Daring You To Read… A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought!
You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know!
Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^

I admit, historical romances are one of my guilty pleasures. And, while the book I’m daring you to read this week isn’t really considered historical because it’s set in the present, it does feature a lot of historical facts and locations. Personally, I think this is even better because while I love history, it’s so much easier to relate to present day characters.

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES tells the story of a witch, Diana Bishop, who has ignored her magical power for quite some time. Instead, she has focused intensely on her historical studies and research, hiding her true identity while uprooting others’ pasts. The story also focuses on Matthew Clairmont, a French vampire who shows great interest in Diana. I’ll let you find out what happens between them by yourself but I will tell you this: the romance between these two characters is very captivating and the chemistry between them sort of remind me of Claire and Jamie from the Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series.

While the book has gotten some mixed reviews, I can only find ways to praise it. Some readers are turned off by the length and the huge amount of details, but personally I loved every bit of it. The majestic settings and the attention to character development only added to my reading experience. Truthfully, I don’t think A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES should be compared to Twilight, as it is in the synopsis. So don’t let that turn you off. While it is a story is about a long feud between vampires and other supernatural being, the book doesn’t come close to Twilight. There is so much more mystery and mythology in ADoW that I really don’t think it should be compared to the YA phenomenon.

Find out for yourself if A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES is one for your shelves. I dare you!

Here’s a little bit more about the book to help you decide.

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

Moonlight Gleam’s Review

Read an Excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

All Souls Trilogy

I haven’t had the chance to read the second book of the trilogy yet, which was released in July 2012, but it sounds as great as the first.

Tell me, will you take this week's dare?

Posted by Unknown at 06:00

 Daring You to Read, Deborah Harkness, Magic, Vampire, Witch  11 People left their mark