Review: A Discovery of Witches

~"The most beautiful experience 

we can have is the mysterious."~

from A Discovery of Witches

page 455

So, let me start by saying, I wanted to love this book, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I really did. Per my usual, I'm behind on the times and had not read or even heard of this book until the second one (Shadow of Night) was coming out and I say several people across social media making a big deal about it. So my friend let me borrow her copy and I set out to read it. Like a month ago. Seriously, usually I'm a pretty fast reader but it took me forever to read this book! I didn't know really anything about it before I started so maybe my apathy for this book is my own fault.

It took until about page 70 for me to really start to get interested in this book. I almost felt like I just started in the middle of a story I was unfamiliar with but I know that's not the case. I really had no clue what Ashmole 782 had to do with anything. I realized as the story progressed that was the point but I was really confused. (Also I kept reading Ashmole as a$$hole...I know, terrible, right?) 

I thought around page 200 it really started to get good. Similar to many vampire stories, I kind of felt that Matthew was too domineering Diana. Yes, it was usually for her own good but it made me bristle a couple of times. Just because you are old and male doesn't mean you get to boss a smart, educated woman around, ya know?

By the end I was really starting to appreciate the story. The ending is very open for the next book. I just don't know that I'll endeavor to read Shadow of Night. It's just Discovery took me soooo long to read and the whole time I kind of felt I really wasn't smart enough to read this book. I just kept feeling that I was missing something. I give this book a 3 out of 5. I just didn't really like it or hate it. So there ya go. This is one bandwagon I'm not jumping on whole heartily. Lots of people love it. So you don't have to take my word on it!

Link to A Discovery of Witches on Goodreads.