This story is filling an interesting spurt of books all focused on the fasicination with Egypt that was erupting around the world in 1907. It's a multilayered story told from the perspective of two sisters who have gone separate directions to fulfill family expectations after their mother dies when they are young. One follows their Indiana Jones-esque father to Oxford and Egypt, while the other stays on the fringes of the highest echelons of society. In the process neither is fully themselves until they are swept into a terrible pursuit for the serpant's crown that will supposedly let one rule others through mind-control. To survive they have to work together, something that seems impossible until it is forced in the final pages of the race to outwit the challenges in the hidden tomb.

It was an interesting story though I enjoyed Jocelyn Green's Metropolitan Affair more. This story is filled with the story elements I would expect in a general market read.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for granting me this copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The first thing that hit me was the title and when I read the plot about an ancient artifact involving archaeology and ancient Egypt I could not resist.
The story deals with an archaeologist Dr. Warren Ford and his daughters involved in a research about this ancient artifact called the Serpent's Crown.
The two young sisters start a journey full of perils but also adventure.

The writing style is fluid and intriguing. I really liked the plot and it's development.
The characters, and in particular the two sisters, are well-built. I really appreciated how they evolve during the story.

A story full of history that people should have forgotten, but they have not. On the contrary, they want to bring back the past and the readers cannot be left behind.

I was intrigued by the title and the eye-catching cover design.

I quite liked this book. It was an adventure story, as well as historical fiction. I liked the characters, they made me smile. Egyptology was also a theme in this book, which I appreciated because it's something I've always been interested in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

What a thrilling adventure, with sisters at the heart of it. When Tess and Lila take the reins--of horse and camel--their stories take off, brimming with cases of mistaken identities, cat-and-mouse chases, booby-trapped catacombs, first loves, encrypted clues, and a long-lost treasure that all want to get their hands on. A rousing, page-turning romp across Egypt!

Thank you to Harper Muse for letting me read this early.

I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would, in the beginning the story seemed to be fast paced but sadly feels like it hits a wall at the 30% mark and doesn’t pick up again.

Netgalley what would I do without you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the Antiquity Affair.

Two sisters, Lila and Tess are so different yet deeply entwined as they were raised in the care of their grandmother, a society doyen in the early 1900’s in New York. Their father, a rather colorful anthropologist is mostly off in Egypt and leave the girls to the care of the grandmother.
Money is tight, and the idea is to get Lila married off into society, and Tess will be the smart one and maybe work with her dad.

Of course, this doesn’t go as planned, and the girls are thrown into a crazy tale as Tess is kidnapped on the eve of Lila’s coming out ball and Lila and her dad, who happens to be in New York at the time, traverse the global to get her back.

The novel takes off in weird directions when Lila lands in Egypt with her father. There is so much crazy mad cap happening that it seems a bit much for these two girls to respond and act as they do. I find the historical accuracy to be off.

The sisters manage to find themselves together on a grand adventure in Egypt in search of an ancient Egyptian relic that is wanted by an evil rival group. As others have said, the story leads one to think of Indian Jones as the story opens our eyes to magic of Egyptology.

This is a very cinematic book and could lead itself to a movie.

Read it for fun, don’t expect accurate details, but imagine you had the chance to be on of the girls, you too would have jumped at the chance.

THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR is a little different than what I've grown to expect from Harper Muse. This is much more of an adventure story. It's extremely well done and a rewarding read.

As our main characters travel across Egypt and Europe, the setting and historical details are nicely conveyed. You can tell the authors have done their research. But the research does not get in the way of the story. Instead, it contributes to its evocative atmosphere.

I enjoyed both Lila and Tess and found even their faults to be relatable. Ultimately their strengths shine through.

The author also does a good job at giving the reader just enough information about archaeology and the unfortunate imperialist implications in its history.

This is a fast-paced and highly entertaining adventure story perfect for fans of Indiana Jones and National Treasure.

This was a fun and adventurous tale that felt like a combination of Indiana Jones and Frozen.

Premise
Two sisters are swept up in a scheme to uncover an ancient (and potentially powerful) Egyptian relic.

My Thoughts
I enjoyed this daring duo's adventures across Europe and Egypt. The setting and time period made for an interesting backdrop, and the pacing was reminiscent of a historical action movie. Both Lila and Tess were strong in their own unique ways, but also flawed in their own ways. Each made for a compelling main character.

I also appreciated the effort toward acknowledging the archaeology field's reliance on colonization and imperialism, while still weaving an exciting narrative. I felt the story and its characters appreciated Egypt and Egyptian culture, rather than viewing it as something to take advantage of. The ones who did want to pillage it were the bad guys.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Muse for the ARC!

This was a fun historical adventure. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was well paced. Some suspension of disbelief was needed for the Egyptian section, but overall an enjoyable read.

I was a bit torn with this book. The premise is incredibly interesting, especially with two strong female leads (I've seen them often referred to being like female Indiana Jones) and I really enjoyed their characters and seeing that in a 1907 setting. I think the ancient mythology and Egyptian setting were really well thought out and the ideas worked really well. However I didn't enjoy the constant non-stop action I felt like there needed to be some relief between this and, I don't know if this is because I have an ARC copy, the layout of the book was incredibly hard to read and very disjointed so I couldn't fully get into the book when I was reading because the layout kept making me break concentration. Saying this, I would read other books by these authors and I think maybe if my copy wasn't like this I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

this was a dnf after a couple of months attempting to slog through it. i liked the premise, but sadly the story just didn’t deliver. i didn’t feel like the setting was explored at all and the characters fell somewhat flat, so. :(

Ancient egypt. Travel. Adventures. Family drama.

There's quite a lot to draw you into the Antiquity Affair. A fun romp through the archaeological heyday of Egypt that reminded me a bit of the beloved Amelia Peabody series, so be sure to give this a try if you count that series among your favorites as I do!

DNF. Great premise, started nicely, but didn’t deliver. An adventurous, Indiana Jones-esque plot set in Egypt in 1907 involving antiquities, Egyptian legends, code breaking, and nefarious villains seemed right up my alley. The main problem was it didn’t feel like a novel set in 1907. The attitudes and decisions made by the characters felt out of place, as did their jargon, and this spoiled the authenticity for me. I couldn’t tell if this was supposed to be young adult fiction? It read very much like it was, and at times felt too teenage romance for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Since i was a kid I likes reading and watching anything Egyptian. I lost my self in this story. I totally would read it a 2 or a 3rd time with no hesitation. I loved it!
I just reviewed The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly; Jennifer Thorne. #TheAntiquityAffair #NetGalley
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Okay this book was everything my Indiana Jones loving heart needed. It follows two wonderful, intelligent, fiery young women defying expectations and, of course, a lot of archaeology. As a historical fiction fan, this book delivered. As an egyptology fan, this book delivered. Code breaking, palaeography, trapped tombs, it is an all around great time for history fans. The ending hinted at another book which I cannot wait to read!

Ever wondered what a female Indiana Jones would be like? Then this is the book for you, jam packed with adventure, Egyptian settings and ancient mythology. A fast paced and generally easy read. Lots of fun!

The Antiquity Affair is an action packed historical fiction mystery with an Egyptian twist... think Tomb Raider meets the Amelia Peabody series.

The story follows two sisters and their archaeologist father who become ensnared in a dangerous trap involving a secret organization, a Pharaoic relic, and a puzzling mystery set between early nineteenth century New York and Egypt.

This story read like a historical action film because it was a little too hectic for my liking. It was definitely an adventure novel as described, but it was action scene after action scene which did not appeal to me. I also think the story could have used a supernatural or magical element to help balance the dramatic escapades. There were chapters and sections which were a little dry making me feel bored with the story.

Overall, The Antiquity Affair had some components that I liked such as the historical setting, the ancient Egyptian archaeology, and the sisters relationship...but unfortunately that's about all I liked.

Thank you to Harper Muse for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc.

This was a DNF( did not finish) I simply was not engaged enough to honestly care what was going on with what or whom. I really struggled to get through it and I decided to DNF.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. A thank you to the publishers Harper Muse for approving my request to read this via Netgalley. “The Antiquity Affair” will be published on June 6th 2023.

Important note is that the version of this book I read is NOT a finished product so a lot might change before it’s published.

Edwardian times. Archaeology in Egypt. A mystery artefact. Three very interesting things that draw me to this book. Sounded very fun.

But. I’m unsure for which age group this is for? It reads awfully, awfully young to me. Maybe my searching skills aren’t the best, but I can’t find anywhere if this is supposed to be a young adult-novel. The authors have written both adult and young adult novels in the past.

Another thing I hope the authors think about as they finalise the book is to make it more set in the year they have picked. It supposed to take place in 1907 but I did not get a feeling of the early 20th century. It could take place whenever and that feels like something that should be fixed as the editing process proceed.