A Discovery of Witches
discussion
Should I Bother with the Next One?
Skip it. Read something really good instead. X
I enjoyed the second one because they time travel to Elizabethan England and meet people like Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare. And Deborah takes some lessons in witchery.
I really do love this series and don't see it as a rehash of Twilight. For one thing the main thing that got people to hate Twilight was the movie but if you read the books they are really good except for a few writing issues. What I'm trying to say is that don't see this book as being part of that Twilight era, this book is more sophisticated and interesting which provides a very different type of story which I think any kind of reader can appreciate. I do recommend reading the second one because it really is interesting how the writer is able to take these characters to Elizabethan England and have them meet important historical figures.
I'm really hoping the second one is a lot better than the first one...
Jo wrote: "I'm really hoping the second one is a lot better than the first one..."LOL. I just couldn't handle the repetitious romance elements or vampires smelling like caramel and cloves.
I loved the first book, the second one was ok just not as good as book one I thought. I am looking forward to the third book, out in July, which is back in the present.
I was disappointed with the ssecond. I found the second book boring because of all the name dropping and little in the way of historical significance. I disliked her use of favors to describe emotional states. I did like the first book a great deal so I will try the third and hope for the best. Maybe the present tense will be more agreeable. Good Luck
Andrew Michael wrote: "It seems to me that there are two camps as regards this book. There are the people who just love it through and through and are die hard fans. That's not me. Then there are people (like me) who w..."
I'm in the camp that I was happy at the end of book 1....book 2 was a slog. BUT more and more I'm finding series seem to suffer from what I call "secondbookitis" -- over and over I keep the second book in a series just fall way below book 1 -- like Emma Jane Holloway's niece of Sherlock Holmes series. Book 1 was awesome -- book 2 with the creepy chuckie like doll and all the pseudo hokie paranormal and how dark it was just didn't do it for me. Book 3 though WOW! Awesome. I understand this series has a book 3 -- so I'll read it just to see if my theory holds.
I'd say go for it -- but keep an open mind that it probably won't read as well as book 1
Regan wrote: "Andrew Michael wrote: "It seems to me that there are two camps as regards this book. There are the people who just love it through and through and are die hard fans. That's not me. Then there are..."
And for that matter, Child's Play was awesome and the rest of the Chuckie movies had second, third and fourthmovieitis.
Regan wrote: "Andrew Michael wrote: "It seems to me that there are two camps as regards this book. There are the people who just love it through and through and are die hard fans. That's not me. Then there are..."
I agree with you on that particular series. A Study in Silks was great but the second had what you call Secondbookitis and what I call 'The Empire Strikes Back Effect'. It seems like a lot of second books in trilogies (or movies) serve as a segue to the third novels. They provide a lot of information mixed in with a little bit of action and basically serve as a transition to the exciting third segment conclusion.
No, save your money and buy something else. Loved the first one . Slept through the second.
Andrew Michael wrote: "Jo wrote: "I'm really hoping the second one is a lot better than the first one..."LOL. I just couldn't handle the repetitious romance elements or vampires smelling like caramel and cloves."
I REALLY don't like the smell of cloves... maybe I subconsciously put myself off! I just know that now I have started this trilogy I will have to finish it.. else I feel defeated by a book!
There is a bit of fantasy in the book and perhaps it could of been shorter, two books rather than 3 but even with all that said I did love the books. I actually liked book 2 better than book 1 as it had more of the love story that interested me. I think the books offer something for both the young (fantasy, action, time travel) and the more mature audience (the timeless love story between Matthew and Diana, the forbidden love between people of difference whether it be vampire and witch or people of different cultures, religion, or color). The story of merging families of difference together, over coming obstacles for love is a timeless theme.
As for part three, I don't think you could read part 1 and 2 without knowing how it ends. So definitely go read part three when it comes out, and if you don't like vampires and witches then just think of them as a love story about people of different cultures. The vampires and witches theme just keeps the young reader interested. And the historical context it's imparting is also captivating. It's definitely worth a read.
I've decided to bite the bullet and read the 2nd..the thought of being defeated made me do it..I'm collecting it from the library so if it's just as bad as the 1st for me, I won't have wasted money at least..just a few hours!
Jo wrote: "I've decided to bite the bullet and read the 2nd..the thought of being defeated made me do it..I'm collecting it from the library so if it's just as bad as the 1st for me, I won't have wasted money..."Might I suggest taking the audio book out of the library like I did, it goes very fast that way and the reader can make it very interesting.
Brizo wrote: "Might I suggest taking the audio book out of the library like I did, it goes very fast that way and the reader can make it very interesting. "That sounds like a plan - I may just do that!
Although, if there is one more reference to vampires smelling like cloves I may go bonkers..
I could run through quicksand faster than reading this series. This is a boring read!
We all have different tastes in what we enjoy to read, why not give it a try and see if you like it, if you don't then don't bother finishing it. At least you were able to give it a chance.
Felix wrote: "I could run through quicksand faster than reading this series. This is a boring read!"Had to laugh at your comment, personaly I thought the first book was good or at least ok, but the second book was so very as low that I could not even get half way through it.
Skip it! I read the first one and I hated it. I won't be reading the other two
I couldn't finish this book...
Enjoyed both books on audio book and can't wait for the third! Have not read Twilight, so I can't appreciate any negative comparison. From the snippets that I have caught online, the third book seems very intense!
It wasn't easy to get into, but I enjoyed this book. The second book I have made 2 attempts at and still haven't finished. It's so heavy in details of secret society and history that it bogs down the story line. I was 83 pages in and nothing had yet happened. I'm all for historical novels, but this just moves too slow. I might try again if the reviews for the 3rd book are better, but right now there are too many other books to read to spend my time battling this one. I might take up the suggestion of getting the audio book and trying it that way.
Hmm. Apparently there are two camps!I enjoyed it. A lot, actually. And I'm kind of the opposite of the OP; I was doubtful until I really got well into it, and then I really started to appreciate the writing. I ended up giving it five stars and have no doubt I'll reread it at some point.
(I should point out, though, that it was NOT the romance that did it for me.)
I really liked the 2nd one, too. YMMV, apparently.
I tolerated the first. I started the second out of curiosity. I gave up about half way through. Meh.
I've finished the second one after all - not much mention of vampires smelling of cloves in this one, and there seemed to be a bit more going on... seemed a little better than the first but only because of characters actually DOING something rather than talking etc... will have to read the third now..
The preview of the third book posted on Deborah's website is well worth reading. I've been anxiously awaiting the third book to see what threads were pulled in the 1600's that have an impact on the modern world.
Have to admit, so far out of these books the only thing I did NOT see coming was the manuscript itself they were looking for and what it was/contained... hope the third has some more 'I did NOT see that coming' moments
Andrew Michael wrote: "It seems to me that there are two camps as regards this book. There are the people who just love it through and through and are die hard fans. That's not me. Then there are people (like me) who w..."
Absolutely, read the second book of the trilogy. The third book comes out in July. The audios are fantastic and narrated by Jennifer Ikeda - wonderful voice!
Well I'm in the camp that loves this series, and can't wait for the third book to come out.
The first book was hard to get into, but the second book to me is much better. Can't wait for the third one.
no, sorry to say the second one dragged on, won't read the third. Did enjoy the first book
I hope the 3rd book is better than the 2nd.
Counting down the days!
I think I'll have my friend read it first and if she says it's worth it than I will download it. I was disappointed with the 2nd book.
Well, the thing is, if I listen on Audible and don't like it, I can just exchange it. You know, they give you a year to do that. I think I will give it a whirl. I really did enjoy the first book sans the Romance part...meaning, the repetitious display of maudlin sentimentality.
*** SPOILERS!!!!*******Personally I enjoyed the 1st 2 books (Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night) and I have re-read them several times. I do not think they are like Twilight. I did not care for Twilight at all. I gave the set away to someone I knew who did love it so I did a good thing. I gave it to someone who liked it whereas I did not. I am waiting for the third book titles Book of Life- on Tuesday to come out. I enjoyed the 2nd book Shadow of Night because it gave a historical viewpoint as well as introduced us to other important characters which provide tension to make the story interesting. It is basically about the Origin of Man or in this case the origin of witches, vampire and daemons. The rulers of the witches, vampires and daemons is the Congregation composed of 3 of witches, vampires and daemons totally 9 members. In the Shadow of Night those who are, in a sense, against the Congregation are known as the Conventicle. Also to make this to me even more interesting- 2 daemons give birth to a witch that is against all the rules. Of course the Congregation wants the child- this of course is not going to happen without a fight. Also I want to mention that when Matthew and Diana did get their hands on Ashmole 782, it had a particular odor to it- The book is made from the skin of witches vampires and daemons and is sewn together with hair. The Congregation is not against killing to get the book which has not been seen in hundreds of years. They are hunting Diana because she was successful in calling it. With her not knowing what it was.
The titles of the books are interesting to be because it gives a major clue about the book. In Discovery of Witches, Diana is discovering herself after many years of denying her heritage as the last Bishop witch.
Shadow of Night is when Matthew and Diana escape though time for several purposes-1 for Diana to learn about her witch craft and she discovers a special sort of witch who is very powerful- another reason why the congregation wants her, 2- to go back where not one knows them to find Ashmole 782 and 3- she meets and learns about Matthew’s family and helps him make peace with a few issues he has.
I would whole-heartily recommend these books. On Tuesday July 15 the last book will be out and those who have not read the All Souls Trilogy can read one after the other. They do have a historical flavor in them especially Shadow of Night which I found enchanting. But all in all- to each their own. What one likes another may not and that is what makes the world go round.
I loved the first book. It has been 2 years since Ive had the second book and I'm still only on chapter four. Every time I pick it up, I force myself to read. I just cannot do it. Snooze-fest.
" The first book started out interesting & ended boring. The second book was so confusing I barely finished it. The third book was about the trials of giving birth & very little else...Why did i ever continue this series?l
Bother with it. DO bother with it. I thought it was a great finale.
In my opinion: skip it! I read "A discovery of witches", and though I found aspects of the plot and story interesting my feelings were still ambivalent, so I decided to give the Shadow of Night a chance. I started the book, and forced myself a quarter into the book before my annoyance of the book got the best of me and I gave up.
I have a hard time putting my finger on what exactly I disliked so much, but I definitely would not recommend the book unless you really liked the first installment in the series.
Excellent series, enjoyed all three books. The last installment bothered me a little, with its dangling "threads" suggesting more to come. Some of my favourite characters were not fully dealt with, but I would love to revisit this world with Gallowglass!! I enjoyed it on audiobook, the narration was fantastic.
I agree Michelle. To me there were some dangling ends. I asked Deborah Harkness about - if there were going to be ay more books because there was not any closure regarding some issues and she said it was meant to have dangling ends. Maybe now she does not want to write anymore for now. But I am hoping she will change her mind later. With these "openings" she has left herself a space to continue or if she does not then it is what it is. I like you am hoping she writes more about the Matthew, Diana, the kids and others characters. To me, the book did not end with a finality. It left you wondering- but maybe that was her intent. I hope not.
Lynne, it's not that I don't mind the dangling ends. I view a novel as a snapshot in time, it tells the tale of the moments and the character continue to live on. That's what keeps me thinking about books long after I've read them. What I don't care for is the introduction of new characters that are important to the plot line, near the end of the book or series, who are then not dealt with properly. And I just love Gallowglass, so of course, I want more tales of his travels! I truly love Deborah Harkness' writing style and would love to read more from her.
I agree the introduction of new characters at the end is just too much like too much teasing. Then, when I said there were loose ends- she said there were meant to be loose ends. This still leads me to think that there may be another book in the works in the future based on some of these characters- but just not now. I love Deborah Harkness style of writing. I loved her All Souls Trilogy. I just want more because I feel I was just left hanging.
Elektra wrote: "I really do love this series and don't see it as a rehash of Twilight. For one thing the main thing that got people to hate Twilight was the movie but if you read the books they are really good exc..."I agree, the only thing All Souls Trilogy has in common with Twilight is the super natural aspect. If you want to lump it all together then you're saying Dracula,and the Anne Rice Vampire Tales are all Twilight related.... That's not fair. You have to give each new author a chance, this is why I have not published my book yet. I don't want to be lumped in there, like I'm riding someone's coat tails to glory.
I read the second one because I did really enjoy the first. Then I was left in boredom. I am not the type of person to get really excited at how they 'changed' history. Or with the society of the past. The manipulation games bored me. So I would say skip it.
I say the second and third are definitely worth reading! I wasn't a crazy fan of the first (I also thought it was a bit cheesy) but finishing the series is so worth it. I'm a huge fan of it now! You can read more of my thoughts on the trilogy on my blog: Top Shelf Text. I've copied the link to the specific post below:http://topshelftext.blogspot.com/2014...
I thought the second one gave a good flavor of that time period which Matthew and Diana went too. It explain a lot without hitting you over the head with the information. It gave a lot of background. We got to met Phillip and how he ran his kingdom. As far as dangling ends- well hopefully these ends will be tied up with a sub sort of series which kind of piggybacks on the All Souls Trilogy. I loved how we got a glimpse of Gallowglass and his sort of background. How Jack was brought into the story. How Father (King) of London ties in and he was brought into the last book. I too enjoy Deborah Harkness style of writing. I do want to know more about Matthew, Diana, their children, Jack, Gallowglass, Ysbeau, Marthe and others. I believe a new story is looming in the future. I am hoping Deborah will write it.
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Then there are people (like me) who were going along pretty happy until about the half way mark where the whole thing degrades into a Twilight rehash.
So, all that said, I really did like the first half and today I was going along and thinking how nice it would be to read the second book if there was some of that first half flavor in there. But I don't want to waste my time of its going to be "Edward Strikes Again."
So, what do you think? Second volume or skip it?