'A Discovery of Witches' by Deborah Harkness

[KatyMac]

this

What did you think?

started reading it, finding it ploddy, juvenile and lacking substance so far.... given up!

& I thought it was SO much better than Twilight

I would have thought almost anything was better than Twilight.

It was too like Twilight in the way it was written.

Very clear that the author knew something of what it was she was writing about but it was so badly done.

And the ending! What a load of poo.

Um, anyway, I didn't like it!

hmm 35 pages in. so cant comment but perhaps the ending is a load of poo because it is part of a trilogy? does lead to the question though if you give a shit enough to want to read the next book?

I think the next one will be better as we'll get to see her use her historical knowledge in a more exciting way.

I really liked it. It was so much better written than Twilight. Admittedly an easy read rather than a cerebral one but I prefer those sorts of books these days! Can anyone recommend something similar whilst I wait for part two?

I loved this book. I thought the first 200 pages were just a bit of the authors own love affair with Oxford and it's uni. But once it is past that I found it a fantastic read. Defenitly not in the twilight wannabe genre but a class above. Can't wait til the next book.

I wasn't at all sure at first, persevered and enjoyed it. BUT the last 20% was not good, it was like the author herself got bored with the book and the characters and the ending was very disappointing.

I found it quite entertaining but it could have been about 25% shorter without losing much. Certainly not great literature but a good holiday read

I liked it, but I read it one weekend at Center Parcs while I sat on the bench while the children made dams and rivers on the playground. It was great for reading while distracted.

I enjoyed it but it really annoyed me because it wasn't self contained. I felt like it just stopped - there was no real ending, I knowe it is part of a trilogy but even the dreaded twilight books can be read as stand alones if need be.

Cuppycakequeen I think that annoyed me most; it just wasn't finished

Books in trilogys should be discrete and able to be read separately imo

That explains a lot - I didn't realise it was the first of a trilogy. Possibly I would read the second one when it arrives.

I hated it. It was promising before the 'golden couple' got together and then got really annoying.
It didn't realise it was a trilogy either and got quite cross about it. I don't think I can handle any more of that smug couple.

What kept me reading was the promise of a sex scene between the witch and the vampire - that never came

That's because he's a Cullen.

I thought it was okay as a light read, improved as it went on but the ending was disappointing. They should tell you when it's part of a trilogy!

I was disappointed because reviews led me to believe it would be similar to Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian which was engrossing and so well written.

Instead it was Twilight for adults.

I liked it, especially the historical stuff and it was much easier to read than Twilight. Saying that, I got really pissed off when Diana went from being really strong-willed and hard-headed to suddenly melting in Matthew's arms instead of standing up for herself like she had been.

I mean, really, nobody is going to have a compete personality overhaul in the space of a few pages, grrr.

I enjoyed it, although I agree it petered out somewhat towards the end. Thought the business with the house "hiding" stuff was a bit silly and poorly developed - felt like the book suddenly morphed into some kind of weird Harry Potter spin-off at the end.

But I enjoyed it enough to download the next instalment to my Kindle when it comes out (not good enough to merit being purchased as an actual book though!)

I have to confess I gave up about a quarter of the way in, I thought it would be my cup of tea but it just didn't grip me at all. The characters and ideas seemed poorly developed, but it was the supernatural yoga which was the final straw! I was in two minds whether to persevere and then realised it is the first in a series. Life is too short I'm afraid.

I got completely bored of Diana being ill and needing looking after. Gave up about a third of the way through.

Supernatural yoga was the equivalent of the pathetic vampire baseball in Twilight.

It just isn't very well written.

Plus, yoga ffs. I was embarrassed for the characters. Yoga!