Historian Diana Bishop also happens to be a witch, although she tries not to use her powers. When she accidentally breaks the spell on an enchanted book wanted by other witches, daemons and vampires she is thrown into a world she has always resisted. Together with charismatic vampire Matthew Clairmont she has to discover her true powers to keep everyone she loves safe.

 

I watched the first season of the Sky One adaptation of this novel series a year or so ago, but as my TV streaming package changed I haven’t caught up with the rest of the series so decided to give the books a try again.

 

As the first in the series there’s naturally a fair amount of world building needing covered in this book. It’s set in a version of our world where witches, vampires and daemons live alongside but unacknowledged by humans. The three supernatural species also tend not to mix with each other.

 

There’s a mix of history to give a sense of the length of time the main vampire character has been around, with a dash of basic science  as the vampire is also researching the genetic histories of the various species. 

 

The characters are likeable if largely predictable. If you like a heavy dose of romance against the odds with a liberal sprinkling of the supernatural this is likely to be for you. I may well read the sequel during a future holiday, but despite the cliffhanger ending there wasn’t enough pull here for me to be in any hurry to read the next book.