to be a second book! I was wondering if you were thinking of writing a series? I hope so!!! This is what i have been looking for since Twilight and Harry Potter. I especially love what the true historical parts bring to the story. It helps make the story come to life! Thank you! :)

Reply:
Deborah Harkness: There will be two more books--and I agree that Jennifer Ikeda is fantastic. I've been listening to it as I travel and it's brought the whole book back to life for me, too.


The only thing I wish was different about this book is that, at times, I wish the story would slow down and go into more depth, especially about some of the historical aspects of this book. Perhaps an illustrated version would be available someday? :)

Sad for it to be over!

This was a wonderfully written, engaging book. I just finished listening and wasn't ready for it to be over! But realizing it MUST be the beginning of a series made me happy but sad to have to wait for the next book!

The Great Escape!

If you could sum up A Discovery of Witches in three words, what would they be?

lush lovely long

Any additional comments?

This book is a treat for anyone looking to escape reality. I loved the world the author painted for me and the narrator set it off perfectly moving between accents and dialects like a champ!

LOVED THIS BOOK

What made the experience of listening to A Discovery of Witches the most enjoyable?

This book was awesome, aside from being one of my favorite subjects, witches and vampires, the narrator was excellent, the vampire was sexy and brooding, with a sometimes French and sometimes British accent and the story was exciting with plenty of surprises and bad guys.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Discovery of Witches?

I loved all of the book. I liked when Matthew and Diana were in France at his family estate probably the best, but all of it was good

What does Jennifer Ikeda bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

. She did such a fabulous job with the male characters, which I find to be challenging for female narrators sometimes, but she made each one unique and in depth.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book, and I was really sad when I realized that there was a whole lot more that needed to happen before there was an "end" and I looked at the library to find out this is only the first book in a series...and the next book will not be available until July >.< I hate waiting...