A Discovery of Witches

The Discovery of Witches had all the makings of a great novel, but it ultimately fell short due to several issues. While the premise was intriguing, the story suffered from long-winded, unnecessary prose that bogged down the pacing. Deborah Harkness, as a first-time author, made several rookie mistakes, including an over-reliance on exposition and a tendency to mix too many genres—magical, historical, fantasy, and scientific—into a confusing blend. The book often felt like a drawn-out setup for the next installment rather than a cohesive story in its own right. The central point of the narrative didn't become clear until two-thirds of the way through, leaving the first portion of the book feeling aimless. Additionally, the action scenes, particularly the battles, were disappointingly brief, especially when compared to the overly detailed descriptions of sunrises. While there were moments of potential, they were overshadowed by the novel's many flaws.