A Discovery of Witches is another in a long line of books with supernatural characters, but what sets Witches apart is the storytelling. It is part Romeo and Juliet and part Grimm's Fairy Tales, and written in such an easy, comfortable manner that you find yourself lost in the story. Set in the current time, we meet Dr. Diana Bishop, an accomplished scientist who also happens to be a witch. Diana's family tree includes generations of witches leading all the way back to the Salem Witch Trials, so it was expected that Diana not only accept but embrace her birthright. Instead, Diana has turned her back on her heritage and focused her energies on the history of alchemy. All that changes when Diana discovers a centuries' old alchemical book that contains the mystery of eternal life for supernatural creatures, all of whom wish to get their "otherworldly" hands on it.
What kind of fairy tale would this be without a prince? Quickly after discovering the text, known as Ashmole 782, Diana meets Matthew Clairmont, an ancient and powerful vampire. In Harkness' supernatural world, there are three types of creatures: witches, daemons, and vampires, and never shall those types intermingle. Diana and Matthew find themselves drawn closer together as they ward off creatures willing to do whatever it takes to retrieve the book and unlock its secrets, and despite the forbidden nature of their relationship, fall in love.
The mysteries that unfold make this book worth reading, but it is Diana's magical abilities and how they are revealed that sets it apart from others in the genre. By now you know my feelings on spoilers, so to reveal too much more would ruin the book for you. I will say that by the final chapter, you will be turning the pages as quickly as you can, only to realize that this is just the beginning of Matthew and Diana's story, and to learn the end, you must wait for the sequel.
Now that A Discovery of Witches' spell has been broken, I will wade back through the mountains of clothes that never seem to clean themselves (if only I had a spell for that!), go back to the grocery store, and return to the land of the living. But though my life may go back to the mundane, the images of Diana and all her powers will remain.
