Scan barcode
A review by booksnapsandcatnaps
An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The intriguing premise of "An Intrigue of Witches"—a covert witch society—drew me in, but the book soon devolved into a maze of conspiracy theories, witches, secret organizations, artificial intelligence, and more. I was captivated by the fast-paced narrative, which reminded me a lot of National Treasure.
But as the secrets began coming to light, I noticed I was becoming disoriented. Even though there was still a lot of the book left to read, the plot advanced at such a rapid pace that by the time I was 25% of the way through, I felt like the mystery was coming to an end. From then on, the revelations came one after the other, like in a Scooby Doo episode where they would unmask the villain, but the unmasking never stopped.
The attempt to fit what seemed like a series' worth of content into one book was one of my biggest criticisms of it. I had a hard time keeping up with all of the bloodlines, groups, and conspiracies that were introduced because it was so overwhelming and complex.
The storytelling method presented another issue. The book frequently resorted to characters monologuing about their secrets, which made the plot appear more like a series of information dumps rather than a coherent narrative. This was in contrast to presenting us with the clues and allowing us to piece things together.
"An Intrigue of Witches" had potential despite these problems. I thought the concept was intriguing and could see how all the components and revelations could work together as a series. But everything in this novel felt crammed together, making for a disorganized and overpowering plot that required work to truly appreciate.
But as the secrets began coming to light, I noticed I was becoming disoriented. Even though there was still a lot of the book left to read, the plot advanced at such a rapid pace that by the time I was 25% of the way through, I felt like the mystery was coming to an end. From then on, the revelations came one after the other, like in a Scooby Doo episode where they would unmask the villain, but the unmasking never stopped.
The attempt to fit what seemed like a series' worth of content into one book was one of my biggest criticisms of it. I had a hard time keeping up with all of the bloodlines, groups, and conspiracies that were introduced because it was so overwhelming and complex.
The storytelling method presented another issue. The book frequently resorted to characters monologuing about their secrets, which made the plot appear more like a series of information dumps rather than a coherent narrative. This was in contrast to presenting us with the clues and allowing us to piece things together.
"An Intrigue of Witches" had potential despite these problems. I thought the concept was intriguing and could see how all the components and revelations could work together as a series. But everything in this novel felt crammed together, making for a disorganized and overpowering plot that required work to truly appreciate.