This book held me in a death grip and I could not put it down! Diana and Matthew are most definitely one of my most favorite couples ever. Diana is a reluctant witch who refuses to use her powers unless she has to. Matthew is a vampire who has been searching for answers most of his life and Diana seems to be the key to unlocking them. This is the start of a whirlwind trilogy that literally kept me on my toes for every installment. Deep magical knowledge mixed with academic knowledge led me to be swept away into this amazing world and I will never get enough of it.
The other characters in this book make just as big an impact and I need a whole book on everyone who I adored. This one takes us on a journey through Oxford into the grandness of a French chateau and then finally into a home of witches. Every moment kept me entranced and I needed to know what happened asap.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you Bolina audiobook and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.
I know in this case I arrive late to the party, since A Discovery of Witches it´s not just an amazing book, but it has also 4 season of tv series. But one cannot read everything, as much as I wish and try.
So when I stumbled upon this audiobook on NetGalley it was a divine sign.

I loved it. It´s not a super fast paced book but I am a sucker for a good old Acatemia/Witchy vibe and this book delivers.
Dalia is intelligent but utterly clueless, her character changes a lot during the book, like the story does and I loved her character arc. We discover her page by page, and up until the end she manages to surprise adding more and more layers to her character. A lot of this layers are thanks to Matthew, who, to me, was the pillar of all this story.

The plot was so good, there were so many locations, characters, intrigues and more, but the vibe of the book remained the same all along.

Now going into book two I´m so curios to see where Matthew and Diana will bring us.

One thing I know for sure, now I have to catch up also with the tv series because I need to see how they developed all the characters and places (mainly the yoga classes which are my biggest dream).

The voice actress did an amazing job and I loved her voice.

I absolutely loved this book and it fits so well as an audiobook. I really liked the narrator's book and I definitely want the rest of the series to be read by them.

Such a brilliant narration of a fantastic story. It really brought the story to life in a way I didn't think possible. I loved it

I was excited to read this one as I’d heard about the tv series adaptation and couldn’t possibly watch it without reading the book first but I do think, having read this first book in the series now, that it might be better on screen. I’ll start by saying I did enjoy it and it was interesting to see where the author was going to take the story, and what twists and turns would happen throughout the book - and there were many. Harkness packed the book full of history, characters, travel, and magic. I loved the descriptions of Oxford and the library, as well as Diana’s aunt’s house and its quirks. This is a vastly detailed story that you can tell required heaps and heaps of research and planning to put together, so it’s incredibly impressive! That being said, I found it slow paced and it took a long time to really get anywhere. There were various points of excitement scattered throughout the story which broke up the more mundane parts but not enough. It’s a very long book with not enough happening. And while I’m interested in Diana’s past and her powers, I didn’t warm to her as a character and the same can be said for Matthew, who I found overbearing, disrespectful and secretive - all under the excuse of being a vampire, as though he doesn’t live amongst humans and know that you can’t build a relationship on deception or a belief that your partner doesn’t need to know things that have a direct impact on her life and her safety. So this was a tough one for me because I wanted so much to love it but since I couldn’t connect with the characters, found Matthew’s behaviour questionable, and found no chemistry between these two it did leave me a little disappointed. All that being said, I listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed the narrative and the inclusion of the different accents for different characters (very impressive) but Isabeau and Marte’s accents weren’t always easy to understand without focussing very carefully.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Unfortunately I wasn't getting on with this book in audio format so I will be picking up the physical books instead to give the story another chance

I devoured all 3 of the trilogy books 3years ago and when I saw the audio book on here, it was an immediate download to jump back into that world!
I absolutely fell in love with the characters and the story all over again!
Narration was good, no complaints!
Another 5 stars like when I first read!

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw A Discovery of Witches was being rereleased on audio - I grew up with the series and loved it, reading every book and devoured the series on Sky when it came out.

For a graduate of the school of Twilight, Discovery is the perfect next step. Diana is slightly older, independent and successful in her own right, and the setting of Oxford University is absolutely perfect for those dark academic vibes. I think some of the dynamics between Diana and Matthew will age the book slightly, but Romantasy and historical fantasy are having such a moment currently that I think this is perfectly timed to create a legion of new fans, especially with the next instalment of the series coming soon.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Ikeda‘s narration. She is so accomplished and professional and I couldn’t believe how seamlessly she swapped into so many accents. It was a fabulous listening experience.

Wow where to begin with this book.....?

I loved it, for many years people have recommended that I should read this book and they were so right.

The fantasy in this book is so well thought through and I loved the attention to detail that the author had put into this book. The history was really interesting, I loved the modern setting and the way magic was woven into everyday while being hidden.

The pacing and writing are brilliant and an absolute pleasure to read and listen to.

The characters are genius - I think Matthew might be one of my favourite vampire characters that I've ever read and I loved him and Diana together

Thanks to Netgalley I was given a chance to review the audio version of this wonderful book and I am so happy I got to listen to this book.

The audiobook is stunning - the narrator has one of the those beautiful voices that captures the characters perfectly and is an absolutely pleasure to listen to.

I loved this book on release and I felt the audiobook was even better, I will definitely be watching the tv show!

I know this book was published in 2011, and I am late to the game, but it felt like a grown-up version of Twilight, which I enjoyed. With over 43k reviews on Amazon and a rating of 4.5, this review doesn’t need to rate the story itself. This was the new audible version and it was SO good. The narrator, Jennifer Ikeda is excellent. Often it’s accents that let narrations down, but she nails them and there are many; English, French, English with French Accent, Australian, various American, Scots. Perhaps to the native ear they might not be true, but to mine they were great and she does the story proud. Well worth the listen all around.

I haven't seen the television series but after listening to this audiobook, I'll definitely be watching it!

As a variation on the "romance" novel, this book worked quite well. The love story was both fast-paced and yet also slow burn.
I really wanted more of the promised strong heroine of this book, but unfortunately she never really seemed to take control of the narrative.
I also found the story centered too much on the relationship of the main characters, with the more interesting supernatural elements being relegated to sub-plots.
There were some promising ideas in the story regarding the "origin" of the supernatural species. I was able to enjoy some of the world created by the author. However there were a few contradictory elements which I found myself contemplating, thus drawing me out of the flow of the narrative.
If I liked romance more, I might consider reading the subsequent books in this series, but I am not sure I would want to spend any more time with these characters.

3.5⭐️ This book was written in 2011, and no wonder, because it made me feel like a giddy teenager again. Written in the peak of vampire trendiness, A Discovery of Witches is delightfully nostalgic, and I was completely enraptured with the story. Diana is a great FMC, strong and smart with a compelling character arc (we’re ignoring some of her more MarySue-like tendencies), and Matthew is the sexy stoic vamp bro Edward Cullen wishes he could be. There’s just enough action, research, and academia in the book to make it feel a cut above your average romantasy. That being said… it does feel like something written over a decade ago, in parts. It’s hard not to judge the story through a more modern lens, and some of the overprotective and commanding behavior and the “obey your husband” commentary makes the book feel outdated in places. I did also feel that the story started to lose steam towards the end, and my interest waned after a bit - I think mostly because of the length of the book. The second half could have been condensed considerably, and the denouement specifically dragged a bit. Is it a perfect book? Absolutely not. But did I still enjoy it immensely? Yes. The audiobook narrator is great, too, and added a lot to the story. Her accents and French pronunciation were *chefs kiss*

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for the audiobook ARC.

The story follows a centuries old vampire, Matthew, a witch in denial, Diana, and a powerful manuscript that all matter of magical creatures want.

During the story, Matthew and Diana's relationship grows stronger.

I felt the story was well written. I particularly liked that it was set against the backdrop of Oxford University, despite being quite a long audiobook, the story held my attention well, this was partly due to the evolving storyline and the narrator.

The narrators melodic voice brings the words to life. It helped to become invested in the characters. He voice was clear and of a good speed.

I enjoyed it so much I look forward to getting the ready of the series.

This book is honestly breathtaking. Witches, vampire, demons. I love how no matter what the main characters were destined to be together.

This book is the perfect mix of modern fantasy and romance.
I love the tense between the two main characters. I have enjoyed not only the book but the series aswell.

The main characters are excellent but the side characters have you rooting for them as well.

This is definitely 5 stars

A Discovery of Witches is one of my absolute favourite books and Jennifer Ikeda is one of my all time favourite narrators and together they make this audiobook truly magical. The narration keeps you captivated through a range of tones and accents which truly brings each character and the story to life.

I found Diana rather refreshing as she’s much older than your typical female fantasy protagonist. I love a career driven woman and I especially love the insights and representation of women in academia we get in this novel. I also really appreciated Diana’s struggles with anxiety.

This is an excellent example of found family. There are so many reflections throughout the trilogy of what makes a good parental figure and such beautiful examples of characters stepping up and forming unconventional families. Sarah, Em, Ysabeau, Phillipe and Agatha were just fantastic parental figures. I would also love to acknowledge how wonderful Hamish, Miriam, Marthe and Marcus are - I could go on about side characters forever!

Deborah Harkness really showcases her knowledge of European History and insights into academia. The explorations into the history of science and alchemy alongside modern science made for such an intriguing read against a supernatural setting. For a book rooted in so many facts somehow still felt incredibly magical.

I absolutely love a slow burn romance and this really did deliver on this front. You could cut the tension with a knife! I loved Matthew.

I really enjoyed Harkness’s spin on supernatural creatures, in particular the concept of demons in this world. This book just felt so magical!

Oxford University as the primary setting was wonderful and so detailed - I really felt immersed! Every setting in this book was depicted so beautifully and I never wanted to leave them behind.

This is an absolute must read for fantasy and historical fiction lovers!

I absolutely loved this audiobook and story, the narrator for this book is one of the best I have ever listened to.

A forbidden love story between a witch and a vampire set in a world full of witches , vampires and demons that never mix outside their own species .

The FMC , Diana is a renown historian who has been researching alchemy in Oxford University , accidentally summons a lost manuscript full of magic which attracts a world of creatures and darkness to her doorstop, including 1500 year old Vampire Matthew.

This story is full of twists and turns and magic and love.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this trilogy as that ending had me in a chokehold.

I’ve read the books, watched the series and now listened to the first book in audio. What a treat!! Vampires and witches, different times, it has it all! A must read, listen and watch!!!

📖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 📖 ★★★★★
𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Fantasy, Paranormal
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: Audiobook

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
🩸Forbidden Love
🧬Found Family
🩸Love at first sight
🧬Touch her and Die

So I watched this on Sky a couple years ago and loved it. When I saw the audiobook come up on NetGalley I snapped it right up. The book is even better than the show. I love love love it, I feel like I can see it even more in my head. Hearing from Mathews pov is just brilliant, I love hearing his thoughts. The narrators have done such a brilliant job as the audiobook seems to describe them all so accurately!

Such a brilliant read /listen