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Raiders of the Arcana #1
Empire of Shadows
Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.
One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.
When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.
To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.
But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.
Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?
Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.
One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.
When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.
To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.
But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.
Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?
Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2024
905 people are currently reading
31610 people want to read
About the author
Jacquelyn Benson
16 books907 followersJacquelyn Benson writes smart historical thrillers where strong women confront the stranger things that occupy the borders of our world.
She once lived in a museum, wrote a master’s thesis on the cultural anthropology of paranormal investigation, and received a gold medal for being clever. She owes a great deal to her elementary school librarian for sagely choosing to acquire the entire Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown series.
Her debut novel, The Smoke Hunter, was nominated for Best Historical Fiction by RT Times. When not writing, she enjoys the company of a tall, dark, and handsome English teacher and practices unintentional magic.
If you’d like to be friends, you may find her everywhere @jbensonink or join the email list at jacquelynbenson.com.
She once lived in a museum, wrote a master’s thesis on the cultural anthropology of paranormal investigation, and received a gold medal for being clever. She owes a great deal to her elementary school librarian for sagely choosing to acquire the entire Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown series.
Her debut novel, The Smoke Hunter, was nominated for Best Historical Fiction by RT Times. When not writing, she enjoys the company of a tall, dark, and handsome English teacher and practices unintentional magic.
If you’d like to be friends, you may find her everywhere @jbensonink or join the email list at jacquelynbenson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,754 reviews
May 15, 2024
(This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum.)
Empire of Shadows is a page-turning historical romp with very similar energy to The Mummy.
Though the novel takes place in Honduras, it has all of the same humour and swashbuckling adventure. The characters are warm, fun, and relatable—and, much like Brendan Fraser, Adam Bates somehow becomes more attractive with every extra layer of dirt.
The book primarily follows Ellie Mallory, a well-educated Victorian woman whose career has stalled out due to the era’s very low glass ceiling. Within the first few chapters, Ellie’s participation in the era’s suffragette movement starts a (small) riot and gets her arrested… at which point, she loses her job, stumbles onto a bonafide treasure map, and catches the attention of a frightening criminal.
Lest this sound a bit too serious for you—she also spends the entire first part of the book trying to juggle a potted fern.
Ellie eventually ends up haring off to British Honduras on a madcap adventure which requires the regrettable help of Adam Bates, an American surveyor with a love for local wildlife and an allergy to shirts. Adam and Ellie have fantastic banter and excellent romantic chemistry, none of which distracts too much from the plot.
Jacquelyn Benson’s expertise as an anthropologist also shines through in several places, in the very best way. Ellie’s genuine enthusiasm for history comes across lovingly on the page, without ever bogging down the story.
I’ve read Empire of Shadows several times now, and every time, I find myself so instantly absorbed that I forget to put it down for hours at a time. I’m already greatly looking forward to the next book in the series.
Empire of Shadows is a page-turning historical romp with very similar energy to The Mummy.
Though the novel takes place in Honduras, it has all of the same humour and swashbuckling adventure. The characters are warm, fun, and relatable—and, much like Brendan Fraser, Adam Bates somehow becomes more attractive with every extra layer of dirt.
The book primarily follows Ellie Mallory, a well-educated Victorian woman whose career has stalled out due to the era’s very low glass ceiling. Within the first few chapters, Ellie’s participation in the era’s suffragette movement starts a (small) riot and gets her arrested… at which point, she loses her job, stumbles onto a bonafide treasure map, and catches the attention of a frightening criminal.
Lest this sound a bit too serious for you—she also spends the entire first part of the book trying to juggle a potted fern.
Ellie eventually ends up haring off to British Honduras on a madcap adventure which requires the regrettable help of Adam Bates, an American surveyor with a love for local wildlife and an allergy to shirts. Adam and Ellie have fantastic banter and excellent romantic chemistry, none of which distracts too much from the plot.
Jacquelyn Benson’s expertise as an anthropologist also shines through in several places, in the very best way. Ellie’s genuine enthusiasm for history comes across lovingly on the page, without ever bogging down the story.
I’ve read Empire of Shadows several times now, and every time, I find myself so instantly absorbed that I forget to put it down for hours at a time. I’m already greatly looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 3, 2024
Absolute perfection.
10/10 5 stars is not enough! Brendan Fraser in the mummy? This book. The romance, the mystery, the hidden civilization? This book. I savored every moment! The banter and dialogue had me GIGGLING like a school girl the entire time!
Adam Bates is the perfect male character in my humble opinion. No notes. None.
Ellie is a strong willed slip of thing that falls head over heels! I loved her little outbursts and determination.
Zero complaints, easily one of- if not THE top read of the year already!
10/10 5 stars is not enough! Brendan Fraser in the mummy? This book. The romance, the mystery, the hidden civilization? This book. I savored every moment! The banter and dialogue had me GIGGLING like a school girl the entire time!
Adam Bates is the perfect male character in my humble opinion. No notes. None.
Ellie is a strong willed slip of thing that falls head over heels! I loved her little outbursts and determination.
Zero complaints, easily one of- if not THE top read of the year already!
March 6, 2024
MAJOR book hangover incoming...HOW will the other books I read this year compare to this one???
I LOVED EVERY SECOND! What a ride.
I read the original work, The Smoke Hunter, last year and it was my favorite book of the year. When I heard that this expanded edition was coming out, I had to get my hands on it.
{A HUGE thank you to the author for letting me read and review this book early!}
Ellie and Adam are two of my new all time favorite characters. I loved any and every scene with Adam (or as I call him, Nathan Drake With A Machete) but I especially loved his scenes with Ellie. From their first disastrously hilarious meeting onward, I loved every second that they interacted together. I love adventure stories with a romance and this book did an excellent job of balancing the romance with an exciting story. I was on the edge of my seat and didn't want to put the book down, but at the same time, I didn't want it to end. (I am so happy there is going to be a second one!)
Since this is a reissue of Smoke Hunter there were many elements that were the same, but plenty of new content as well.
This book was so well written! It felt like I was exploring the the jungle right along with Ellie and Adam. It really came to life in my head.
I can't wait to see what these two will discover next! I can't wait!
If you like Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones, or The Mummy, then this is the perfect book for you!
____________________________________
Oh my gosh, it's on Goodreads now!!!!
And it's almost 600 pages?!?!?! YAY!!!! More Ellie and Adam!!! And even more jungle to explore!
HOW CAN I LAST UNTIL APRIL!!?!?!?!
I will be counting down the days to 4/2/2024!
I LOVED EVERY SECOND! What a ride.
I read the original work, The Smoke Hunter, last year and it was my favorite book of the year. When I heard that this expanded edition was coming out, I had to get my hands on it.
{A HUGE thank you to the author for letting me read and review this book early!}
Ellie and Adam are two of my new all time favorite characters. I loved any and every scene with Adam (or as I call him, Nathan Drake With A Machete) but I especially loved his scenes with Ellie. From their first disastrously hilarious meeting onward, I loved every second that they interacted together. I love adventure stories with a romance and this book did an excellent job of balancing the romance with an exciting story. I was on the edge of my seat and didn't want to put the book down, but at the same time, I didn't want it to end. (I am so happy there is going to be a second one!)
Since this is a reissue of Smoke Hunter there were many elements that were the same, but plenty of new content as well.
This book was so well written! It felt like I was exploring the the jungle right along with Ellie and Adam. It really came to life in my head.
I can't wait to see what these two will discover next! I can't wait!
If you like Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones, or The Mummy, then this is the perfect book for you!
____________________________________
Oh my gosh, it's on Goodreads now!!!!
And it's almost 600 pages?!?!?! YAY!!!! More Ellie and Adam!!! And even more jungle to explore!
HOW CAN I LAST UNTIL APRIL!!?!?!?!
I will be counting down the days to 4/2/2024!
August 21, 2024
Indiana Jones fans, here’s a new book for you!
After being arrested for a Women’s rights protest, strong and adamant Ellie Mallory with archaeological ambitions is fired from her archivist job.
When Ellie finds (steals) a map to a mysterious ancient city, she is desperate to explore. Only thing is, she is tracked by a ruthless villain right out of an Indiana Jones movie.
This means (unwillingly) acquiring the help of surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling, charming rogue who can’t seem to keep his shirt on and makes it his duty to tease Ellie.
The first half was definitely the best. I loved Ellie’s voice. It was distinct, funny, and strong. However, as they get to the temple, the action and moustache twirling villains just overtook any grand character moments.
Honestly, I was fighting boredom the whole time. With such a great premise, I couldn’t get attached to the characters or plot. It seemed too predictable and extremely troupey. Adam was basically a young Harrison Ford insert.
The audiobook narrator did a great job at the dual pov and all the accents!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
After being arrested for a Women’s rights protest, strong and adamant Ellie Mallory with archaeological ambitions is fired from her archivist job.
When Ellie finds (steals) a map to a mysterious ancient city, she is desperate to explore. Only thing is, she is tracked by a ruthless villain right out of an Indiana Jones movie.
This means (unwillingly) acquiring the help of surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling, charming rogue who can’t seem to keep his shirt on and makes it his duty to tease Ellie.
The first half was definitely the best. I loved Ellie’s voice. It was distinct, funny, and strong. However, as they get to the temple, the action and moustache twirling villains just overtook any grand character moments.
Honestly, I was fighting boredom the whole time. With such a great premise, I couldn’t get attached to the characters or plot. It seemed too predictable and extremely troupey. Adam was basically a young Harrison Ford insert.
The audiobook narrator did a great job at the dual pov and all the accents!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
December 30, 2024
I have a lot of feelings about how this book made me feel nostalgic for the mummy and how the adventure was a fun time but I’m keeping one star because this was far, far longer than it needed to be and some sections definitely could have been cut/edited down
But overall, what a ride
But overall, what a ride
March 13, 2024
1.5 stars
•
As a bit of backstory for those who don't know, Empire of Shadows is a rewritten/reimagined version of Benson's first book, The Smoke Hunter.
I loved The Smoke Hunter! I've easily read it a half dozen times. I thought it was smart, adventurous, suspenseful, and romantic. The stakes were high and the descriptions vivid. I've never before and never since wanted to go to the hot, humid depths of a South American forest, but Smoke Hunter had me checking flights.
The characters had depth and meaningful interactions. They each had strengths and weaknesses and grew over the course of the book.
That Ellie was sensible, opinionated, and dedicated. She'd faced unfairness and bitterness, and while she was angry about that she remained a loyal, good, and brave woman.
While Adam was smart and capable, he knew a lot about the places he mapped out and the people he worked with. He knew many languages and could speak, albeit a bit basically, to the rural Myan villagers. He was bold and daring, but kind and understanding.
I'd been eagerly awaiting the sequel to TSH but when none came and instead I was presented with the chance to read Empire of Shadows I snapped up the opportunity, if somewhat apprehensively.
I tried to read this book as it's own thing and not as a rewritten version of TSH, but with so many great, enjoyable scenes and well-rounded characters cut or changed, it was hard not to compare. I wanted to love Empire, and I read the whole book with the hope that issues at the start would get better by the end, but they didn't.
I felt the descriptions in Empire were insubstantial, and the writing, while technically well done—no spelling or grammar mistakes that I can remember—was a bit lacking. One peeve was that almost every piece of dialogue had a dialogue tag, and most of those contained adverbs.
But it was the misandry that ruined it, to be perfectly honest. I don't think I've read a book that had so much blatant sexism and yet it was deemed acceptable because it was directed at men. It was wild. The only ones allowed to be wise or right were the native men, and that felt like it came from a real world fear that you couldn't let any of the locals be construed as being idiots.
Clearly an impressive amount of research and knowledge went into this book!
But the historical details dragged the plot down, and made for too many info dumps. Maybe if I was more passionate about this specific area of history I would have enjoyed it more, but I found it very repetitive and by a certain point, unnecessary.
As for the characters:
I did enjoy this version of Jacobs, for the most part. He was ruthless and cunning, sharp, and oddly charming in his very dangerous way.
But Empire's Ellie was self-important, rude, selfish, irrational, and infuriating. She cared more about history and artifacts than real, living humans—and even her own life at times. She was full of double standards, biases, and harsh stereotypes. She often complained that everyone and everything was sexist and rigged against her (a claim that was stated often but the story never gave us proof of beyond one ignorant comment in the second chapter and a half dozen random little instances to which Ellie took strong personal offence).
Several times—in what felt like the height of irony given how some men actually dismissed women's opinions/emotions in that time period—Ellie would react to a problem or comment by screaming and throwing things. She took no responsibility for her own actions but quickly and easily blamed others for the slightest infraction. She could never be wrong—or if she was 'less right' it was brushed off as being a rare thing that only happened because she wasn't given all the facts earlier.
Her thoughts and conversations were reduced to feminism, oppression, that men are awful, how marriage and children are evil, talking about history, or insulting or arguing with Adam.
Which leads me to Adam. Poor Adam. I don't know how or why he would respect, let alone fall in love with a woman when that's the personality she presents, and when her own respect for him begins and ends at his shirtless chest.
This Adam was a self-described oaf, which was unfortunately accurate. He was reduced to muscular bimbo, and could have been replaced by a lamp for all the help Ellie and the plot let him offer. If this was supposed to be a gender bent Indiana Jones-esque story, at least the women in those stories get to have opinions, they're helpful, they get mad, and they talk back when the hero is being a jerk. Adam didn't get any of that. For all the muscles he was frequently described to have, he felt weak. And too often the depth of his feelings were reduced to "it made him want to break/hit/throw something."
For years I've wanted more of Ellie and Adam, but not like this. I'll be skipping any sequels to this one.
•
As a bit of backstory for those who don't know, Empire of Shadows is a rewritten/reimagined version of Benson's first book, The Smoke Hunter.
I loved The Smoke Hunter! I've easily read it a half dozen times. I thought it was smart, adventurous, suspenseful, and romantic. The stakes were high and the descriptions vivid. I've never before and never since wanted to go to the hot, humid depths of a South American forest, but Smoke Hunter had me checking flights.
The characters had depth and meaningful interactions. They each had strengths and weaknesses and grew over the course of the book.
That Ellie was sensible, opinionated, and dedicated. She'd faced unfairness and bitterness, and while she was angry about that she remained a loyal, good, and brave woman.
While Adam was smart and capable, he knew a lot about the places he mapped out and the people he worked with. He knew many languages and could speak, albeit a bit basically, to the rural Myan villagers. He was bold and daring, but kind and understanding.
I'd been eagerly awaiting the sequel to TSH but when none came and instead I was presented with the chance to read Empire of Shadows I snapped up the opportunity, if somewhat apprehensively.
I tried to read this book as it's own thing and not as a rewritten version of TSH, but with so many great, enjoyable scenes and well-rounded characters cut or changed, it was hard not to compare. I wanted to love Empire, and I read the whole book with the hope that issues at the start would get better by the end, but they didn't.
I felt the descriptions in Empire were insubstantial, and the writing, while technically well done—no spelling or grammar mistakes that I can remember—was a bit lacking. One peeve was that almost every piece of dialogue had a dialogue tag, and most of those contained adverbs.
But it was the misandry that ruined it, to be perfectly honest. I don't think I've read a book that had so much blatant sexism and yet it was deemed acceptable because it was directed at men. It was wild. The only ones allowed to be wise or right were the native men, and that felt like it came from a real world fear that you couldn't let any of the locals be construed as being idiots.
Clearly an impressive amount of research and knowledge went into this book!
But the historical details dragged the plot down, and made for too many info dumps. Maybe if I was more passionate about this specific area of history I would have enjoyed it more, but I found it very repetitive and by a certain point, unnecessary.
As for the characters:
I did enjoy this version of Jacobs, for the most part. He was ruthless and cunning, sharp, and oddly charming in his very dangerous way.
But Empire's Ellie was self-important, rude, selfish, irrational, and infuriating. She cared more about history and artifacts than real, living humans—and even her own life at times. She was full of double standards, biases, and harsh stereotypes. She often complained that everyone and everything was sexist and rigged against her (a claim that was stated often but the story never gave us proof of beyond one ignorant comment in the second chapter and a half dozen random little instances to which Ellie took strong personal offence).
Several times—in what felt like the height of irony given how some men actually dismissed women's opinions/emotions in that time period—Ellie would react to a problem or comment by screaming and throwing things. She took no responsibility for her own actions but quickly and easily blamed others for the slightest infraction. She could never be wrong—or if she was 'less right' it was brushed off as being a rare thing that only happened because she wasn't given all the facts earlier.
Her thoughts and conversations were reduced to feminism, oppression, that men are awful, how marriage and children are evil, talking about history, or insulting or arguing with Adam.
Which leads me to Adam. Poor Adam. I don't know how or why he would respect, let alone fall in love with a woman when that's the personality she presents, and when her own respect for him begins and ends at his shirtless chest.
This Adam was a self-described oaf, which was unfortunately accurate. He was reduced to muscular bimbo, and could have been replaced by a lamp for all the help Ellie and the plot let him offer. If this was supposed to be a gender bent Indiana Jones-esque story, at least the women in those stories get to have opinions, they're helpful, they get mad, and they talk back when the hero is being a jerk. Adam didn't get any of that. For all the muscles he was frequently described to have, he felt weak. And too often the depth of his feelings were reduced to "it made him want to break/hit/throw something."
For years I've wanted more of Ellie and Adam, but not like this. I'll be skipping any sequels to this one.
June 24, 2025
It's was a little hard to rate this one. honestly, this book was ok. I liked the start and the characters, the themes of archaeology and a scholar fmc were something I was really excited to read more about, but the story was just too simple/ok (?)
I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did. It’s not bad, but it’s not super exciting or very good either. one thing that affected my enjoyment was the writing, it felt unnecessarily detailed, like the type that doesn’t really add anything to the story. It dragged a bit and made the reading a little tiring.
as for the characters, I liked them together. ellie and adam were cute and had some funny banter, but individually, they lacked depth. I couldn’t really connect with them. ellie sometimes annoyed me, but adam was great.
overall, I know some people might enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.
I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did. It’s not bad, but it’s not super exciting or very good either. one thing that affected my enjoyment was the writing, it felt unnecessarily detailed, like the type that doesn’t really add anything to the story. It dragged a bit and made the reading a little tiring.
as for the characters, I liked them together. ellie and adam were cute and had some funny banter, but individually, they lacked depth. I couldn’t really connect with them. ellie sometimes annoyed me, but adam was great.
overall, I know some people might enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.
April 4, 2024
Review:
This is easily a 5-star swashbuckler of a historical fantasy, with Benson's usual attention to geo-political detail underpinning the joyous adventure tropes.
All of the Indiana Jones/Mummy/fantastical archaeology/Lost City bits were utterly pitch-perfect and gripping. And the way both of the main characters respond to all of the tense events is delightful and believable.
I absolutely loved much of what Benson did with the Lady and the Rogue trope, recognisable from every black and white movie I grew up with (which now often make me grit my teeth in irritation). She knows exactly how to tweak this trope to make the relationship between the main characters feel both archetypal and fresh, funny and touching. Both of these characters could be played by actors from Hollywood's Golden Age, which is not something I often feel about modern novels.
I also loved how the fantasy elements worked out dovetailing into the character themes. A lot of fantasy writers seem to fall either on the plot or character end of the spectrum when it comes to strengths, and it's a joy to read a writer who puts so much craft into both.
Heads up, the romance got steamier than I expected (you've heard of Only One Bed, but what about Only One Inescapable Deathtrap?). There is no sex, but an on page make-out scene for those who want to know these things ahead of time.
Mild Spoiler: One element that I didn't personally love was the insta-lust, but I appreciated that this played into Ellie's character as she gradually grows to trust Adam as a human rather than seeing him as an Extremely Male threat and obstacle. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book, considering Ellie's suffragist commitment to not marrying and Adam's concern about ruining her reputation if they continue to put themselves in compromising situations adventuring in the jungle.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Some reviewers have complained that Ellie’s perspective on women’s rights is not period-appropriate, but as a historical fiction writer of the same period, I can assure you Benson has done her research. While not all women of the time felt or spoke out as strongly as Ellie does, there were plenty who did, and plenty of historical records to prove it.
For those who accuse the novel of promoting misandry, I respectfully suggest they have missed Ellie’s character arc and romance arc. Ellie learns to trust Adam because he is a trustworthy human. My favourite parts of the book were Ellie and Adam learning to be friends and work together. Ellie makes *a crucial mistake* in not trusting Adam with the whole map (an understandable and frustrating mistake given the circumstances). I fail to see how a misandrist would write a romance arc like this, that obviously pays homage to (and subtly improves) 1940s swashbuckler romance. In addition, there are multiple likeable/admirable/intelligent male characters. One of the antagonists is stupid and patronising to Ellie, but I never got the sense it was just because of his gender. Finally, Ellie has a giant choice to make in the third act that hinges on whether she is unconditionally committed to women’s suffrage above ethics. I don’t want to spoil, but it’s probably the best and most hard-hitting part of the novel.
This is easily a 5-star swashbuckler of a historical fantasy, with Benson's usual attention to geo-political detail underpinning the joyous adventure tropes.
All of the Indiana Jones/Mummy/fantastical archaeology/Lost City bits were utterly pitch-perfect and gripping. And the way both of the main characters respond to all of the tense events is delightful and believable.
I absolutely loved much of what Benson did with the Lady and the Rogue trope, recognisable from every black and white movie I grew up with (which now often make me grit my teeth in irritation). She knows exactly how to tweak this trope to make the relationship between the main characters feel both archetypal and fresh, funny and touching. Both of these characters could be played by actors from Hollywood's Golden Age, which is not something I often feel about modern novels.
I also loved how the fantasy elements worked out dovetailing into the character themes. A lot of fantasy writers seem to fall either on the plot or character end of the spectrum when it comes to strengths, and it's a joy to read a writer who puts so much craft into both.
Heads up, the romance got steamier than I expected (you've heard of Only One Bed, but what about Only One Inescapable Deathtrap?). There is no sex, but an on page make-out scene for those who want to know these things ahead of time.
Mild Spoiler: One element that I didn't personally love was the insta-lust, but I appreciated that this played into Ellie's character as she gradually grows to trust Adam as a human rather than seeing him as an Extremely Male threat and obstacle. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book, considering Ellie's suffragist commitment to not marrying and Adam's concern about ruining her reputation if they continue to put themselves in compromising situations adventuring in the jungle.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Some reviewers have complained that Ellie’s perspective on women’s rights is not period-appropriate, but as a historical fiction writer of the same period, I can assure you Benson has done her research. While not all women of the time felt or spoke out as strongly as Ellie does, there were plenty who did, and plenty of historical records to prove it.
For those who accuse the novel of promoting misandry, I respectfully suggest they have missed Ellie’s character arc and romance arc. Ellie learns to trust Adam because he is a trustworthy human. My favourite parts of the book were Ellie and Adam learning to be friends and work together. Ellie makes *a crucial mistake* in not trusting Adam with the whole map (an understandable and frustrating mistake given the circumstances). I fail to see how a misandrist would write a romance arc like this, that obviously pays homage to (and subtly improves) 1940s swashbuckler romance. In addition, there are multiple likeable/admirable/intelligent male characters. One of the antagonists is stupid and patronising to Ellie, but I never got the sense it was just because of his gender. Finally, Ellie has a giant choice to make in the third act that hinges on whether she is unconditionally committed to women’s suffrage above ethics. I don’t want to spoil, but it’s probably the best and most hard-hitting part of the novel.
August 5, 2025
what a wild ride! i’ve never seen the indiana jones movies so i could be way off, but i feel like this sort of gives those same vibes.
this was a heck of an adventure. so chock-full of excitement and action, and the romance was so much fun.
this was pretty different from the fantasy romance i’m used to, but sometimes switching it up a bit is exactly what you need.
this may not be a 5-star read for everyone, but for me this was entertaining from start to finish and was a case of: right-book-right-time.
the historical aspect of it was so interesting to me, and the use of different languages was a nice little touch.
adam and ellie i love yall so bad <3 i can’t wait to follow along for more of their adventures, and will definitely be picking up book 2 asap
this was a heck of an adventure. so chock-full of excitement and action, and the romance was so much fun.
this was pretty different from the fantasy romance i’m used to, but sometimes switching it up a bit is exactly what you need.
this may not be a 5-star read for everyone, but for me this was entertaining from start to finish and was a case of: right-book-right-time.
the historical aspect of it was so interesting to me, and the use of different languages was a nice little touch.
adam and ellie i love yall so bad <3 i can’t wait to follow along for more of their adventures, and will definitely be picking up book 2 asap
January 29, 2025
If you grew up loving the witty banter and adventure of The mummy, you are going to love this book!
✨ Historical Adventure & Mystery
✨ Forced proximity & Slow burn
✨ Feminist FMC & Grumpy MMC
Special shoutout to the narrators, I loved that there was a distinct accent for the different characters and they were both so engaging!
Thank you net galley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review
✨ Historical Adventure & Mystery
✨ Forced proximity & Slow burn
✨ Feminist FMC & Grumpy MMC
Special shoutout to the narrators, I loved that there was a distinct accent for the different characters and they were both so engaging!
Thank you net galley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review
March 17, 2024
Omg! Omg! Omg! I loved this so much. I know it’s too soon (since technically this isn’t released yet) but where is book two?? I love Ellie and Adam so much, I need more of them. This had the perfect amount of humor, adventure, action, and romance. If you love The Mummy, you will enjoy this.
September 25, 2024
FASTPACED AND ACTIONFILLED HISTORICAL ROMANCE
As an archivist, I feel so seen with this book 😍
What I liked
👍 Archivist: I have a masters in history and work as an archivist. I love that Elle has the same interests and background as me. And I really sympathise with her struggles, even though we've gotten far since 1898.
👍 Elle and Adam: There was a real spark between Elle and Adam. Their attraction felt real and I liked how the relationship was gently and slowly explored. It felt real.
👍 Plot and pace: Lots of action, never a dull moment, and the pace moved along at a brisk pace. There's a lot of historical information, which I also really enjoyed.
What I didn't like
👎 Length: Even though the pace was fast and the plot was full of action, I still feel like this book was a tad to long. I almost felt winded and a bit exhausted at times.
As an archivist, I feel so seen with this book 😍
What I liked
👍 Archivist: I have a masters in history and work as an archivist. I love that Elle has the same interests and background as me. And I really sympathise with her struggles, even though we've gotten far since 1898.
👍 Elle and Adam: There was a real spark between Elle and Adam. Their attraction felt real and I liked how the relationship was gently and slowly explored. It felt real.
👍 Plot and pace: Lots of action, never a dull moment, and the pace moved along at a brisk pace. There's a lot of historical information, which I also really enjoyed.
What I didn't like
👎 Length: Even though the pace was fast and the plot was full of action, I still feel like this book was a tad to long. I almost felt winded and a bit exhausted at times.
May 20, 2025
If you like 1999 MASTERPIECE “The Mummy” read this immediately & thank me later. This is such a fun adventure & I’m so excited for book 2. Giving it 4.75 stars so rounding up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Plot, pros, & cons below 👇🏼
PLOT
- Ellie is an independent, brilliant woman in 1890s London, which doesn’t want her to be either of those things. One day she ends up with a treasure map to a lost city, but others want it & will stop at nothing to get it back. So, she heads to British Honduras to go find what’s on this map & ends up with the improper & slightly indecent American Adam as her best hope of finding the lost city in the map. This book has
- slooow burn
- The Mummy/Indiana Jones vibes DOWN
- treasure hunting & quests
- themes of the patriarchy, colonization, & prejudices
- low fantasy
- tension but no spice (could see it in book 2 though)
- a smart af FMC who may be a lil prude-ish
- himbo MMC with a loose fist but heart of gold
PROS
- This is so The Mummy coded in the best way. Ellie & Adam give such Evie & Rick vibes I could SCREAM. But also a little Indiana Jones? Both of those being basically the first men I fell in love with so I’m deeply pleased.
- Their romance blossoming slowly & in such a wholesome way was actually so sweet & fun.
- The author did her RESEARCH. I want her on my trivia team. I’m a big lover of Mesoamerican history & this was SO fun to read.
- Ellie is whipsmart & made me giggle out loud quite a few times with a specific… obsession she had toward the end of the book. She’s so smart & I loved her.
- Adam. Bates. Guys don’t talk to me I’ve found my historical romantasy Brendan Fraser & frankly I’m unwell about it. He was perfect. I loved him from the beginning. He’s a total Rottweiler — golden retriever energy but scary outside to those he’s not interested in befriending.
- I am really excited where this landed & where the next book will take us which I fear will be EVEN MORE THE MUMMY! Someone sedate me I’m so excited.
- The challenges at the end were really well written & I could visualize them really well!
CONS
- For whatever reason this just took me a bit to get through. While I abbbbbbsolutely enjoyed myself & loved it, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to pick it up & get back into it. I wasn’t feral.
- I’m getting a tad burnt out on dream sequences because I’m starting to feel them be a little bit of a crutch for storytelling. I don’t think we really needed them here & we could have easily gotten these moments in other ways.
Onto book 2 I goooooo!
⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No really
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- Is Jacobs the mummy here?! Is he the missionary from the prologue?! Idk but I’m excited to find out.
- Once Adam kissed Ellie & got flirty OH MY GOD I was obsessed with him.
- Neil is so Jonathan. Can’t wait for him next book. That’ll be fun added tension/drama.
PLOT
- Ellie is an independent, brilliant woman in 1890s London, which doesn’t want her to be either of those things. One day she ends up with a treasure map to a lost city, but others want it & will stop at nothing to get it back. So, she heads to British Honduras to go find what’s on this map & ends up with the improper & slightly indecent American Adam as her best hope of finding the lost city in the map. This book has
- slooow burn
- The Mummy/Indiana Jones vibes DOWN
- treasure hunting & quests
- themes of the patriarchy, colonization, & prejudices
- low fantasy
- tension but no spice (could see it in book 2 though)
- a smart af FMC who may be a lil prude-ish
- himbo MMC with a loose fist but heart of gold
PROS
- This is so The Mummy coded in the best way. Ellie & Adam give such Evie & Rick vibes I could SCREAM. But also a little Indiana Jones? Both of those being basically the first men I fell in love with so I’m deeply pleased.
- Their romance blossoming slowly & in such a wholesome way was actually so sweet & fun.
- The author did her RESEARCH. I want her on my trivia team. I’m a big lover of Mesoamerican history & this was SO fun to read.
- Ellie is whipsmart & made me giggle out loud quite a few times with a specific… obsession she had toward the end of the book. She’s so smart & I loved her.
- Adam. Bates. Guys don’t talk to me I’ve found my historical romantasy Brendan Fraser & frankly I’m unwell about it. He was perfect. I loved him from the beginning. He’s a total Rottweiler — golden retriever energy but scary outside to those he’s not interested in befriending.
- I am really excited where this landed & where the next book will take us which I fear will be EVEN MORE THE MUMMY! Someone sedate me I’m so excited.
- The challenges at the end were really well written & I could visualize them really well!
CONS
- For whatever reason this just took me a bit to get through. While I abbbbbbsolutely enjoyed myself & loved it, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to pick it up & get back into it. I wasn’t feral.
- I’m getting a tad burnt out on dream sequences because I’m starting to feel them be a little bit of a crutch for storytelling. I don’t think we really needed them here & we could have easily gotten these moments in other ways.
Onto book 2 I goooooo!
⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No really
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- Is Jacobs the mummy here?! Is he the missionary from the prologue?! Idk but I’m excited to find out.
- Once Adam kissed Ellie & got flirty OH MY GOD I was obsessed with him.
- Neil is so Jonathan. Can’t wait for him next book. That’ll be fun added tension/drama.
November 11, 2024
The first 30% was amazing. I totally thought this would be a 4 Star read, if not on the road to being a 5 Star read. Then I think it coasted on the momentum of that first 30% for another 15%, but then the middle DRAGGED.
But the real thing that really brought down my enjoyment was the over-the-top and yet really inconsistent, poorly handled messaging. From the overly modern feminist monologues to colonialism, the messages directly conflicted with the story being told. The author was trying to say one thing while the story was saying something else. The story was trying to be a romance, but Ellie thinks all men are out to oppress her. The story is an archeological adventure, but colonial looting bad. The story wanted to have its cake and eat it too without putting in the work to explore the messages in a meaningful way. Monologuing is not the same as using the story to convey a message. And being lectured is not a good time.
Long Review (**Spoilers Ahead**):
Ellie
Ellie was pretty insufferable. She was a mouthpiece for modern feminist monologues. She made everything about gender. There was no subtlety to it at all. And to make it worse, it wasn't even a good, reasonable feminist stance. It was more of an all-men-are-bad stance, which is actively sexist against men, including the MMC, Adam. And since the major subplot of this book is a romance, that's a real problem. This might have worked if the story framed this thinking as a flaw and had Ellie learn and overcome it, but it is not. It is a good stance to have, apparently.
It was ridiculous throughout, but the real nail in the coffin was when Ellie and Adam are literally getting shot at by the baddies and Ellie lectures Adam for covering her with his body to protect her. She has the audacity to be mad about this? She had no problem with him saving her from kidnappers.
Ellie was also framed as intelligent, but her intelligence was limited to book learning, which she thinks is the only method of learning. It made her superior and dismissive of Adam's knowledge and expertise, as well as that of the natives and their beliefs. She was also unwilling to learn. All of this was a barrier to believing in Ellie and Adam working as a team, let alone a romantic couple.
Ellie's fanaticism for knowledge also hit ridiculous levels when she and Adam are sneaking around and the baddies are RIGHT THERE and what does Ellie do? She turns on a faucet to prove that this ancient civilization had plumbing. Her need for knowledge overrode her good sense. It was not endearing in any way.
Nothing about Ellie's thoughts or behaviors is framed as wrong or in need of growth. It would have been so much better if there had been a character arc with growth.
Adam
Adam also needed an arc of some kind. He was mostly just there. I really could have used more scenes of him being enchanted by Ellie so that their romance made sense.
He called Ellie "Princess" as a pet name. "Princess" will never not be derogatory. It never grew into something sweet. And he overused it.
Romance
Ellie and Adam were fun to read for a while, but neither of them is as complex as they are meant to be nor do they have the chemistry I needed. The attraction was mostly physical until it suddenly wasn't.
Once they were actually alone together in the jungle, it just stopped. They needed to be trekking through the jungle together for more than a week. They needed more adventures during that time to develop a teamship. Eventually, towards the end, Ellie and Adam are going through a series of traps in the caves and they have this "I plan"/"I improvise" dynamic. But it happened too late and then it was crammed in all over the place to the point of ridiculousness.
Also, about the midpoint, Ellie and Adam get captured by the baddies and they are separated. Once they were separated, I didn't care. There was no tension from them being captured nor by them being separated. Sooooo boring!
Feminism
The feminism themes that the author tried to incorporate were surface level at best. Instead of layering a feminist message into the narrative of the story, the feminist message was blasted at us and had very little to do with the story. And to make it worse, it was more based on hate than a desire for equality.
Ellie often did things that were irrational and life-threatening on the basis of feminism, which was annoying and stupid. She complained often and loudly that everyone and everything was sexist and rigged against her. Her claims are stated but not proved by the story, and Ellie will take the greatest personal offence possible.
Ellie makes everything about gender. When the villains underestimate her, it's because she's a woman. When Adam tries to help her, it's because she is the weaker sex. She is constantly out to prove that Adam is sexist against her.
Ellie's feminist ideas are separate from the story. For example, Ellie has a rant where she says she won't get married because it means she'd have to give up her job. Instead of telling us this is what is happening, this is something that could have been shown. Ellie's parents could have forced an engagement and then Ellie's boss fires her because married women don't work. That would have made the situation real instead of hypothetical.
Ellie also had what was supposed to be Feminine rage, but it wasn't done well. It just made her violent, which isn't a good look.
Archeology
There was a similar problem with the messaging around "colonial looting bad." This messaging wasn't baked into the story.
This message should have been explored better through Adam. Adam leaves sites off his maps, but he's willing to lead Ellie to an archeological site? His reasoning didn't add up.
And Ellie... *deep, deep sigh*. Ellie went on and on about her "archeological sensibilities" and desire for knowledge. She should have developed a love and respect for other cultures, but she still sees them as a way to benefit herself. She's just mining knowledge instead of treasures.
Then in the end, they destroyed this ancient civilization's ruins and artifact and set off to go do the same to other artifacts around the world. I know they are trying to keep the artifacts out of the hands of the villains who would use the power for evil purposes, but if colonial looting is bad is the message, then doesn't that mean that the people should be in charge of protecting their own artifacts and not having two white people decide what is best? Make up your mind.
But the real thing that really brought down my enjoyment was the over-the-top and yet really inconsistent, poorly handled messaging. From the overly modern feminist monologues to colonialism, the messages directly conflicted with the story being told. The author was trying to say one thing while the story was saying something else. The story was trying to be a romance, but Ellie thinks all men are out to oppress her. The story is an archeological adventure, but colonial looting bad. The story wanted to have its cake and eat it too without putting in the work to explore the messages in a meaningful way. Monologuing is not the same as using the story to convey a message. And being lectured is not a good time.
Long Review (**Spoilers Ahead**):
Ellie
Ellie was pretty insufferable. She was a mouthpiece for modern feminist monologues. She made everything about gender. There was no subtlety to it at all. And to make it worse, it wasn't even a good, reasonable feminist stance. It was more of an all-men-are-bad stance, which is actively sexist against men, including the MMC, Adam. And since the major subplot of this book is a romance, that's a real problem. This might have worked if the story framed this thinking as a flaw and had Ellie learn and overcome it, but it is not. It is a good stance to have, apparently.
It was ridiculous throughout, but the real nail in the coffin was when Ellie and Adam are literally getting shot at by the baddies and Ellie lectures Adam for covering her with his body to protect her. She has the audacity to be mad about this? She had no problem with him saving her from kidnappers.
Ellie was also framed as intelligent, but her intelligence was limited to book learning, which she thinks is the only method of learning. It made her superior and dismissive of Adam's knowledge and expertise, as well as that of the natives and their beliefs. She was also unwilling to learn. All of this was a barrier to believing in Ellie and Adam working as a team, let alone a romantic couple.
Ellie's fanaticism for knowledge also hit ridiculous levels when she and Adam are sneaking around and the baddies are RIGHT THERE and what does Ellie do? She turns on a faucet to prove that this ancient civilization had plumbing. Her need for knowledge overrode her good sense. It was not endearing in any way.
Nothing about Ellie's thoughts or behaviors is framed as wrong or in need of growth. It would have been so much better if there had been a character arc with growth.
Adam
Adam also needed an arc of some kind. He was mostly just there. I really could have used more scenes of him being enchanted by Ellie so that their romance made sense.
He called Ellie "Princess" as a pet name. "Princess" will never not be derogatory. It never grew into something sweet. And he overused it.
Romance
Ellie and Adam were fun to read for a while, but neither of them is as complex as they are meant to be nor do they have the chemistry I needed. The attraction was mostly physical until it suddenly wasn't.
Once they were actually alone together in the jungle, it just stopped. They needed to be trekking through the jungle together for more than a week. They needed more adventures during that time to develop a teamship. Eventually, towards the end, Ellie and Adam are going through a series of traps in the caves and they have this "I plan"/"I improvise" dynamic. But it happened too late and then it was crammed in all over the place to the point of ridiculousness.
Also, about the midpoint, Ellie and Adam get captured by the baddies and they are separated. Once they were separated, I didn't care. There was no tension from them being captured nor by them being separated. Sooooo boring!
Feminism
The feminism themes that the author tried to incorporate were surface level at best. Instead of layering a feminist message into the narrative of the story, the feminist message was blasted at us and had very little to do with the story. And to make it worse, it was more based on hate than a desire for equality.
Ellie often did things that were irrational and life-threatening on the basis of feminism, which was annoying and stupid. She complained often and loudly that everyone and everything was sexist and rigged against her. Her claims are stated but not proved by the story, and Ellie will take the greatest personal offence possible.
Ellie makes everything about gender. When the villains underestimate her, it's because she's a woman. When Adam tries to help her, it's because she is the weaker sex. She is constantly out to prove that Adam is sexist against her.
Ellie's feminist ideas are separate from the story. For example, Ellie has a rant where she says she won't get married because it means she'd have to give up her job. Instead of telling us this is what is happening, this is something that could have been shown. Ellie's parents could have forced an engagement and then Ellie's boss fires her because married women don't work. That would have made the situation real instead of hypothetical.
Ellie also had what was supposed to be Feminine rage, but it wasn't done well. It just made her violent, which isn't a good look.
Archeology
There was a similar problem with the messaging around "colonial looting bad." This messaging wasn't baked into the story.
This message should have been explored better through Adam. Adam leaves sites off his maps, but he's willing to lead Ellie to an archeological site? His reasoning didn't add up.
And Ellie... *deep, deep sigh*. Ellie went on and on about her "archeological sensibilities" and desire for knowledge. She should have developed a love and respect for other cultures, but she still sees them as a way to benefit herself. She's just mining knowledge instead of treasures.
Then in the end, they destroyed this ancient civilization's ruins and artifact and set off to go do the same to other artifacts around the world. I know they are trying to keep the artifacts out of the hands of the villains who would use the power for evil purposes, but if colonial looting is bad is the message, then doesn't that mean that the people should be in charge of protecting their own artifacts and not having two white people decide what is best? Make up your mind.
December 24, 2025
“It’s like Romancing the Stone and the Mummy!” Sold. I was so hyped to read this book.
Except I struuuuuggled. I loved the idea of it. I loved the plot. I loved the first hundred or so pages. But it dragged on and on and on and on and then suddenly everything happens all at once 80% in. The mystery, the adventure, the danger, the romance, the flirting - all at once. EXCEPT 50%-70% was spent really building up the seriousness and danger. It set a very certain mood. And then at 80% BAM they’re kissing and flirting and throwing snarky barbs and it was whiplash. And the main character, Ellie, is a suffragette who talks a lot like 3rd wave feminist strawmen, complaining about Adam protecting her from…bullets and stuff.
It needed better pacing. It needed better editing. It needed more being actual funny and cute and less TRYING to be funny and cute. And then the mystery and adventure was over really fast and we barely got to spend time with it.
Except I struuuuuggled. I loved the idea of it. I loved the plot. I loved the first hundred or so pages. But it dragged on and on and on and on and then suddenly everything happens all at once 80% in. The mystery, the adventure, the danger, the romance, the flirting - all at once. EXCEPT 50%-70% was spent really building up the seriousness and danger. It set a very certain mood. And then at 80% BAM they’re kissing and flirting and throwing snarky barbs and it was whiplash. And the main character, Ellie, is a suffragette who talks a lot like 3rd wave feminist strawmen, complaining about Adam protecting her from…bullets and stuff.
It needed better pacing. It needed better editing. It needed more being actual funny and cute and less TRYING to be funny and cute. And then the mystery and adventure was over really fast and we barely got to spend time with it.
January 27, 2025
3.5****
this was such a fun read - perfect for fans of the mummy or indiana jones!!!
reading this felt like watching a movie & i really enjoyed the romance between the two main characters. love a good slow burn & i’m excited to see where the next book goes!
this was such a fun read - perfect for fans of the mummy or indiana jones!!!
reading this felt like watching a movie & i really enjoyed the romance between the two main characters. love a good slow burn & i’m excited to see where the next book goes!
March 9, 2024
Empire of Shadows is kind of a Road to El Dorado meets Atlantis adventure book. I enjoyed the adventure aspect and the historical and ancient culture aspects.
(Possibly mild spoilers ahead? Though everything is pretty vague and/or easily predicted from the summary.)
However, this book overall was kind of disappointing for me. Ellie is intelligent and independent, which is great, but she is also an over the top feminist, which got old pretty quickly. She makes everything about gender. The villains underestimate her? Must be because she's a woman. It can't have anything to do with the fact that they have more people and resources on their side. There were several other instances of this. I could look past that and still appreciate the book until about 3/4 of the way through, when Ellie decides that a life or death situation was the best time to make a point about feminism. I was easily able to see a way that it could have been rewritten to still make the point but not in such a ridiculous setting. I am not the author (obviously) so maybe there are reasons why those scenes are they way they are, but I personally felt that it was poorly done. After that, Ellie reached a point where she wasn't just a feminist, she was actively sexist against men. Yes, some men were sexist to her throughout the book and her life, but she takes that to apply to all men, including Adam, who was supposed to be the love interest. Adam never really acted sexist in my opinion. He struck me as the type of person who would act the same way, respectful and chivalrous, regardless of the gender of his companion. It was particularly unfair for Ellie to get mad at him for being "sexist" when he really wasn't and hadn't been throughout the book.
Overall, it still wasn't a bad read, but the extreme and over the top feminism kind of ruined it for me. I wish it had been handled better, because while I am interested in what Ellie and Adam do next, I don't actually plan to continue the series because I just can't handle Ellie's attitude.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC! All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.
(Possibly mild spoilers ahead? Though everything is pretty vague and/or easily predicted from the summary.)
However, this book overall was kind of disappointing for me. Ellie is intelligent and independent, which is great, but she is also an over the top feminist, which got old pretty quickly. She makes everything about gender. The villains underestimate her? Must be because she's a woman. It can't have anything to do with the fact that they have more people and resources on their side. There were several other instances of this. I could look past that and still appreciate the book until about 3/4 of the way through, when Ellie decides that a life or death situation was the best time to make a point about feminism. I was easily able to see a way that it could have been rewritten to still make the point but not in such a ridiculous setting. I am not the author (obviously) so maybe there are reasons why those scenes are they way they are, but I personally felt that it was poorly done. After that, Ellie reached a point where she wasn't just a feminist, she was actively sexist against men. Yes, some men were sexist to her throughout the book and her life, but she takes that to apply to all men, including Adam, who was supposed to be the love interest. Adam never really acted sexist in my opinion. He struck me as the type of person who would act the same way, respectful and chivalrous, regardless of the gender of his companion. It was particularly unfair for Ellie to get mad at him for being "sexist" when he really wasn't and hadn't been throughout the book.
Overall, it still wasn't a bad read, but the extreme and over the top feminism kind of ruined it for me. I wish it had been handled better, because while I am interested in what Ellie and Adam do next, I don't actually plan to continue the series because I just can't handle Ellie's attitude.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC! All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.
Read
December 13, 2024I was blown away by how good this was.
EMPIRE OF SHADOWS has a lot going for it, even before you hit the spectacular resolution. Although it's a hefty size, the book feels like reading a fast-paced Hollywood summer blockbuster movie in the vein of INDIANA JONES or THE MUMMY. While it's a cinematic adventurer-archaeology romp, it still crams an impressive amount of cultural, geographical, and historical detail into the story without ever bogging down, and proves that you can tell this kind of story without resorting to tired stereotyping. It evokes the Lady-and-Scoundrel bickering romance trope forged in Golden Age Hollywood and any Harrison Ford movie amazingly well considering how much respect its male lead has for the female lead's boundaries - I adored finally reading a version of this dynamic that didn't make me want to slap the male lead, and I loved that the romance arc was also a really moving friendship arc at the same time.
But then the resolution hit! And I'm thrilled to report that this book has the kind of ending that lifts an already enjoyable book above itself. The final few chapters are TERRIFICALLY well-written, with an intense sense of catharsis and some absolutely delicious cosmic horror stylings. This is not one of those books that sacrifices artistic power for what GK Chesterton once called "a pot of message". Trying to avoid spoilers here, but I thought that I could predict where the story was going but it did a 180 on me in the best POSSIBLE way. I was particularly impressed with how Jackie dealt with one element of ancient MesoAmerican culture which has quite probably been inflated, but could not have been invented whole-cloth, by colonisers justifying their depredations. Speaking as a historical fantasy author myself, this must have been an incredibly tricky issue to deal with, and I salute the author!
I could go on about all the other things I loved about this book, but I should be getting up and going about my day. There aren't a lot of historical fantasy authors in the indie/self-pub community working at this level of sheer quality and class, so if you enjoy historical fantasy make sure to read this one!
EMPIRE OF SHADOWS has a lot going for it, even before you hit the spectacular resolution. Although it's a hefty size, the book feels like reading a fast-paced Hollywood summer blockbuster movie in the vein of INDIANA JONES or THE MUMMY. While it's a cinematic adventurer-archaeology romp, it still crams an impressive amount of cultural, geographical, and historical detail into the story without ever bogging down, and proves that you can tell this kind of story without resorting to tired stereotyping. It evokes the Lady-and-Scoundrel bickering romance trope forged in Golden Age Hollywood and any Harrison Ford movie amazingly well considering how much respect its male lead has for the female lead's boundaries - I adored finally reading a version of this dynamic that didn't make me want to slap the male lead, and I loved that the romance arc was also a really moving friendship arc at the same time.
But then the resolution hit! And I'm thrilled to report that this book has the kind of ending that lifts an already enjoyable book above itself. The final few chapters are TERRIFICALLY well-written, with an intense sense of catharsis and some absolutely delicious cosmic horror stylings. This is not one of those books that sacrifices artistic power for what GK Chesterton once called "a pot of message". Trying to avoid spoilers here, but I thought that I could predict where the story was going but it did a 180 on me in the best POSSIBLE way. I was particularly impressed with how Jackie dealt with one element of ancient MesoAmerican culture which has quite probably been inflated, but could not have been invented whole-cloth, by colonisers justifying their depredations. Speaking as a historical fantasy author myself, this must have been an incredibly tricky issue to deal with, and I salute the author!
I could go on about all the other things I loved about this book, but I should be getting up and going about my day. There aren't a lot of historical fantasy authors in the indie/self-pub community working at this level of sheer quality and class, so if you enjoy historical fantasy make sure to read this one!
August 28, 2024
4⭐️ | TikTok |
Empire of Shadows is a mass-up of Jungle Cruise (Disney 2021) [the setting] + The Mummy (1999) [Rick O’Connel] + the most badass scholarly FMC [Lily + Evie coded].
There is… adventure [copious amounts]. banter [a lot]. Romance [a little]. Historical elements [tons]. Magic/Fantastical elements [a tiny bit].
This was a pretty great time. I really enjoyed the banter and relationship between the MMC and FMC and my biggest complaint for this book is that there isn’t MORE romance!
If you enjoy historical fiction this is a fun one! It feels very well researched (although I am NOT an expert) and I enjoyed how the author handled some of the tougher topics/aspects of the time period.
Audiobook Narration 4.5⭐️
The narration was spectacular, I loved that there was a distinct accent for the different POVs. Since this is technically all 3rd POV - the female narrator does work well for both sections, but a dual narration with a male narrator would have really set this apart. I do understand that hiring two narrators is often cost prohibitive for indie authors however - and I still think the narrator knocks it out of the park.
Thank you NetGalley and the author for sending this book (audio ARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Empire of Shadows is a mass-up of Jungle Cruise (Disney 2021) [the setting] + The Mummy (1999) [Rick O’Connel] + the most badass scholarly FMC [Lily + Evie coded].
There is… adventure [copious amounts]. banter [a lot]. Romance [a little]. Historical elements [tons]. Magic/Fantastical elements [a tiny bit].
This was a pretty great time. I really enjoyed the banter and relationship between the MMC and FMC and my biggest complaint for this book is that there isn’t MORE romance!
If you enjoy historical fiction this is a fun one! It feels very well researched (although I am NOT an expert) and I enjoyed how the author handled some of the tougher topics/aspects of the time period.
Audiobook Narration 4.5⭐️
The narration was spectacular, I loved that there was a distinct accent for the different POVs. Since this is technically all 3rd POV - the female narrator does work well for both sections, but a dual narration with a male narrator would have really set this apart. I do understand that hiring two narrators is often cost prohibitive for indie authors however - and I still think the narrator knocks it out of the park.
Thank you NetGalley and the author for sending this book (audio ARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
June 15, 2024
thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
at first, I was really excited to read this book because lately i've been getting more into history, archaeology, and ancient cities. i was hoping for an exciting adventure with treasure-hunting, and with a smart scholar fmc like emily wilde. but sadly, the book didn't live up to my expectations. the first half was good, but after that i started to lose interest. i just couldn't connect with the characters, especially ellie. i feel like the feminism themes that the author tried to incorporate with her character just felt very shallow and surface level, it often left me feeling like she was annoying because she would often do and think things that i thought were very irrational.
overall, i can see why some people might like it, but it wasn't for me.
at first, I was really excited to read this book because lately i've been getting more into history, archaeology, and ancient cities. i was hoping for an exciting adventure with treasure-hunting, and with a smart scholar fmc like emily wilde. but sadly, the book didn't live up to my expectations. the first half was good, but after that i started to lose interest. i just couldn't connect with the characters, especially ellie. i feel like the feminism themes that the author tried to incorporate with her character just felt very shallow and surface level, it often left me feeling like she was annoying because she would often do and think things that i thought were very irrational.
overall, i can see why some people might like it, but it wasn't for me.
October 9, 2025
Solid 4 stars and will definitely continue reading the next!
This has all the Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider vibes! Lots of action, lots of banter and an intriguing storyline! There's some smooching, but no full spice for those who look for that. It did feel like it lulled a little in a couple of spots, but a solid read overall. 👌✨
This has all the Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider vibes! Lots of action, lots of banter and an intriguing storyline! There's some smooching, but no full spice for those who look for that. It did feel like it lulled a little in a couple of spots, but a solid read overall. 👌✨
March 3, 2024
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.
I'm no stranger to Jacquelyn Benson's books. I've been reading her other series and enjoying that (almost finished with it). I have seen a version of this book on Amazon but after reading the foreward in this I am glad I held off on buying it since the author says she wrote it 10 years ago and she feels that the story / world has evolved.
I have no idea what the original story was like, but this? This was good. This was The Mummy meets Romancing the Stone. I loved the historical aspect, the banter between the leads and the story overall. If you like those two movies and you were like me, disappointed with What the River Knows because it told you there was Mummy vibes - relax, this is 100% Mummy vibes.
The reason I knock it down is for little things, cosmetic things really. Like, why random plot bits are put in the story but not really followed up on. Mostly the non-adventure bits. I felt I knew what the author was trying to do was give her a point and a focus of why she is the way she is but it came off rather clunky. I would have liked her to spend more time doing academic things than her going from a suffs rally to getting fired at her job the next day.
I know the author has plans to turn this into a series and hinted of the next book - them going to Egypt. So I'm ready to see where that leads. do think that there can be more embellishment of their lives / the world around them (even though we are aware of the time period). But for new and updated series, this was a solid 4/5 for me.
I'm no stranger to Jacquelyn Benson's books. I've been reading her other series and enjoying that (almost finished with it). I have seen a version of this book on Amazon but after reading the foreward in this I am glad I held off on buying it since the author says she wrote it 10 years ago and she feels that the story / world has evolved.
I have no idea what the original story was like, but this? This was good. This was The Mummy meets Romancing the Stone. I loved the historical aspect, the banter between the leads and the story overall. If you like those two movies and you were like me, disappointed with What the River Knows because it told you there was Mummy vibes - relax, this is 100% Mummy vibes.
The reason I knock it down is for little things, cosmetic things really. Like, why random plot bits are put in the story but not really followed up on. Mostly the non-adventure bits. I felt I knew what the author was trying to do was give her a point and a focus of why she is the way she is but it came off rather clunky. I would have liked her to spend more time doing academic things than her going from a suffs rally to getting fired at her job the next day.
I know the author has plans to turn this into a series and hinted of the next book - them going to Egypt. So I'm ready to see where that leads. do think that there can be more embellishment of their lives / the world around them (even though we are aware of the time period). But for new and updated series, this was a solid 4/5 for me.
April 8, 2024
3⭐️ honestly, this was just ok. There was nothing overly exciting about it, I kept waiting for it to get really good but it pretty much stayed flat throughout. Dont think I’ll continue the series💫
November 7, 2025
if you've ever played any of the Uncharted games, this reminds me of 4 in a more cutesy way. It was such a good time! Packed full of adventure, likeable characters, humor, romance. Heading on to book 2 now and definitely will be reading more of Benson's work! Highly recommend!
May 19, 2024
If you liked the movie "The Mummy" - this is the book for you!! Such a fun, immersive adventure! Ellie, a scholar, finds a map to a lost city and while she's overjoyed, she also knows as a woman in the Victorian Era, she will not be taken seriously or credited. She sneaks away and attempts to see where this map takes her and runs into various roadblocks and foes along the way. Luckily, she does cross paths with Adam, a charming guide and adventurer (who is currently in hiding from his lavish real life) who agrees to help her find the city.
As they embark on their adventure - their enemies continue to hunt them down at every turn. This was fun, adorable, and hilarious. It was also incredibly well researched, you could tell the author paid attention to the historical details. Ellie and Adam's banter and blooming romance was also endearing and I can't wait to see more of them! I will say, the middle of the book dragged quite a bit, but the pacing otherwise was good.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for the eARC!
Okay I loved this, but for some reason it felt sooooo long? LOL
Really fun, really adventurous, clearly incredibly well researched. Can't wait to read more of Ellie and Adam's adventures. (will update with more detailed thoughts shortly)
As they embark on their adventure - their enemies continue to hunt them down at every turn. This was fun, adorable, and hilarious. It was also incredibly well researched, you could tell the author paid attention to the historical details. Ellie and Adam's banter and blooming romance was also endearing and I can't wait to see more of them! I will say, the middle of the book dragged quite a bit, but the pacing otherwise was good.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for the eARC!
Okay I loved this, but for some reason it felt sooooo long? LOL
Really fun, really adventurous, clearly incredibly well researched. Can't wait to read more of Ellie and Adam's adventures. (will update with more detailed thoughts shortly)
January 14, 2025
This was a lot of fun. It ticks a number of boxes for me of silly, fast-moving, adventure- and banter-filled stories such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Mummy, but does them better because author Jacquelyn Benson actually discusses how archaeology done wrong can become the theft of other cultures’ objects, and treating the loot as pretty or curious baubles from primitive and savage peoples, which archaeology was during this story’s time period (and for many years after). As well, setting the bulk of the story in British Honduras means that the author can point out charming practices such as slavery and indentured servitude (slavery by another name) that are part of colonialism, including the looting of the conquered country.
This commentary doesn't dominate, as the story is meant to be an adventure- and banter-filled amusing and fun time. We meet Eleanora ("Ellie") Mallory and Constance, good friends. Constance is up for just about anything, while Ellie is logic-driven, history-obsessed, and is more knowledgeable and qualified than most of the people she works beside at the Archives.
Unfortunately, she is fired at the book's outset, for getting arrested at a suffragette event. While she's getting ready to leave her job, she finds an amulet and a map pointing to a treasure in British Honduras, and hears her boss agree to turn over these objects for a price, which he's NOT supposed to do. Ellie decides to protect the unknown treasure by stealing the amulet and map (okay, she's not in the right either, though she justifies her action saying she does not think the object(s) at the map's destination should be taken or sold by the criminal).
When she tells Constance what she's done, Constance bundles her onto a ship bound for the colony, and tells Ellie to figure things out once she gets there (anathema to the young woman who must plan everything she does.)
Ellie discovers that the criminal buying the items from her former boss has made it to British Honduras, and he knows she has the items, because he captures her and he ties her up. She escapes to Adam Bates' room, whom she met under less than great circumstances earlier, when he tried to save her from a snake, and she objected. Adam is the colonial government's surveyor, and he's disgusted that Jacobs, the professor/criminal has violently confined Ellie, and agrees to head into the wilderness with her to find the destination.
They argue, banter, and become attracted to one another, and author Jacquelyn Benson is clearly inspired by Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Rick O'Connell (The Mummy), to the extent that the pair’s scenes kept reminding me of Han taking great enjoyment out of discomfiting Leia -- he even addresses Ellie as "Princess".
Of course the pair are eventually apprehended by Jacobs, and Ellie immediately begins planning an escape, using science. And there is someone or something picking off Jacobs' team as they proceed, under duress, to the map's destination.
There's a happy ending, though Ellie and Adam are headed to Egypt next to deal with a new, serious situation. And for us to meet Ellie's half brother. Can't wait for more Ellie and Adam adventures.
This commentary doesn't dominate, as the story is meant to be an adventure- and banter-filled amusing and fun time. We meet Eleanora ("Ellie") Mallory and Constance, good friends. Constance is up for just about anything, while Ellie is logic-driven, history-obsessed, and is more knowledgeable and qualified than most of the people she works beside at the Archives.
Unfortunately, she is fired at the book's outset, for getting arrested at a suffragette event. While she's getting ready to leave her job, she finds an amulet and a map pointing to a treasure in British Honduras, and hears her boss agree to turn over these objects for a price, which he's NOT supposed to do. Ellie decides to protect the unknown treasure by stealing the amulet and map (okay, she's not in the right either, though she justifies her action saying she does not think the object(s) at the map's destination should be taken or sold by the criminal).
When she tells Constance what she's done, Constance bundles her onto a ship bound for the colony, and tells Ellie to figure things out once she gets there (anathema to the young woman who must plan everything she does.)
Ellie discovers that the criminal buying the items from her former boss has made it to British Honduras, and he knows she has the items, because he captures her and he ties her up. She escapes to Adam Bates' room, whom she met under less than great circumstances earlier, when he tried to save her from a snake, and she objected. Adam is the colonial government's surveyor, and he's disgusted that Jacobs, the professor/criminal has violently confined Ellie, and agrees to head into the wilderness with her to find the destination.
They argue, banter, and become attracted to one another, and author Jacquelyn Benson is clearly inspired by Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Rick O'Connell (The Mummy), to the extent that the pair’s scenes kept reminding me of Han taking great enjoyment out of discomfiting Leia -- he even addresses Ellie as "Princess".
Of course the pair are eventually apprehended by Jacobs, and Ellie immediately begins planning an escape, using science. And there is someone or something picking off Jacobs' team as they proceed, under duress, to the map's destination.
There's a happy ending, though Ellie and Adam are headed to Egypt next to deal with a new, serious situation. And for us to meet Ellie's half brother. Can't wait for more Ellie and Adam adventures.
January 27, 2025
Is this the Romancing the Stone/Indiana Jones/The Mummy romance of my dreams? Yes. Is it also 100pp too long with an impossibly well-read heroine? Also yes.
Empire of Shadows is about Ellie, a British archivist who basically steals an amulet and treasure map to a lost Guatemalan city from her employer and decides to go to go check it out. There, she comes across Adam, a slightly chaotic American guide, and she convinces him to take her deep into the jungle in search of the lost city. (It's very reminiscent of Emerald Rain by Maggie Osborne, which, btw, I think about almost constantly.)
Ellie and Adam have a vibe very similar to the MCs of Romancing the Stone and, especially, The Mummy—she is the fairly prim yet adventurous intellectual and he's the swashbuckling dude. They're in a race to follow the map before the Bad Dude who she had to run from in London catches up to them.
The book is a nonstop action adventure with plenty of delicious sexual tension. Jacquelyn Benson navigates the complexities of 19th-c. white folks exploring Latin America pretty well; I particularly liked how she de-objectified the locals. She makes a point of noting that Ellie and Adam kind realize how weird it sounds to talk about their hosts' history as if it's a mysterious and purely academic thing when the hosts—living, breathing people—are right there. And one cool character, a priest, smirks when he learns they've "read articles" about his people, as if they're bugs in a terrarium to be studied.
I also loved that Benson clearly has a love for archaeology; she conveys really well how cool it is to hold an ordinary object in your hand and know that someone hundreds or thousands of years ago used it in their day-to-day life. I do think Ellie felt a bit anachronistic, however, in that she's always wanting to excavate things "properly," when I don't think archaeological standards were that rigorous in the Victorian era.
Which brings me to Ellie. Who is apparently: an archivist, a geologist, an archaeologist, a chemist and an anthropologist of all ancient cultures. And all at the tender age of 24. I mean, sure, polymaths exist--but literally when has she had the time to become an expert in all these things? I get the urge to make an FMC super amazing and capable because it's fun to upend men's expectations, but I did roll my eyes quite a lot as the story went on.
As I mentioned, the book is nonstop action, much of it really fun—bug-filled caverns and vampire bats and poison-breathing statues and the like. But there is so MUCH action that it starts to feel wearying toward the end, even as it's the most exciting passage. There were moments throughout that could have been cut or trimmed that would tightened it up quite a lot. If Benson had done that and toned down Ellie's Super Amazing Genius tendencies, it would have made this a five-star read for me.
Empire of Shadows is about Ellie, a British archivist who basically steals an amulet and treasure map to a lost Guatemalan city from her employer and decides to go to go check it out. There, she comes across Adam, a slightly chaotic American guide, and she convinces him to take her deep into the jungle in search of the lost city. (It's very reminiscent of Emerald Rain by Maggie Osborne, which, btw, I think about almost constantly.)
Ellie and Adam have a vibe very similar to the MCs of Romancing the Stone and, especially, The Mummy—she is the fairly prim yet adventurous intellectual and he's the swashbuckling dude. They're in a race to follow the map before the Bad Dude who she had to run from in London catches up to them.
The book is a nonstop action adventure with plenty of delicious sexual tension. Jacquelyn Benson navigates the complexities of 19th-c. white folks exploring Latin America pretty well; I particularly liked how she de-objectified the locals. She makes a point of noting that Ellie and Adam kind realize how weird it sounds to talk about their hosts' history as if it's a mysterious and purely academic thing when the hosts—living, breathing people—are right there. And one cool character, a priest, smirks when he learns they've "read articles" about his people, as if they're bugs in a terrarium to be studied.
I also loved that Benson clearly has a love for archaeology; she conveys really well how cool it is to hold an ordinary object in your hand and know that someone hundreds or thousands of years ago used it in their day-to-day life. I do think Ellie felt a bit anachronistic, however, in that she's always wanting to excavate things "properly," when I don't think archaeological standards were that rigorous in the Victorian era.
Which brings me to Ellie. Who is apparently: an archivist, a geologist, an archaeologist, a chemist and an anthropologist of all ancient cultures. And all at the tender age of 24. I mean, sure, polymaths exist--but literally when has she had the time to become an expert in all these things? I get the urge to make an FMC super amazing and capable because it's fun to upend men's expectations, but I did roll my eyes quite a lot as the story went on.
As I mentioned, the book is nonstop action, much of it really fun—bug-filled caverns and vampire bats and poison-breathing statues and the like. But there is so MUCH action that it starts to feel wearying toward the end, even as it's the most exciting passage. There were moments throughout that could have been cut or trimmed that would tightened it up quite a lot. If Benson had done that and toned down Ellie's Super Amazing Genius tendencies, it would have made this a five-star read for me.
November 17, 2025
3.75 stars
With comps to Indiana Jones and The Mummy and a tagline that goes: "Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.", Empire of Shadows promised to be a wildly fun feminist historical fantasy romance romp, and it totally was. I mean, it might be a bit too long in places, but I can't deny that my anthropology loving heart was gobbling this delightful adventure right up.
When we first meet our headstrong FMC Ellie Mallory, she is not exactly thriving. After losing her job due to getting arrested during a suffragette protest, she stumbles upon a map to a mysterious ancient city, accidentally (?) steals it, decides to travel to colonial Belize where she semi-reluctantly teams up with the dangerously charming surveyor Adam Bates to discover the secrets of the mystical city, all while having a ruthless criminal with deadly ambitions hot on their heels. And if that isn't a strong hook, then I don't know what is.
To me, this book shines way more as a historical adventure rather than a fantasy quest, as the fantastical elements really take a backseat to the myths and legends that lie at the core of this story. Benson's background as an anthropologist really shines through in the cultural richness of this tale, with Ellie's passion and infinite knowledge of history, mythology, and archaeology as well as Adam's cultural and wildlife skills dripping off every page. I also really appreciated the strong themes of sexism and anti-imperialism, which a lot of these fun historical quest narratives for ancient civilisations and hidden artefacts tend to gloss over.
Though while all that was great, it was really the dynamic between Ellie and Adam that had me most invested in this story. The romance is incredibly slow-burn, but I honestly just loved their witty banter from the moment they met. They are both very impulsive characters who are maybe a bit too stubborn for their own good, but that only made them more charming and endearing to me. Also, Adam gives big himbo vibes except he actually does have some brains on himself, and I loved how he protected Ellie without being patronizing or taking away her agency.
Though while I loved them as main characters, I do have to admit that they way outshone the rest of the cast for me. The side characters left little impression on me, and the antagonists felt a bit shallow and mustache-twirly to me. I also felt like there were some pacing issues, with the first 75% being relatively slow (even if I enjoyed how it allowed for so many tender moments of character/relationship development for Ellie and Adam) and the last 25% being one big chaotic climax full of hectic action, frustrating villain monologues, and wild revelations.
That said, I was never bored and I just had an absolute blast listening to Alex Picard's incredibly vibrant and immersive narration of the audiobook that brought all the vibrant characters even more to life. Empire of Shadows might not be perfect, but it is a whole lot of fun, and I will definitely be returning for the next instalment in the Raiders of Arcana series to see what Adam and Ellie are up to next!
With comps to Indiana Jones and The Mummy and a tagline that goes: "Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.", Empire of Shadows promised to be a wildly fun feminist historical fantasy romance romp, and it totally was. I mean, it might be a bit too long in places, but I can't deny that my anthropology loving heart was gobbling this delightful adventure right up.
When we first meet our headstrong FMC Ellie Mallory, she is not exactly thriving. After losing her job due to getting arrested during a suffragette protest, she stumbles upon a map to a mysterious ancient city, accidentally (?) steals it, decides to travel to colonial Belize where she semi-reluctantly teams up with the dangerously charming surveyor Adam Bates to discover the secrets of the mystical city, all while having a ruthless criminal with deadly ambitions hot on their heels. And if that isn't a strong hook, then I don't know what is.
To me, this book shines way more as a historical adventure rather than a fantasy quest, as the fantastical elements really take a backseat to the myths and legends that lie at the core of this story. Benson's background as an anthropologist really shines through in the cultural richness of this tale, with Ellie's passion and infinite knowledge of history, mythology, and archaeology as well as Adam's cultural and wildlife skills dripping off every page. I also really appreciated the strong themes of sexism and anti-imperialism, which a lot of these fun historical quest narratives for ancient civilisations and hidden artefacts tend to gloss over.
Though while all that was great, it was really the dynamic between Ellie and Adam that had me most invested in this story. The romance is incredibly slow-burn, but I honestly just loved their witty banter from the moment they met. They are both very impulsive characters who are maybe a bit too stubborn for their own good, but that only made them more charming and endearing to me. Also, Adam gives big himbo vibes except he actually does have some brains on himself, and I loved how he protected Ellie without being patronizing or taking away her agency.
Though while I loved them as main characters, I do have to admit that they way outshone the rest of the cast for me. The side characters left little impression on me, and the antagonists felt a bit shallow and mustache-twirly to me. I also felt like there were some pacing issues, with the first 75% being relatively slow (even if I enjoyed how it allowed for so many tender moments of character/relationship development for Ellie and Adam) and the last 25% being one big chaotic climax full of hectic action, frustrating villain monologues, and wild revelations.
That said, I was never bored and I just had an absolute blast listening to Alex Picard's incredibly vibrant and immersive narration of the audiobook that brought all the vibrant characters even more to life. Empire of Shadows might not be perfect, but it is a whole lot of fun, and I will definitely be returning for the next instalment in the Raiders of Arcana series to see what Adam and Ellie are up to next!
August 2, 2024
”He was right, and Ellie knew it. She drew a breath and threw herself into the unknown.”
4⭐️
This was my first Jacquelyn Benson book and I really, really enjoyed it. It reminds me so much of What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez, which is a good thing because I loved that book. I really love that JB chose Central America for the setting of this story. It’s a different approach from other archaeology books and spotlights a really cool part of the world with a rich history. As a lover of the Spanish language, I also LOVED the incorporation of it into the book, it adds an authentic touch. The enemies-to-lovers aspect of the book is fantastic, (the MMC is absolutely swoon-worthy and had me kicking my feet as I was reading), and the banter is incredible. If you liked the movie The Mummy and you like the enemies-to-lovers trope, then I definitely recommend you read this book. I’m really looking forward to the characters’ next journey in book two.
┊͙
⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ SPOILERS AHEAD: Read on to learn my specific likes and dislikes about this book. If you have not read Empire of Shadows, please stop reading now. ˚౨ৎ⋆｡˚⋆
┊͙
THINGS I LOVED…
✧ The pacing. In the beginning I was a little afraid because the first few chapters came across as really wordy to me, and y’all know I love a well-paced story. But this one did not disappoint, and honestly it could’ve been my exhausted brain trying to start a new book and get a handle on the setting, the characters, etc. Anyway, as time went on, every time I thought we might hit a slump in the story, *bam*, Jacquelyn hits us with a gasp moment to continue carrying the plot forward and I super appreciated that every single time it happened.
✧ The banter. Absolutely loved, loved, loved the banter between the FMC and MMC. It’s mature and not repetitive and juvenile, and I actually chuckled out loud a few times.
✧ The setting. I’m personally really passionate about the Spanish language, Central American culture and history, etc. and I love the fact that Jacquelyn highlighted this part of the world and the people as the main setting for her book.
✧ The action sequences. Hands down some great action sequences in the book. The ending trial was a little difficult for me to visualize in my mind, but overall I enjoyed the ride.
…AND THINGS I DIDN’T
✧ Misspellings. Editing will never be perfect, and I understand that errors get missed. But when using a different language in your book, verify the correct spelling. For example, our MMC is supposed to be well-versed in Spanish, yet he says, “Buenas días” to someone when it should be “buenos.”
✧ I don’t know what happened toward the end of the book, but there’s one line that says, “It was very smelly,” after the author had been using heavier prose throughout the entire book. It felt disjointed from the rest of the novel, and I would’ve expected something more like, “The odor suffocated her ability to smell.”
✧ Chapter length. Some of the chapters were 30 minutes long on Kindle, and for me that’s too long. I’d find myself having to stop mid-chapter to go fix dinner or do something else instead of gobbling up the last couple minutes because there was just no time.
✧ The male bashing. So I get that our FMC is a feminist and suffragist, but after awhile, it just gets kinda old - to the point that the FMC became blatantly sexist herself, and every minor inconvenience was because of the men of the world and their treatment of women. Despite the fact that *a man* faced death with her for 70% of the book. Yes, we know men suck, and yes we know you want to chain yourself to the gates to fight for your rights, but I didn’t need the continual reminders throughout the entirety of the book. It made her attitude hard to read at times
4⭐️
This was my first Jacquelyn Benson book and I really, really enjoyed it. It reminds me so much of What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez, which is a good thing because I loved that book. I really love that JB chose Central America for the setting of this story. It’s a different approach from other archaeology books and spotlights a really cool part of the world with a rich history. As a lover of the Spanish language, I also LOVED the incorporation of it into the book, it adds an authentic touch. The enemies-to-lovers aspect of the book is fantastic, (the MMC is absolutely swoon-worthy and had me kicking my feet as I was reading), and the banter is incredible. If you liked the movie The Mummy and you like the enemies-to-lovers trope, then I definitely recommend you read this book. I’m really looking forward to the characters’ next journey in book two.
┊͙
⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ SPOILERS AHEAD: Read on to learn my specific likes and dislikes about this book. If you have not read Empire of Shadows, please stop reading now. ˚౨ৎ⋆｡˚⋆
┊͙
THINGS I LOVED…
✧ The pacing. In the beginning I was a little afraid because the first few chapters came across as really wordy to me, and y’all know I love a well-paced story. But this one did not disappoint, and honestly it could’ve been my exhausted brain trying to start a new book and get a handle on the setting, the characters, etc. Anyway, as time went on, every time I thought we might hit a slump in the story, *bam*, Jacquelyn hits us with a gasp moment to continue carrying the plot forward and I super appreciated that every single time it happened.
✧ The banter. Absolutely loved, loved, loved the banter between the FMC and MMC. It’s mature and not repetitive and juvenile, and I actually chuckled out loud a few times.
✧ The setting. I’m personally really passionate about the Spanish language, Central American culture and history, etc. and I love the fact that Jacquelyn highlighted this part of the world and the people as the main setting for her book.
✧ The action sequences. Hands down some great action sequences in the book. The ending trial was a little difficult for me to visualize in my mind, but overall I enjoyed the ride.
…AND THINGS I DIDN’T
✧ Misspellings. Editing will never be perfect, and I understand that errors get missed. But when using a different language in your book, verify the correct spelling. For example, our MMC is supposed to be well-versed in Spanish, yet he says, “Buenas días” to someone when it should be “buenos.”
✧ I don’t know what happened toward the end of the book, but there’s one line that says, “It was very smelly,” after the author had been using heavier prose throughout the entire book. It felt disjointed from the rest of the novel, and I would’ve expected something more like, “The odor suffocated her ability to smell.”
✧ Chapter length. Some of the chapters were 30 minutes long on Kindle, and for me that’s too long. I’d find myself having to stop mid-chapter to go fix dinner or do something else instead of gobbling up the last couple minutes because there was just no time.
✧ The male bashing. So I get that our FMC is a feminist and suffragist, but after awhile, it just gets kinda old - to the point that the FMC became blatantly sexist herself, and every minor inconvenience was because of the men of the world and their treatment of women. Despite the fact that *a man* faced death with her for 70% of the book. Yes, we know men suck, and yes we know you want to chain yourself to the gates to fight for your rights, but I didn’t need the continual reminders throughout the entirety of the book. It made her attitude hard to read at times
August 26, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of the audiobook!
3.5 Stars!
The Mummy meets Indiana Jones in this exciting first book in the Raiders of the Arcana series by Jacquelyn Benson. Our MMC Adam Bates and FMC Eleanor Mallory, team up in order to find a lost city. The year is 1898 and Ellie has chained herself to the gates of the parliament in support of women's suffrage. She then finds herself arrested, and then let go on the condition that she would not indulge in such activities in the future. The repercussion of her actions, she is fired from her job of being an archivist at the Public Relations Office. It is here that Ellie, finds clues to a hidden or shall we say lost city. Ellie being scholarly inquisitive by nature decides to tackle this bull by its horns and find this lost city and show the world that woman can do magnificent things if given the chance. But Ellie is not the only one who has her eyes set on the prize. And it will not be an easy task to accomplish. As she sets on her journey, she meets Adam Bates, an American archaeologist and land surveyor who agrees to help her in finding this lost city.
Honestly, this was an enjoyable read. The banter between Ellie and Adam was hilarious. Their first meet was *chef's kiss* The author has done her research in terms of the archaeological elements of the story, so that was a job well done. Made the reading experience much more interesting. The narrator did a fantastic job of switching between accents and narrating the story. The struggles that women face despite being educated, smart and talented did nothing for them just because of gender discrimination was also aptly portrayed.
So why the 3.5 stars? The book was overtly long. The middle part also felt dragged out. That's where I felt like I was losing the interest to continue reading/listening.
Also, the romance started off strong but took a back seat somewhere in the middle with more focus shifting to the other characters in the story.
To summarize, if you adore The Mummy and like stories that talk about lost worlds and artefacts, if you like your FMC to be sassy and strong willed and if you like your MMC who love to support said sassy ladies then this book is right up your alley.
3.5 Stars!
The Mummy meets Indiana Jones in this exciting first book in the Raiders of the Arcana series by Jacquelyn Benson. Our MMC Adam Bates and FMC Eleanor Mallory, team up in order to find a lost city. The year is 1898 and Ellie has chained herself to the gates of the parliament in support of women's suffrage. She then finds herself arrested, and then let go on the condition that she would not indulge in such activities in the future. The repercussion of her actions, she is fired from her job of being an archivist at the Public Relations Office. It is here that Ellie, finds clues to a hidden or shall we say lost city. Ellie being scholarly inquisitive by nature decides to tackle this bull by its horns and find this lost city and show the world that woman can do magnificent things if given the chance. But Ellie is not the only one who has her eyes set on the prize. And it will not be an easy task to accomplish. As she sets on her journey, she meets Adam Bates, an American archaeologist and land surveyor who agrees to help her in finding this lost city.
Honestly, this was an enjoyable read. The banter between Ellie and Adam was hilarious. Their first meet was *chef's kiss* The author has done her research in terms of the archaeological elements of the story, so that was a job well done. Made the reading experience much more interesting. The narrator did a fantastic job of switching between accents and narrating the story. The struggles that women face despite being educated, smart and talented did nothing for them just because of gender discrimination was also aptly portrayed.
So why the 3.5 stars? The book was overtly long. The middle part also felt dragged out. That's where I felt like I was losing the interest to continue reading/listening.
Also, the romance started off strong but took a back seat somewhere in the middle with more focus shifting to the other characters in the story.
To summarize, if you adore The Mummy and like stories that talk about lost worlds and artefacts, if you like your FMC to be sassy and strong willed and if you like your MMC who love to support said sassy ladies then this book is right up your alley.
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