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A Discovery of Witches
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Harkness, Deborah; A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) Start Date June 10 2013 - and again August 1st. ***REVISIT starts July 12, 2018
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Yep same guy! He is a pretty smart and educated guy (and the 'Dean' at one of my friend's universities in England!), so the book is written with his usual wit and humour, but is well researched. Easy to read :)
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25. true. Although 1500 years is a long time to be a servant! lol!
26. Yes it will be interesting to see what happens with these two
31. Hmmm you could be right. I just can't help but assume that there is something about the two of them that helped her to get that manuscript etc. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it! I just have a hard time getting my head around two people who are so different falling in love in just a few weeks
33. Me too!
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25. Lol! I have wondered that myself
29. I think you're right. There is some ancient connection there
31. Hmmm.. queue eerie music! do-do-do-do
32. LOL!
33. Yes, this section was very slow. I have read the next section and it is also a bit slow, but gets going again towards the end
June 13 - Chapters 18-22 25. Not alot of action in this section, but we get to meet Ysabeau and Marthe and explore that amazing home! I was wondering about Marthe... she remains a servant and her hands are described as old and wrinkled. I wonder why someone would want to live forever as an aged servant. I hope we get to find out more about her. First impressions of this very unusual family?
I like them even if Ysabeau is not very friendly towards Diana. I think Diana is starting to grow on her separately from Diana being her son's love interest. As to Marthe, some workers just enjoy what they do and she seems to be treated more like family than a servant. She might have wanted to stay with the family and allowed herself to be turned when she was older.
26.I am finding Diana more and more childlike, and Matthew is taking on a parental role with her (telling her she has to eat before going to sleep, buying her clothes, dictating when she is to wear them etc.). Have your impressions of either of these characters changed?
I did not see her as childlike. I see Matthew as having really old fashioned ideas toward women although he is trying to be modern. He is very protective of Diana and believes the man should be the 'head' of the family and gets to decide what everyone else does.
27.I googled Occitan and it is a romance language spoken in southern France. Do you think they speak in this language out of habit, or in order to preclude Diana from certain conversations?
I think it is partly both.
28. The description of the library was amazing. If you had access to something like that, what book would you love to see? Personally I'd love to see original manuscripts of some of my favourite books from Tolstoy or the Bronte sisters.
I would probably never leave a room like that. I would move my bed into it so I could sleep there too. I would like to see the originals of Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens.
29. Diana has started having vivid dreams and visions. I had to re-read the visions a few times as they seem to be past events, but with Matthew in them. What are your thoughts? Are these past or future images?
I think they may be a combination of both. I also think it seems like they were destined to meet and that Matthew may have influenced part of Diana's past without realizing it at the time.
30. Ysabeau (pronounced ee zah BOH) seems to be warming to Diana and at one point during the dance scene says to Matthew "be careful with her". Was that just a warning about their dancing or something more?
I think it was a warning about the covenant.
31. There have been a few references to a literary Queen Diana, and then in the manuscript Diana reads we get a bit of detail about the Moon Queen and the Sun King. I can't help but wonder if this is all connected somehow with Diana and Matthew. Do you get the feeling they have a spiritual/past world/supernatural connection?
Yes
32. I had a bit of a laugh at the almost sex scene recalling Kristin's comment about if it would be possible for Diana to set Matthew alight accidentally! Are you (still) enjoying the romance angle? Would you like to see them stay together?
I would like to see them stay together and take on the council. There are too many evil people on it and I think they could have found a better way to control themselves than to put a ban on interactions between 'creatures'.
33. Domenico's introduction reminded me a bit of Twilight when Edward tries to protect Bella from other vampires (just from the movie, I have never actually read the books). What are your thoughts on this scene and Matthew's quick get-away? He keeps saying Diana has "a lot to learn about vampires". I think we do too!
There was bound to be an evil vampire in the story like the evil witch, Peter Knox. Now I am wondering who the evil daemon will be. Maybe Matthew's friend is not as simple as he seems?
Hi Buddy Readers!!! I have one more chapter to read to finish off today's section and then I will get the daily questions posted :) Real life kind of set me behind today.
June 14 - Chapters 23-2934. Wow! In this section we discovered what witchwater is. Water was expelled from all over her body. What are your thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages to this power? Does she have to be in a sad state and able to cry to use this power?
35.At the end of Chapter 16 Matthew is staring at the print of The Goddess of the Hunt and reciting a poem. When Ysabeau and Diana go out to ride, Ysabeau allows Diana to watch her hunt and kill. During this excursion Ysabeau calls Diana "the goddess of the hunt" Is there some kind of connection or hint of something we are yet to understand or find out about Diana?
36.What are your thoughts and feelings about Matthews past(being married,a father,how he became a vampire)?
37.While Matthew was gone Diana went snooping through his desk. She found some things that she probably shouldn't have been messing with. What do you think Matthew's reactions will be to her when he finds out? Should she have been snooping?
38.Diana talked Matthew in to letting her go hunting with him. After the hunt,with blood still present around his mouth, he kissed her. What were your reactions to this?
39.Matthew warned Diana to be careful of his mother. Why?
40.Diana and Matthew are now pronounced husband and wife(in a sense). I thought at this point we were going to finally see the "Sparks Fly" but instead we got bundling LOL Were you disappointed and what do you think about this?
41.Under vampire terms they are officially married. What happens if one or the other changes their mind? Is there a vampire divorce?
42.I wondered what kind of child they would have but we learned that they can't have children the "traditional" way. Diana seems to be ok with this as their children can be "made". Do you think she will ever regret not bearing children? Will she become a vampire so that she can live as long as Matthew and the made children if there are any?
43. Diana has been captured and we meet Satu. We have also learned that Gillian is dead. What did you think about this chapter and what do you think will happen next? Will she escape on her own using her powers or will Matthew come to the rescue and save her?
We are reading this for my real life book club for August, so I can't read it yet, because I will forget everything, but I will come and see your posts in July when I am reading the book.
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25. I would love to know her story and if she asked to be made
28. Yes, just install a chamber pot in the corner! haha I love the idea of original Dickens too
32. I agree. And it is an extremely old rule too. Time to move on
33. I wondered that too. I assume the daemons will feature more in the next book. I didn't think of Hamish as being evil. I hope not!
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34. Wow! In this section we discovered what witchwater is. Water was expelled from all over her body. What are your thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages to this power? Does she have to be in a sad state and able to cry to use this power?
I wondered that too. Or maybe it was just the tears kind of turned on her tap. Hopefully she will learn to control it. I wonder what for? Would be very useful in rural Australia for our farmers! lol
35.At the end of Chapter 16 Matthew is staring at the print of The Goddess of the Hunt and reciting a poem. When Ysabeau and Diana go out to ride, Ysabeau allows Diana to watch her hunt and kill. During this excursion Ysabeau calls Diana "the goddess of the hunt" Is there some kind of connection or hint of something we are yet to understand or find out about Diana?
Certainly something going on here. I didn't like her making Diana watch her hunt. Especially after some of Matthew's warnings - I wonder if she was in danger
36.What are your thoughts and feelings about Matthews past(being married,a father,how he became a vampire)?
I like Matthew. As turtle collector said, he is a bit old fashioned, but that is to be expected I guess. I can't imagine how hard it would be to live for that long and lose your family and friends over and over
37.While Matthew was gone Diana went snooping through his desk. She found some things that she probably shouldn't have been messing with. What do you think Matthew's reactions will be to her when he finds out? Should she have been snooping?
She shouldn't have been snooping, but he also keeps alot of secrets and I probably would have done the same! haha. I think he will be able to tell and will probably be angry
38.Diana talked Matthew in to letting her go hunting with him. After the hunt,with blood still present around his mouth, he kissed her. What were your reactions to this?
Ewww. gross. I don't even like beer breath...lol
39.Matthew warned Diana to be careful of his mother. Why?
She doens't have the bind that Matthew does. I guess at the end of the day, vampires are dangerous
40.Diana and Matthew are now pronounced husband and wife(in a sense). I thought at this point we were going to finally see the "Sparks Fly" but instead we got bundling LOL Were you disappointed and what do you think about this?
LOL that was so funny to me. They have been together for 3 weeks and suddenly "married" and "bundling". lmao! sorry I'm not very romantic and this retracts from the story for me. I'm sure alot of people think it is sweet :)
41.Under vampire terms they are officially married. What happens if one or the other changes their mind? Is there a vampire divorce?
I think that is when you get eaten..lol!
42.I wondered what kind of child they would have but we learned that they can't have children the "traditional" way. Diana seems to be ok with this as their children can be "made". Do you think she will ever regret not bearing children? Will she become a vampire so that she can live as long as Matthew and the made children if there are any?
I really hope not. That takes us into Twilight territory and why does the girl always have to change who she is to get "the man". blurg. I think it is sad she can't have children with him, especially as she is the last Bishop
43. Diana has been captured and we meet Satu. We have also learned that Gillian is dead. What did you think about this chapter and what do you think will happen next? Will she escape on her own using her powers or will Matthew come to the rescue and save her?
This was pretty scary. Although how bloody dense was Diana at finding Matthew sleeping and not thinking anything was wrong? How many times has he told her vampires don't sleep? lol
I have read ahead so I won't give predictions :)
I had a crazy day and only got through the first few chapters of this section. I'm hoping to catch up tomorrow afternoon, but if not then I'll be back around Sunday for the grand finale!
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44.We meet a new member of Matthew's family with the introduction of Baldwin. I was surprised to learn Matthew wasn't the head of the family. What did you think of Baldwin?
45.Now it starts to make sense why Diana's magic has only just started to seep out of her. She has been spellbound! Do you think this was fair/right of her parents to do to her?
46.When Satu took Diana she claimed that Matthew gave her his blood to kind of bind her to him. Do you think it is true? We know she spoke to truth about Matthew killing Gillian.
47.What is the significance of Marthes tea? She made Diana promise to have one cup per day and her aunts claimed it may have been a type of contraception. But why do you need that with a vampire? Why would Marthe forsee this was needed?
48.Matthew has seven letters sent to the Knights of Lazarus. we know two (Baldwin and Marcus). Any ideas on who the remaining five could be? Will they all be vampires?
49.Baldwin provides a warning that the witches purposefully let Diana go (as a gambit). Do you agree?
50.I loved the Bishop house! All the ghosts, the house having a personality and the cat named Tabitha (why is that always a name in wicth stories?!). What were your impressions of the home?
51.Diana's father is a timewalker (and so is Diana!). Do you think we may meet her father in the future?
52.So we discover that Matthew and Diana are connected somehow to the manuscript. Three missing pages and three types of creatures. Theories/predictions for how that page came to the Bishops and where the other pages are?
53.Conceptico! Ahh! What a shocking place to end this sections reading! Does that mean Diana and Matthew will have a baby??!!
June 14 - Chapters 23-2934. Wow! In this section we discovered what witchwater is. Water was expelled from all over her body. What are your thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages to this power? Does she have to be in a sad state and able to cry to use this power?
OK -- I have to admit, I really think this is a strange power. I had never heard of it (nor did it have a definition in my Kindle dictionary). I'm not exactly sure of the purpose of it except perhaps keeping an enemy away. If it can only be used when you are sad then I think it's a pretty lame power :-D
35.At the end of Chapter 16 Matthew is staring at the print of The Goddess of the Hunt and reciting a poem. When Ysabeau and Diana go out to ride, Ysabeau allows Diana to watch her hunt and kill. During this excursion Ysabeau calls Diana "the goddess of the hunt" Is there some kind of connection or hint of something we are yet to understand or find out about Diana?
I definitely think that there is a connection. There was also the conversation with Ysabeau about the meaning of names, so I think that there is some significance to her name.
36.What are your thoughts and feelings about Matthews past(being married,a father,how he became a vampire)?
I thought that it was an interesting story and lends to some of the sadness that we see from time to time. I do think that Ysabeau had always had a fondness for Matthew ---- I think that his suspected sucide keeping him from heaven was really just an excuse for her to turn him ---- she did not want him to die because she loved him as a son already.
37.While Matthew was gone Diana went snooping through his desk. She found some things that she probably shouldn't have been messing with. What do you think Matthew's reactions will be to her when he finds out? Should she have been snooping?
NO --- I thought that this was horrible. No one should go snooping through someone else's private things. I think that we will see the infamous anger rear it's ugly head.
38.Diana talked Matthew in to letting her go hunting with him. After the hunt,with blood still present around his mouth, he kissed her. What were your reactions to this?
It was a bit gross --- but kissing someone after they've been eating and have food on their mouth is also a bit distasteful (haha) --- unless it's icing or ice cream -- then yummy :-D
39.Matthew warned Diana to be careful of his mother. Why?
I don't remember this specific warning --- I think that Ysabeau has some secrets. At least now we know about her hatred of witches. I think that Ysabeau may also be jealous of Matthew's feelings for Diana.
40.Diana and Matthew are now pronounced husband and wife(in a sense). I thought at this point we were going to finally see the "Sparks Fly" but instead we got bundling LOL Were you disappointed and what do you think about this?
I thought it was interesting --- I hadn't heard of the custom before. I thought it was quite romantic and chivalrous. I think it's funny that Matthew's sense of time is so far out of whack from hers/ours --- and our instant gratification society.
I'm also wondering if Matthew might be a little afraid of what will happen --- given that Diana has little control over her powers and they seem to come out when she is "distracted" (by sleep or unconscious of her actions), so who knows what would happen if she had an orgasm.
41.Under vampire terms they are officially married. What happens if one or the other changes their mind? Is there a vampire divorce?
Good question ---- I would like to understand more of Ysabeau's marriage. Did her and Phillipe get turned together?
42.I wondered what kind of child they would have but we learned that they can't have children the "traditional" way. Diana seems to be ok with this as their children can be "made". Do you think she will ever regret not bearing children? Will she become a vampire so that she can live as long as Matthew and the made children if there are any?
If they don't have children in the "traditional way" this means that Diana's powers will never be passed down. I think eventually (since this is a trilogy after all), she will regret it because she will learn to love her powers.
The romantic in me says that she will be turned so that they can be together forever and make their own family (including all the step children like Marcus) :-D
43. Diana has been captured and we meet Satu. We have also learned that Gillian is dead. What did you think about this chapter and what do you think will happen next? Will she escape on her own using her powers or will Matthew come to the rescue and save her?
Yikes --- that was one scary chapter. I think given her vision/flashback of the story that her mother was telling her means that she will save herself.
I'm not sure how I feel about Matthew killing Gillian, if that's what really happened. I just had a thought --- maybe it's the witches that are killing people in London and making it look like the vampires were doing it.
@turtlecollector:33. interesting thought about Hamish being evil. I was wondering why deamons seemed to be getting a back seat in the story.
Another thought -- would they use Hamish so that Diana could have a baby the normal way and carry on the Bishop line ;-) (maybe through invitro)
@Karen
41. great answer :-D
43. Good point --- how do you think that they got Matthew to sleep? Would drugs work on a vampire?
I'm bummed that I have to work today instead of read :-(
Chapter 1-71. Is the book so far what you expected? Do you like the writing style? So far I'm enjoying the writing style. Very easy to get into. It is reminding me of the book A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter but this book has an easier style to read at least for me.
2. It seems Diana is a reluctant witch. I found it odd that she wanted to remain untrained. It seems dangerous somehow. Do you agree? I do agree. I found it odd that her Aunt allowed her to continue on being untrained if not only for the protection of others - so she wouldn't inadvertently cause harm to herself or others.
3. This first section introduces daemons, witches and vampires as living amongst humans. Given the choice, what would you prefer to be? I would probably want to be a witch. I don't really like the blood sucking thing and I hate to be cold. Not sure about the daemon thing. If it's real life I would want to be a witch but if you are going to throw me into a certain book world there are a few vamps and daemons out their that I wouldn't mind be attached to,lol.
4. Do you think it will be significant that Diana's finding of the manuscript coincided with Mabon?
I was wondering if that was what brought out all the *extra* creatures around her. That somehow they could *feel* it maybe more due to timing...
5. So it seems that Diana doesn't understand her own powers or how it 'seeps' out of her as light in her dreams. There have been quite a few descriptions already about smells, sounds, feelings, light. What do you think will be the meaning of the scent of cloves that she couldn't shake when she woke up? I was under the impression that this is the scent that Matthew gives off. She hasn't figured out that he was in her apartment while she was sleeping - that was the night she left open her window.
6. Interesting that she has sort of allied herself with a vampire and the Wizard in the library seemed to be threatening her. Do you think she should heed what her Aunty taught her about the 'heirachy' of creatures and stay away from Matthew and Agatha? Would you trust them? So far it seems that these two have been the most straight forward with her. Granted we might not have the whole picture yet. I'm personally not all that trusting so I don't know if I would trust them but it doesn't seem like there is anyone else she can go to for help at the moment. Odd that the other witch Gillian is not sort of rude to her.
7. I loved her reaction to Matthew when she told him to call her by her first name and how he sensed it. Can you imagine being friends with a being that could sense you like that? I'm thinking that would be really odd and awkward.
8. The humour started towards the end of this set of reading (Diana being called "tasty" and Matthew thinking it was a threat!). Also the promise of a vampire at a yoga class! Do you think it is really a yoga class or something else? I guess I was naive, I figured it truly was a yoga class. I just wasn't expecting it to be the kind it ended up being,lol. The "tasty" comment cracked me up!!
Mod
1. I haven't read that book, but I agree this is a nice writing style
3. lol!
6. Yes, you kind of assume creatures would stick together
8. I still can't visualise a vampire doing yoga and I do wonder if these creatures fart (as everyone else does in yoga classes)!
Karen wrote: "@Melissa8. I still can't visualise a vampire doing yoga and I do wonder if these creatures fart ..."
That would lead to the next question of which is the stinkiest :-D
Mod
June 14 - Chapters 23-2934. Wow! In this section we discovered what witchwater is. Water was expelled from all over her body. What are your thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages to this power? Does she have to be in a sad state and able to cry to use this power?
Not sure about advantages/disadvantages, but I don't think she has to be sad and cry to use it. In this case, since she is untrained, that is how it showed itself. If she ever gets trained she will definitely be a powerful witch.
35.At the end of Chapter 16 Matthew is staring at the print of The Goddess of the Hunt and reciting a poem. When Ysabeau and Diana go out to ride, Ysabeau allows Diana to watch her hunt and kill. During this excursion Ysabeau calls Diana "the goddess of the hunt" Is there some kind of connection or hint of something we are yet to understand or find out about Diana?
This could be a reference to the hunt for the book Ashmore 782. She is the one who seems to be able get her hands on it, even if she doesn't know how she does it.
36.What are your thoughts and feelings about Matthews past(being married,a father,how he became a vampire)?
He is going to have a past being as old as he is. I think it is good that his temperament from his human life has transferred over to his vampire life in some respects. I also think it was a little selfish of Ysabeau to make him a vampire so she could keep him around when he did not really realize what he was agreeing to. But she was already feeling motherly toward him and what mother wouldn't do practically anything to keep her child alive.
37.While Matthew was gone Diana went snooping through his desk. She found some things that she probably shouldn't have been messing with. What do you think Matthew's reactions will be to her when he finds out? Should she have been snooping?
I think he is going to be angry and she really shouldn't be snooping. But how else is she going to find anything out. No one wants to tell her anything definitive.
38.Diana talked Matthew in to letting her go hunting with him. After the hunt,with blood still present around his mouth, he kissed her. What were your reactions to this?
I think that is gross but it got her point across to him. I don't think I would've been able to do that to make a point.
39.Matthew warned Diana to be careful of his mother. Why?
He knows of her hatred and bias towards witches and doesn't think it will be overcome by her love of him.
40.Diana and Matthew are now pronounced husband and wife(in a sense). I thought at this point we were going to finally see the "Sparks Fly" but instead we got bundling LOL Were you disappointed and what do you think about this?
I thought this was funny. Usually it is the guy trying as hard as he can to get the lady into bed and sometimes marrying her just in order to do this. Here Diana can't seem to get him there even after "marriage".
41.Under vampire terms they are officially married. What happens if one or the other changes their mind? Is there a vampire divorce?
Who knows, but I think the bond is to strong for them to change their minds. No matter how much one of them might want to distance themselves in order to keep the other one safe, they will always come back to each other.
42.I wondered what kind of child they would have but we learned that they can't have children the "traditional" way. Diana seems to be ok with this as their children can be "made". Do you think she will ever regret not bearing children? Will she become a vampire so that she can live as long as Matthew and the made children if there are any?
I'm not sure if she will ever regret not bearing children. She is such a historian that continuing a specific family line does not seem important to her. She seems stuck in the past rather than the present in this regard. I don't think she will become a vampire, but I can see how it would appeal to her since 100 years in the future she can say she actually witnessed part of history instead of learning about it second-hand.
43. Diana has been captured and we meet Satu. We have also learned that Gillian is dead. What did you think about this chapter and what do you think will happen next? Will she escape on her own using her powers or will Matthew come to the rescue and save her?
I think it is just another reason to hate the Congregation and shows that, although the Congregation says they do things for the good of all "creatures", they only have evil desires of their own to fulfill. I think she will find a way to save herself without revealing her powers and Matthew will show up in time that she can pretend he did it.
Mod
I assumed that Satu did a spell which had all the vampires go to sleep. she is obviously a powerful witch so I'm assuming this would have been relatively easy for her?
Chapters 30-3544.We meet a new member of Matthew's family with the introduction of Baldwin. I was surprised to learn Matthew wasn't the head of the family. What did you think of Baldwin?
Interesting dynamic between him and Matthew --- typical
"brothers" but with 1500 years of resentment :-D
I think that earlier in the book, it was mentioned that Matthew WAS the head of the family -- but I'm reading an audio book mostly so I couldn't find it.
45.Now it starts to make sense why Diana's magic has only just started to seep out of her. She has been spellbound! Do you think this was fair/right of her parents to do to her?
I think that they were doing it to protect her. Also, it seems like they know something of the future so they knew that they did it and everything works out, right??
46.When Satu took Diana she claimed that Matthew gave her his blood to kind of bind her to him. Do you think it is true? We know she spoke to truth about Matthew killing Gillian.
I'm sure that there is some grain of truth to it. Does this mean that really Diana is "drugged" into liking Matthew. This doesn't seem true given the prophecy of their wedding.
47.What is the significance of Marthes tea? She made Diana promise to have one cup per day and her aunts claimed it may have been a type of contraception. But why do you need that with a vampire? Why would Marthe forsee this was needed?
I think that the witches or the deamons may try to get Diana pregnant so that they can kidnap the child who they think would be even stronger than Diana, who is a product of two strong witches :-D
48.Matthew has seven letters sent to the Knights of Lazarus. we know two (Baldwin and Marcus). Any ideas on who the remaining five could be? Will they all be vampires?
I think since Lazarus is the name of the apostle who rose from the dead that all the members of Lazarus are vampires. Does Matthew have 2 more brothers?? I would think that there are other strong vampire families that we haven't met yet.
49.Baldwin provides a warning that the witches purposefully let Diana go (as a gambit). Do you agree?
Yes --- it seems odd for them to leave the castle unprotected. Maybe they already got her pregnant which was another purpose of the kidnapping.
50.I loved the Bishop house! All the ghosts, the house having a personality and the cat named Tabitha (why is that always a name in wicth stories?!). What were your impressions of the home?
I too loved the house and it's spectral occupants. It was hilarious when the Sarah ghost whispered about Marcus and a nice touch that he knew her. I also liked that we got the explanation of the last name.
51.Diana's father is a timewalker (and so is Diana!). Do you think we may meet her father in the future?
If by in the future, you mean the past :-D I think that Diana is going to time walk to the past and meet her father at some point.
52.So we discover that Matthew and Diana are connected somehow to the manuscript. Three missing pages and three types of creatures. Theories/predictions for how that page came to the Bishops and where the other pages are?
No ideas -- were Diana's parents friendly with other creatures --- we don't see evidence of that. We do know that they are not friendly with the covenant which would have been the likely organization to have them.
53.Conceptico! Ahh! What a shocking place to end this sections reading! Does that mean Diana and Matthew will have a baby??!!
It's not Matthew's baby ---- sadly.
Chapters 30-3544.We meet a new member of Matthew's family with the introduction of Baldwin. I was surprised to learn Matthew wasn't the head of the family. What did you think of Baldwin?
I didn't like him but at least it seemed like he wouldn't directly oppose Matthew at this time.
45.Now it starts to make sense why Diana's magic has only just started to seep out of her. She has been spellbound! Do you think this was fair/right of her parents to do to her?
All parents want to protect their children and her mother had a vision about it so she knew it wasn't going to hurt her in the long run.
46.When Satu took Diana she claimed that Matthew gave her his blood to kind of bind her to him. Do you think it is true? We know she spoke to truth about Matthew killing Gillian.
No, I think she manipulates facts to suit her own purposes. She keeps to mostly the truth so it is harder to detect a lie. Matthew was already destined to be with Diana so he didn't need his blood to bind her to him. Unless...maybe he thought he did need to because he fell in love with her so fast and was afraid she would not go near him. Neither of them knew about the vision at the time.
47.What is the significance of Marthes tea? She made Diana promise to have one cup per day and her aunts claimed it may have been a type of contraception. But why do you need that with a vampire? Why would Marthe forsee this was needed?
I think she knows something and there will be a baby somehow if Diana is not careful. I don't know if because of her strong magic, she can overcome the impotence of Matthew or if it will be something else.
48.Matthew has seven letters sent to the Knights of Lazarus. we know two (Baldwin and Marcus). Any ideas on who the remaining five could be? Will they all be vampires?
I have no clue who the others might go to, but I think they are all vampires.
49.Baldwin provides a warning that the witches purposefully let Diana go (as a gambit). Do you agree?
I didn't think so when I read the section, but the more I think about it, the more I start to agree with him. It seemed too easy to get her out of there.
50.I loved the Bishop house! All the ghosts, the house having a personality and the cat named Tabitha (why is that always a name in wicth stories?!). What were your impressions of the home?
I think it would be really cool to live in that house. I would wish I could see and talk to the ghosts though and not just have to deal with what the house does by itself.
51.Diana's father is a timewalker (and so is Diana!). Do you think we may meet her father in the future?
I think she may travel back in time just to see him, maybe not in this book, but in one of the upcoming books of the trilogy.
52.So we discover that Matthew and Diana are connected somehow to the manuscript. Three missing pages and three types of creatures. Theories/predictions for how that page came to the Bishops and where the other pages are?
I think one is going to be found with each type of creatures in a family that has been around for centuries. I also think that there are going to be three books in this trilogy, so one page will be found in each book. I have a bad feeling that the Congregation has been conspiring for years not to let those 3 pages get back together because it will end their reign of terror on the world.
53.Conceptico! Ahh! What a shocking place to end this sections reading! Does that mean Diana and Matthew will have a baby??!!
Very interesting to think about, but I don't think it will happen any time soon.
Today is our final section!!! I have a couple more chapters to read and then I will return with our last set of questions :)
@Karen ~ 8. I still can't visualise a vampire doing yoga and I do wonder if these creatures fart (as everyone else does in yoga classes)! I hadn't even thought of this,LOL
Mod
44. I thought they had said Matthew was the head too, so I was really surprised by Baldwin. You're right about 1500 years resentment! lol!
46. Maybe she was "drugged" in order to gain that initial trust? I hope they explore this more
47. Oh gross. Didn't even think of that as a possibility!
51. Yes... you know time is wibbly wobbly :)
53. Oh I so hope you're wrong. I didn't even consider that :(
Mod
46. Hmmm I tink you may be right
47. I'm so curious to know!
49. It was. I think they also wanted to prove that she could fly as there was no other way of escape
50. Yes it would be so weird to have a house being so independent!
52. Nice theory
@turtlecollector --52. I like this answer also -- I'm wondering if demons will take more of a role. Hamish was introduced but then...nothing re: him.
I'm not done yet....but I really hope it doesn't end on a cliff-hanger!!!
June 16 Chapters 36-4354.Marthe's tea ended up being a contraception of sorts. Everyone seemed to be upset about this.Marthe obviously knows something and was helping out in her own mysterious way. Matthew also instructed Diana to take normal birth control. Why is everyone upset about Marhte's tea? Do you think everything will change later in regards to contraception?What are your thoughts.
55.We were briefly told about Juliette earlier in the story. Did you think that she would impose as a threat and try to take Matthew's life? What did you think about her and her wicked ways?
56.Go Diana Go!!!!! Wow what a switch. Instead of being protected she suddenly became the protector. What awesome powers. What did you think about this scene and her reactions?
57.The question was asked in another section about ghosts. Well,at least we know that Diana can see them and the vampires can feel their presence. I just love Grandma. What are your thoughts about the ghosts and the house in this story?
58.Ok...this is getting interesting. We have 3 witches and 3 vampires that have joined forces. Now all of a sudden we have 3 daemons one of which we already met,Hamish. What did you think about Sophie and Nathaniel and their story?
59.Time travel...who would have thought. Do you think this is a wise and safe decision?
60.Awwwww!!!! How sweet.Did you like the little ceremony with the ring which made Diana and Matthew married in the eyes of the vampires as well as church law?
61.Although we know this book is the first of a trilogy the ending was a cliffhanger. Were you disappointed in the ending? Would you have rather it ended in some other way so that the book could have been a stand alone?
62.Will you continue on with the next book? What do you think will happen in the next book?
63.Whewwww!!! This book was long. Is there anything you would have changed about it? Shorten it?Less descriptive?Different writing style?
64.What is your rating for this book
65. We have answered lots of questions along the way and discussed different things about the book. Do you have any other thoughts or feelings about the book that you would like to share? Is there anything that you would like for us to discuss with you that wasn't touched upon in the questions?
I have really enjoyed this BR with all of you. It was nice reading all the answers to the questions and responding to them. It was a lot of fun and glad to have participated in this BR. If any of you continue on with the series I would love to hear your comments and reactions to it. You guys are awesome BUDDIES
OOOOPSSS!!! I just realized that I forgot to post my answers for the DQs for the 14th and 15th LOL I guess I got too interested in reading ☺
June 14 - Chapters 23-29Yes Karen I answered my own questions again LOL ☺
34. Wow! In this section we discovered what witchwater is. Water was expelled from all over her body. What are your thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages to this power? Does she have to be in a sad state and able to cry to use this power?
I was really taken by surprise by the witchwater. I really thought that she was going to drowned herself because I wasn't sure if Ysabeau and Marthe could save her. I guess she may could use this power to keep others away from her or possibly even to cause a flood or maybe hold onto someone and cause them to drowned. IDK.
35.At the end of Chapter 16 Matthew is staring at the print of The Goddess of the Hunt and reciting a poem. When Ysabeau and Diana go out to ride, Ysabeau allows Diana to watch her hunt and kill. During this excursion Ysabeau calls Diana "the goddess of the hunt" Is there some kind of connection or hint of something we are yet to understand or find out about Diana?
This goddess of the hunt thing left me puzzled and I am still wondering about it.
36.What are your thoughts and feelings about Matthews past(being married,a father,how he became a vampire)?
I really like Matthew. I was rather surprised to find out that during his human life he was a husband and a father. For some reason, I'm not sure if it is the bad boy in him, I just wasn't picturing him as being a "family man" in that capacity. But I LIKE IT!!!!
37.While Matthew was gone Diana went snooping through his desk. She found some things that she probably shouldn't have been messing with. What do you think Matthew's reactions will be to her when he finds out? Should she have been snooping?
If I were Matthew I would be rather upset. Matthew does keep a lot of secrets but I think it is for everyone's best interest at the time. Diana definitely should not be snooping in the belongings of others. When the time is right she will find out everything she needs to know.
38.Diana talked Matthew in to letting her go hunting with him. After the hunt,with blood still present around his mouth, he kissed her. What were your reactions to this?
I said "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" that is definitely gross.
39.Matthew warned Diana to be careful of his mother. Why?
Ysabeau can be rather charming. I also think that she can be quite unstable. I think that she really wants to like/love Diana but she is still holding that grudge against witches.
40.Diana and Matthew are now pronounced husband and wife(in a sense). I thought at this point we were going to finally see the "Sparks Fly" but instead we got bundling LOL Were you disappointed and what do you think about this?
I have read a lot of Amish books but have never heard of bundling. But then again there aren't any type of sex scenes in the Amish fiction books LOL I was a little disappointed because I really want to know how the fireworks and sparks are going to fly :)
41.Under vampire terms they are officially married. What happens if one or the other changes their mind? Is there a vampire divorce?
I guess they still have the option to leave one another at this point because really nothing is official. I guess divorce would mean that one of them would have to be killed by the other. IDK that was a strange thought I had when I wrote that question LOL
42.I wondered what kind of child they would have but we learned that they can't have children the "traditional" way. Diana seems to be ok with this as their children can be "made". Do you think she will ever regret not bearing children? Will she become a vampire so that she can live as long as Matthew and the made children if there are any?
Diana hasn't ever really mentioned having children but I would think at some point she would. I certainly hope she doesn't become a vampire BUT then again Matthew would be left on his own when Diana died. This is just a really strange relationship with the different traits between the creatures.
43. Diana has been captured and we meet Satu. We have also learned that Gillian is dead. What did you think about this chapter and what do you think will happen next? Will she escape on her own using her powers or will Matthew come to the rescue and save her?
Satu must be related to the Wicked Witch of the West. She was pure evil. I hope that she is found and put to death. I think Matthew will come and rescue her. I'm not sure Diana knows what to do to protect herself.
Mod
I will respond to your answers agin then ;)
34. Seems very biblical doesn't it?!
36. Lol he is a bad boy family man
38. Totally!
40. lol!
message 134:
by
Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado
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Jolene theory is still in the back of my mind here. What if the "badies" are trying to impregnate her to then steal her child? Otherwise I don't know why birth control is important seeing that she is only 'bundling'!lol!
55.We were briefly told about Juliette earlier in the story. Did you think that she would impose as a threat and try to take Matthew's life? What did you think about her and her wicked ways?
She was pretty scary. I wonder how many others like her are out there
56.Go Diana Go!!!!! Wow what a switch. Instead of being protected she suddenly became the protector. What awesome powers. What did you think about this scene and her reactions?
Finally! A part of me actually wanted Matthew to die as I thought that would make a really interesting stor of revenge and get Diana to grow up a bit. (Did I say I'm not very romantic??!!)
57.The question was asked in another section about ghosts. Well,at least we know that Diana can see them and the vampires can feel their presence. I just love Grandma. What are your thoughts about the ghosts and the house in this story?
I love them too. Strange that her parents aren't in the house though. A part of me thinks they are alive, or time-walked or something and we will see them again. The bit with Diana seeing them may have just been her own memories awakening. I'm just not convinced the parents are dead!
58.Ok...this is getting interesting. We have 3 witches and 3 vampires that have joined forces. Now all of a sudden we have 3 daemons one of which we already met,Hamish. What did you think about Sophie and Nathaniel and their story?
So interesting. Especially how she is from a witch family and having a baby to a daemon. Just goes to show it is possible
59.Time travel...who would have thought. Do you think this is a wise and safe decision?
It is the best place for them to be. I was surprised that when they went into the past they didn't see their old selves. So basically time walking in this book means over-riding the past which is actually abit dangerous. I wonder if she can go into the future too and what happens then when her present self catches up?
60.Awwwww!!!! How sweet.Did you like the little ceremony with the ring which made Diana and Matthew married in the eyes of the vampires as well as church law?
Ah, I'm sure all the romantics loved it
61.Although we know this book is the first of a trilogy the ending was a cliffhanger. Were you disappointed in the ending? Would you have rather it ended in some other way so that the book could have been a stand alone?
I liked it actually. But maybe because I was prepared for this being that kind of book
62.Will you continue on with the next book? What do you think will happen in the next book?
Yes, I'd like to. Should we do a buddy read in July or August?
63.Whewwww!!! This book was long. Is there anything you would have changed about it? Shorten it?Less descriptive?Different writing style?
I agree with alot of reviews I have seen that it could have been a few hundred pages shorter without ruining the story. But I also think she is setting up alot of threads for exploration in the next books
64.What is your rating for this book
3 stars. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I really enjoyed the historical aspect and the descriptions. Not so much Diana and the romance angle, but I'm hoping that will improve in the next book (I have been told her character is much better developed in the next one)
65. We have answered lots of questions along the way and discussed different things about the book. Do you have any other thoughts or feelings about the book that you would like to share? Is there anything that you would like for us to discuss with you that wasn't touched upon in the questions?
Thanks for sharing the DQ writing :)
I have really enjoyed this BR with all of you. It was nice reading all the answers to the questions and responding to them. It was a lot of fun and glad to have participated in this BR. If any of you continue on with the series I would love to hear your comments and reactions to it. You guys are awesome BUDDIES
Thanks, you too :)
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Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado
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To everyone for participating in this BR and to Robin for helping with the DQ writing.
If you are interested in doing a BR of book 2 let me know and we can set up in July or August?
Next BR I am doing is a change of pace -
We have started today and the thread is here if you are interested in joining.
In the meantime I look forward to seeing all your comments regarding the end of this book :)
June 15Chapters 30-35
44.We meet a new member of Matthew's family with the introduction of Baldwin. I was surprised to learn Matthew wasn't the head of the family. What did you think of Baldwin?
At first I didn't particularly care for Baldwin but it turned out to be just OK. I was surprised that Matthew wasn't head of the family too but we were also told that Baldwin was the father's favorite where as Matthew seems to be Ysabeau's favorite.
45.Now it starts to make sense why Diana's magic has only just started to seep out of her. She has been spellbound! Do you think this was fair/right of her parents to do to her?
Yes, because they obviously knew that there would be problems and they did it for her protection. What parent doesn't want to protect their children. What I do think was wrong was that her parents didn't tell anyone that she was spellbound but maybe that was for Diana's protection too.
46.When Satu took Diana she claimed that Matthew gave her his blood to kind of bind her to him. Do you think it is true? We know she spoke to truth about Matthew killing Gillian.
Yes, because of the scent of cloves that we discussed in the first section. I don't think her having his blood forced her to love him or to be drawn to him. That was already destined to happen. Satu was just grasping at straws so that she could possibly manipulate and weaken Diana's feelings towards Matthew.
47.What is the significance of Marthes tea? She made Diana promise to have one cup per day and her aunts claimed it may have been a type of contraception. But why do you need that with a vampire? Why would Marthe forsee this was needed?
Marthe may be old but she is a very brilliant woman/vampire. She could foresee things and evidently she knew there was a possibility that children could be conceived naturally rather than made.
48.Matthew has seven letters sent to the Knights of Lazarus. we know two (Baldwin and Marcus). Any ideas on who the remaining five could be? Will they all be vampires?
IDK. I am wondering if Hamish will be one.
49.Baldwin provides a warning that the witches purposefully let Diana go (as a gambit). Do you agree?
It is very possible. With the help of her parents (ghosts) it seemed rather easy for Diana to escape. If it what Baldwin said wasn't true, why weren't there witches on guard or around to stop the escape process.
50.I loved the Bishop house! All the ghosts, the house having a personality and the cat named Tabitha (why is that always a name in wicth stories?!). What were your impressions of the home?
I love it!!! HMMMMM...good question about Tabitha. Was there a famous witch named Tabitha or something?
51.Diana's father is a timewalker (and so is Diana!). Do you think we may meet her father in the future?
IDK...maybe in the next book.
52.So we discover that Matthew and Diana are connected somehow to the manuscript. Three missing pages and three types of creatures. Theories/predictions for how that page came to the Bishops and where the other pages are?
One page for each creature maybe.
53.Conceptico! Ahh! What a shocking place to end this sections reading! Does that mean Diana and Matthew will have a baby??!!
I doubt it especially if Diana keeps drinking Marthe's tea LOL
June 16 Chapters 36-4354.Marthe's tea ended up being a contraception of sorts. Everyone seemed to be upset about this.Marthe obviously knows something and was helping out in her own mysterious way. Matthew also instructed Diana to take normal birth control. Why is everyone upset about Marhte's tea? Do you think everything will change later in regards to contraception?What are your thoughts.
I think everyone is upset simply because they didn't know and Marthe didn't tell them. It seems that everyone has to know everything. Nothing can be a secret. I say phooeeeyyy on that LOL. I would like to see Matthew and Diana have a baby by means of natural conception. Would be interesting to see what powers the child would have and how it would look :)
55.We were briefly told about Juliette earlier in the story. Did you think that she would impose as a threat and try to take Matthew's life? What did you think about her and her wicked ways?
No, I didn't think she would impose as a threat. In fact I thought when she was first introduced that she was just a friend helping Matthew out where Marcus was concerned. Guess I got fooled. She was a little psycho and represented what we have always been told about vampires...being evil,mean, etc etc
56.Go Diana Go!!!!! Wow what a switch. Instead of being protected she suddenly became the protector. What awesome powers. What did you think about this scene and her reactions?
I really liked how Diana stepped up and used her powers in order to save and protect the one thing that means the most to her. I was very proud of her for summoning her powers and using them in a time of need/crisis.
57.The question was asked in another section about ghosts. Well,at least we know that Diana can see them and the vampires can feel their presence. I just love Grandma. What are your thoughts about the ghosts and the house in this story?
I just love Grandma!!! I like how she gives Diana that extra encouragement so that Diana can do what she needs to do.
The house is totally awesome. I like how it is capable of taking charge of situations and bringing to light what is important that the inhabitants have seemed to toss away.
58.Ok...this is getting interesting. We have 3 witches and 3 vampires that have joined forces. Now all of a sudden we have 3 daemons one of which we already met,Hamish. What did you think about Sophie and Nathaniel and their story?
At first I was a little leery of them but I really like Nathaniel and Sophie. Especially since we know that Sophie is a witch and having a daemon baby. I would like to know more about them especially the baby. Maybe in the next book or the one after?
59.Time travel...who would have thought. Do you think this is a wise and safe decision?
I'm thinking that this may be a little dangerous. Shouldn't they have seen their old selves? Maybe this is what's best for them.
60.Awwwww!!!! How sweet.Did you like the little ceremony with the ring which made Diana and Matthew married in the eyes of the vampires as well as church law?
I wasn't expecting this scene at all but rather enjoyed it :)
61.Although we know this book is the first of a trilogy the ending was a cliffhanger. Were you disappointed in the ending? Would you have rather it ended in some other way so that the book could have been a stand alone?
I wasn't disappointed in the ending knowing that there is a continuation of the story. I can see where this could be a disappointment for others.
62.Will you continue on with the next book? What do you think will happen in the next book?
Yes, I will continue on with the next book. There are a few loose ends that need to be wrapped up so there are many avenues that the next book could take.
63.Whewwww!!! This book was long. Is there anything you would have changed about it? Shorten it?Less descriptive?Different writing style?
This book could definitely have been shorter without ruining the story. Some things were repetitive and some of the descriptions could have been shortened or eliminated.
64.What is your rating for this book
I will definitely give this book a solid 3 stars maybe 3 1/2. I really enjoyed it but didn't love it. I wish Marthe would have been a little more developed and more of her past revealed. For some reason I really liked her.
65. We have answered lots of questions along the way and discussed different things about the book. Do you have any other thoughts or feelings about the book that you would like to share? Is there anything that you would like for us to discuss with you that wasn't touched upon in the questions?
LOL well we talked a little about this before...we have witches,vamps,daemons and ghosts but still no weres. Do you think we might see weres in the upcoming books?
I have really enjoyed this BR with all of you. It was nice reading all the answers to the questions and responding to them. It was a lot of fun and glad to have participated in this BR. If any of you continue on with the series I would love to hear your comments and reactions to it. You guys are awesome BUDDIES
@ Karen 54. Yeah Jolene might be right. LOL at the bundling. That is the strangest thing I have heard and surprised that I've never heard of it before. Maybe I have but it was called something else. Think I might google that and see what I find ☺
55. There are probably more "Scary Sherry's" out there we just haven't met them yet. :(
56. OHHH MYYY!!! What a story that would be if Matthew died. Diana would be so lost.
57. Something with Diana's parents just isn't settling well with me and I can't figure out what it is....THEY ARE ALIVE????
62. I wouldn't mind doing a BR on the next book in July or August :) I just have to get my hands on it first! I don't think I want to wait too long though to read the next ones as there is just too much info from the first one to try to remember LOL
63. I agree. Usually the first book of a series is where all the world building/characters/plot building is established.
64. I'm with you on this one. I liked/enjoyed it but I didn't per se love it. I am glad to finally have this door stopper off my TBR :)
65. You are more than welcome!!! Glad that I was able to help you out.
Karen wrote: "To everyone for participating in this BR and to Robyn for helping with the DQ writing.
If you are interested in doing a BR of book 2 let me know and we can set up in July or August?
Next BR..."
Thanks to Karen and Robin --- I still have about 4 chapters left, but will probably finish it tonight....although my DH and I just started Game of Thrones Season 3 last night (we like to binge TV watch), so there is some competition for my time :-D
I want to read Eleanor and Park --- heard it's wonderful, but I have a F2F bookclub book AND I really want to read The Passage (which I'm behind on.
I would be interested in doing the 2nd book ....do we know when the 3rd one will be out? Maybe we can space between so we don't forget :-D
June 16 Chapters 36-4354.Marthe's tea ended up being a contraception of sorts. Everyone seemed to be upset about this. Marthe obviously knows something and was helping out in her own mysterious way. Matthew also instructed Diana to take normal birth control. Why is everyone upset about Marhte's tea? Do you think everything will change later in regards to contraception? What are your thoughts.
Not sure why everyone gets upset if they think vampires can't have children anyway. Maybe just because she did it without telling anyone. I think eventually if the 'war' turns out OK, thy might consider trying to have a child.
55.We were briefly told about Juliette earlier in the story. Did you think that she would impose as a threat and try to take Matthew's life? What did you think about her and her wicked ways?
We were told about her before? I must have zoned that out. I didn't like her and how she was studying Diana to see if she could get Matthew to respond to her. I was glad she was destroyed but sorry that Diana had to be the one who did it.
56.Go Diana Go!!!!! Wow what a switch. Instead of being protected she suddenly became the protector. What awesome powers. What did you think about this scene and her reactions?
I am afraid of what she has to give up in the future with the deal she made. It was cool to see her fighting spirit overcome the fear, but she really does need to learn how to control her powers without getting angry. I did think the scene might have been a bit overdramatic, but it fits with the book and the lack of control over her emotions she had earlier.
57.The question was asked in another section about ghosts. Well,at least we know that Diana can see them and the vampires can feel their presence. I just love Grandma. What are your thoughts about the ghosts and the house in this story?
It would be hard to be stuck waiting in the same place. The last line of the book says it all for the ghosts: "What will we do now? Diana's grandmother asked. What we've always done, Joanna, Bridget replied. Remember the past--and await the future." I think it was cool that the house is a character in itself.
58.Ok...this is getting interesting. We have 3 witches and 3 vampires that have joined forces. Now all of a sudden we have 3 daemons one of which we already met,Hamish. What did you think about Sophie and Nathaniel and their story?
I found it odd that a member of the Congregation would send someone there. At first, I thought they would be trying to infiltrate the 'rebellion'. Later though I got the impression that it was a mother and grandmother trying to protect her family. I think there is a bit of disagreement and seed of doubt forming in the Congregation. Hopefully that will help Diana and Matthew in the future.
59.Time travel...who would have thought. Do you think this is a wise and safe decision?
Probably the only thing they could do right now. Since timewalking is a rare power, this is the best way to get Diana away from the immediate clutches of the Congregation.
60.Awwwww!!!! How sweet.Did you like the little ceremony with the ring which made Diana and Matthew married in the eyes of the vampires as well as church law?
Yep. I really liked that scene, even the part where he still seemed uncertain after it.
61.Although we know this book is the first of a trilogy the ending was a cliffhanger. Were you disappointed in the ending? Would you have rather it ended in some other way so that the book could have been a stand alone?
I think of a cliffhanger as being an abrupt stop in the action so that you have to continue to see how it turns out. This book doesn't really seem to end at a cliffhanger for me, just the end of one phase and the next book will start the next phase of the story. If it had ended with Diana and Matthew getting off course and landing in the middle of a battlefield full of stomping horses, then it would have ended with a cliffhanger.
62.Will you continue on with the next book? What do you think will happen in the next book?
I will definitely read the next book, but it may be a few weeks. I think the next book is going to be Diana getting her powers under control and finding the next missing page of the book.
63.Whewwww!!! This book was long. Is there anything you would have changed about it? Shorten it?Less descriptive?Different writing style?
64.What is your rating for this book
4 stars
65. We have answered lots of questions along the way and discussed different things about the book. Do you have any other thoughts or feelings about the book that you would like to share? Is there anything that you would like for us to discuss with you that wasn't touched upon in the questions?
Mod
44. Yes I think you are right
46. Ahhh the cloves!
50. Tabitha was Samantha's daughter in Bewitched and also the name of the cat in another book I've forgotten..lol
54. The baby would be interesting but it is all a bit too Twilight for me!
57. Yes I really like how the house keeps what is needed for the future too. Reminds me of the TARDIS
Mod
Mod
Book 2
I have created a thread for the BR here. If you're interested please stop in on that thread and let's try and work out a date that suits everyone
I'll be finishing up in the next day or two. I'll probably join in on the next book, and Karen I'll see you at the Eleanor & Park discussion as well. I better get reading! :)34. I don't think the witchwater is solely tied to grief. I imagine it more like a response to the water in her tears, and that she could create witchwater near any source of water. This just happened to come out in response to her extreme emotional state.
35. The Diana mythology is very prevalent in this book. I'm curious to see where it will lead, if anywhere. I hope it hasn't all been in vain.
36. It's very honest on the author's part to give Matthew a full history. As Diana says, when you've lived that long you couldn't possibly have not loved or been loved in that time. I like knowing that he had these other lives.
37. She was being very sneaky, and for someone who seems to be holding a bit of a grudge against Matthew for holding onto secrets, she's doing a fair bit of that herself!
38. Yuck. Just...no.
39. I think Ysabeau isn't entirely to be trusted, but I'd like to know what in their past makes Matthew so sure of this. What kinds of dangerous/cruel things has he witnessed her do?
40. I was a little disappointed, but I think the tension build up is pretty great too. :)
41. Very good question! I think we're to assume it's just a for-life thing that they can't renege on.
42. She hinted that she never felt that strongly about marriage, and seems okay with the no children thing. I think more than anything she just wants to be with Matthew no matter the conditions involved. Family is who you make it to be.
43. I really liked the fairy tale memory with Diana's mom. Was that an actual memory or a vision? Did her mother envision this happening so long ago? Very intriguing.
June 16 Chapters 36-43Dang it -- GR didn't save my answers the first time :-(
54.Marthe's tea ended up being a contraception of sorts. Everyone seemed to be upset about this.Marthe obviously knows something and was helping out in her own mysterious way. Matthew also instructed Diana to take normal birth control. Why is everyone upset about Marhte's tea? Do you think everything will change later in regards to contraception?What are your thoughts.
I thought it was odd that Diana was the least upset and she was the one being given the drugs. Not sure why the back-up was needed unless Matthew thought the tea would run out.
55.We were briefly told about Juliette earlier in the story. Did you think that she would impose as a threat and try to take Matthew's life? What did you think about her and her wicked ways?
I thought she was sad and clearly mentally ill from the treatment by Gerbert which destroyed her personality. I'm not sure why it was Matthew's "fault" though --- or maybe it was his dumping her that really unhinged her since Gerbert made her primary purpose to be his "mate".
56.Go Diana Go!!!!! Wow what a switch. Instead of being protected she suddenly became the protector. What awesome powers. What did you think about this scene and her reactions?
I thought it was awesome. It was not really surprising since her powers manifest when she really needs something.
57.The question was asked in another section about ghosts. Well,at least we know that Diana can see them and the vampires can feel their presence. I just love Grandma. What are your thoughts about the ghosts and the house in this story?
I loved all the ghosts but I did find it a bit strange that earlier in the book it talks about Diana's lonely childhood after her parents death. With a house full of ghosts, it seems hard to be lonely. It was a good device for filling in back story as well as providing comic relief.
The house became another character. I'm having house guests next week and certainly wish that my house could add a guest room for their arrival.
58.Ok...this is getting interesting. We have 3 witches and 3 vampires that have joined forces. Now all of a sudden we have 3 daemons one of which we already met,Hamish. What did you think about Sophie and Nathaniel and their story?
At first I thought it was very random. I didn't think that Agatha was on the "good" side so her sending her son seemed very odd. Then I thought the present was going to be another page --- did anyone else? I still think that they were a bit too trusting of them, but I think Sophie's southern charm won them over.
59.Time travel...who would have thought. Do you think this is a wise and safe decision?
Yes -- in a world of limited options --- hiding in time seems like a good idea. Diana has done it so the act is safe for her. Of course, the time and place that they go back to will have it's own dangers.
60.Awwwww!!!! How sweet.Did you like the little ceremony with the ring which made Diana and Matthew married in the eyes of the vampires as well as church law?
It was a nice touch.
61.Although we know this book is the first of a trilogy the ending was a cliffhanger. Were you disappointed in the ending? Would you have rather it ended in some other way so that the book could have been a stand alone?
No, I thought it was an excellent stopping point in the story. I would have been irritated if it ended with Juliet's attack. Given the breadth of the story, I'm not sure if you could end it with a completely self-contained story.
62.Will you continue on with the next book? What do you think will happen in the next book?
Yes, I will definitely continue. I'm not sure when though because I want to be able to remember for the 3rd book --- which doesn't seem to have a publication date. According to the author's website, she hasn't finished it (but there was no date on that post). I don't want to forget everything between books.
63.Whewwww!!! This book was long. Is there anything you would have changed about it? Shorten it?Less descriptive?Different writing style?
Nope, I really liked the description and the historical detail -- but historical fiction is one of my favorite genres.
64.What is your rating for this book.
A solid 4, maybe even 4.5. It was really good.
65. We have answered lots of questions along the way and discussed different things about the book. Do you have any other thoughts or feelings about the book that you would like to share? Is there anything that you would like for us to discuss with you that wasn't touched upon in the questions?
I think you guys did a great job with the questions. Here are some other things that I was wondering:
* The arrival of Hamish -- he didn't really seem to like Diana. Do you think he's evil or maybe just jealous?
* What did you think of all the vampires having a medical background?
* What did you think about the aftermath of the Juliet attack? Did you think that Matthew would die or that Juliet would be turned into a vampire?
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Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado
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- Hamish : Hmmm.. I thought he was jealous. He had quite a special relatuionship with Matthew and perhaps saw her as taking that away in part. Also he may see her as a threat in general to Matthew as she is (or will be) a powerful witch
- Vampires: It made sense to me that they would study the human body. And convenient for the story..lol
- Juliet attack : For a minute there I thought Matthew had died, and I actually liked that as an unexpected twist in the story and then Diana could have gone on for revenge. But also not unhappy he is still around as I did like him depsite his posessiveness. I did think they were turning Diana into a vampire and I was a bit annoyed by the "twilight" aspect of that, so was VERY happy when that didn't happen and Matthew said it never would. I think the story works becuse it is about prejudices and differences and so it would completely ruin it for me if one, or the other, had to change in order to stay together.
The 3rd book probably is a while off, but I figure if I read the second sometime soon it will cement the story better in my mind. Also the benefit of these BRs is that when the 3rd is released I can go back and look at what we wrote and remind myself of what happened in the book :)
44. Baldwin seemed like an unnecessary new character to introduce so late in the story. I had a hard time following the number of sons and which order they were. Matthew is Ysabeau's, but not Phillippe's, is that right? It makes me wonder why Matthew was given the Knights then.45. I think it makes sense. They were already having a hard time keeping her power under control, and spellbinding her would keep her under the radar.
46. Poor Diana learned a lot of nasty things from Satu!
47. That seemed weird to me too. And seriously, are they ever going to consummate this thing?! :)
48. That's a good question. I had assumed they would all be vampires, but maybe he has some daemons in there too.
49. Yes, it seemed too easy for her to get out of there. The witches just left her completely unguarded!
50. It seemed like such a warm and friendly place in spite of the ghosts and house behavior. I love that the house has such a personality!
51. That would be really cool! I hope we get to see some time travel in this series.
52. I keep thinking we read something else about Israel earlier, but maybe I'm just thinking of the Crusades. At this point I'm thinking maybe Stephen went back in time to be a part of the Congregation in the early days of Ashmole. They all decided to split up the key pages of the recipe and he sent them to the future. I'm sure this is totally wrong, but it's fun to contemplate!
53. I hope they have a super baby. That would be really cool - as long as it doesn't turn out like Renesmee.
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44. I'm not sure either! I think Ysabeau made Matthew, and so because Phillippe was married to her he became Matthew's "father"
47. lol! we want sparks!
52. Oh I lkike your theory!
53. lol
54. I think the fear of conceiving is justified - they really don't know what will happen. Marthe was just being cautious I think.55. I didn't remember Juliette from earlier in the story, despite this being a book I actually paid close attention to.
56. FINALLY she's kicking some butt! lol
57. I liked the reveal at the end about the crone being Bridget Bishop.
58. Sophie seemed very odd to me. I couldn't quite get a handle on her. Too spacey I guess. And Nathaniel just seemed like another alpha male in the pot.
59. I was a little nervous, but once Diana started practicing, I just got excited. Elizabethan England!!
60. That was very sweet, but was I the only person who worried about Diana taking something so valuable back in time? Won't it get stolen immediately?
61. I have to admit that the last third of this book was not nearly as interesting to me. It felt so much like a long, dragged out setup. Other than Diana's kidnapping, nothing happened, and that was a big disappointment.
62. Definitely will keep reading. I love time travel!
63. The writing was a bit distant to me. I felt like I was reading Diana's emotions through a glass of water or something. Nothing felt urgent to me. But the story was interesting and I like the mystery of Ashmole.
64. 4 stars
65. I can't wait for the next buddy read!
Sorry I'm so far behind. Real life and books that had to be returned got in my way. I've finished chapter 14 today. Will answer questions later tonight and then keep reading
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England (other topics)Shadow of Night (other topics)
Eleanor & Park (other topics)
Shakespeare: The World as Stage (other topics)
The Vampire Lestat (other topics)
More...
25. Not alot of action in this section, but we get to meet Ysabeau and Marthe and explore that amazing home! I was wondering about Marthe... she remains a servant and her hands are described as old and wrinkled. I wonder why someone would want to live forever as an aged servant. I hope we get to find out more about her. First impressions of this very unusual family?
I really like this family. I am not sure about Marthe and how she became part of the family. I kept waiting for it to come out that Ysabeau and Marthe were partners LOL.
26.I am finding Diana more and more childlike, and Matthew is taking on a parental role with her (telling her she has to eat before going to sleep, buying her clothes, dictating when she is to wear them etc.). Have your impressions of either of these characters changed?
I have become quite fond of Matthew but Diana is jumping around on my last nerve a little bit. She has become quite childish in her conversations and actions with others. I'm not sure if it is because of the changes within herself that is causing it or because she knows it doesn't matter how she acts/reacts she has a protector.
27.I googled Occitan and it is a romance language spoken in southern France. Do you think they speak in this language out of habit, or in order to preclude Diana from certain conversations?
I think it is a little of both. At this point in time there are probably some things she doesn't need to know about because of the way she will react which could only lead to more difficulties. She doesn't have the control over her powers yet that she most definitely needs.
28. The description of the library was amazing. If you had access to something like that, what book would you love to see? Personally I'd love to see original manuscripts of some of my favourite books from Tolstoy or the Bronte sisters.
I don't know that there are any particular books I would like to see besides the thousands of books sitting in the bookstores that I can't afford to buy :)
29. Diana has started having vivid dreams and visions. I had to re-read the visions a few times as they seem to be past events, but with Matthew in them. What are your thoughts? Are these past or future images?
I want to say that they are in the past but I'm wondering if Diana and Matthew were not linked somehow in "another life"
30. Ysabeau (pronounced ee zah BOH) seems to be warming to Diana and at one point during the dance scene says to Matthew "be careful with her". Was that just a warning about their dancing or something more?
I believe it was something more in regards to their forbidden relationship.
31. There have been a few references to a literary Queen Diana, and then in the manuscript Diana reads we get a bit of detail about the Moon Queen and the Sun King. I can't help but wonder if this is all connected somehow with Diana and Matthew. Do you get the feeling they have a spiritual/past world/supernatural connection?
Yes I think they are/were connected from a past life. I started thinking about this on the very last page of Chapter 16 when Matthew was looking at the print of the goddess of the hunt and thinking about the lines of the poem. He then went in to Diana and she was mumbling words to him. Kind of eerie....
32. I had a bit of a laugh at the almost sex scene recalling Kristin's comment about if it would be possible for Diana to set Matthew alight accidentally! Are you (still) enjoying the romance angle? Would you like to see them stay together?
Yes, the romance is still working for me but I just wish it would escalate to the next level so we can hear him growl and purrr while the sparks are flying ☺
33. Domenico's introduction reminded me a bit of Twilight when Edward tries to protect Bella from other vampires (just from the movie, I have never actually read the books). What are your thoughts on this scene and Matthew's quick get-away? He keeps saying Diana has "a lot to learn about vampires". I think we do too!
Domenico fits the description of what we have always thought vampires should be. He has that touch of evilness that gives us that jolt of scariness. Yes, it was kind of like Twilight where the "good" vamp jumps in to save the girl. I think we have a lot to learn also because all these creatures seem to be very unpredictable and unstable LOL
Sorry I am late getting these answered but for some reason this section just kind of bogged me down a little and wasn't holding my interest. I've already started reading the next section and seems to be picking up again.