“It begins with absence and desire. It begins with blood and fear. It begins with A Discovery of Witches.” Based on the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness, the television series follows Diana Bishop, played by Teresa Palmer, an alchemist and a reluctant witch, who comes across “Ashmole 782,” which is a mysterious text that has been missing for quite some time and is desired by many witches, vampires, and demons. After discovering the text, Diana crosses paths with a vampire named Matthew Clairmont, played by Matthew Goode. Can you guess what comes next? Of course there is a love story, which makes things complicated, as witches and vampires are forbidden from being together.
So am I in or out? I was initially very excited to watch this show, which is now available to stream all 8 episodes on Sundance Now and Shudder. I have read the trilogy and I absolutely adored the first book in particular. When I started the television series, I felt that it had a lot of potential. However, the series can be slow moving at times and other characters are introduced a little bit too much, which caused me to continue to go back to see who everyone was and why they were there. So to stream or not to stream? If you are a fan of Twilight or The Originals, you will enjoy the series.
There are only 8 episodes, but I felt like things didn’t really get going until episode 6. The love story is moving enough, the acting was impressive despite some empty conversation starters, and there were even some formidable villains. You will most likely connect more with Matthew than Diana. Think Mr. Darcy if he were a vampire. I was also very impressed with Satu played by Malin Buska, who was absolutely brilliant.
I very much enjoyed the history of the witches and Diana discovering her powers along with the introduction of dark magic, but I would have liked to see a better balance here. I understand the need to focus around the love story, but I think this might actually turn some fans away, as it is somewhat similar to Twilight, which could be off-putting, even though I ship Diana and Matthew a lot more than Bella and Edward. When I read the book series, I fell in love with the creepy library atmosphere and the mystery behind discovering the text, which was glossed over very quickly on the show. The series has gotten a lot of attention in the UK and has already been renewed for seasons 2 and 3, which opens the door to more time walking and more magic. If you are a fan of the book series, I think you will enjoy the show and appreciate how much they try to incorporate everything, but if you are a casual fan, it may miss the mark for you. Overall, I think that the show is worth a stream if you find yourself craving a good supernatural love story. However, if you are looking for something dark and disturbing, this may not be your cup of tea.
I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on A Discovery of Witches in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!
**I would love it if you would take a moment to check out my Whizbuzz Book page via the link below for everything you need to know about my new book, The Search for Alice, including my author bio page and links to my website and social media sites! Thank you!
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Best,
Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl
@TV_Fanatic_Girl
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I am so excited to announce that my book, The Search for Alice, is now available! If you enjoy fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery, then this might be the book for you or someone you know! Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well. I hope you enjoy!
When Kallie Bennett, a jaded teenage girl plagued by her alcoholic mother and her peers molded out of sheer bubble gum perfection, chases after Alice in Wonderland herself, she ends up lost in her own version of Wonderland, which forces her to face her utmost fears and introduces her to familiar characters with a dark twist. Among these characters is Ches, a gorgeous vampire with a conflicted conscience, who becomes Kallie’s guide and blossoming love interest. She also crosses paths with Queen Hartley, a manipulative witch who has the power to strip away one’s memories and imagination, which brings a bone chilling new meaning to “off with their heads.” In The Search for Alice, Kallie starts to realize that her Wonderland is just as frightening as her own reality and that she cannot always run away from her problems. She must figure out a way to defeat Queen Hartley and return home before it is too late, but she soon learns that escaping Wonderland means leaving Ches behind forever.
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Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!
The Search for Alice is available here!
