Finished: A Discovery of Witches (Harkness) The first book in the trilogy set in current times, where humans share the world with witches, vampires, and daemons. The story is about a witch, Diana Bishop, who falls in love with a vampire, Matthew Clairmont. Diana is a professor of alchemical history who is doing research at the University of Oxford in England. She is a witch from the famous Bishop family of witches, but has always squashed her own abilities at magic since her parents, both witches, died when she was just seven years old. Devastated by their deaths, but raised by her aunt Sarah and her partner, Emily, also witches, she has always refused to practice any magic, let alone give into the natural, very strong abilities, she possesses due to her powerful lineage. When Diana inadvertently checks out a long lost manuscript that witches, daemons, and vampires have been searching for for centuries, she suddenly becomes very interesting to very many people. When she touches the manuscript, she can tell that it is under a powerful magic spell, so after glancing at just a few pages, she returns it immediately. Enter the charming, but dangerous, biologist and doctor, Matthew Clairmont, the vampire that has been alive since the 1500's, and has been searching for the illusive manuscript for nearly all that time. The vampires, as well as the witches and the daemons, all believe that the manuscript holds the secrets to how they were all initially created, and more importantly, how they could rid the world of each other. Matthew initially makes contact with Diana to gain access to the manuscript, but very quickly falls in love with her and she with him. Unfortunately, the "mixing" of vampires, witches, and daemons is strictly forbidden by the Congregation....a committee headed by three vampires, three witches, and three daemons, all very powerful. The Congregation was created centuries ago when the other-worldly creatures began to get "out of hand" and were starting to be too noticed by humans. Any vampire, witch or daemon caught trying to have a relationship with one of the other "types" could face harsh penalties, even violent death. Add to that everyone looking for the manuscript, Matthew's very frosty vampire mother, Diana's very protective witch aunts, and Diana's complete lack of control of her powers, and you get the adversity needed to throw Matthew and Diana right into each other's arms. They manage to win each other's families over, but they cannot shake the danger they are in. When Matthew is nearly killed trying to protect Diana from, Juliette, a powerful vampire sent by the Congregation, Diana unleashes her powerful witchfire, and burns Juliette to a crisp. She manages to save Matthew's life, with the help of her family, and Matthew's vampire son, Marcus. As a group, they decide that for Diana's own safety, and for the impending battle with the Congregation, she needs to learn how to control and use her powers. Since her genetic markers show she has time-traveling abilities passed on by her father, Matthew and Diana decide to go back in time to when there were supremely powerful witches who can teach her how to use her skills. It also doesn't hurt, Matthew decides, that they'll go back to the time when the manuscript might be floating around before being spellbound. Their destination? England in the 1500's. They journey there at the end of book one, and land there at the beginning of book two, which I have just started reading. An enjoyable series to read so far! :-)