by Matthew Hopkins

This is an account by a witchfinder not so much of his history but to answer questions and concerns among the authorities of his time.

Within his answers are details about methods for recognising witches and how to tell the difference between ordinary anomalies like marks on the skin and unusual ones that indicate a pact with the Devil.

Reading his explanations reminded me of some of the least logical troll discussions I've seen on line. I'm sure it all made perfect sense to Hopkins, but as we all know, witchfinders tended to have their own agenda and much of it was based either on greed, lust or superstition.

As a historical record, this is invaluable. It tells us the mindset of one of the best known witchfinders in an age of hysteria. I'm glad it was short though. I couldn't read through too much of that. If anything, it highlights some of the worst side of humanity and our potential for cruelty to our fellow creatures and each other.

I absolutely loved this book. It is a 3 part series i am half way through the second one. 

The Discovery of Witches is about a young woman who is a alchemist who is also a witch, she does not like to use her powers or really learn more about what she is cabal of. She gets retrieves a book from the library that is very powerful, it is thought to be the answers to all the creatures beginnings and how they were made.

Once she pulls the books off the shelf she feels it power and tries to read it but struggles because of the spell that is on it. she then meets this very handsome vampire that has been stalking her for a few days. She ends up trusting the vampire Matthew, even though that goes against the Congressional. The aunts that raised her were very upset when they found out because vampires DO NOT mix. Matthew ends up helping through out the book to figure out the true potential of her power and to also help her re-call the famous book. 

i mostly loved this book so much because it really lets you get close characters and really relate to the story. this book was so amazingly written and beautiful. one of my favorite love/ hate relationships. 

i hope you guys enjoy 

I loved this book when it first came out and I have to say that my re-read of this was painful. Why did I like this so much? Did I not see that Matthew was uber possessive which is my least favorite hero trait? The constant endearments in French may me roll my eyes. Also the Mary Sueness of Diana was beyond ridiculous. She gets powers on top of powers and also decides that the only thing that matters is her love for Matthew. She started to turn me off way before we get to the ending. And the way that Harkness just drops how pretty much Matthew met every historical figure you can think of in this one (it gets worse in book #2) it started to get even more ridiculous. There are info dumps galore and besides some of the historical aspects of this book, this is just "Twilight" for adults with no sparkly vampires. 

"A Discovery of Witches" follows Diana Bishop. Diana is living in England and while at Oxford, ends up requesting a book, but a book that comes to her is a bewitched alchemical manuscript. When Diana touches the book something starts happening to her. After this, a vampire comes calling named Matthew Clairmont, who is a a vampire geneticist. Yes, this is a real thing I guess. In this world we have vampires, witches, and daemons just hanging out. Matthew is interested in the book since there seems to be some issue with vampires not being able to turn people without the person being turned dying.

I will say something nice here. The parts with Diana and Matthew in Oxford were really good. I forgot how much I loved that part. And it reminds me a bit of how Pullman played/changed up things in "His Dark Materials" when we follow Lyra at Oxford. But after that the book just drops down to repetitive and boring.

Diana and Matthew are quickly on the run from a magical organization and are in France and then Massachusetts hiding out (barely) with their families. I just didn't care about Diana's parents secret, or her magic. The whole book was pretty much Diana and Matthew constantly reaffirming their love and then them obsessing when one of them wasn't in the same room with each other. Also why are these two together? I didn't get deep and lasting love at all initially and then somehow they were just in thrall with each other. I just don't know. There's no there there. Diana somehow becoming super witch made me think about Katrina from Sleepy Hollow and how she was seriously the worse witch ever. Oh there's also vampire yoga which I never want to read about again. 

I can't say much about the other characters. We get glimpses of them and that makes me sad. When I first read this, I loved the idea behind Matthew's "mother," "son," etc. And this book only makes them characters who give info-dumps throughout this book. I really wanted someone to shake both Matthew and Diana and tell them to get over themselves. 

The writing started off well, but then it just tapers off slowly until we get to the end where I was going is it over yet? No? Another freaking chapter? I forgot how long this book is (594 pages) and it really really needed edited down. A lot. And don't get me started on the whole hey species can't really be with each other sexually and have kids which someone got overly explained via DNA, chemistry, and then alchemy which resulted in me not giving one crap. That was pretty much the whole book. We get told something via a character and then somehow the rules get thrown out five minutes later (see vampires and witches can't marry). It got aggravating after a while. Also there's like I think three secret organizations referenced in this damn book. I could not after a while. 

The flow was awful after a while. It's just Matthew and Diana running off, her getting kidnapped, hurt, healing, Matthew calling her a lion or whatever that was, and then Diana and Matthew listening as people told them well now this is happening and or now this is what this means while drinking tea. 

The setting of the book from Oxford, France, Massachusetts just started to run together after a while. The Bishop family house and ghosts were cool though. That's all I got.

The ending ends on a cliffhanger (which I hate) and we know we have to follow the second book to see what happens next. 

Well thank goodness for the book lists we have! Cause I have never been that not happy while reading a book. Well not since reading 50 Shades of Grey. Either way, I am switching for this. Thank goodness I bought this eons ago and am going to read it for vampires. Seriously though guys, my head hurts from "They Thirst."

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness ticked all of my boxes. There's werewolves, daemons, vampires, and of course witches with the main setting of the story set at Oxford University and the Bodleian Library. (There are also side plot lines in Scotland and the U.S. but the most detailed descriptions are those that happen at Oxford.) Our main character is Diana Bishop who comes from a long line of witches but who has decided to turn her back on her heritage in order to lead a "normal life". Unfortunately, life has other plans for her. When she calls up a manuscript at the Bodleian it turns out that there are hidden messages in the pages which only she can see...because she's the only one who's been able to successfully call up the book in centuries. Suddenly the entire community of supernatural creatures is very interested in her but none more so than a vampire named Matthew Clairmont...

Part paranormal/supernatural conspiracy theory mystery and part burning hot forbidden romance this book hooked me but good. The only reason I haven't completely dived into the second book is because this is one hefty piece of work at over 600 pages and my TRL is about 5,700 miles long. Rest assured, I will be continuing this trilogy...even if I didn't particularly like the overly complicated plot in the last third of the book. 

Oh and did I mention that it's been made into a TV series? Cause it absolutely has and the guy playing Matthew is scarily accurate to what I pictured when reading this book. O_O 10/10

What I'm Currently Reading: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley