A discovery of witches author series#

The details are not only historical and scientific, but also in the descriptions of the various locations and characters, which makes us really live Diana’s story and quest. At times, it might seem overwhelming in the details given by the author, but everything serves a bigger purpose and is all well placed and perfectly woven into the story. Through Diana and Matthew, the reader is thrown into a web of philosophy, experimental science, and history of all kinds (military, religious, and more). In the book, thanks to Diana, of course, but also of Matthew Clairmont, a vampire who does science research of his own for specific purposes that I will not divulge (because if I did, it would become spoilers). However, the research also delves into science through its history.

A discovery of witches author series#

This part of the plot is one that might also curb some pre-conceived notions about the subject, which goes beyond the occult, although Ashmole 782 is the occult basis of the series and where the whole paranormal side of it begins. You get into the story with Diana Bishop’s eyes, as most of the book is written in the first person, and you become the witch who refuses to acknowledge her power and transfers it into her passion for her subject: medieval History and the history of alchemy. And it shows, much to my pleasure! The way she navigates her extensive knowledge and research and weaves it into the plot is nothing short of brilliant. Hurray for the details!ĭeborah Harkness is a historian. Don’t badger me: I will not tell you which characters because, as I said, the whole cast of the show is brilliant. Did I picture the cast members in my head when reading? Only for a few characters and you’ll see why if you take that route. The same goes with the book: I enjoyed it more after watching the show, if only for the visual of the various locations. However, like every book adaptation, the producers have to cut into the details in order to fit the story into the allotted number of episodes ordered by the network, which means that a lot of things inevitably end up missing in the show.Ĭonsequently, I enjoyed the show more because I did not view it with the book in my memory.

Heck, it’s all sorts of amazing, with a great cast and an awesome plot. That’s what I did and I honestly am glad I did it that way because otherwise, I would’ve ranted and cursed.

A piece of adviceīefore jumping into the thick of the review, a piece of advice: if you wish to watch the series, and read the books, and haven’t done either, start with the series. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. 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.