Thank you Jacquelyn and NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read this beautiful book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Mummy meets minor fantasy and real historical and anthropological context in this exciting and adventurous first book in the Raiders of Arcana series, Empire of Shadows, by Jacquelyn Benson.

I am absolutely in love with this book. As a history lover and having my bachelor's degree in history as well as pursuing my masters in history and hoping to become an archaeologist, I am absolutely obsessed. Benson does a fantastic job mixing real historical and anthropological context into this book and I was kicking my feet the entire time and squealing with the context that she included (especially about the Annals, I am in an Native American histories course right now for my M.A. and we study a lot of Native primary sources or primary sources that involve Natives and we studied different Annals earlier in the semester). Benson mentions in her cultural note at the end of the book the difficulty of finding sources on the Maya from that time period from their own voices and has to read between the lives which is a lot of what we have to do when we analyze various sources in class. Sorry for nerding out.

This book, although laced with fantasy, had a special place in my heart and I loved seeing the history being included and properly portrayed. As an avid fantasy lover the use of magical artifacts were amazing and the strong female lead was beautifully done. In a time period where women did not have many rights, Ellie pushed and pushed and was determined to change that. Ellie has determination and is very strong-minded and stubborn. Adam is also one of my favorite MMC after reading this book. He doesn't belittle Ellie and accepts her as she is and follows her on this crazy adventure.

Benson did a beautiful job on her prose as well as explaining key historical context to better understand the story.

I cannot wait for book two and I have already preordered my own copy, I loved it soooooo much. This is a beautifully written book. Also Ellie constantly wanting to blow something up is top tier and I hope to see more of that in the next book.

Content:
🧭Witty Banter
🧨1898 Belize
🧭Magical Artifacts
🧨FMC wants to blow stuff up
🧭Hunt for a Lost Civilization
🧨Archaeology
🧭Suffragist/Archaeologist/Archivist FMC
🧨Slow Burn
🧭True Historical and Archaeological context
🧨The Mummy Vibes
🧭Hot MMC who is frequently shirtless and covered in mud

What a ride! This book was so enjoyable, and really did give The Mummy vibes I was looking for. The humor was subtle but not cheesy and the historical detail was amazing. The author really took her time to develop the story into a true action-adventure romance.

The only complaint I have is that the end set piece dragged a little bit for me. I loved when Ellie and Adam were on their own, but the cave scenes just dragged a little bit at the end. This had a satisfying conclusion as a stand-alone novel, but there will be more in this series, and the next one is in Egypt!! *heart eyes*

Overall, a solid 4.5 Stars!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for allowing me to review and ARC copy of this book.
I need to start off by saying that I have been iin a horrible reading slump and I think that has added to how I feel towards this book.
The premise really pulled me in, history, exploration, mystery, archeological, adventure, secret cities and so many more good things that I love, and whilst there were fantastic elements to this book I sadly just didn’t really enjoy it and felt it missed the mark for me. I really struggled with the pacing, I felt it moved too slowly for me (which is where I think my slump let it down as I needed fast pace to keep me involved). There were large chunks of time where nothing was really happening, there was a lot of information and in some places what felt like pointless conversation. I also think my intelligence level may have been slightly too low for this as there was so much academic information and detailed history and lang within this that I got lost on a fair few occasions.
I really liked the back story to the city, and the mirror and the supernatural undertone that ran through it. I loved how our main characters really did share a passion for what they were doing and had such a high respect for it. I thought their story was very organic and sweet, and they developed a genuine connection and care for each other.
Whilst I found this to be slow the adventure and exploration element was definitely there, with the setting, following a treasure map to an abandoned secret Mayan city.
I think if you are more academic than me (not difficult) and enjoy fleshed out, well researched and slow paced adventure books, with a tiny hint of romance and the supernatural, then this would be for you.
I wanted The Mummy vibes but for a little more Indiana Jones.

Instantaneous five stars!!!

This book has MAJOR BRE (Big Rick Energy (as in Rick O'Connell from the Mummy)) in the best way possible! I laughed, my jaw dropped, I learned so much, and I truly had such a FUN time reading this book, which really is the ultimate goal!!

Eleanora (Ellie) Mallory, a well-educated, unmarried suffragette finds herself in a pickle when she discovers an ancient map to a lost city and an amulet in her boss's office- and then promptly accidentally steals it, saving it from landing in some real bad people's hands. She quickly boards the first boat possible to British Honduras, where she plans to hire a local guide to help her navigate the uncharted lands to find her mystery city and make a huge archaeological discovery that will have to prove that women are just as capable. Enter Adam Bates, Assistant Surveyor General, American ex-pat running from a boring 9-5, best friend of Ellie's archaeologist brother. Through a wild series of events, Ellie and Adam must venture out together- finding knowledge, uncovering history, and finding their way together.

This book reads just like any kind of historical adventure with an archaeologist hoping to make a big discovery of a hidden city- but does it SO INCREDIBLY WELL. The stakes fuel the tension, the history of the Aztec and Mayan cultures feels respectful and fascinating, and the characters feel like real people of the time. I ate this book up and cannot wait for more of Ellie and Adam's adventures in book 2 and hopefully beyond!!

Thank you so much to Jacquelyn Benson and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. Empire of Shadows comes out on April 2, 2024- with the sequel coming out in 2025!!

Overall Rating: 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Jacquelyn Benson, and Crimson Fox Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was the first book I’ve read like this one, and needless to say - Jacquelyn Benson set the bar super high for me. From the beginning, I was hooked on the story of Ellie as she navigates battling society’s path for her as a woman. As a scholar, she refuses to accept a life that doesn’t allow her to chase her dreams.

And, of course, her dreams lead her to British Honduras on an adventure to find a lost city. Naturally, she does so with the help of a cinnamon roll of a guide, Adam Bates, who is content letting her lead the expedition.

Empire of Shadows is an exciting, historical magical realism adventure and the first in a series. If you loved anything to do with The Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, or The Mummy, then this is going to be a great read for you!

> Parts I Loved:

Ellie Mallory - Our FMC:
Ellie was such a badass female main character - a total go-getter and ambitious. And she didn’t let anything get in her way! I especially loved the few scenes when parts of her adventure got to her and she battled her two identities: being a woman and being a scholar. She was filled with such spice and a zest for life — the life that she envisioned for herself, not the life society deemed appropriate for her. I could read a hundred books with Ellie as the main character!


Adam Bates!
Omg - I loved Adam from the moment he burst onto the page. Although the two have their ideas of what they want out of life, I will forever root for these two together. They are a perfect pair. I loved reading about Adam’s cheerfulness, even when everything in their adventure was going to hell in a hand basket. I loved how quick thinking he was, how he was able to navigate the jungle as well as anything their adventure threw at them. And I absolutely adored how he was totally content letting Ellie take the lead, rather than trying to command everything simply because she was a woman and he was a man. Ugh, ultimate book boyfriend material!

The Characters & Their Banter:
From the moment both characters step onto the scene, I was immediately rooting for them. Their banter together is perfection. I highlighted so many parts because they were just so hilarious and sweet together!

The Side Characters:
Jacquelyn Benson has this incredible ability of bringing life and dimension to every single character, no matter how small their “screen time” is. I found myself falling in love with several side characters, just as much as our main characters. No detail was spared with the characters!

> Parts That Didn't Work for Me:

Descriptions of Settings & Scenes:
This in no way altered my rating of the book - it was still a 5 star read. But I did find it difficult to picture the settings and scenes. I’m sure this had to do with them being so elaborate, that it’s hard to accurately describe such settings and scenes. That said, I didn’t think it detracted from the overall experience of reading the book! I was still able to enjoy it just as much!

> Book Characteristics:

- Exciting adventure
- Historical fantasy / historical magical realism
- Strong female character
- Cinnamon roll male character
- Indiana Jones meets The Jungle Cruise meets The Mummy

“Empire of Shadows,” by Jacquelyn Benson

Ellie’s fight for women’s rights turns into an arrest that ends in her losing her job. As she is packing up her belongings from work, she comes across a map to an ancient city that has yet to be discovered. She takes a few chances, hoppes a few fences, and ends up in the jungle asking a strange guy to show her the way to the city on the map.

What a great book! It’s the mummy but in central America instead of Egypt. The two main characters are funny and adorable. The story line and world building were well paced and interesting. Perfect for a lighthearted Victorian adventure. I loved so much in this book. Well worth the read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I usually can gauge whether I’m going to love a book by the time I’ve read half a page. I didn’t even need that with this one. ‘Empire of Shadows’ already has a place in my 2024 favourite reads department.
In this adventurous historical fantasy set right before the turn of the 20th century, we meet our protagonist Ellie, an archivist involved in the UK’s suffragist movement with an extensive knowledge – and passion – for history. After (sort of) stealing a treasure map and a pre-Colombian amulet, she narrowly escapes from being hunted by a mysterious man by hopping on a bout to Belize, where she must find someone who can aid her in traversing the Belizean jungle towards that X on her map. Unfortunately for her, that turns out to be infuriating, American Adam. Even more unfortunately, that mysterious man and his thugs are right behind their heels.
One of my favourite themes across the story was the depiction of native Belizeans and other ethnic groups. I was very relieved when the characters openly denounced colonialism and had nuanced discussions about its effects on the local communities. The author clearly has done research on the subject, as well as on Mesoamerican folklore and history, which were wonderfully woven into the plot and setting.
The romance was one of the other highlights of this book. Ellie and Adam’s dynamic was electrifying: the banter, the tension, the secret admiration of each other’s intelligence… I’m really looking forward to the next instalment in this series, Tomb of the Sun King, which will likely come out in early 2025.
This takes me into one of my main concerns going into the book. I usually limit myself to standalones or completed series, but I’m happy to say that, while the plot certainly leaves some ends untied, it does not end in a cliffhanger and is a basically self-contained story.

PD: I’d like to mention two things that have made this book special to me: the first one, that my own language, Valencian, is mentioned in the beginning of the book, which is definitely a first for me (even if the character’s name should’ve been Vicent and not Vincente); the second one, the casual mentions of Latin declensions, conjugations and phrases, since it’s my field of study at university. I don’t know what the odds were that this book reached a Valencian Latinist, but it did, and I’m ecstatic for it.

4.5/5
This book was an adventure, great mix of history with a bit of fantasy. It definitely fits the Indiana Jones/Mummy vibes. From the beginning we get a sense of who Ellie is as character by getting herself chained to a fence while fighting for women rights, then arrested. She’s trying to break the mold of the role of women in her time while trying to pursue her dreams.

She is strong, no nonsense and she doesn’t let anyone deter her from what she wants. Adam was also very charismatic and funny. Because of this they had great banter and chemistry. Once they set off on their quest each chapter felt like a scene from a movie and it kept me hooked all the way to the end. Lots of great culture lore and rich imagery. It really brought fond memories of when I started to get interested in reading in middle school and one of the series that became a staple for me was Isabel Allendes City of Beasts trilogy. I can’t wait to see how this series continues as it seems that we might meet her brother and more chaos will ensue.
P.S. I'm kinda bitter about her throwing his lucky rock though.

Thank You to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

I liked this more than I thought I would! It's fun, adventurous and the characters were so endearing. Really fun time.

I am a big fan of the Indiana Jones -ish genre Renaissance! As someone who has grown up watching Brandon Fraser's Mummy, I was hooked from the moment I saw the cover. I'm so grateful to the author and the publisher for allowing me to read the arc in exchange for an honest review.

And the main couple does share a similar dynamic with the original duo from the Mummy with just a few peaks of their personalities. Ellie is an ancient world enthusiast, scholar, and suffragette, who has been forbidden by society to do what she has studied and ached for her entire life: archeology. She is stubbornly independent, a fighter against the patriarchal regime that has kept her from achieving her full potential, but also kind and mannered even to her enemies. I really liked that despite being the "strong female character" the author didn't strip her of her emotions and empathy. Even though she can't fight, she can easily outwit criminals chasing her with wit.

Her companion, Adam, is the golden retriever. He is the guy every straight woman hopes exists, though perhaps a little awkward around the topic of sex, especially in front of respectable ladies. He was perhaps a bit too good to be true - okay, he could shower more, but then again, most of the story takes place in a jungle, so I can't blame him for being a little dirty.

There are many side characters to love ( or hate ), especially in the latter 40% of the book, but I can't tell you more without the spoilers. I just thought the entire situation was kinda hilarious.

On a more serious tone, I have to applaud the author for how she handled some of the darker themes and questions this genre likes to blind eye to - and that is how archeology and discovery, even though well-meaning can further harm the culture that is being studied. Adam, whose literal job is to explore new territories, struggles with the knowledge that with every Mayan site he marks on a map, the likelihood of it getting looted rises. Ellie too recognizes that the line between an archeologist and a grave robber can be thin and on multiple occasions they are faced with the question of whether it wouldn't be better to leave the hidden city to legends.

The only reason I cannot give it five stars is the pacing. There were times when it draaaged. The book could be easily like 100 pages shorter with the right editing, however, I am admittedly more action&feelings type of girl, but if you like long descriptions of scenery and vibes this might be right up your alley! I was also missing any sense of urgency or real danger, out of all the troubles they encountered, the characters got out unscathed and even made friends along the way!

I will still be reading the second book and I'm incredibly grateful I got to read this one. I have also gained a lot of respect for that author, so I think it's definitely worth your time!

"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."

But but I LOVE Romancing the Stone and The Mummy and men who tear off their shirts at a moments notice like Captain East in Austenland!

Ellie Mallory has been arrested, fired from her job, stolen what could be a groundbreaking piece of history from her boss (this was after she was fired, of course, and she only stole it because he had stolen it first!), chased across the ocean by a villain and is currently embarking on the adventure of a lifetime with the exceedingly annoying, incredibly attractive Adam Bates in the jungles of Honduras. Their goal is simple really to find the fabled White City while facing down deadly animals, an army of men funded by a mysterious organization hell bent on world domination.

There is nothing I love more than an Indian Jones style story, especially when the main character is incredibly intelligent woman with a small obsession with explosives. What I love more is when an Indian Jones style story has been modernized to address ethical questions in terms of academia and the rights that foreign academics have to other cultures history, especially in terms of literally just stealing artifacts under the guise "protection". And while Benson does an excellent job of slipping this topic in she just kicks the doors down in terms of women's rights.

Ellie and Adam are absolutely wonderful characters and while I had at first found them to be a little too modern for their time as the book went on I found I couldn't care as they were simply two incredibly lovable characters. Ellie is incredibly intelligent and quick witted, her character basically defines "thinking on your feet" and Adam is more of a shoot first ask questions later type. Because of this they work so well together simply as friends (yes I said friends) and partners that I genuinely wouldn't have been even a little mad if they had just stayed that way. However. I 100% have to admit I totally support the romance here. It is wholly built on mutual trust and respect which means it was a fantastic slow burner romance which was completely realistic and took a back seat to the action.

Which was freaking amazing! Ellie and Adam almost go over a waterfall, they get chased by a heard of tiny pigs, face giant bats,..I could go on. It's just a perfect edge of your seat, omg how are they going to get out of this one adventure really from the minute Ellie decides to head to Honduras. Even the scene where she decides to leave London is this split second decision made which becomes a race to outwit the bad guy quite literally.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this it was so much fun with absolutely wonderful characters and I highly recommend it if you enjoy light hearted fantasy adventures. This is definitely a series I'll be following!


As always thanks to Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGalley for the eArc!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Sadly, im DNFing this one for now. I wanted to read this because of the different setting than what I'm used to see, but maybe its not for me. For now, it has not gripped me. Im not feeling the romance, the mystery is jot interesting enough to keep me going and I expected.. more? from the characters. I do enjoy the writing though, so I'm leaving this as a soft DNF for now (30%), so I can come back to this and give it a better shot at a better time!

I still recommend it for anyone that like me, also wants some different settings in their fantasy!

I absolutely adored this book. It was The Mummy meets Emily Wilde meets What the River Knows in the best ways. It was action packed, with some fantasy and romance sprinkled in and I had so much fun following the MCs along their adventure. I am excited for the next installment already!

thank you to the publisher and the author for the arc!
I was immediately intrigued by this book, i love historical fiction and this was a delight to read
the protagonist Ellie is a unique woman and ahead of her time, she’s likeable from the start and you understand her her personality and motives so as a reader you can follow along pretty easily as the story develops
the first half of the book was so entertaining and engaging, i couldn’t stop reading.
adam is so charming and their dynamic and chemistry were so fun
i liked their first half of their adventure up until they were captured and then the underground tunnel they went through, it was longer than i expected it and got bored a little the only exciting part was when they kissed for the first time in the cenote
but overall it really surprised me, i’ve never read a book by this author and didn’t realize there was also a fantasy element to it so i was excited for it
i can tell this book was a set up for the whole series and i’m excited for it

this review will be posted to goodreads

Loved it. Honestly, what’s not to love about this book? The characters are solid and likable. The plot was unique and interesting. The slow burn romance is sweet perfection. The banter is top notch. This book has everything that I could’ve wanted. It was the perfect blend of adventure, action, and romance and it made me so happy. It will be a struggle to wait for the next installment.

I really enjoyed Benson's immersive prose! I decided to DNF, at least for now, and I might return later, but the themes of feminism were a bit too strong for my liking and got on my nerves a bit.

I absolutely loved this story! Reminded me very much of Andy McDermott's Wilde & Chase series, which I thoroughly enjoy, just set in an earlier time. Ellie is a wonderful character. Full of spunk and fire! All she wants is to be an archaeologist but in 1898 that was never going to happen in a traditional sense. In the end she gets her wish in a way, along with a big adventure in Belize. Her bouts of Victorian righteous indignation were quite amusing especially when it gets aimed in the wrong direction. Some of the scenes were lol funny. Adam is a great counterpoint to Ellie. More relaxed but intelligent and determined to help Ellie achieve her dream in some way. I really look forward to more of Ellie and Adam's story in future books.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

“I know a thing or two about having dreams the rest of the world thinks are madness,”

Ellie is a singular woman of ambition in Victorian England 1898, who gets fired from her job after being arrested at a Suffrage protest. Harbouring deep hopes of equality and dreaming of a career in archeology she comes across a mysterious map and artefact that leads her to South America being pursued by an aggressive stranger that wants the map.

Finding herself in British Honduras with all of the intelligence required for an archeological dig but no experience of the unknown territory she knows the clock is ticking…

This book was such a fun read with fast pacing, so much rich history, a heroine of high intellect and bravery, it definitely gave me Indiana Jones vibes, and was like a refreshing glass of iced water on the hottest day of the year. I loved Ellie and Adam! It did have a bit of a lull in the middle of the story but the beginning and end are perfection. It satisfied the history nerd inside me, left me wanting more, and very happy that it’s the start of a series.

If you read What The River Knows but wanted more historical details then this is for you, if you dream of exploring new places and meeting people deep in character then this book is available for preorder on Amazon. I thoroughly recommend giving this delightful romp a read.

Raiders of the Arcana Book 1 releases 2nd April 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this review copy, of course this review contains my own thoughts and opinions on this book.

Trigger Warnings: It mentions forced religious conversion, human sacrifice and violence.

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.