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BlogHer sent me A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness, to review for the Book Club. I was rather excited! I love books that have an occult or paranormal theme. Witches, vampires, demons (or daemons as the case may be), witchcraft, and magic... they all spark curiosity and wonder in me. We could all use imagination and magic in our lives. In addition, this is book one of the All Souls Trilogy, and I love trilogies. When you close the book you don't have to wonder, you can move on to the next chapter of the stories of these character. In addition to the magic, there's also a love story interwoven, although I wouldn't slate it as a "romance" book, as the romance doesn't overwhelm the overall storyline, just adds to the overall flavor.
This is Harkness' very first fiction publication. The pace is rather slow in the beginning, but I liked that. Sometimes, when you're truly taken to another world, a fast pace is confusing because it's not part of our mundane life. The pacing ebbs and flows throughout the novel. You really feel as though Harkness knows what she's talking about from her research -- or perhaps her own life, hmm? The characters are very complex. They don't feel like caricatures, which can happen with these themes. Warning -- this is a LONG book. This isn't a book to just read in one evening. It's worth it, though. The plot is nice and intricate. I love the way the author weaves her words.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes this genre. I can't wait for the next in trilogy (2012, I think), and I really look forward to seeing how Harkness' career, and characters, progress.
