I received an e-arc from Net Galley to review.

Empire of Shadows was described as an adventurous rom-com. I always worry when two very different genres are combined into one story because one of the genres tends to be eclipsed by the other. Happily, that did not happen here. The world was described wonderfully and the characters were easy to root for throughout the adventure. So much knowledge seems to have gone into this story which made it all the more believable.

The romance was believable - each character held their own but also grew throughout the book. They come to really understand each other and the relationship builds in a relatable way. Looking forward to the next book! Easy 4.5 stars. (Rounded up here)

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn't influence my review. This was a wonderful read! I love the historical/fantasy trope, and the chemistry between the MCs was to die for. The plot was engaging and Adam... (smirk emoji). I just wished it was one POV.

When you were a kid, did you wish you could be Indiana Jones? Because this book is Lady Indiana Jones. Actually Marion Ravenswood, if she had her own prequel movie. :)

I think I found a new favorite book.

Wow was this book phenomenal from start to finish! I ate up every second of the banter and loved seeing how the characters developed throughout the story!

Jacquelyn Benson knows how to write, that is for sure! This book was jam packed with tension, adventure, romance and swoonworty moments that will leave you obsessed and wishing you handn’t binged it upon receiving it just so you could have savoured every moment of the book more!

Jacquelyn will be an author I return to often and I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Ringrazio per l'ARC sia Netgalley sia l'Editore.
Questo libro è una ventata di aria fresca, finalmente ci viene portato qualcosa di diverso e di avventuroso, divertente e, nella sua leggerezza, affronta anche temi come la lotta per l'indipendenza delle donne, il colonialismo, il coraggio e l'amore. L'ambientazione vittoriana nel Belize è sicuramente la più vincente, in chiaro stile Indiana Jones.
Il personaggio di Ellie è decisamente nelle mie corde, davvero interessante e divertente l'evolversi della loro storia.
È un libro che vedrei davvero bene traposto in un film, i dialoghi sono "on spot", l'ambientazione vittoriana ripeto è perfetta. Ho un debole per queste storie, quindi si prende sicuro un 4 stelle!

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!

The beginning was hard for me to get into, but it's full of adventure, so keep going. Gives me Indian Jones, Tomb Raider vibes.

I really loved this historical adventure romance! With shades of The Mummy in its banterous romance and slightly supernatural archaeology, it’s an absolute romp of a story but still has a grounded, more thoughtful side to it as well as all the action. The main couple are adorable together (bicker-flirting will forever be my favourite) and I can’t wait for the next instalment.

This was such a fun time and so different from anything I’ve read before! I loved the Indiana Jones/ancient civilization vibes so much! I also absolutely loved Adam and Ellie! Their banter was everything! There were a couple parts around 50-60% that were a little slow, but it definitely picked up for that ending!

Great book by an up and coming author! The love interest was interesting and charming, with Crocodile Dundee meets Indiana Jones energy. The protagonist was occasionally frustrating, but in a realistic way. Watching her grow and become more confident throughout the book was a pleasure. There weren't too many twists and turns in the main plot, look for city, find lost city, overcome monsters and men who are worse than monsters. I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series.

Hopefully we'll get to see more of the best friend next time, loved her energy and she was severely underused.

The Smoke Hunter was my top read of 2023 so imagine my surprise and excitement when a new series featuring the same characters and world was announced! The timing was too perfect.

Like all reinventions, this did some things really well and some that I wish would've remained unchanged. Now, you have to be aware of the fact that I didn't just like TSH, I was a fanatic, meaning I remembered each and every detail so of course comparison was warranted and that's exactly what I did.

I'll start with good. TSH was rushed and left much to be answered. EoS took its time, stretched scenes, added lush detail (TSH is 26 chapters while EoS has 45) and gave more attention to the bad guys, took out jacobs' weird 'arabic' accent and dawson's crime story. Jacobs is still an enigma but there is much more on him. EiS is polished overall and I see the improvements, I do BUT..... it doesn't have my fave scenes 😭😭 the two tent ones, The Realization, ellie's short hair, the bat scene etc. they just can't be replaced im sorry. Some of the dialogue between Adam and Elie was so out or character. Ellie is mad at everyone and everything every two seconds. She lashes out and brings up her denied rights during the most random times like girl... you're being held at gunpoint. new ellie or ellie 2.0 ... you're not the OG. Adam was almost the same but one thing that did irk me was the shot at his himbofication. what was that that he can't read books ?!??! He is an educated man, thank you.

If it was up to me, I'd take Adam and Ellie from TSH and throw them in EoS. That would be most ideal. EoS did great on everything plot related. It resolved the chase to some degree and sprinkled in foreshadowing for the sequel quite nicely. It's the characters that suffered (and me.)

The Smoke Hunter was my top read of 2023 so imagine my surprise and excitement when a new series featuring the same characters and world was announced! The timing was too perfect.

Like all reinventions, this did some things really well and some that I wish would've remained unchanged. Now, you have to be aware of the fact that I didn't just like TSH, I was a fanatic, meaning I remembered each and every detail so of course comparison was warranted and that's exactly what I did.

I'll start with good. TSH was rushed and left much to be answered. EoS took its time, stretched scenes, added lush detail (TSH is 26 chapters while EoS has 45) and gave more attention to the bad guys, took out jacobs' weird 'arabic' accent and dawson's crime story. Jacobs is still an enigma but there is much more on him. EiS is polished overall and I see the improvements, I do BUT..... it doesn't have my fave scenes 😭😭 the two tent ones, The Realization, ellie's short hair, the bat scene etc. they just can't be replaced im sorry. Some of the dialogue between Adam and Elie was so out or character. Ellie is mad at everyone and everything every two seconds. She lashes out and brings up her denied rights during the most random times like girl... you're being held at gunpoint. new ellie or ellie 2.0 ... you're not the OG. Adam was almost the same but one thing that did irk me was the shot at his himbofication. what was that that he can't read books ?!??! He is an educated man, thank you.

If it was up to me, I'd take Adam and Ellie from TSH and throw them in EoS. That would be most ideal. EoS did great on everything plot related. It resolved the chase to some degree and sprinkled in foreshadowing for the sequel quite nicely. It's the characters that suffered (and me.)

This was sold to me as a historical fantasy with romance and Indiana Jones vibes and I was just... disappointed? I think this is a bit mismarketed because it was a great adventure story and the romance was great (with some great slow burn!) but there was so little fantasy in it and it was thrown in at the last second so it really felt like an afterthought.

It would have been better marketed as magical realism.

This is quite possibly my favourite read of the year thus far! Empire of Shadows was my first Jacquelyn Benson book and it did not disappoint. Benson merges the excitement of archeology and exploration while also depicting important historical events, including the suffragette movement and the effects of South American colonialism.

The main characters were lovable and interesting and the storyline gripping. The romance had me kicking my legs and giggling.

This book is the perfect amalgamation of The Mummy, Indiana Jones and Atlantis, with a female mmc who is eerily similar to Tarzan's Jane.

I highly highly recommend to anyone searching for a period, archaeological read with fantasy elements and a strong female lead! On finishing this book, I immediately ordered a physical copy and preordered the sequel!

This was a fun read!

I loved our FMC, Ellie, and our MMC, Adam.

It was fun seeing their adventures and how they were a team. They had great team work honestly.

Ellie was awesome as it is set in the past when women had no rights, she really fought hard for women’s right and it was awesome to read about.

Adam was great that he didn’t look down on her like the other men look down on Ellie and other women!

DNF at 24%

This book is everything I love on paper and in pictures (think Indiana Jones/The Mummy/National Treasure). The writing didn't keep me engaged throughout the book, sadly, and I couldn't complete the book to adequately review it on any other platform.

Empire of Shadows is the first book of the Gaslamp Fantasy series Raiders and The Arcana by Jacquelyn Benson that will keep you on the edge of your seats from cover to cover.
Ellie Mallory, the protagonist, is a young woman who struggles to follow her heart and her dreams in the male-dominated society of the 19th century. When she stumbles upon a mysterious map and artifact, her world is turned upside down. She finds herself in uncharted territory, with a pair of villains on her trail and Adam Bates, who is ardent and terribly hot ,by her side, ready to burn the world down for her sake.
A wondrous blend of archaeological adventure, romance, feminism and anti-colonialism sweeps the reader away. The mix of wit and romance is quite successful, the plot is intriguing and fast paced, and the prose had me giggling out loud most of the time. The main characters are adorable and since I particularly love Constance, Ellie's best friend, I can't wait to meet her again in the second book of the series.
As a devotee of both The Mummy and Indiana Jones, this book did the trick for me and I definitely recommend it to all fans of the genre.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC of this delightful book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for hooking me up with this gem in exchange for an honest review. Jacquelyn Benson has woven something truly special here. You can feel the love and dedication poured into every word. The historical richness practically leaps off the page, and I found myself devouring it faster than my favorite snack. Seriously, I couldn't stop raving about it to anyone who would listen – even my husband got an earful! Ellie and Adam's journey is a rollercoaster of emotions. They hit highs, they hit lows, and just when you think they've got it all figured out, bam, curveball! But amidst the chaos, you can feel the chemistry crackling between them. It's that delicious slow burn that keeps you turning the pages, desperate to see where it leads. If you're into action-packed adventures with a fierce, brainy leading lady and a rugged, yet soft-hearted leading man, then mark this one down on your must-read list. Trust me, it's a ride you won't want to miss. And the best part? There's more to come! I'm already itching to dive into the rest of the series. This book ticks all the boxes: thrilling escapades, exotic locales, historical intrigue, and just a hint of magic. Plus, Ellie's no-nonsense attitude and Adam's charming demeanor make for a dynamic duo you'll root for 'til the end. In short, I loved every page of this adventure and I'm eagerly awaiting more from Jacquelyn Benson. Count me in for round two!

Unfortunately, I gave up reading this book and I regret it. I didn't find the characters deep enough and I wasn't carried away by th plot.
Sadly it's a DNF :(
Too YA for me

This is indeed a good book. The plot, the vibes, the atmosphere, and everything else are exceptionally well-written. I appreciate how it expanded my knowledge on various topics. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was that at times, it tended to make me feel drowsy. The narrative, both in the paragraphs and the story itself, felt a bit too dense, making it challenging to visualize everything clearly.