Discovery of Witches – Kate Kenzie Writes

I’m thrilled to have been asked to help celebrate this year’s #SFFRomFest and chat about my favourite fantasy and sci-fi romances. As many of you know I love books involving magic, witchcraft or the paranormal and a romantic thread always makes them extra special.

What has been your favourite SFF Romance from 2021 so far?

I hate questions like this because this year has produced some amazing and unique novels in the fantasy genre making it difficult to choose just one so I may have to cheat. Sorry!

A true fantasy romance that stands out is Caedis Knight’s Witches of Barcelona, the second novel in the Blood Web Chronicles. It follows Saskia, a low level witch on her investigations into the murky world of the paranormals. It’s hot and sizzles in all the right places with a varied cast of characters and thrilling plot. The world building is fully developed, imaginative and with many twists and turns it kept me on the toes. My review can be found here.

Another novel I adore and cannot get out of my mind is Midnight in Everwood by M.A Kuzniar. It’s not out until the end of this month and I feel privileged to have read an advanced copy – thank you so much, Harper Voyager. Based on The Nutcracker ballet, Marietta is a heroine to admire and again, the depth and layers of the world the author has created drew me in and I did not want to leave despite the dangers faced there. It’s a tale of obsession, desire for independence and self-discovery bundled up with magic and illusions. Everyone who loves ballet or fantasies such as Caraval are in for a treat. The physical copies are also stunning and I can’t wait to own one.

Which subgenre of SFF Romance do you tend to read most and what do you love about it?

I love magical realism and witchlit – stories that are based in reality but overlayed by magic and imagination such as portals to other worlds or characters with secret abilities. I find them more accessible than high fantasy, easy to visualise and I love the added excitement of knowing I could visit places mentioned if I wish. For example, I fell in love with Oxford through the Discovery of Witches and a tour is on my wishlist. I long to explore The British Library thanks to the wonderful worldbuilding in Threadneedle by Cari Thomas.

I also have a love of time slip novels such as those by Barbara Erskine, who is the queen of this genre. They tap into my love of history and the supernatural. I find I learn more about the obscure times and personalities this way rather than a textbook.

What was the first SFF Romance you can remember reading?

It has to be The Changeover by Margaret Mahy. Forget Twilight the chemistry between the two main characters, Laura and Sorenson Carlisle is perfect and the scene of her changing to be a witch is sensual and alludes to so much.

Photo of book The Changeover by Margaret Mahy — The Changeover by Margaret Mahy

The first adult SFF romance I remember is The Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine which I borrowed from my mum after she raved about it, but another memorable novel from my teenage years is Past Forgetting by Alexandra Thorne. It’s a time slip novel involving a dress I longed to own and the aurora borealis. Duncan Carlisle is a hero to swoon after.

Photo of book Past Forgetting by Alexandra Thorne

What SFF Romance do you always recommend?

Currently, it is Midnight in Everwood but there is also Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy which blends my love of witchcraft, libraries and different species together. Caedis Knight’s Blood Web Chronicles are great for those who like romances that sizzle, and Kelley Armstrong is also one of my favourite authors to recommend. I’m not very good at choosing one thing, am I? There are just too many wonderful books and authors out there to love.

What SFF Romance is next on your TBR pile?

The next on my list is the last instalment of The Indigo Chronicles, Children of Shadows by N. Simmonds.

I’ll be joining in with the festival more on my Instagram account but if you want to discover more bloggers favourites or add to your TBR pile use the hashtag #SFFRomFest in your favourite social media outlet.

What are your favourite fantasy or sci-fi romance novels?

Happy reading!

Love

All about Books

Book review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

July 10, 2018 kakenzieblog

On social media the trailer of an upcoming Sky 1 series is being shared based on the novel A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. It looks good with drama, fantasy, action and magic so it must be time to catch up with the book.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Book review: A Discovery of Witches — A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of Witches

Author: Deborah Harkness

Genre: Fiction, fantasy, paranormal

Publisher: Headline

Release Date: 29th September 2011

Blurb

The phenomenal international bestseller and the first volume in the enthralling All SOULS trilogy, preceding SHADOW OF NIGHT and THE BOOK OF LIFE.

It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with a discovery of witches.

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire geneticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels…

My Thoughts

This is the first book in the All Souls trilogy and my favourite of the series. From the moment Deborah Harkness transported me to the Bodleian library with Diana Bishop I was hooked. I could not resist; this book has always the elements I love – old dusty books, libraries and magic bundled together with descriptive pose and intriguing characters. Lots of characters to discover and love besides the main characters, Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont. There are the witches including Emily and Sarah, the extensive vampire family including Miriam, Marcus, Ysabeau and Marthe and deamons especially Hamish. They all have depth and stories beyond this series.

Diana is a character who grew as her back story was revealed throughout the book. As a witch who loves research into the history of alchemy I longed to see the imagery she was seeing in the old manuscripts. Matthew Clairmont has all the element you would expect of a fictional vampire – wealthy, unrealistically handsome, tall and strong with overprotective tendencies but he is grounded by his flaws. They make him more realistic. His back story and secrets add to the depth of character. I found it refreshing that the relationship between him and Diana was more balanced than many vampire stories. She is not your usual damsel in distress.

This a mature paranormal novel with a wonderful blend of unique characters, history, science, location and description to form an epic adventure involving romance, fear and drama. Deborah Harkness has not just created a story for Diana and Matthew she has created a world to explore so it feels as if any character could easily have their own novel. Long after I put the book down my mind would drift back to the plot and characters.

Would I recommend?

Oh yes! I love this book and is in my top 10 favourite books and is on my forever shelf. With the upcoming TV programme I predict it will go wild with discissions. As with all book versus film debates it is worth a read before the programme release. Have you read it and let me know what you think below.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Happy reading!

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All about Books

The All Souls Trilogy book review

July 5, 2018 kakenzieblog

The trailer is out for the highly anticipated Sky 1 drama A Discovery of Witches so it must be time to delve into a series of books I love and are on my forever shelf with endless revisits – the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness.

The All Souls Trilogy

The trilogy consists of

A Discovery of Witches
Shadow of Night
The Book of Life

I will review them in separate posts to avoid any unintended spoilers for the previous books.

The series follows Diana Bishop, a witch and scholar of Alchemy as she inadvertently finds a lost manuscript hunted for centuries by the three paranormal species – witches, vampires and daemons. One of those searching is a vampire, Matthew Clairmont and as their relationship grows so does the danger and the plot thickens.

The detailed descriptions of the Bodleian library, many fully developed characters to fall in love with entwined with the paranormal and history drew me in. Her love for history shines through. Like Harry Potter and Pottermore, The All Souls trilogy is no longer just three books; Deborah Harkness has created a world for fans to explore. A community of like-minded people has grown from it with discussion groups, websites for fans and podcasts. A complete guide of the books, The World of All Souls, was released this year – it is on my Christmas list. There is even a yearly convention to attend in person or online. I have been an online attendee and they are worth a look. With insights to the characters, book readings, competitions and music it adds a new dimension to the reading experience. If you love the books, you can immerse yourself in their magic. The growth and popularity of the All Souls world is helped by Deborah being active and involved on social media sharing insights and updates into the characters and world they live.

When the programme is released I predict a sharp increase in the interest in these books and I can’t wait for the discussions that will follow. With the release of her new book Times Convert in September 2018 it is a busy year Deborah Harkness.

Want to find out more:

Deborah Harkness website

Follow her on Twitter and Facebook

Website for fans:

Daemons Domain

Have you read the books or been to the convention? Let me know below. This is a series I could talk about for hours.