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Quick answer: If you liked A Discovery of Witches, read Deborah Harkness's Shadow of Night and The Book of Life, then Outlander, The Historian, The Night Circus and Practical Magic. All are romantic, atmospheric stories about magic, history and secrets.
Deborah Harkness's 2011 novel, the first in the All Souls trilogy, follows Diana Bishop, a historian and reluctant witch, who finds an enchanted manuscript in Oxford's Bodleian Library and falls for the vampire Matthew Clairmont. It is long, romantic and bookish. The books below offer similar mixes of scholarship, romance and magic.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow of Night | Deborah Harkness | Adult | the next book |
| The Book of Life | Deborah Harkness | Adult | the finale |
| Outlander | Diana Gabaldon | Adult | historical time slip |
| The Historian | Elizabeth Kostova | Adult | Dracula hunt |
| The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern | Adult | magical competition |
| Practical Magic | Alice Hoffman | Adult | witch sisters |
| The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane | Katherine Howe | Adult | witch history |
| Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | Susanna Clarke | Adult | historical magic |
| The Magicians | Lev Grossman | Adult | magic school for adults |
| Dead Until Dark | Charlaine Harris | Adult | Southern vampire mystery |
| Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | Teen | teen vampire romance |
| Weyward | Emilia Hart | Adult | three women, one family |
| The Ex Hex | Erin Sterling | Adult | witchy romance |
| Uprooted | Naomi Novik | Adult | fairy-tale magic |
| Interview with the Vampire | Anne Rice | Adult | gothic vampires |
1. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
Diana and Matthew travel back to Elizabethan England. Rich and romantic.
Best for: the next book.
2. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
The trilogy reaches its end. Complex and satisfying.
Best for: the finale.
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A nurse steps through stones and lands in eighteenth-century Scotland. Long and passionate.
Best for: historical time slip.
4. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
A young woman follows her father's search for Dracula's tomb. Atmospheric and slow.
Best for: Dracula hunt.
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Two young magicians are bound to a duel in a travelling circus. Dreamy and romantic.
Best for: magical competition.
6. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Two sisters from a family of witches try to live ordinary lives. Warm and lyrical.
Best for: witch sisters.
7. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
A graduate student finds a recipe book linked to the Salem trials. Slow and atmospheric.
Best for: witch history.
8. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Two magicians revive English magic in the Napoleonic era. Long, witty and rich.
Best for: historical magic.
9. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
A young man enters a secret college for magic and finds a darker world. Smart.
Best for: magic school for adults.
10. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
A telepathic waitress falls for a vampire in Louisiana. Funny and sexy.
Best for: Southern vampire mystery.
11. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
A teenage girl falls for a vampire in a rainy town. The book that launched a vampire boom.
Best for: teen vampire romance.
12. Weyward by Emilia Hart
Three women across centuries share a secret link to nature. Atmospheric and tense.
Best for: three women, one family.
13. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
A witch accidentally curses her ex in a small town. Light, funny and magical.
Best for: witchy romance.
14. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A girl is taken by a wizard to protect her valley from a Wood. Lush and atmospheric.
Best for: fairy-tale magic.
15. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
A vampire tells his life story to a reporter. Lush and moody.
Best for: gothic vampires.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with A Discovery of Witches: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
To continue read Shadow of Night and The Book of Life. For historical romance with magic choose Outlander or The Night Circus. For scholarly mysteries pick The Historian or The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. For witchy comfort read Practical Magic or The Ex Hex. For vampire romance try Twilight or Dead Until Dark. A Discovery of Witches is long and detailed, so these picks suit readers who love lore. A Discovery of Witches was adapted into a television series, but the book gives far more detail about alchemy and manuscripts. Harkness is a historian of science, which shapes the research. A Discovery of Witches is a book for readers who like to savour detail. If you want faster action, Outlander and The Night Circus have more incident. If you want a cosier mood, Practical Magic and The Ex Hex are shorter. Library holds for the trilogy can be long, so reserve early.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Discovery of Witches about?
A historian discovers a magical manuscript and falls for a vampire.
Who wrote it?
Deborah Harkness.
When was it published?
2011.
Is it part of a trilogy?
Yes, the All Souls trilogy.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, a Sky/AMC series.
Is it long?
About 580 pages.
Is Harkness a historian?
Yes, she is a professor of history.
What should I read next?
Try Shadow of Night or Outlander.
Do I need to read the trilogy in order?
Yes.
Is there romance?
Yes, a central one between a witch and a vampire.