It started with a misplaced manuscript in the Bodleian Library. Honestly, if you’re a fan of urban fantasy or academic romance, you probably already know the scene by heart. Diana Bishop, a historian who happens to be a reluctant witch, pulls a long-lost alchemical book called Ashmole 782 from the stacks, and suddenly the entire supernatural world descends on Oxford. It’s a simple premise. But A Discovery of Witches isn't just another story about vampires and witches dating; it’s a massive, sprawling exploration of history, science, and the weight of genetics.
People often compare it to Twilight for adults. That's a bit of a lazy take, though. While Deborah Harkness certainly explores the "forbidden love" trope between Diana and the vampire Matthew Clairmont, the stakes are anchored in actual history and molecular biology. Harkness is a real-life historian. She knows her way around a 17th-century archive. That authenticity is exactly why the All Souls Trilogy—and the subsequent TV adaptation—carries a weight that most paranormal romances just can't match.
The Weird Intersection of Alchemy and DNA
What most people get wrong about A Discovery of Witches is thinking it’s purely "magic." It’s actually more of a lab drama. Matthew Clairmont isn't just a 1,500-year-old vampire with a temper; he’s a scientist at the University of Oxford. He’s literally trying to sequence the DNA of "creatures" (witches, vampires, and daemons) to figure out why they are dying out.
The series treats magic like a recessive trait. It’s kinda brilliant.
Instead of wands and sparkly lights, you get Diana Bishop struggling with her "witch water" and "witch fire," which feel more like elemental forces of nature she can't control than spells she memorized from a book. There's a real grit to it. You feel the dust of the libraries and the cold stone of Sept-Tours, the Clairmont family's ancestral home in France. When Diana finally begins to embrace her power, it isn't a "girl power" montage. It’s terrifying. It’s messy. It’s a discovery of witches as a biological phenomenon, not just a fairy tale.
Why Ashmole 782 is the real MVP
Everything revolves around that one book. Ashmole 782. In the real world, Elias Ashmole was a celebrated 17th-century antiquarian and his collection is the foundation of the Ashmolean Museum. Harkness took a real missing manuscript from history and turned it into the central mystery of her universe. That’s the kind of nerd-level detail that makes this series so sticky for readers.
The book is allegedly the "Book of Life," containing the secrets of creature origins. Every faction wants it. The Congregation—the shadowy council that keeps the peace between the three species—wants it to maintain control. The daemons want it to understand their own flickering brilliance and descent into madness. And the vampires? They’re just trying to survive.
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Breaking Down the All Souls World
The world-building isn't symmetrical. It's lumpy and full of weird lore.
Vampires in this world don’t turn into bats. They are hyper-intelligent predators who have lived through the Crusades, the Renaissance, and the French Revolution. They own properties, run businesses, and manipulate the stock market. Matthew Clairmont is a perfect example: he’s a member of the Order of Saint Lazarus, a real historical order of chivalry.
Witches are different. They’re organized into covens, but there’s a lot of infighting. Diana’s aunts, Sarah and Em, live in a sentient house in upstate New York that literally coughs up objects from the past. It’s a vibe.
Then you have the daemons. They’re often the most overlooked part of the trilogy. They aren't "demons" in the biblical sense. They are humans with "extra" something—usually genius, creativity, or mental instability. They are the artists and the musicians. In the world of A Discovery of Witches, being a daemon is both a gift and a death sentence because their brilliance often leads to a total break from reality.
The TV Adaptation: Did it Work?
When Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode were cast as Diana and Matthew, the internet had thoughts. Naturally. But the Sky One/Sundance Now production managed to capture the aesthetic of the books surprisingly well.
- Location matters: They actually filmed in Oxford and Venice.
- The pacing: The first season covers book one. The second season goes full "time-traveling Elizabethan drama." The third wraps up the genetic mystery.
- The chemistry: It’s slow-burn. If you like your romance to take three seasons to actually figure itself out, this is your show.
The showrunners didn't shy away from the darker stuff either. The torture scenes in the first season and the brutal reality of the 16th century in the second season remind you that this isn't a "cozy" fantasy. It’s high-stakes political maneuvering with people who can kill you with a thought or a bite.
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The Time-Walk That Changed Everything
In the second book, Shadow of Night, the story takes a hard turn into historical fiction. Diana and Matthew time-walk back to 1590s London.
This is where Harkness’s PhD really shines. We meet the School of Night. We see a grumpy, younger Matthew who is deeply involved in the politics of Queen Elizabeth I. We see Diana meeting real historical witches and realizing that her modern-day education didn't prepare her for the raw, untamed magic of the past. It’s a masterclass in how to do time travel without making it feel like a gimmick. It feels like a necessity for Diana’s growth. She had to go back to understand what she was "discovering" about herself.
Addressing the Critics
Not everyone loves it. Let’s be real.
Some people find Matthew's "alpha" behavior a bit much. He’s possessive, he’s intense, and he’s basically a walking red flag for the first half of the story. The series acknowledges this, though. Diana doesn't just roll over; she fights him on it. Their relationship is a constant negotiation of power.
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Another common complaint is the density. There is a lot of talk about wine. Matthew is a connoisseur, and Harkness describes the scent and taste of vintage wine with the same intensity she uses for magical rituals. For some, it’s atmospheric. For others, it’s a bit pretentious. But honestly? It fits the character of a guy who has been alive since the fall of Rome.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Newcomers
If you’re just getting into A Discovery of Witches, or if you’ve finished the series and are looking for what’s next, there are a few things you should do to get the most out of the "All Souls" experience.
- Read the books after the show. The TV series is great, but it cuts out about 60% of the historical lore and the scientific explanations of "creature" DNA. If you want to understand the why behind the ending, the books are non-negotiable.
- Look up the real Ashmole 782. It’s fun to see the real-life inspirations. The Bodleian Library actually has digital archives of some of Ashmole’s collections.
- Watch the "making of" specials. The costume design for the second season (the Elizabethan era) is historically accurate down to the stitching. It adds a whole new layer of appreciation for the production.
- Follow Deborah Harkness. She’s still writing in this world. Time’s Convert focuses on Marcus (Matthew’s son) and his backstory during the American Revolution. There’s more coming.
The core of the story isn't the magic or the vampires, though. It’s the idea that history is alive. We aren't just living in the present; we are the sum of everything that came before us—genetically, culturally, and spiritually. Diana’s journey is about stopping being afraid of what’s hidden in the archives and finally looking at what’s right in front of her.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the lore, start by mapping out the members of the Congregation. Understanding the power balance between the De Clermonts and the witches in the early chapters will make the political betrayals in the later half of the series much easier to follow. Also, keep an eye on the minor characters like Gallowglass; they often hold the keys to the most important subplots that pay off in the final act.