A Discovery of Witches by Deborah HarknessMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoy historical fiction that is rich with details and Deborah Harkness delivers just that. I'm not into wine but if you are, you will also be pleased. Add to all that a mixture of vampires, witches, and demons coexisting in contemporary society and you've got the basis for Harkness's fascinating tale. Her protagonist is Diana, a thirty-something academic phenom who comes from a long line of witches but has turned her back on her pagan heritage preferring instead to focus on her professional life as an historian of science, specifically, alchemy. But her heritage catches up with her and she must face her past and make tough choices about her future. Oh and then there's that suave, handsome vampire that can't be ignored. The romance storyline needs some work, I hate watching characters that I like in the first couple of chapters devolve into lovestruck idiots by the middle of the book, especially female characters. I also dislike the introduction of a bunch of new characters late in the book; that aspect of the story seemed rushed or perhaps an editor's decision.
Elements of the story are familiar to "Outlander" and "The Time Traveler's Wife" at least those were the two books that popped into my head as I read. Don't get me wrong, the story is entertaining and I eagerly await the second and third installments of the trilogy. Nevertheless, I'm hoping the next installments will develop rich rather than rushed story lines.
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