A Discovery Of Witches

A Discovery Of Witches is about a witch who discovers something.  Go figure.  Actually, it's about a witch named Diana, who doesn't want to be a witch.  She wants to be a historian that studies ancient alchemical texts and while she is in the process of doing research for a speech that she has to give, she accidentally summons an ancient book that is protected by a spell.  This, of course, attracts the attention of many powerful creatures, who want the book for themselves.

The book begins in London, in modern times and there are 3 different types of creatures in the world that Deborah Harkness, the author, has created.  There are witches, vampires, & daemons, as well as the humans.  It was decided, at some point in the past, that the creatures must segregate themselves from each other because when they co-mingle, the humans tend to notice them more.  When Diana breaks the spell on the Ashmole 782 (the name of the ancient book that everyone wants) the creatures start congregating at the Bodleian library, hoping to get their hands on the book.

Matthew, a charming and handsome genetic scientist that also happens to be a doctor and a vampire, also wants the book but something happens in his pursuit of it.  He and Diana fall in love.  Remember that pesky rule about creatures being segregated?  Yeah, that because something of an issue when Matthew and Diana refuse to stop seeing each other.  At this point, the plot involving the Ashmole 782 almost takes a back seat to the love story and the big bad evil guys are no longer chasing them for the book but because of their forbidden romance.

I thought the story was interesting up until the love-story was introduced.  At that point, the story was almost like a "grown up" version of Twilight.  The teen angst was missing but the head-over-heels, vomit-inducing romance was not.  The male vampire was insanely overly-protective and the female witch, while not as submissive & self-destructive as Bella, was still weirdly ok with being ordered around by this man that she had just met.

I wish the love story could've been toned down a bit more.  Although, I guess it is an important part of the book because the main characters are trying to change rules and traditions that have been in place for centuries.  I'd almost say that the love story and the adversity they face as a result of their romance is a social commentary because of the way gay marriage is viewed in America but I don't know if that was the author's intent.

I will read book 2 when it comes out because I know I can get it from the library and because I want to know what happens to Matthew and Diana.  If I had to rate the book on a scale of 1 - 5, I'd give it a 3.