A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness has long been in my Audible library when I first fired up the audio book this February.  I am incredibly glad that I waited because it gave the author time to finish the remainder of the trilogy and for those two books to be recorded.  Apparently, February was the month of fantasy novels and new authors for me.  Deb Harkness was a new author for me and yet another joyous discovery.

What happens when a reluctant witch meets a vampire in Oxford?  Therein lies the entire premise of the book and the other two books in the series.  Between the covers of  this marvelous book lie the intricate, intimate, and engaging love story that involves a witch, a vampire, their families, clans, and covens. 

When you’ve been taught from childhood to avoid vampires how do you handle the attraction and bond you feel whenever a certain vampire appears on your radar?  Thus begins the question Diana Bishop must face and answer when she meets Matthew Clairmont at the Bodleian Library at Oxford.  That answer and their journey begins a beautiful love story that results in Diana learning to accept that she cannot deny her witch heritage and Matthew to learn to love once again.

Diana spent a lifetime believing that she suppressed her magic and only after meeting Matthew did she learn that she had unconsciously being using magic subtly throughout her lifetime.  Matthew is on a lifetime search to understand the origins of vampirism and the science behind the magical beings that live on earth unbeknownst to the non-magical people all around them.  Circumstances continue to throw Diana and Matthew together and their attraction is undeniable despite Diana’s insistence that they  are incompatible.

I loved this book.  I lost myself in the rhythm and flow of the narration and language.  It is so well written that it is believable that there is a sub-society of magical beings we are unaware of all around us.  Even if you aren’t a fan of urban fantasy, which I am not, this is a worthy exception.  The book was a delightful listen, enough to keep me walking past my normal route just to keep listening. 

Five stars out of five stars and it is truly a beautiful written and narrated book.  If you haven’t yet read the book, then do yourself a favor and move it to the top of your reading or listening list.