An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison is the first book in a new series, the Secret Society Mysteries. The main character, a Black historian is manipulated into tracking down an ancient relic and chaos ensues.
I really struggled with this because there is just so much going on in so many directions. It does all get shoehorned into an ending that sort of wraps everything up, but it would have been much more effective to cut about half of the threads out and introduce them in later books. There is comprehensive discussion throughout the book about the historical background including Egypt, Scotland, and early America; the treasure hunt; the secret societies of witches and witch hunters and whoever else; the centuries-old conspiracy; the family background and relationships; the current fraught political climate in the story; the time travel; the involvement of AI and virtual reality; the magical system (which isn’t well defined); and cryptic clues. It is just way too much, and it is generally told in long speeches between characters. Unfortunately, that just seems more like info-dumping, and isn’t very entertaining reading.
Despite my negativity, there were some things that I liked. The main character is smart and driven. I quite enjoyed a scene early on where she discovers a hidden space and resolves its secrets. Also, I think many of the ideas were interesting and creative, and the author has a unique way of combining historical figures into her contemporary story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the e-ARC. ( )