A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire a spellbound witch and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together Deep in the stacks of Oxfords Bodleian Library young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery so after a furtive glance and a few notes she banishes the book to the stacks But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring and a horde of daemons witches and vampires soon descends upon the library Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read equal parts history and magic romance and suspense Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos This smart sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.
