I was attracted to this book because of it's interesting premise however I think the book really suffered from trying to do way too much. Not only were their witches there was time travel, royal blood lines, American president conspiracies, ancient artifacts, virtual reality, quantum physics and so much more. This book read like a first draft, I found the writing very simplistic and the characters one dimensional. The author obviously put a lot of thought into the myths and puzzles in this story but it lacked layers and nuance to be a truly strong book. I think there is potential here but I wish it had gone through many more rounds of edits. Thank you to netgalley and severn house for a free digital advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book in the Secret Society Mystery series. Of course I had to grab it up as I enjoy stories about witches and certainly need to get in on the first of a new series.

Description:
Thirty-year-old Black woman Sidney Taylor is a talented early American history professor, working in fast-paced Washington DC, with her eyes on promotion. She’s also currently persona non grata. Who knew that making an inconvenient historical discovery would see her stuck at her desk, shuffling paper?


So when she receives an anonymous and very cryptic invitation to visit historic small-town Robbinsville, North Carolina and hunt for a missing archaeological treasure – with a million-dollar pay out at stake – it’s one she can’t refuse. Besides, her beloved grandmother lives in Robbinsville, and it’s been too long since she’s paid her a visit.


Soon, Sidney's on an exciting treasure hunt, following two-hundred-year-old clues that lead her ever closer to the artefact she’s searching for. But what is the artefact? And why is Sidney starting to feel like she’s at the heart of a terrifying conspiracy she doesn’t understand?


The answer blows Sidney’s world apart, plunging her into a dark, glittering world of secret societies, ancient bloodlines, witches and magic, linked to an ages-old conspiracy that could destroy the very principles upon which America was founded.

My Thoughts:
There's a lot going on in this story which involved politics, black history, secret societies, conspiracy theories, and even a little romance. I found it hard to keep up sometimes. I enjoyed the story and the magic and time travel elements. I liked the historical aspects of the book and how it brought the story together. Sidney is a good character - very likable. I also liked the treasure hunt and the revealing of the clues. This made it fun. Overall, a good story. I will likely read the next in the series and see where it leads.

Thanks to Severn House through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House!

The first book in the Secret Society Mystery Series was a big win for me. Imagine National Treasure mixed with A Discovery of Witches, and you get a glimpse of the adventure the reader is in for. I loved learning about Sidney and her family, and can’t wait to get my hands on book 2!

“An Intrigue of Witches” is a mystery historical book by Esme Addison.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

What you’ll find in this book:
⭐️ History (lots of it)
⭐️ Witch hunters
⭐️ Virtual Reality (this scared me a lot)
⭐️ Urban Fantasy/ Mystery
⭐️ Treasure Hunt

I picked up this book because of the title and the description as I love witches and a good mystery, but unfortunately, it wasn’t what I thought. The pace is quick and the writing is exceptional but I am just not so keen on history and this book has lots of it (true or not), witches on the other hand not so much that was disappointing.

The book follows the story of Sidney, a black 30yo red hair woman who out of the blue gets involved in a historical loop and treasure hunt of an Egyptian artefact. Moving to her grandmother’s small town she will have to unfold the secrets of her family's past while staying alive. This book is the first in the “A Secret Society Mystery” series.

In the mix of witch hunts, you will find a virtual reality trope that I hope remains fiction because the thought of it becoming our future reality totally scared me.

I would definitely recommend it to all lovers of history and urban fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my early copy. All opinions are mine and sincere.

This is an absolute romp and I loved it! Forget about Dan Brown and white guys finding magic or otherwise powerful artifacts: give us a series of this amazing fantasy about--literally--Black girl magic. Sidney is asked to help search of an important artifact in her small North Carolina hometown, and in doing so uncovers secret societies, secret passageways, secret objects, secret networks, and much much more, including genetic secrets. The novel is fast-paced and smart and deals with race and passing and heritage and legacy in thoughtful ways. The characters feel real and nuanced, and while there's a very light dusting of het romance, the story is far less about getting a man than it is about coming into your own power. Esme Addison, please write some more!

There was a lot going on in this one! I liked the secret American history thriller parts, but the villain(s) and their ultimate plan were a little over the top. I didn't mind the way it ended and the twists about identities. I didn't like the AI parts and I'm not sure that I understood what the ultimate plan was with those.
Overall this was a good over the top sci-fi thriller. It was a fun read.

This is one of my top 3 favorite books of 2024. The first release in the intriquing new mystery series " A Secret Society." Thank you to the publisher , to the author and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinons are my own. This is a fascinating book you will read from cover to cover!

The author has crafted such a unique protagnist in Sidney that I was captivated from the beginning.. Sidney is a Early American historical researcher and professor who has made a new discovery that her employer wants to cover up. She is let go from her position among the cover up. She receives a proposal from her Grandmother's home town to return to work on a fascinating letter by James Madison to decifier a code that may revel Early American secrets. Sidney goes home to stay with her Grandmother and join the staff undercover at a Early American site. Soon she discovers her involvement was planned and she is involved in a multi layered mystery that she is historically part of by her birthright. As a researcher she is intriqued to find out every level of the mystery that involves Presidents, birth orders and history of many early American families. She is also finding out about her ownfamily history and the role she and many other women played in early history.

This was so beautifully written and well crafted to the history that I was compelled to keep reading to conclusion. The character of Sidney is a smart savvy educated protagnist. This is a thrilling read of ancient secrets and historical discoveries. . I loved this book and highly recommend it for your reading enjoyment. A compelling exciting read . Well done to the author. ,

I liked the author's writing style, the main character and the historical features of the novel. But the impetus for the plot (a government conspiracy) was a little to difficult to believe for me.

2 1/2 stars. This was a real mishmash of genres: treasure hunt, historical fiction, black history, women empowerment, witches, magic, science fiction, political conspiracies and secret societies to name a few. It was interesting but I felt that the author was trying to fit too much into this book. I really did love the treasure hunt aspect, black history, one of the impetus for witch hunting starting from James I of England, and women empowerment. SciFi, witches, and secret societies I didn't mind. I thought the political conspiracy was going a little too far and the AI aspect did not appeal to me at all.

I liked the strong female lead, Sidney, a black woman historian. That is a fascinating character though she was a bit flat in the beginning. The narrative was too much did this then did this. and the some segues weren't smooth.

So a mixed bag for me. There were some very strong elements but others really put me off. A mishmash of genres doesn't bother me if done well. Here I just don't think it was quite pulled off.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
This book was not for me. It's got a flare for history, puzzles, conspiracy theories, fantasy, and sci-fi. It's like National Treasure with fantasy and sci-fi take.

I loved the FMC. Her confidence and intelligence shined through. You could really feel for her. The small town felt like being in like Rosewood or Stars Hollow.

I struggled with how the history was told rather than shown as was a lot of the details. I felt like there was a lot thrown at you and it was hard to keep up for me. I don't know if it's because my brain was tired after work or this just wasn't the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Severn House Publishers, and Esme Addison for providing an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

First and foremost, I found this book to be absolutely fun. There’s a mystery to solve, historical treasure to uncover, and secret societies to infiltrate. I am not certain why anyone would take themselves too seriously when reading this book because you can tell it’s meant to be a really good time. It’s light hearted and not too heavy hitting. I think it’s a great poolside read.
You do need to suspend some belief and not think about all the things that may or may not be able to happen. It’s meant to be a magical, treasure hunt. There are people with hints of innate abilities and lots of stretching of the imagination.
I think the only reason I give it 4* is because I think there was just a lot going on. It felt a little cluttered and cumbersome at times. However, once another book in this series is on the horizon, I would gladly give it a chance to see what else we may be able to uncover and what mystery we may solve.

Sidney is an academic, a Historian, she deals in facts and certainties. So how will she react when she is introduced to the world of magic, secret societies and conspiracy theories?

Being a red-headed Black historian Sidney used to being seen as minority but when she is essentially ousted from her job, she is left to lick her wounds until a visit to her Grandma's gives her a new opportunity and the possibility of earning a million bucks!

This is a slow burner of a book, there are no big action scenes but there are episodes of peril where Sidney and other are in danger. I felt that she handled herself with aplomb even though she had zero training. She is a great FMC in spite of being a rich girl. She doesn't have access to her mum and dad's fortunes, she made her own way in life after college. I felt her frustration when instead of a raise or promotion, she gets "furloughed".

There was plenty of politics, history and conspiracy theories to chomp on, some I knew and others I didn't. I loved learning more about black history and even history about my own country (Scotland) and where they intersected.

There are the faint glimmerings of a romance but that is very much on the side-lines, the main themes of the story is definitely the magical mystery and secret societies.

I would very happily read book 2!

If you want a clever weaving of politics, history, and conspiracy theory, this is a fun read. What makes it even better is the way it reaches into the paranormal realm and quantum physics, too. The story pulls in cultures from several regions and achieves not getting lost in current fad politics while doing so. If you like a museum and archeology vibe, this fits the bill. There is also a romance within that carries throughout and has a steam level of .05.

I loved this book and won't hesitate to read other novels written by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

This had such an interesting sounding blurb, I was very happy to receive it early. Think National Treasure meets cozy magical mystery & so much more. If you love history & conspiracies, this is the perfect book for you. I absolutely loved the adventure we go on with Sidney. The author does an an expert job of mixing fiction & non-fiction, understanding both beautifully. I really had a lot of fun with this one, perfect escapism.


🗝️

Read if you like:

* Witch Way Librarian series by Angela M. Sanders
* Kitchen Witch series by Lynn Cahoon

American history professor Sidney Taylor is on furlough from her job in Washington DC when she gets asked to return to her hometown Robbinsville to search for a historical artefact. If visiting her grandma isn't enough of a reason to go, there's a million dollars on offer if she succeeds. It doesn't take long for Sidney to realise there is more to the story of the artefact than she first thought, and before she knows it she is in the middle of a huge consipracy revolving around ancient bloodlines and secret societies, with the fate of the world at stake.

It took me a while to decompress after reading this and to try and pull together my thoughts and feelings, and settle on a rating. In the end I went with 5 stars, purely and simply because I really enjoyed reading and found it hard to put down. Yes it's a bit of an odd mix of sci-fi, history and fantasy, but it works and the story is engrossing.

I must admit when the story started and the concept of virtual reality was broached I was worried, that wasn't something I was expecting to come across given the blurb. It poses a scary prospect when framed like it is here though, and certainly added a different tone to the book. The history and magic side of things was much more along the lines of what I had expected, and I thought Addison did a good job of weaving the fantasy elements in to the story in what felt like a natural way.

I really liked Sidney, she was a great protagonist and easy to read about. I liked that she wasn't cowed by fear and didn't let others dictate her actions. A lot of the supporting cast were likeable too, even some of the villains early on, which made it hard to pinpoint a suspect. I had suspicions on a lot of characters at stages throughout the book and really wasn't sure who Sidney should trust, which always adds to the tension.

Although there's aspects of this that reminded me of Dan Brown's books, it also felt like something new and different, unusual. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
(4.5 Rounded Up)

I received a complimentary ARC copy of An Intrigue of Witches, A Secret Society Mystery by Esme Addison from Net Galley and Severn House in order to read and give an honest review.

"…the author brilliantly mixes genres seamlessly, blending genres such as mystery, thriller, paranormal fantasy, science and history with much of the history based on actual events, people and legends…"

New to author, Esme Addison ‘s work and since she was recommended to me as a cozy author, I was pleasantly surprised by her newest book, An Intrigue of Witches which defies a single genre, a cleverly plotted mix of mystery, thriller, mythology, historical and science with a paranormal twist, fans of Discovery of Witches, DaVinci Code, Outlander and Indiana Jones might enjoy this.

When thirty-year-old black historian Sidney Taylor is let go from her position at the Smithsonian she is at a complete loss as to what to do struggling with her place and who she is seeks refuge in her hometown and with her beloved grandmother. Sidney is thrilled when she is offered a job in the small museum she had worked as a history reenactor while in college, this time around however she is offered a job that is just too hard to refuse. Her employer wants her to find a missing artifact for an incredibly hefty sum of money, the catch, she must do so in two weeks. Sidney accepts the challenge and what she finds takes her on an adventure with bizarre and intriguing clues involving cryptology, symbolism, puzzles, and hidden rooms all of which weave a fascinating story that spans Egypt, Scotland and witch trials that occurred in her town centuries before. The closer she gets she uncovers warring secret societies, fabricated history and corruption at the highest levels and the more attention she draws and the more she puts herself and those she cares for in jeopardy and the more she learns about herself and her destiny.

I really enjoyed this book, the author brilliantly mixes genres seamlessly, blending genres such as mystery, thriller, paranormal fantasy, science and history with much of the history based on actual events, people and legends all of which adds a bit of credibility to the story. I really recommend reading the author’s notes at the end as they really help unravel what is real and what is not. Although it took a bit to get into and it often felt like too much was happening at once, it really was a brilliantly creative and unique book that takes the reader on an adventure like no other! I highly recommend it.

"An Intrigue of Witches" had me hooked from the start with its promise of a secret witch society, but it quickly spiraled into a whirlwind of witches, secret societies, conspiracy theories, AI, and more. The fast-paced story gave me serious National Treasure vibes, and I couldn't help but be intrigued.

However, as the mysteries started unraveling, I found myself getting lost. The plot moved at breakneck speed, and by the time I was a quarter of the way through, I felt like the mystery was already wrapping up, even though there was so much more book left to go. From there, it was a constant stream of reveals, akin to a Scooby Doo episode where they just kept unmasking one person after another with more secrets.

One of the main issues I had with the book was its attempt to cram what felt like a series worth of material into one book. It was overwhelming and confusing, and I struggled to keep up with the various bloodlines, societies, and conspiracies introduced.

Another problem was the storytelling style. Instead of showing us the clues and letting us piece things together, the book often resorted to characters monologuing about their secrets, which made the plot feel more like a series of info dumps rather than a cohesive narrative.

Despite these issues, "An Intrigue of Witches" had potential. The concept was intriguing, and I saw how all the elements and reveals could work in a series. However, in this book, everything felt jammed together, resulting in a messy and overwhelming plot that took effort to fully enjoy.

Sidney Taylor, a successful & talented thirty-year-old Black woman, has been working hard at her position as an early American history professor, vying for a promotion. When she makes a historical discovery and someone else takes the credit, she is promptly put on unpaid leave. As she is packing up her office, she receives an anonymous & very cryptic invitation to visit historic small-town Robbinsville, North Carolina to hunt for a missing archaeological treasure. In return they are offering to pay her one million dollars. To Sidney, this is a win-win situation, since her beloved grandmother lives in Robbinsville, and she has been aching to visit her. Not long after she arrives, Sidney receives her instructions, and she is off on a treasure hunt, following two-hundred-year-old clues, plunging her into a dark world of secret societies, ancient bloodlines, witches and magic, linked to an ages-old conspiracy that could destroy the very principles upon which America was founded.

This is the first book in a new series by this author. I have read this author's other books, and really enjoyed those, but this one was just ok. I found it a little hard to follow at times, and a little too science-fiction-y, and action/adventure-y for me. Don't get me wrong... it wasn't a bad book at all, just one that other people might enjoy more than I did. I did really like Sidney and her grandmother though - they were both very down-to -earth, strong, likeable women. I know this is nitpicking, but the way they used lines from a nursery rhyme as a code to determine who was and wasn't part of their inner circle of witches drove me a little nuts. Overall if you are a fan of things like The Davinci Code, Indiana Jones, & David Baldacci's "The Camel Club" series, and don't mind a few witches thrown in for good measure, then this is the book for you.

National treasure meets witches! This story has ALL the mystery, hidden secrets and ancient artifacts. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and all the secrets hiding around each corner!