It all begins with a lost manuscript, a reluctant witch, and 1,500-year-old vampire. Dr. Diana Bishop has a really good reason for refusing to do magic: she is a direct descendant of the first woman executed in the Salem Witch Trials, and her parents cautioned her be discreet about her talents before they were murdered, presumably for having "too much power." So it is purely by accident that Diana unlocks an enchanted long-lost manuscript (a book that all manner of supernatural creatures believe to hold the story of all origins and the secret of immortality) at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and finds herself in a race to prevent an interspecies war. A sparkling debut written by a historian and self-proclaimed oenophile, A Discovery of Witches is heady mix of history and magic, mythology and love (cue the aforementioned vampire!), making for a luxurious, intoxicating, one-sitting read.
I have been wanting to read this book ever since it was released. The hard part of starting A Discovery of Witches was not to get my expectations too high (sometimes high expectations aren't always a good idea). I thought it started a little slow, but it didn't take long for it to grab me and I was done in about 5 days.
How to say more without spoiling anything? I will try. I felt in some ways it is an adult version of Twilight (though 1000% times better writing and storyline - not a big Twilight fan here). There is the history that I love (hard to pinpoint a time period, that would be impossible - Matthew is really old). Romance - but not done in a mushy, overly cutie kinda way. Adventure and suspense throughout the book.
My only negative comment is that they is no release date for the sequel (yes there is a sequel)
I really enjoyed this book too and I also saw a lot of similarities to Twilight.
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