Tag: Book Review

Book Review – Home Body by Rupi Kaur

Genre: Poetry

Rating: 5 / 5

I’ve been a fan of Rupi Kaur for years. I was first introduced to her when my husband and I decided to read her debut book Milk and Honey together. We sat in bed for two nights in a row reading poetry aloud. Reading Rupi Kaur’s poetry is an intense experience when you do it alone, and it’s even more powerful when you share the moment with another person.

For me, it was like someone finally was able to verbalize things I have been through. For my husband, he said it was moving to hear a woman’s perspective, especially one with such writing talent as Rupi Kaur. 

One poem in the book Milk and Honey inspired the tattoo I have on my left arm. While not a direct replica of the art in the book, it was the foundation of the final product. 

I read Home Body in an airport/on an airplane, so the experience was a bit different than my reading of Milk and Honey. But the power and raw emotion behind Rupi Kaur’s words were not dimmed. I read through the book in about an hour and spent the next hour flipping through and re-reading poems that really struck me. 

At one point I found myself holding back tears. 

If you are a woman, man, young, or old – you need to read everything Rupi Kaur has ever written. She will find a way into your soul. 

Instead of a standard review, I am going to share a few of my favorites from Home Body and hope you take the time to go read the entire book. 

The poem above covers one of the lighter topics in the book, but it really struck a chord with me. Throughout high school and college I had such a solid group of friends (and still do). We did everything together. It was rare for me to go a day without seeing my best friend. 

Now, here I am, with my overly demanding job, a wife, almost a mother of two, living hundreds of miles from the people I have selected as family. It’s hard. 

I’m good at being alone, and my husband and I are such a strong team. But I often find myself missing my best friends. The laughter, love, and fun we always had – whether we were at the grocery store, sitting at home, or out with a large group of friends – we always had a smile on our faces.

They know who they are – I love you. 

The other day I was staring at myself in the mirror, and all of the sudden I started to cry and laugh. The woman I was looking at, she amazed me. I thought she was beautiful and strong. 

As I continue the journey into my thirties, there is so much focus on “looking young.” My friends are visiting the doctor for botox or plastic surgery. We are all fighting to hold onto our youth. 

But here I was (no botox – no plastic surgery), looking at this woman with a swollen, pregnant belly, arms her younger self would have fainted over (because they aren’t perfect), and laugh lines all around my eyes. It was a magical feeling – falling in love with myself.

My body has done so much for me. It has carried me through trauma, given me one (almost two) perfect children, shown me pleasure, and fought through pain. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t love this body with every part of my heart and soul? 

This poem, along with a few others in the book, brought me back to that moment. It was a sacred experience I hope I never forget. 

These are just two poems selected out of one of the most powerful books I have ever consumed. Please pick up a copy and experience it for yourself whenever you have the chance.

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Book Review – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Genre: Fiction; Fantasy

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

I’ve had this book on my TBR book cart for a while, and every time I went to pick my next read my husband was there pushing me to pick up Addie LaRue. It took months, but he finally won me over (along with everyone else on Bookstagram who is in love with this novel). 

Overall, I have conflicting emotions when it comes to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I enjoyed the story and the writing is gorgeous, but there are some elements that pulled this book back from a 5 star rating for me. 

I will give V.E. Schwab credit where credit is due – this is one of the best surprise/twist endings I’ve ever read. Even if you generally predict how Addie and Henry’s story is going to end, she throws in a little flare to really move this book high on my list of favorites.

The entire novel flips between Addie LaRue’s early life in the 1700s (progressing through the early 1900s) and present day. We open in France, 1714, where a young Addie LaRue makes a deal with a devil to escape a mundane and normal life in her small village. But her deal isn’t entirely what she thinks. 

Addie is doomed to a life of being forgotten by anyone and everyone she meets. 

We follow our main character across centuries where she learns what it means to sell yourself to survive, plays a role in World Wars, and fights each and every day to live her life – all while trying to stay strong in the face of her devil, who visits her every year on the anniversary of their deal. 

Like all great stories, things change when someone new comes into Addie LaRue’s life – a boy who can remember her. 

The writing throughout this novel is gorgeous – V.E. Schwab is absolutely a talented writer and story-teller. She paints a vivid picture and really gets us into the minds of her characters. I enjoyed every moment I spent reading this novel. I fell in love with the characters show brought to life from Addie to Henry, and even Luc. 

But ultimately, I feel like the flowery and poetic writing was a distraction for a lack of depth in the plot. 

We have a woman who is given immortality and she visits maybe four countries? She has an opportunity to explore the world, meet people from every part of the globe, and experience all the world has to offer – but she stays in France, Germany, Italy, and the U.S.? 

The main character recounts massive-scale world events, when there was an opportunity here to show us something about the world we didn’t know. 

And then there’s the men – Luc and Henry. Every aspect of Addie LaRue’s story, or at least the version she tells us, revolves around the two men in her life. All of her flashbacks, focused on the devil, and all of her present (until they collide), focused on Henry. We know who Addie is in the lense of her experiences with these men. 

A woman’s story is so much more than the man she’s with or loves.

I will take a moment to stop griping and say, I loved the ending and I cried – a lot. So while (over)thinking about this book after I finished, I would recommend this to a friend and hope you take the time to read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. 

It’s a beautiful story about a woman who refused to give up or give in to the darkness. Addie’s resilience is awe-inspiring and worth your time. 

Buy The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab here at Thank You Books (Birmingham, AL) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue? Let’s talk about it here in the comments or on Instagram.

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Book Review – The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Genre: Fantasy; Young Adult

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

I purchased The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna months ago and it sat on my shelves (and then in boxes as my family moved from Virginia to Alabama at the start of the summer). I knew I loved the cover and the synopsis, but for some reason each time I went to select my next read, this one never grabbed my attention.

Then the buddy read – an engagement group I’m in selected this novel for July. I picked it up and didn’t put it down until I reached the last page.

I devoured this novel in two days, while on a family vacation. Before my husband left town for training (he’s in the military), we wanted to do something special with our daughter, so we headed off to Great Wolf Lodge. It’s Alice’s favorite place, and it was the perfect family getaway before my husband left for a couple of months. 

We played at the water park, arcade, and MagiQuest all day – while I read all night. I was so exhausted, but it was the happiest I have been in a while. The perfect weekend trip. 

The novel begins in Deka’s village as they prepare for the blood ceremony, where all 16-year-old girls are tested for impurity. If their blood runs red, they are pure, but if it runs gold they are deemed impure. This is where Deka’s story truly begins – when her blood runs gold.

As the priests in her village punish Deka time and time again, an unknown woman comes to give Deka the option to remain in her village or flee and chart a different course. Deka learns she isn’t alone and that there are other girls like her – the Alaki.  

The transformation we see in Deka as she begins to accept who she is and discover her real purpose is powerful and inspiring. As women, whether in fiction or reality, we are often labeled and judged, here it is no different. This story captures the struggle and journey to self-acceptance in a way I have rarely seen in the novels I read. 

And FINALLY we have a story where our female protagonist has a love interest but this is not the main driver of her transformation, journey, or anything else – it just simply is an element that enhances the story. Deka does not change or grow because a man believes in her – she does all of these things because she learns to believe in herself. It’s refreshing. 

It’s not a man who holds Deka up and makes her stronger – it’s her friends and the sisterhood with her fellow Alaki standing beside her, guiding her, and helping her as they discover the truth and fight for what is right. 

If you haven’t already, please pick up The Gilded Ones whether at your local bookstore or online. You will not regret it. I loved every moment of this novel. 

We also have a date for the sequel, so you have until April 5, 2022, to catch up before The Merciless Ones is released. 

Buy The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna here at Thank You Books (Birmingham, AL) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read The Gilded Ones? Let’s talk about it here in the comments or on Instagram.

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Book Review – Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Genre: Horror; Science Fiction

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

After a rough few months where I didn’t have the time or energy to read – this was my first “return to reading” experience. From the first page I was hooked and flew through the novel. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I prefer my Science Fiction “light” – quick to grasp and understand without having to flip back to refresh on too many things. Wilder Girls hit that mark. 

Note: For me, Science Fiction “light” means changing only a few elements of reality – it’s based in the real world but a key item is altered. Often, I find Science Fiction that builds a whole new reality to be a little difficult to keep up with and I have to flip back-and-forth to remind myself what certain things are. These novels can be wonderful, they just require a bit more effort to read.

While the genre is horror, at its heart, Wilder Girls by Rory Power is a badass story about love and friendship. Hetty, Byatt and Reese have been stuck at the Raxter School for Girls for 18 months as a deadly disease called “the Tox” changes everything around them and slowly claims the lives of the other students. 

Rory Powers paints a beautiful world on an island off the coast of the Northeast United States full of unknown monsters and even more terrifying disease. With the Tox manifesting in a variety of ways, each girl is her own unique horror story and from chapter one I was eating it up. 

My favorite element of the novel is the bond of kinship between the characters. They were willing to fight with each other but even more willing to fight for each other. A lot of post-apocalyptic stories show a lawless land where it’s every man (or woman) for themself. At the Raxter School there was plenty of anger and turmoil, but at the end of the day they were all in this together. 

It was all so perfect .. until it wasn’t. 

Like I mentioned, I devoured this novel. I loved it from the moment I started. The scenery – gorgeous, the plot – unforgettable, the ending – crap. 

Tangent time!

While studying for my undergraduate degree, I read a novel called A State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. The story was immaculate and I loved every moment of it – until the end. That’s when I realized there is a key element in novels I value more than I ever realized – pacing. 

An author sets a cadence, a timing, a method or rhythm in which the story unfolds. As you read, you and the author get in step and are counting the music together, moving as one. It’s almost like a dance. 

I wish I could tell you that A State of Wonder will remain ingrained in my memory because of Ann Patchett’s flawless execution, but unfortunately it’s the opposite. She paced the story, she made me fall in love with the characters – and at the end it’s almost like she panic-wrote the last one third of the book and attempted to slap a beautiful flowery bow on every open plot line. 

It. Was. Terrible.

I felt so let down. 

In a sense, that’s what Rory Powers did to me with Wilder Girls. We were in step, we were dancing together. Then, it just ended. Like she wrote until her editor was like “AND .. TIME!” so she put her pen down and called it a novel. 

It’s unfinished. It needs more. And at this point I can only hope for a sequel, so I can have some sense of closure. 

So, should you read this book? Yes. Absolutely. 

Will you likely want to hunt Rory Powers down and demand answers? Also yes. 

Buy Wilder Girls by Rory Powers here at Thank You Books (Birmingham, AL) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read Wilder Girls? Let’s talk about it here in the comments or on Instagram.

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Book Review – All God’s Children by Aaron Gwyn

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

All God’s Children by Aaron Gwyn follows Duncan Lammons and Cecelia as they each escape from their lives and journey to find a new and better future. 

Duncan Lammons, a gay Texas Ranger during a time when when that can be life threatening, and Cecelia, a slave on the run, are both aiming for Texas – a land of freedom and independence. 

The two begin their journey in the same year, 1827, and are connected through love, pain, and an unwillingness to have their freedom taken from them once again.

I may not have grown up on a ranch, but Cowboy runs through my blood. I felt it pulsing through me as I devoured every word of this novel. It’s a blend of Western and wild and passion and violence in a beautiful and subtle way that will catch you off guard. 

Without over-amplifying suspense, I felt a constant nervousness and simmering feeling the worst was yet to come. Aaron Gwyn’s storytelling is flawless and kept pulling me through the pages. It was an impulse, a deep desire to keep reading. 

Duncan

Duncan’s narrative focuses on his journey to Texas and joining the Rangers to fight for freedom only to see Texas eventually become part of America, leaving him to flee even further into the frontier. We see his transition from a young man who is afraid of war to one who thrives off adrenalin and the pull of war. 

The inner struggle Duncan faces when he realizes his true feelings toward the man he loves and his ultimate resolution to be honest with his feelings it’s heart wrenching and beautiful. Duncan ends up showing how deep his love is in the most selfless way possible. It’s probably my favorite part of the entire novel, but I’ll stop there for fear of giving away any spoilers.

Cecelia

While Duncan may be fighting wars for freedom, Cecelia’s perseverance in the fight for her own freedom is far more grueling and captivating. She leaves the “comfort” of her first home to continually drown deeper and deeper into the plantations of the South. 

When she finally tastes freedom it is glorious but she still takes time to really believe it’s true. Cecelia’s journey shows us how far a person will go to have ownership of their own body and life. She’s fierce and unwavering. 

—-

I highly recommend All God’s Children by Aaron Gwyn. It’s a gorgeous Western Historical Fiction and will pull you through the pages. 

Buy All God’s Children by Aaron Gwyn here at Kramers (Washington, D.C.) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read All God’s Children? Let’s talk about it in the comments here or on Instagram!

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Book Review – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

#BookstagramMadeMeDoIt – And oh boy were they right. 

Before we get into a plot overview, let’s start with – I read this one in 24 hours. I picked it up and COULD NOT STOP. It was the most important week of the year at work, and instead of making sure I was well rested in preparation – I read. 

Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince starts off as all great hero stories, with the death of our main character, Jude’s, parents. Shortly after our characters – Jude along with her two sisters Taryn and Vivienne – arrive in Elfhame and their lives are changed forever. 

Jude battles to prove herself as worthy of the Faerie and their world, defying everyone who stands in her way including her step-father and a Faerie Prince named Cardan. 

In this novel, Holly Black built a memorable, exciting, and terrifying world. Throughout the story, I pictured these young kids – Jude, Taryn, and Vivi – being pulled into this strange world and having to adjust to their surroundings along with the death of their parents. It is the stuff of nightmares but is also somehow gorgeous. 

Layer that on top of being raised by the man who murdered your parents before your eyes and I’d say this book borders on a horror novel. 

But it wouldn’t be the fae without some juxtaposition. While under the surface it’s ugly and gruesome, on the surface and all around us is beauty and the intoxication of being among faeries. This contrast is best seen between twins, Jude and Taryn. 

There’s so much more I want to say and discuss, but I promised no spoilers. Once I’ve finished all three books, I’ll write a discussion post and talk more in depth.

For now, I’ll tell you this book has it all – complicated family relationships; love triangles; unlikely relationships; and OH MAN a plot twist. This book is everything I hope for when I pick up a Young Adult novel. 

If you haven’t read The Cruel Prince and you enjoy Young Adult and High Fantasy – add this one to your TBR. #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt, and now I’m paying it forward. You won’t regret it. 

Buy The Cruel Prince by Holly Black here at Old Town Books (Alexandria, VA) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read The Cruel Prince? Let’s talk about it here in the comments or on Instagram!

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Book Review – Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, Book Two in the All Souls Trilogy, picks up where we left Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont in A Discovery of Witches (book review here) as they travel into the past to uncover the secrets of Diana’s magic and find a book that could change everything.

Diana and Matthew land right in the middle of Elizabethan London and immediately realize their tasks – teaching Diana to control her magic and finding Ashmole 782 – are going to be more complicated than they originally thought. The reader has the pleasure of experiencing the city (along with the other places they visit) through the eyes of Diana, a historian, who has studied and dreamed about the places she is visiting and people she is meeting her entire life . 

It’s like a fairytale, especially if you consider how dark and terrible most fairy tales really are. 

I absolutely LOVED A Discovery of Witches, so I had high expectations going into this novel. It did not disappoint. While it wasn’t as magical (sorry for the pun) as the first novel, I really enjoyed Book Two. 

We already have a witch and a vampire, throw in the pomp and circumstance of the 16th century and it’s the perfect mix for a wonderful story. 

One element I really enjoyed was Diana’s constant reckoning of what history books had taught her and what the real experience was like. For example, she notes she always told her students London would smell vile, but in reality it’s a pleasant smell (at least where they are in the city). 

Throughout the book we do have little flashes to the present time, but they are short and not too distracting from the main plot. We see how Diana and Matthew are tweaking the events of the present and how their family, friends, and even enemies are taking notice. 

And of course, there’s romance. We didn’t get much more than tension building in Book One, so thankfully we find a little release in Book Two as the couple spends more time together and begin knocking down all of the secrets and walls creating a division between them. By the time they arrive back in the present, they are a newer and stronger couple. I can’t wait to see where they go in Book Three. 

If I had to try and pinpoint why this novel didn’t quite sing to me like Book One, I think it would be the feeling that the characters are spinning their wheels and making no progress for a portion of the novel. I enjoyed the stories and adventures, but I often found myself frustrated Diana and Matthew weren’t more focused on the tasks at hand. 

This novel is a perfect cocktail of historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and “save the world”-ness. In my opinion, it’s one of the best “adult” fantasy books for those of us who grew up with Jane Austin, Harry Potter, and Twilight. 

Now … onto The Book of Life, Book Three in the All Souls Trilogy. Stay tuned for the review in the coming weeks.

Have you read the All Souls Trilogy and want to discuss? Leave a note in the comments here or on Instragram. 

Buy the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness here at Kramers Bookstore (Washington, DC) or at your local bookstore!

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Book Review – Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Genre: Fiction with a side of Science Fiction; Horror

Rating: 4 / 5

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

Before diving into the overview and review I want to note that I read this entire book in less than 24 hours. I know this isn’t a milestone for some people, but this is a feat for me. When you have a toddler running around – your free time just isn’t the same. 

The being said, I have some mixed feelings and thoughts on this one, so let’s dive in. 

In Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power, 17-year-old Margot is searching for answers about her family. For her entire life, it’s been her and her mother with no other family to speak of. While searching through her mother’s things, she finds a clue that leads her to her grandmother and a family she’s never known.

This novel is a sprinkle of my favorite things (just missing vampires) – mother-daughter drama, family secrets, a touch of SciFi, and one hell of a PLOT TWIST. I had a theory, I refined my theory and WOW was I off the mark. I was not prepared for the ending of this book. 

Important to note here any surprise ending that catches me off guard immediately moves a book up in my mental rating scale. It’s one of the top elements I look for when reading any kind of horror or thriller novel. 

I haven’t read Rory Power’s debut novel Wilder Girls but she definitely has talent. She drew me in, painted a picture, and created characters I wanted to know. But there were still some characters and elements I wanted more from and felt like I couldn’t quite connect with. 

Scrolling through Goodreads, I noticed Burn Our Bodies Down received quite a mix of reviews. From 5 star reviews praising everything about the novel to 1 star reviews, so I think my mixed feelings aren’t far from the majority opinion.

Let’s talk about small towns, especially how they are presented in this book. Both towns we explore are deserted with the exception of a few key characters interacting with Margot. This seems a bit off to me and I often found myself thinking about why there were only like two people out and about in each town. I KNOW there has to be a group of busy-bodies somewhere just waiting to gossip about the new girl in town. 

This story was short and sweet, and I understand why there may not have been a large amount of narrative around characters or description not directly involved in the plot, but it did seem off to me. I wanted a picture of the town and all I got was a deserted shopping center vibe with a small group of teenagers hanging out. 

Let’s take a quick break for a small PSA – in this novel Margot hitchhikes with a man she doesn’t know. Never, under any circumstances, should you ever do that. I was screaming at Margot the whole time. For my murderinos – stay sexy. 

But this isn’t to take away from the strong main character, Margot. The rebellious teenager trope is one we can all relate with on some level. Parents keep secrets and we go out of our way to uncover the mystery. Usually it’s some boring family drama, but Margot’s family was anything but. 

I enjoyed uncovering the mystery while Margot did. We didn’t learn anything she didn’t already know, and I liked that about the story. It built more suspense and ultimately made the ending stand out a bit more. 

If you haven’t read Burn Our Bodies Down I do recommend it if you are a fan of lite-SciFi. It’s a fun and quick read. It won’t change your life, but you will enjoy reading this one. 

Have you read Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power? Let me know in the comments here or on Instagram. 

Buy Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power here from Old Town Books (Alexandria, VA) or at your local bookstore!

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Book Review – The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

In one word, The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman is enchanting. Full disclosure, I went into reading this after recently watching the movie Practical Magic so the curse of the Owens family was fresh on my mind. Sometimes, with prequels, knowing the fate of the characters can take away from the story, but not here. 

The story begins with Franny, Jet, and Vincent at a young age and their first summer with Aunt Isabelle. Although their mother has tried to hide the truth, the children begin to realize they have a secret – they are witches. With the promises of no spoilers, I won’t provide much more description, but it’s a fun and heartbreaking ride as they each grow up. 

My life ebbs and flows from kind of busy to overwhelmingly busy, so I wouldn’t directly correlate how much I like a book by how fast I read it. However, I did finish The Rules of Magic in 3-4 days. 

Alice Hoffman’s writing style is unique and spellbinding. At first I was unsure of the narrative style, which reminds me of an old story being told around a campfire, but it grew on me within the first few chapters and I was hooked. Spellbinding really is the perfect word because it’s sing-songy and will have you tangled up before you know it. 

Of course, if you have seen Practical Magic and know what the curse of the Owens family is, you know this tale is full of heartbreak and tears. The happy moments are bittersweet and beautiful but don’t carry the same lightheartedness of most stories. The drama throughout the pages is not flashy and overdone, it’s subtle and heart-wrenching. 

I’ll go as far to say this novel is emotionally taxing, but worth every moment of the pain you feel. Because ultimately, this is a story about love and how the only solution to your struggles and heartbreak is to love more.

It really was a fun book to read. It’s also nice to read a fantasy novel about witches that doesn’t involve the apocalypse or some large-scale, life threatening obstacle. They are normal(-ish) people who happen to be witches and are just trying to make it through the day and find a little happiness while they are at it. 

I haven’t read any of Alice Hoffman’s other novels, but I highly recommend this one. I enjoyed it from start to finish. 

Buy The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman here at Old Town Books (Alexandria, VA) or at your local bookstore!

Have you read The Rules of Magic? Let’s talk about it in the comments here or on Instagram.

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Book Review – A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Genre: Fantasy; Fiction

Rating: 5 / 5

Note: There are NO spoilers in this review. When discussing in the comments, please provide a spoiler warning if needed.

In The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – the first book of the All Souls Trilogy – readers meet a witch named Diana Bishop. She’s a witch who never mastered her craft and altogether avoided it for a majority of her life, mostly because she blames her parents’ death on magic.

But, of course, what a woman wants is rarely tied to fate. Through a series of accidents (at least that’s how they appear) Diana meets the vampire Matthew Clairemont and her life changes forever. 

The historical detail mixed in with the unbelievable tension of their relationship was enough to hook me in the first chapter. Without so much as a kiss, Deborah Harkness is able to build up to a sexiness and tension that leaves you screaming for more. On top of that (I’m a sucker for a good vampire romance), Diana’s journey and the conflict surrounding the mysterious alchemical manuscript is fantastical and unlike anything I’ve read. 

In a word, this novel is EXCITING. It’s the perfect book for an adult who loves Young Adult Fantasy but wants to read something for an older audience. 

I first decided to pick up A Discovery of Witches because I’ve been wanting to watch the show on AMC. I always try to read before watching. But I was not expecting to get sucked into this novel this way. It was immediate and overwhelming. 

As a writer, this is the book I wish I wrote. I don’t know if I can say that about anything else. 

This re”vamped” take on witches, vampires, and daemons is spectacular and had me obsessed from page one. 

One key element for me – while the arc of the story is dependent on her relationship to Matthew – the plot and conflict is not driven by any kind of drama between the two of them.

So often when we have a female lead, the story is driven by the back-and-forth relationship-based drama. Yes, Diana and Matthew being together is a key driver of the plot, but this isn’t about their quarrels as a couple – it’s about so much more. And, not going to lie, just LOVE a strong female lead. Diana Bishop takes no shit. I’m here for it. 

I can’t say I read this in a day or one sitting. At nearly 600 pages, this was a huge undertaking. It took a few days, but every moment I was away from the book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

If you haven’t already, please go pick up A Discovery of Witches. Next on my list are the remaining books in the trilogy, so stay tuned for future reviews.

Buy A Discovery of Witches here at Old Town Books (Alexandria, VA) or your local bookstore!
Have you read A Discovery of Witches or any book in the All Souls Trilogy? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

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