A Discovery of Witches

Description

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound <br>witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. Deep in <br>the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop <br>unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of <br>her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, <br>Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a <br>few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a<br> fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and <br>vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a <br>coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can<br> break its spell. Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a <br>mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance <br>and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire <br>geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their <br>alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This <br>smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it<br> is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra <br>serving of historical realism.