There is no questioning it – A Discovery of Witches is my favourite dark academia read, and I adore Deborah Harkness with every fibre of my being. What more needs to be said? That’s the review. Alright, I’ll explain, but know you’re in for a long ride and you best bet you’ll be frantically looking for A Discovery of Witches before I am through.

A Discovery of Witches is romantasy, or fantasy romance, before the genre gained proper footing in the last year or so. This book has witches, vampires, daemons and humans – tick the supernatural fantasy box – and forbidden love between a witch and a vampire – tick romance with the added bonus of the forbidden love trope. But wait, it gets better! We also have a dark academia story in here, the book starts in Oxford with our witch Diana Bishop (yes, those Bishops, which means a whole lot of family history bundled up in this character). She is doing research in her chosen field of alchemy and she’s looking through old manuscripts and archives, one such manuscript is a bewitched tome that she accidentally unlocks, and from here the story unfolds. The dark academia aspect is more than just skin-deep too, we actually get a whole lot of rich detail and relevant, high-level information in the fields of alchemy, biology, natural evolution, and history. And the icing on the cake – the characters are mature adults, with Diana in her late twenties and Matthew (while very old) at thirty-seven. Who says romantasy is only for the young fantasy characters?

The detail and scenery descriptions are vivid and lush, with each landscape reflecting aspects of the characters ad their background. At Oxford, we see Diana and Matthew in a very professional, academic setting, reflective of their relationship being that of colleagues. When we transition over to Sept Tours in France, we see the elegant classic beauty of Matthew’s life as well as the strong historical values he holds. There is that romantic vibe that comes through in the landscape, the interior settings, and even the change in lighting from electricity to candles that echoes the shift in their relationship to a full-blown romance. But don’t be fooled, there are dangers and cold, hard truths to swallow, and Diana is forced to face them alone. Then comes the move to Madison, the the little house her aunts live in, that just screams American witches. The season has shifted into Autumn, bringing with it all the connotations of Halloween even without the night in question ending the book. These shifts are handled so brilliantly and they perfectly mimic the relationship and action pot developments.

The plot itself is fantastic – again, rich in academic detail and real-world consequences, with characters that exude power, control and dominance. The Congregation are not afraid to display their authority and power over Diana and Matthew, and furthermore are keen to draw battle lines. The characters are diverse, complex, intelligent and compelling, and their interactions are engaging and amusing to watch. Yes, there are some possessive or territorial moments that resemble an alpha-male dynamic between Matthew and others, but that is accurate to the historical influences of the characters and their relationships. While it may read a little forceful now, it is authentic to the characters and Diana challenging that fits into her history and background as well.

I am so eager to continue reading the series, especially considering I haven’t read Shadow of Night and The Book of Life yet. I’m sure I’ve convinced at least a handful of you to add A Discovery of Witches to your TBR lists, and maybe I’ve even encouraged a few to make it their next read. I highly encourage you to read A Discovery of Witches if you haven’t already. Fans of romantasy and dark academia will not be disappointed. Fans of historical romance, historical fiction and adult fiction should consider this book too as the themes, settings and narrative style certainly lean toward the more mature, adult side of fiction, and the layers of detail will keep your brain engaged throughout the whole book.