Βιβλιοκριτική: Μάγισσες της Ντέμπορα Χάρκνες

Τίτλος: Μάγισσες

Συγγραφέας: Ντέμπορα Χάρκνες

Σελίδες: 710

Εκδοτικός Οίκος : Ωκεανίδα

Ποιος είναι αυτός που θα σου απαγορεύσει ποιον να αγαπήσεις;

Η Ντιάνα Μπίσοπ μια νεαρή καθηγήτρια Ιστορίας της Επιστήμης κρύβει ένα καλά κρυμμένο μυστικό. Είναι μάγισσα αλλά μετά τον βίαιο θάνατο των γονιών της, δε θέλει να έχει καμία σχέση με την μαγεία. Αποκηρύσσει την κληρονομιά της και επικεντρώνεται στις σπουδές της σαν να είναι ένας απλός άνθρωπος. Την ιστορία της Ντιάνας μας αφηγείται με μαεστρία στο πρώτο της βιβλίο η Ντέμπορα Χάρκνες. 

Στην ζωή της όλα θα ανατραπούν όταν καλέσει, χωρίς να το γνωρίζει, ένα μαγεμένο, χαμένο χειρόγραφο το οποίο θα την βάλει σε κίνδυνο μιας και θεωρείται το Άγιο Δισκοπότηρο των μυθικών όντων. Στο σύμπαν της Χάρκνες κυκλοφορούν ανάμεσα στους ανυποψίαστους ανθρώπους, μάγισσες, βρικόλακες αλλά και δαίμονες (daemon). (Οι τελευταίοι δεν έχουν καμία σχέση με τους δαίμονες της Αγίας Γραφής. Υπάρχει μια ελληνική λέξη που τους χαρακτηρίζει απόλυτα, "δαιμόνιο" και είναι άνδρες ή γυναίκες που ακροβατούν μεταξύ εξυπνάδας και τρέλας.) 

Έτσι ουρανοκατέβατα θα μπει στην ζωή της ο μυστηριώδης βρικόλακας Μάθιου Κλερμόντ. Στην αρχή θα είναι καχύποπτη απέναντι του. Άλλωστε έχει μάθει ότι τα είδη δεν ανακατεύονται μεταξύ τους, γιατί οι άνθρωποι αντιλαμβάνονται ότι δίπλα τους κυκλοφορούν όντα που είναι διαφορετικά από τους ίδιους. Η Ντιάνα και ο Μάθιου, φαινομενικά εχθροί, συνδέονται με το χειρόγραφο χωρίς οι ίδιοι  να το γνωρίζουν. 

Όταν η δική της φυλή θα απειλήσει ευθέως την Ντιάνα, η κτητικότητα του Μάθιου θα βγει στην επιφάνεια. Θα αντιληφθούν και οι δυο αυτό που επιμελώς προσπαθούσαν να κρύψουν, ότι αγαπάνε ο ένας τον άλλον. Θα την προστατέψει και αυτό θα τους κάνει φυγάδες. Καταπατούν μια αρχαία συνθήκη που συντάχθηκε στον Μεσαίωνα. Σε αυτή υπάρχει ρητή απαγόρευση για οποιαδήποτε σχέση, ερωτική ή μη, μεταξύ των ειδών. 

Ο δικός τους διωγμός θα τους φέρει αντιμέτωπους με την αποκάλυψη ότι δεν είναι τα μόνα όντα που αγαπήθηκαν και θέλησαν να σχετιστούν. Έτσι παρά τις αντίξοες συνθήκες αποφασίζουν από κοινού ότι κανένας δεν μπορεί να τους απαγορεύσει να είναι μαζί και θα παλέψουν για το δικαίωμα όλων στην αγάπη.

Η Ντέμπορα Χάρκνες, όντας η ίδια καθηγήτρια της Ιστορίας της Επιστήμης, εμπλουτίζει την πλοκή με αλχημικά χειρόγραφα, μυθολογία, την εξέλιξη των ειδών του Δαρβίνου, αλλά και ιστορία του 15ου αιώνα σε μια αρκετά καλογραμμένη ιστορία αγάπης. Δε θα μπορείτε να το αφήσετε από τα χέρια σας και όταν το βιβλίο φτάσει στην τελευταία σελίδα, θα θελήσετε να διαβάσετε το επόμενο. Δυστυχώς για τους Έλληνες φίλους της δεν έχει ακόμα μεταφραστεί. Καλή ανάγνωση!

Αρχίζει με την απουσία και την αποθυμιά.Αρχίζει με αίμα και φόβο.Αρχίζει με την αποκάλυψη των μαγισσών.

Υ.Γ. Μπορείτε να διαβάσετε την αγγλική κριτική για το "A Discovery of Witches" και το "Shadow of Night"

Book Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Book: Shadow of Night
Author: Deborah Harkness
Hardcover: 592 Pages
Publisher: Viking Adult

"Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown"—the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of Witches Deborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens. Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.

There are some stories that stay with you forever. All Souls Trilogy is such a story for me. When I finished ADoW, I was waiting patiently and was wondering what is going to happen next. Is Diana going to succeed in timewalking back to Elizabethan England in 1590? When finally the book was out. I saw that the answer was yes and I was at peace. 

In this book we get to see not only some very famous people from that Era, as friends of Matthew, but we get involved into their web of lies, secrets and everyday life. I was really shocked to see how it helped the plot and throughout the book I was really impressed by some parts. 

For example, the whole part with Philippe at Sept-Tours is by far my favorite. And not because Philippos is indeed of Greek origin! Mostly because he was so smart and precise that he was always ahead of everyone. 

Matthew got his closure. Diana learned a lot not only for Philippe but also about Matthew and that helped them along the way to understand their deep feelings. Consequently that solified their relationship even more by the end of the book.

As per usual I won't say more about the plot. Of course, there are more in this book that I love and I haven't shared with you. For now, I will only say that along with Philippe, my second favorite is Gallowglass. When you read about him, you will understand why. I do hope that we will see more of him in book #3 but also  more information of what happened in the present, when Diana and Matthew were trying to find the witch that would help Diana with her magic. 

The only thing I would like to pinpoint is that Deborah Harkness is indeed a storyteller. She can create the scenery, the atmosphere even a pseydo-character, for all those real and historical figures she used in SoN. And that is her magic too. Also, I was not familiar with Elizabethan England or alchemy before reading these series. But even though of my ignorance, I had this feeling that I was taking a very good peak from that Era. 

Finally, for all those people who are still children in their hearts, this story is for you. You will laugh, hate, cry and love the characters even more in the end of the book. Just give it a try and you will be mesmerized. 

And when you will finished it. "Enjoy the Club that waits for Book #3."

You can also read my review on "A Discovery of Witches"

Book Review: A Discovery Of Witches By Deborah Harkness

Book: A Discover Of Witches

Author: Deborah Harkness

Hardcover : 592 Pages

Publisher: Viking Adult

The leather-bound volume was nothing remarkable. To an ordinary historian, it would have looked no different from hundreds of other manuscripts in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, ancient and worn. But I knew there was something odd about it from the moment I collected it.

Duke Humfrey’s Reading Room was deserted on this late-September afternoon, and requests for library materials were filled quickly now that the summer crush of visiting scholars was over and the madness of the fall term had not yet begun. Even so, I was surprised when Sean stopped me at the call desk.

“Dr. Bishop, your manuscripts are up,” he whispered, voice tinged with a touch of mischief. The front of his argyle sweater was streaked with the rusty traces of old leather bindings, and he brushed at it self-consciously. A lock of sandy hair tumbled over his forehead when he did.

I loved this book the first time I read it, and I loved it even more this (second) time too. Although the first time I read it within 24 hours this time I prefered to enjoy myself, so it took me four days. I really like books that have history elements. Deborah Harkness is a historian of science herself making this book a very pleasant trip for someone who doesn't know at all details about alchemy and 15th century history and arts.

Mrs. Harkness created a very interesting universe where the lead heroine is Diana Bishop a witch who prefered to cut ties with her past after a traumatic experience and focused entirely to her studies in the academic field. When Diana discovers a lost manuscript a lot of other creatures enter into her life. 

Which are those creatures? Other witches, vampires, daemons and finally the unaware humans. 

What happens when the first creature that makes his presence known is a very charming but bossy French Vampire? Matthew le Clemort is not a vampire you want to overstep. He is a doctor but also a warrior and the only one who can protect her. 

Diana is trying to understand what all these creatures want from her, but also who she really is. She has to realize that some gifts in life are given for a reason, even though some she didn't ask for . Matthew will help her along the way but they will face a lot of difficulties because their relationship is forbidden by an ancient agreement. When the wrath will fall upon them, they will realize that they have to stand their grounds and to fight back. 

You can find more about A Discovery of Witches at Deborah Harkness' Official Website