A Discovery of Witches

In a world identical to our own, supernatural creatures live as minorities, hiding in plain sight to avoid human prejudice. To maintain peace and protect themselves, they are governed by a council known as the Congregation. In present-day Oxford, historian Dr Diana Bishop spends her ordered days at the Bodleian Library researching alchemical manuscripts. Diana is a witch, but she has rejected her heritage ever since her parents, Stephen Proctor and Rebecca Bishop, were murdered. However, Diana's life shatters when she requests a manuscript called Ashmole 782. The book is bewitched, and upon opening it, Diana unleashes a surge of supernatural energy. Unnerved, she returns the book and leaves, unaware that she has just summoned the ‘Book of Life’, an artifact missing for 150 years, rumoured to hold the secrets of the creatures' origins. This magical wave catches the attention of Professor Matthew Clairmont, an ancient vampire. Matthew is investigating why vampire sirens are failing worldwide, threatening his species with extinction. Realizing Diana is responsible for the surge, Matthew tracks her down, convinced the book holds the key to saving his race. Meanwhile, political tensions rise. In Lapland, Congregation wizard Peter Knox tests the deadly powers of a Finnish witch named Satu Jarvinen before recruiting her to his cause. In London, daemon high-council member Agatha Wilson reprimands her son Nathaniel and his partner Sophie Norman for planning an art exhibit that hints at daemon existence. But Agatha’s frustration turns to terror when she learns Sophie is pregnant. Sophie was born to witch parents, and she believes her unborn baby is also a witch, a cross-species occurrence forbidden by the Congregation. Sophie refuses to terminate the pregnancy, revealing that the moment Ashmole 782 opened, she had a vision of someone coming who would change everything. Back in Oxford, forces close in. Diana’s fellow witch, Gillian Chamberlain, betrays her to Knox and Satu, who arrive in Oxford demanding answers. Distressed, Diana calls her aunts, Sarah and Emily, in New York, who warn her to stay away from vampires. Yet, Diana cannot avoid Matthew. As her magic begins to leak out, Matthew confronts her, warning that she can no longer hide from her power. Bound by a need to understand the missing manuscript, the witch who denies her magic and the vampire fighting for his species' survival are drawn into an alliance that threatens to upend the supernatural world.