Book Review: The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz is a delightful debut that invites readers into a world of supernatural intrigue and cozy romance set against the backdrop of 1934 America. The story follows Dashiel Quicke, a former medium turned skeptic, who travels the country exposing fraudulent spiritualists while also trying to outrun his complicated past with a former lover and business partner. His life takes an unexpected twist when he meets Hermann Goschalk, an earnest Egyptologist convinced that he possesses a haunted artifact. While initially skeptical, Dashiel's curiosity—coupled with an undeniable chemistry with Hermann—draws him into a mystery that reveals more than just ghosts.

The narrative is a perfect blend of eerie charm and playful banter, making it an immensely entertaining read. Lorenz crafts well-drawn characters that are easy to root for, especially the sweet dynamic between Dash and Hermann. Their relationship blossoms in the face of a supernatural menace, creating a cozy romance that warms the heart while keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

The pacing is just right, allowing readers to savor the unfolding mystery without feeling rushed. I found the supernatural elements to be engaging rather than overwhelming, striking a balance that contributes to the book's charming atmosphere. The cover art itself is eye-catching and perfectly encapsulates the tone of the story—inviting readers into this fascinating blend of romance and the paranormal.

Overall, The Shabti is enormously enjoyable, showcasing Lorenz’s talent for storytelling in a captivating debut. With its combination of humor, suspense, and genuine emotional depth, this book left me eager for more from the author. I can’t wait to see what Megaera C. Lorenz has in store for us next!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

If half-stars were allowed, this one would probably get a 3.5, as it has a lot going for it but didn't quite hit all the right notes for me.
**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review.**

The Shabti takes you back to the spooky world of 1930s spiritualism, where Dashiel Quicke, a former conman, unexpectedly faces a real ghost. Megaera C. Lorenz mixes historical detail, supernatural mystery, and a sweet romance between Dashiel and Hermann, a nerdy Egyptologist. The setting and characters feel real, and the slow-burn relationship between two middle-aged men finding love adds charm to the story.

Though the pacing can drag a bit and the romance stays pretty tame, The Shabti is a cozy, low-stakes read with just enough ghostly intrigue to keep you hooked. Lorenz’s debut is perfect for those who enjoy character-driven stories with a hint of the supernatural.

<i>I would like to thank NetGalley and CamCat Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.</i>

OH...OH MY GAWD! OHhhh MYyyy GAWDddd!!! Joining the ranks of my queen, KJ Charles, is Megaera C. Lorenz, because straight up I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS!!!!

So yeah not only was The Shabti beyond fascinating, proper creepy and ten thousand kinds of compelling from beginning to end, but it was also endearing as fk, and I am a fan of THIS VIBE for life!! I can't stop thinking about sweet Hermann and the ever so dashing rogue, Dashiel!! I also (nerdily) love the visual play on the authors Hesse and Hammett! Ahhh I did not want this story to end!

Srsly what's not to love about this?! There was a mad haunting, Ancient Egyptian scholarly excellence, the most lovable cozy romance, brilliant characterization, and some of the most engaging dialogue I've read to date! Not to mention the utter purrfection that is Horatio! say less! I want more!

This was simply marvelous and I am very happy to have discovered Megaera C. Lorenz, who is beyond extraordinary! I cannot wait for whatever Lorenz has in store for us next, because I am certain it will be adventurous and brilliant and charming and one of the better reads I'll have all year!

Oh, I liked this a great deal. Dashiel Quicke, our POV character, is a former Spiritualist charlatan and current down-on-his-luck patent medicine peddler. He unexpectedly finds himself in a mystery with a real ghost: the angry spirit of an ancient Egyptian man is terrorizing the Egyptology department of the local college and Dash gets pulled in by a charmingly awkward, odd duck of a professor.

Dashiel and Herman-the-professor are fun leads. They’re middle-aged, smart, interesting. Herman is prone to (very interesting) Egyptology infodumps and surprisingly feisty. The leads are surrounded by a well-developed cast of secondary characters, both villains and friends.

Lorenz does so much that is right: who knew mediumship and ancient Egypt were such a potent combination? And the creepy parts are legitimately creepy. There were a couple of times that I started to doubt my choice to read this as a bedtime book. But it was a cozy sort of creepy, perfectly calibrated to the overall tone of the story.

There was a moment or two where I thought this might be a 4 star read for me: there were parts that felt a bit slow. However, once the story got its legs under it, there was no holding back—it galloped entertainingly to the finish line. Definitely recommended.

This is a fun read and a mostly unread topic for me. It's set in the 1930's and I really enjoyed reading more about that era and the idea of Spiritualism and ghosts that was held back then. Dashiel falls in love with Hermann, one of his marks, and is coerced into helping him get rid of an otherworldly entity. Hijinks and mayhem ensue as things don't go as planned, but the romance is sweet and the ending satisfying.

The characterization is strong on both the main characters, the pace, however, is pretty weak especially in the beginning. It might left you feeling impatient, particularly if you're hoping for a heart-throbbing, sitting-on-edge, mystery thriller. At times, the fact that Daniel, the lead character is not exactly an uplifting personality, doesn't really help. But on the other side, there's some kind of charm of this being a slow-burn story. Albeit it's a slow one, but it doesn't drag and it's fairly consistent, plus, the mystery and the details--both historical and spiritual--are enough to make you hooked.

An absolutely fabulous dive into early 20th century mysticism, hucksterism, and Egyptology... with an unexpected and very welcome side of romance.

Dashiel Quicke (not his real name) was once a "medium"—not a real one, but an adept swindler. Since leaving the life behind, he's gone on tour giving away his former cronies' secrets, with a side of snake oil sales on the side. But that all changes when he meets Egyptologist Hermann Goschalk. The professor has an honest-to-goodness cursed artifact on his hands... one that even Dashiel can't write off. Despite his initial desire to get the hell out of town, spurred on by the arrival of his former fellow spiritualist and lover Porphyrio (also not his real name), Dashiel decides to stay with Hermann. There's the curse of the Shabti to handle, of course; but he and Hermann have also grown fond of each other. With the spirit connected to the artifact growing ever angrier, and Porphyrio growing ever more impatient, the two have limited time to put this curse to bed.

THE SHABTI has all the charm of a 1930s Weird Tale, blending real-world faux mysticism with paranormal intrigue. The little community that builds up around the self-shaming Dashiel is delightful, too. Alternately tense, terrifying, and surprisingly wholesome, this is a gripping read.

If Goodreads allowed half-stars, this one would probably get a 3.5, as it has a lot going for it but didn't quite hit all the right notes for me (and hence not a 4* book in my opinion).

The basic premise of The Shabti is that it's a historical romance between a former spiritualist (Dash), who now spends all his time demonstrating just how spiritualists do the various things that they do (which understandably has made him few friends in the community he left behind) and a professor of Egyptology (Hermann) who is convinced that one of his artefacts is cursed. A shabti, in case you weren't aware, is a small clay figurine roughly shaped like a person which is used as part of ancient Egyptian funeral rites and this one seems to be malevolent and growing worse by the day.

There's a lot to like about this book, as the romance angle is pretty low-key and works for two people who are not perky teenagers, as well as fitting the time period. There's an element of danger from both the eponymous shabti and also Dash's past catching up with him, but the pacing is a bit weird at times. All in all, I enjoyed reading it and look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with, but it's not a book I can see myself re-reading any time soon.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

The Shabti follows Dashiel Quicke, a reformed charlatan/medium as he helps Prof Hermann Goschalk figure out the mystery surrounding an ancient Egyptian artifact in Goschalk’s museum. When associates from Quicke’s past show up to complicate things, Quicke has to figure out how to outwit not only those he turned against, but an entity with an ancient grudge.

The protagonists are sharp and well-written. Dashiel is a huckster and charlatan, but he possesses a charm and self-awareness that make him likable. Hermann is a nice balance of sweetness and moxie, which is good counterpoint to Dashiel. I enjoyed their banter throughout the book. Antagonists like Porphyrio and Maude add an element of danger to the story, although more of the low-stakes kind. I never felt like the protagonists were ever in real danger with them. I wanted more about these characters and really wanted to see how they posed a threat to Dashiel and Hermann, but they seemed more one-dimensional.. The Shabti is an interesting character, but I feel it wasn't utilized to its full potential given the setup with it.

The story flows along at a nice pace and I found myself wanting to keep reading for extended periods to find out what happens next, which is the mark of a good book. It did get a little bogged down in spots, particularly in the chapters dealing with the characters' relationships. Not that it wasn't a good thing to explore the relationships themselves, but sometimes the emotional content of those chapters got a little cloying. Even so, this doesn't take away from the rest of the book. I recommend it as a light, fun read for anyone with an interest in the supernatural or archaeology.

The Shabti sadly didn’t too much for me. While not by any means a bad book, it didn’t have much at all that really held my interest. It most interesting stuff was the inside look at how they’d scam people and make it seem real.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Qn atmospheric, low-stakes paranormal romance between a fake medium and a nerdy Egyptogolist, both in their 40s/50s, with touches of the effect an abusive relationship has on a person and a peek behind the curtain of the medium/spirituality scam business.

For me it was too slow and neither the ghost plot nor the romance kept my interest. Not enough action and the characters were kind of dull. I also almost forgot that we were in the 30s, we could have easily been in the 50s or 70s, the "historical" part which is supposed to create the atmosphere was too discreet.

Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Books for the ARC!

4.5 stars. This a quick, enjoyable read that you can tell is thoroughly researched.

First of all, I love a queer historical romance where characters talk and act like they are actually from that time. Throw in an older main character and love interest (and one is Jewish) and I'm completely sold. I enjoyed Dash and Herrmann and how sweet they were together (and the cat, of course). I do wish there was a little more build-up in their relationship since it felt a little rushed. They went from strangers to living together in such a short time. The villains were also fun and a little over the top in the best way. The mystery was atmospheric though never too scary and filled the beginning with spooky vibes.

I think the best aspect of this book was how much you could tell that the author researched and knew Egyptian facts and mythology. It never became too much like a lecture but instead sprinkled in facts when needed.

Overall, it was a fun read and a great first book from this author. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Heartwarming and chokfull of Egyptology. I was giggling and kicking my feet at the romance, holding my breath at the mystery and loving every moment of this novel.

Ghosts! Mummies! Mediums! oh my! If you're looking for a paranormal mystery with a budding romance, this book is for you.

Throwing it back to the 1930's, Dashiel is a former medium and major skeptic, trying to escape his past of lies. As he while staying in small-town Illinois, he runs into Hermann, an eccentric Egyptologist, who teaches at a school and studies ancient Egyptian relics. When Hermann mentions strange things happening near his office, he invites Dashiel to investigate. Dashiel begins to question everything and starts to fall in love in the process... before being met with a ghost from his past.

"The Shabti" really was a fun read with likable main characters and great character development. I loved every part where the haunting was mentioned from the strange shadows to the quiet whispers. Paranormal stories are great!

Also great? Hermann!! I absolutely loved him and his beloved kitty cat, Horatio. Is that not the cutest cat name ever? Hermann's fascination with Egypt is contagious, something that I think bleeds through from the author's background. You learn a lot about ancient Egypt and its lore in this novel, which is a great aspect of it.

The banter with old sayings was a bit hard for me to get through, and maybe a little over-the-top, but it didn't completely take me out of the story. If anything did, I think it was the little love triangle thing that was introduced. It pretty much took hold of the story and the mystery itself was left to the wayside. In fact, I'd probably call this novel more of a love story than a mystery.

People have compared this novel's vibe to "House in the Cerulean Sea", and I can honestly see that. While it's more mystery than that novel, it's definitely sweet and heartfelt. I would call it a "feel good" novel once you're at the end. Sure, the characters have their own challenges they've had to overcome, but in the end, they're better for it.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and CamCat books for lending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Shabti is a marvelous read. It is a 1930s m/m romance between a fake medium who walked away from the grift and a nerdy Egyptologist. Hermann, the college professor, reaches out to Dashiel, the reformed conman, for help with eerie happenings involving his college’s collection of Egyptian artifacts. The main characters fall for each other, finding connection later in life.

This is a fun ride with smart dialogue, great humor along with creepy occurrences, and an absolutely lovely romance. I won’t go much into the plot because the reveals are a lot of the fun, but when the reason behind everything was revealed, I exclaimed out loud.

The secondary characters are well drawn and the sense of time and place is great. I recommend The Shabti quite highly, and look forward to future books by Megaera Lorenz.

Thank you to CamCat Books, NetGalley and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This has a similar feel to M.R James ghost stories but is set in a wonderfully realised 1930’s Illinois.

At its heart is a sweet m/m romance between a jaded ex-hustler of spiritual demonstrations and a kind professor of Egyptology. I loved that they were both in their later years with accompanying baggage and I cared about their relationship.

There are creepy moments when the spirit is active - much more frightening than I expected for what is essentially a cosy historical mystery/romance. The writer is an Egyptologist, which grounds the book in factual explanation, and it was interesting to learn about the tricks employed by fake psychics of the time. This is a wonderful story ghost story.

The kindest and earnest-est man meets a cynical filmflam man, and they have unsettling, dangerous adventures with a vengeful ancient Egyptian spirit and an abusive ex. While falling in love.

Hermann is sweet and weird, and I love him. He's easy to love with his gee willikers energy and compassion. Dashiel, former magical conman and current snake oil seller, is harder to love at first sight, but his rags to riches to rags journey of meaning is compelling af. His generosity is a bit gruffer than Hermann's but just as genuine.

The Shabti is a genre romance masquerading as a historical fantasy thriller. It's funny and gentle despite its high stakes. The combination works well for me because there's space for hope around all the deadly risk.

It reads like a noir story meets eerie ragtime song. The tone is often sarcastic and goofy--full of '30s slang that comes across (to me) as exemplary of a couple of goobers--but it never betrays the more serious and sincere moments. It has KJ Charles vibes, and I think fans of her work would enjoy The Shabti too.

The book's layers build gradually, and it feels in parts like a comeuppance fantasy, which is very satisfying. It's atmospheric and tense; the threat is real. The character work is well done, particularly for Hermann and Dashiel, who fit archetypes while still feeling like individuals. Their romance weaves around the bigger plot moments, and it's subtle and graceful. P.S. It's such a relief to read a romance between two characters in their late 40s/early 50s.

I'm a fan of parallels, where the plot mimics the individual and couple character progression. The ghost story works in tandem with 1. Dashiel's transition from flimflam medium to upstanding citizen; and 2. the contrast of Hermann's kindness and Dashiel's anger. All three plotlines come together in a gratifying, if abrupt, ending.

It's such a fun read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect mixture of being very clever and very full of heart. It’s 1934 and Dashiel Quicke, now a de-bunker of the ‘phychic flim-flam racket’ he used to make a living in, runs into an Egyptologist with a problem. Reluctantly drawn into the mystery, everything Dashiel thought he knew is turned upside down. And, as danger grows ever closer, it isn’t only his heart that’s in trouble.
There were so many things to love about this story. The period setting is absolutely convincing, with a wonderful Chandler-esque feel to the language. It was like watching a favourite film noir, with added Egyptology. I particularly loved the way the writer managed to weave Ancient Egyptian language and mythology throughout the story without once dumping information or lecturing. At the same time, there is a depth of knowledge there which makes a huge difference in grounding the story and making it work. A great deal of learning, worn very lightly.
What I liked most, though, was the relationship between the two leading characters. They are both fascinating, in their own way, but together they are utterly charming. Unusually, neither of the heroes is in the first flush of youth and this somehow made their loneliness and search for happiness more touching. Personally, I don’t know how anyone could resist an owlish professor of Egyptology with a grumpy cat.
All in all, this is a terrific read. An exciting thriller with a touching romance and perfect sense of period, with an Ancient Egyptian curse into the bargain. And the cat. I don’t know what more you can ask.

This was recommended to me because I enjoy Jordan L Hawk and KJ Charles's books - and the comparison was apt! I very much enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more from the author.

Key to a good romance is the characters, and I liked the pair here and their connections -I always enjoy older characters getting to take centre stage. Combined with a good mystery and some chills, this had a lot to like!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz is a Queer historical paranormal novel following Dashiel, a former medium and snake oil salesman who debunks other mediums while on the run from his former business partner/lover. When Dashiel meets Hermann, an Egypstiologist with a haunted Egyptian funerary figurine, he finds a reason to stop running and take his ex head on.

Dashiel and Hermann have a really tender romantic arc that is rooted in mutual respect and understanding despite the very different places they are coming from. Dashiel refuses to take advantage of Hermann and shares a lot of himself, including confessing to the things that he did as a medium. Hermann, meanwhile, is a more soft-spoken, academic character who comes out of his shell the more time he spends with Dashiel.

The novel is set around 1935 in the US and makes references to the Egyptology craze, Old Hollywood, and the different tonics that were popular at the time, including traces of cocaine added to a lot of them. We see Dashiel selling his tonics and the mixed feelings he has around it as well as the ways he gets more money out of customers. It paints Dashiel in a morally gray light while also grounding him and the story firmly in the time period.

The medium and Spiritualist aspect, the Egyptology, the references to Old Hollywood, and Hermann’s love of his cat make this such a great read. It feels alive and grounded and hits on all of the right things for me, personally. Hermann’s love for his cat was a real highlight for me, especially when Dashiel’s ex-lover insults Hermann’s cat and Hermann can’t wrap his mind around anyone thinking poorly of a cat. True cat ownership representation.

I would recommend this to fans of the 1930s looking for fantastical elements, readers who like books around Spiritualistm or mediums, and those looking for a tender Queer love story with a morally gray lead.