Is A Discovery of Witches based on a novel? Explained 

A Discovery of Witches has made its way into the Netflix streaming platform with its first three seasons. The series made its premiere in 2018 and over the years has garnered a loyal fanbase. The story follows a witch and a vampire as they make secret discoveries hidden within a manuscript, which leads them on a dangerous path.

A Discovery of Witches was added to Netflix on August 19, 2024. The series has been developed from a trilogy of books called the All Souls series, and the three seasons of A Discovery of Witches are based on those three novels.

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All Souls trilogy: About the book A Discovery of Witches is adapted from

A Discovery of Witches is based on the All Souls trilogy, and the first book in the series is titled A Discovery of Witches which was released in 2011. It is followed by Shadow of Night (2012) and The Book of Life (2014).

The book, a historical fantasy novel released in 2011 by American scholar Deborah Harkness, was marketed as "Harry Potter or Twilight for grown-ups." It achieved significant commercial success and critical acclaim, earning a spot on the New York Times bestseller list.

The series presents a world inhabited by a trinity of supernatural creatures that live amongst humans, witches, vampires, and daemons. The series follows the fate of Diana Bishop, who is a witch scholar doing research at Oxford University in England. She discovers a lost manuscript, ‘Ashmole 784,’ and that is when her life is put in danger as it turns out that the secret manuscript hides the key to the life of all creatures walking on the planet.

Diana herself is a witch but she had forfeited witch powers all her life after her parents' murder when she was only 11. Now she finds herself at a disadvantage not only with the other creatures but also with her own kind.

Matthew Clairmont, an enigmatic vampire scientist, then enters the picture and vows to help and protect Diana. With him and other allies, Diana sets out to discover more about her powers and to gain control over her magic, while also facing threats from the ‘The Congregation,’ who forbids inter-species love between creatures.

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About the fantasy series on Netflix

Adapted from the trilogy, A Discovery of Witches consists of eight episodes. The series premiered weekly in the UK on Sky One from September 14, 2018. In November 2018, Sky One renewed the show for a second and third run. The second season was 10 episodes long. It was initially released in its entirety on January 8, 2021, and aired weekly on Sky One. The final season was also initially released in its entirety on January 7, 2022.

Over the years the series garnered a huge fanbase and has also received a nomination for Best New Drama at the National Television Awards. The cast list of the series is as follows:

• Teresa Palmer as Diana Bishop, a witch and a tenured historian at Yale University, studying alchemy and science at the University of Oxford
• Matthew Goode as Matthew Clairmont, a vampire and Professor of Biochemistry who helps Diana
• Edward Bluemel as Marcus Whitmore, Matthew Clairmont's vampire son and lab colleague
• Louise Brealey as Gillian Chamberlain, a fellow witch and academic alongside Diana at Oxford
• Malin Buska as Satu Järvinen, a Finnish witch and a Congregation member
• Aiysha Hart as Miriam Shephard, vampire and Matthew's colleague at Oxford
• Owen Teale as Peter Knox, a witch and a member of the Congregation
• Alex Kingston as Sarah Bishop, Diana's aunt
• Valarie Pettiford as Emily Mather, Sarah's partner

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The series is now streaming with its first three seasons on Netflix.