Title: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)
Author: Deborah Harkness
Date of publication: February 2011
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Print length: Paperback, 579 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance
Rating: ★★★★★ - Character Development 9/10, Atmosphere 10/10, Writing Quality 8/10, Plot 10/10, Intrigue 10/10, Logic 10/10, Enjoyment 10/10, Overall 9.57/10.
You can buy this book from Amazon
The much-anticipated, bestselling sequel to the international phenomenon Happy People Read and Drink Coffee.
Diane needs to start over again. After returning from Ireland and turning the page on her stormy relationship with Edward, the brooding Irish photographer, she is determined to rebuild her life in Paris with help from her best friend Félix. She focuses solely on getting her literary café back on track-until she meets Olivier.
He is kind and thoughtful, and she may have a future with him...until she stumbles across her former love at a photography exhibit. What is Edward doing in Paris? Why didn't he reach out? Faced with a hail of questions, her old flame remains cold and unresponsive. Apparently, he, too, has moved on.
In order to put the past behind her, Diane must go back over her tracks. Ireland saved her before. Can she get answers there and find peace again?
I am not going to lie, but I went into this book with low expectations. I had mixed feeling about the first novel in this duet, as I have found the main character to be very annoying. The story itself wasn't bad, but it had nothing extraordinary. However, my mom liked these books, so I decided to give the second book a well-deserved chance. I was pleasantly surprised! It's been a while since I last cried while reading and this book had that effect on me. In my opinion, this was a story of development, change and moving forward.
Characters were round and well developed. The action takes place one year after the events from the first book and you can easily see changes in the behaviour of the main character. It was pleasant to meet new characters from which Declan has been my favourite. It was also hard to part ways with old characters.
This book is set partially in Murlanny, Irland and partially in Paris, France. My favourite parts took place in Irland with the beach near and incredible landscapes. That's where Diane has most revelations and where she found herself. In Paris is where her coffee shop. I loved to read about her work and to get to see her dynamic with Felix and her being strong enough to visit Collin and Clara's grave.
The plot is fast-paced without it being overwhelming. The actions take place chronologically so they are easy to follow.
I can see why this book isn't for everyone, but I highly suggest to everyone give this series a chance. It deals with different stages of grieve and different perspectives on how life is impacted by the people we meet and spend time with. For me, that was the key element that made reading these books worth it. I am someone who gets attached easily and I value memories probably more than I should. I've been struggling with the idea that some people aren't meant to be around forever and I find it hard to realise who is worth my time and attention and who isn't and to me, the worst is having unfinished business when someone gets outside of my life. I am certain I am not the only one who feels this way, so that's why I recommend this series. Right now it occupies an important place in my life and if I had not read this second book at this time, I don't think I would have fully appreciated the plot.
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