On first blush, as I began A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness, I feared a revival of Twilight, and I came close to fleeing in disgust. I didn't think I could face that kind of story again. But, my (now familiar, if you read my last post) 50 page rule still in effect, I stuck with it. Don't misunderstand; there are similarities, as clearly Ms. Harkness was eager to just on the paranormal romance bandwagon, but A Discovery of Witches succeeded in "sucking" me in (sorry, couldn't help it, what with the hot vampire and all).
More sophisticated that Bella Swann's adventures, this tale strives to be mature and intellectual, and it helps that the heroine is a witch, not some teen girl who has no gumption of her own. Unfortunately, the author couldn't help but fall into the trap of a "damsel in distress" story, where the gorgeous, fiendishly smart vampire sweeps her off her feet in an overprotective manner to save the day.
But, Diana, the witch with hidden powers beyond her imaginings, manages to hold her own, though she does turn to jelly at the sight of her blood-sucking paramour. Daemons, witches, and vampires, oh my... A Discovery of Witches was fun... simple, but fun, though this genre is clearly played out. All in all, I would call it a spring break beach book. Enjoy.
~Karina
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