A Discovery Of Witches, Shadow Of Night And The Book Of Life. All By Deborah Harkness.

A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life. All by Deborah Harkness. 

Episode 2 of the TV show A Discovery of Witches (starring Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer) airs on AMC and BBCAmerica tonight so I thought I’d write down why I love this show and this series of books so much! 

I first read the books last summer. I was in a really dark place. I was stuck in a dead in job with a company that is now going out of business. I was broke with few friends. I had no future prospects either. I was having VERY dark thoughts - like what would be the point of living when there was no future for me?  Then I saw the SkyOne trailer for this new show that would air shortly in England. I was hooked. I started reading the books and soon bought copies for myself. There was suddenly nothing else in the world for me but this wonderful and rich All Souls Universe. 

A Discovery of Witches centers on  Diana Bishop, a college professor who discovers an ancient magical book in the library. She’s a witch who’s ignored her powers. She’ll need them when a vampire scientist, Matthew Clairmont finds her soon after she discovers the book. Their frosty relationship turns to friendship and then to love. They’ll need each other as other creatures (vampires, daemons, witches) go after Diana’s power and the ancient book, Ashmal 782. 

Throughout the series (a fourth book, Time’s Convert came out last fall), Diana and Matthew go through life and death to find the book. They travel back in time even to the 1590′s in search of it. There’s a council of creatures that may try to kill our heroes if they catch them. We meet Diana’s witchy aunts and learn how her parents really died. We meet Matthew’s sometimes scary vampire family - including hunky Gallowglass - and delve into Matthew’s very dark past. We also have a plenty of villains, including evil witches and evil vampires (like the monster Benjamin - who just happens to be Matthew’s son and has some pretty sick motivations that we learn about in The Book of Life). 

Not only did the supernatural elements attract me to this series, but the romance was a big draw. I’m a sucker for an epic romance and these poor lambs go through A LOT. There’s mystery, suspense, horror, thrills and so much more. Many folks have compared it to Twilight or Harry Potter. I think it’s more like Charmed. That show also had a forbidden romance (a couple actually), an ancient book (Book of Shadows!), all kinds of creatures (demons, whitelighters, witches) and a shady governing body that tries to keep humans from noticing creatures (the Elders). 

My favorite character in the books is Matthew. He’s a 1500 year old vampire with layers and layers and layers. He’s such a complicated person. Not only does he have blood rage, which can causes him to go mad at times, his conscience is killer. When they first meet, Diana finds him exasperating. He’s moody and sometimes too controlling. He’s got secrets that have secrets and Diana only finds them out a little at at time. Yet, he is also loving and loyal and kind to his friends and family. He is the perfect support for Diana.

Now, Diana may have a powerful vampire by her side but she eventually learns that she doesn’t need him to protect her. She has so much power on her own. Early on, she’s kidnapped by an evil witch and while Matthew does come to save her, Diana is the one who uses her powers to save herself. There were times when I wanted Matthew to come in and save the day (call me an old-fashioned romantic, alright!) but it’s better when Diana can discover the power within herself and save herself. Matthew may not like how Diana’s power can attract evil baddies, but he also knows she can protect herself. He won’t stop her from saving the day (and that she does in the end of Book of Life), but he’ll be there to support her when she needs it. He may not like that she can be put in danger, but he knows he can’t stop her either- no matter how hard he tries.

Finally, another thing I loved about this series is that Diana is a college professor. Matthew is a scientist. They’re after a lost book, not an Infinity stone or ring or anything like that. They first meet in a library. She’s got an actual career! He’s not just brooding in the shadows either. I’ve always loved learning - the best part of college was listening to lectures. I just loved talking and hearing about all this stuff I was learning. I wanted to know more. I would have loved to have become a professor and spend years researching history. I would have loved to have become a librarian even. I made too many wrong choices over the years out of fear for me to feel like that those paths are now closed (maybe not - I like to be optimistic).

Anyway, I just like the books and now the TV show. It sparked a Matthew Goode obsession that I may never get over! I’ve binged the series on SundanceNow, I don’t know how many times. I’ve re-read the books dozens of times. I may not be 100% happy, but I’m not quite in that dark, unhappy place I was last summer. I have to thank Deborah Harkness and the wonderful world she created for us. She’s inspired me to try my hand at writing again - another way to find a way out of the darkness. 

Sometimes I don’t think I’m prepared for this life.

It’s been a tough few years, dear world. I’ve been depressed for awhile now. I’ve been stuck in a dead end retail job that I hate for years. I could never seem to find a way out of it. Now the business is closing and I’m forced to find a new job. I can’t seem to get a non-retail job. I feel ready to move on, but no one wants to even look at me. I went to college and have a degree in English. I just feel like I’ve wasted so many opportunities that I don’t know what to do anymore. 

I feel like I just wasn’t meant for this life. I think I would have done well as a wife in the 1800′s - looking over the household, minding the children. Even if it had been a marriage arranged by my family, I think I could have found a way to be happy. I would have been alright. I could have been a cook or housemaid in a large manor house in the early 1900′s. I could have been a kindly spinster aunt - but probably would have ended up like Miss Bates in Emma. I could have been a baker’s wife in the 1500′s or the wife of a knight in the 1400′s. 

I don’t know. I just feel like I don’t fit in anywhere and I can’t do anything right. I can’t even find a decent job. In interviews I sound nervous and awkward and stammery. 

I wish I could be brave and follow my real dream - to be a writer. If I couldn’t write, I wish I could paint or sculpt or carve - show creativity in some visual way. I like to cook, but don’t have the experience to succeed anywhere. 

This is all a very frightening time for me. I’ve never been good with change. .New things scare the crap out of me until I get used to them. I just wish I had someone to talk to about all of this. My family doesn’t discuss things like personal thoughts and fears. I don’t have any friends that I’m really close to anymore. What’s a girl to do when her main ambition is to read, watch a good film, listen to music and take a long walk. I don’t want to rule the world - just live in a little piece of it that’s meant for me.  

If only...

I should get my masters degree in History. I’ve always loved history - English, American, film. I could read about it & talk about it all day. Once upon a time I wanted to major in it in college. I had a great professor who would just tell stories about whatever lesson we were studying. I loved that. Too bad I was told that history wouldn’t be a good career choice. It would have been a lot better than what I have now - which is nothing. I shouldn’t have listened to the naysayers back then - but what did I know? I just wanted to make everyone happy. Well, everyone else is happy & I’m the unhappy one.

The Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Rabourn. 

I’ve discovered this wonderful series about mystery solver, Lady Julia Grey. Set in 19th century England, we first meet Lady Julia as her husband lays dying. Turns out he was murdered. An inquiry agent - tall, dark, dreamy and moody Nicholas Brisbane is hired to investigate. Soon the two are bickering like lovers as they try to solve the crime together. The romance between these two is a slow burn (I’ve almost finished book two, but they don’t get married until book four) - both have a crazy amount of baggage. Brisbane has a mysterious background and Julia has a crazy, wacky family (besides the fact that her husband was murdered). 

I do like this series so far - the mysteries are pretty layered. Too bad I suspected who the killer was in book one from the beginning of the book, really. But there are lots of twists and turns to make things exciting. 

I know it’s set in the late 1800′s, but I do wish people wouldn’t treat Julia like she was a brain dead potted plant. I know women had few rights and were only good for getting married. But Lady Julia is a rich widow and has more freedoms than most. I just wish Brisbane, in particular, didn’t treat her like she was an idiot. Sure, sometimes she makes stupid choices, but she has good reasons. Brisbane will do anything to keep her safe - including take her out of the investigation.

I love a good detective series. I love a detective series featuring a female heroine and a smart, sexy love interest. It’s when they work together ala Nick and Nora Charles that these kind of books are perfect for me. Can’t wait to read the other books!

He’s just lovely. 

Matthew Goode in Downton Abbey (2010-2015). 

 The Black Hole (1979)

This is a weird and strange sci-fi/horror movie that scared me as a kid. I watched it again to see if a Disney movie could be a horror film. It’s not as terrifying to me now, but waaaaay creepy. If you’re trying to make your own Star Wars, best not to feature scary music, part human-part robot people, or Maximilian Schell in crazed maniac-mode. Also, best not to have one of the creepiest robots of all time (I’m looking at you Maximilian) next to one of the cutest (Vincent is freaking adorable!). 

Robert Forster and his crew (including Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, Anthony Perkins and Joseph Bottoms) get pulled off track by a black hole. When they try to scan the area, they come across Schell’s ship that just seems to be hanging around outside of it. Turns out it’s a lost American probe ship that’s been missing for 20 years and also had Yvette’s father as crew member. Against Forster’s instincts, they go take a look.

It’s not long before the crew is introduced to Schell’s creepy robot army of sentinels and black robed worker bees. They also meet his giant, evil robot servant (master?), Maximilan, that controls all the robots. Schell’s goal is to travel through the black hole and discover what’s inside of it. Unfortunately, it’s made him insane. Forster just wants to repair his ship and get the heck out of there. Too bad Schell’s not quite ready to let non-believers go so easily. 

Soon we get extended laser gun fights as Forster and crew try to escape. Perkins (actually playing a normal smart doctor) wants to stay and work with Schell - that is until he realizes that the black-robed worker robots are the former crew members that weren’t hip to Schell’s plan to take over the universe. When he tries to get out, Maximilian kills him. 

Eventually, Forster and crew escape (after Borgnine turns coward and tries to escape without the others, resulting in their ship being destroyed), leaving Schell to go through the black hole alone. Too bad a really weird asteroid shower (why are the asteroids glowing red? Why isn’t everyone killed immediately when the hull is breached?) destroys what’s left of the ship. 

Forster and crew and also pulled into the black hole, but after a truly trippy adventure, they manage to get through alright. Meanwhile, Schell manages to meld with Maximilian and become a real humanoid/robot as they seem to be left to rule Hell (?) in the middle of the black hole. 

This is such a weird, strange movie, that really is not intended for kids. The cute robot, Vincent (voiced by Roddy McDowall) does help save things. I’m sure he’s based on R2D2 from Star Wars, but he’s great in his own right. Plus, Mimieux can mentally chat with him! He makes a friend in a similar robot, named Bob (voiced by Slim Pickens) that was badly mistreated by Maximilian and the other robots. When Bob sacrifices himself to save the others, it just made me want to cry. 

After watching this movie years after being traumatized as a kid, it’s really not as scary as I thought. It’s still hella creepy and strange. Apparently, Disney tried to license some toys, but I imagine that didn’t go very far at all. Great to see Robert Forster playing a heroic captain (such a great actor and he will be missed) and Roddy McDowall saves the day as the voice of Vincent. I almost wish we could get spin-off Vincent adventures. Are you listening, Disney +?!