A nicely done queer historical romance with a paranormal edge. Impeccably researched, cleanly written, but the plot beats are, in the end, somewhat predictable. And while it's great to see an m/m book with two leads who are both older and don't have pecs bursting through their shirts, the romance plot line, too, is conventional though nicely done. Really solid effort for a first novel, and while it isn't quite fully formed, there's enough here that I'll be keeping an eye out for what Lorenz does next.

The Shabti is a queer historical fantasy romance following a reformed fake medium in 1934. Ex-medium Dashiel now spends his days debunking false spiritualism and mediums when he is accosted by Egyptologist and college professor Hermann to investigate a possibly haunted Egyptian artifact called a shabti. Just as Dashiel starts falling for Hermann in the course of their investigation, the quite real ghost as well as Dashiel’s ex-partner both make trouble, forcing Dashiel to choose to flee as usual or stay and fight.

This was just an incredibly cute and charming book that is equal parts historical fiction, queer romance, and paranormal fantasy. I liked that both Dashiel and Hermann were older men in later stages of life, carrying baggage and life experience that colored who they are. Dashiel is a man full of regret, wanting to make amends while also yearning for what he gave up. Hermann was just a soft pillow-cushion of a man, and I liked that about him (he was kind of adorable). Their romance was simple, understated, and refreshingly straightforward. HEA guaranteed!

The paranormal aspect of the story (especially the ending) was quite a bit darker than I was expecting for an otherwise cute and cosy book. It’s a quick easy read despite some darker themes and occult subjectmatter. The setting also made for some pretty cute old fashion expressions/figures of speech that disproportionately delighted me for some reason.

The Shabti was a sweet and delightful MM historical romance with a creepy occult fantasy element.

This is a well written novel with a lot of imagination. I enjoyed the general plot and the prose. I mean - wizards, reformed crooks and adorable middle-aged archaeologists in a whirlwind of magic, danger and gay puppy love! What more could you ask for?

Well, come to think of it, I would ask for the dialogue to be a little less saccharine. I would ask for characters that were a little more... rounded, perhaps? Some were just too good and naive for their age, others were a bit one-dimensional. I would also ask for a relationship that was a little less romantically fictional and a little more... believable. And I would ask for the historical context to be less tacked on. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed reading the book, and if you like romantic gay fantasy and want to see middle-aged, slightly damaged men find love, this will give you that. But in the end, the book didn't grab me. All in all, an enjoyable, competent book, but not one I will be thinking about for a long time.

Really enjoyed this one!!! Such a fun read. Sweet m/m romance between (mostly) reformed ex-scoundrel and ex-phony-medium Dashiel and good-hearted Egyptology professor Herman--who just happens to have a bit of a problem with a grumpy undead spirit. I loved the 1930s Midwest setting, the spiritualist in-fighting, and the Handsome But Very Bad Ex as the antagonist. The ending comes together just as you hoped it would. A terrific read for fans of KJ Charles (though way less explicit). Several hundred bonus points for Horatio the cat!

Although I enjoyed this book at the start, ultimately I found it a bit boring. The plot is a bit thin and the characters lack depth, either one of which I would have accepted alone, but in combination left the book feeling rather empty. I think the biggest missed opportunity was the failure to develop the romance more convincingly - for me, Dashiel and Hermann don't have enough chemistry or on-page development of the relationship. I was wavering between two or three stars, but ended up rounding down because I was disappointed by the ending and what I felt were some inconsistencies in characterization/moral reasoning.

I found this to be a quick read. I enjoyed the fake spiritualist who finds that he can actually communicate with the dead - specifically, the shabti. It wasn't as scary as I would have liked, but it was full of Ancient Egyptian references with an LGBTQ+ romance.

This was a fun tale.

I really liked the ex spiritualist medium debunking his former trade. And then he gets confronted with an actual haunting. The parts with the spirit were nicely suspenseful. The romance was wholesome and adorable. This was a very fun read.

If a story about people being terrorised by an ancient spirit could be said to be cozy then this is cozy. The stakes are high for Dashiel and Hermann but not world-ending; the pair aren’t secret superheroes but they do their best to save the part of the world they’ve managed to carve out for themselves. They both manage to get over their shortcomings while unraveling this mystery and fall in love in the meantime. This book is an absolute delight and I can’t recommend it enough!

If I had to sum up The Shabti in one word, I would probably struggle to choose between “delicious” and “addictive”!

“Delicious” because of the incredible blend of unique romance between two middle-aged men, the noir-esque and horror elements, and the ancient Egyptian seasoning on top. “Addictive” because I found myself constantly walking around with the book, unable to put it down, and even when I was forced to set it aside, I kept talking about it to everyone who crossed my path.

At its core, The Shabti is a love story between Dashiel, a reformed spiritualist who grew tired of deceiving people with the nonsense he sold them (for the most part), and who discovered that there might be a place in his life for someone who helps him believe that he deserves love, and Herrmann, an Egyptologist who realizes that there might be room in his life for someone besides his cat, and the possessed Shabti that intertwines their fates. The main characters couldn't be more different, with one being a respected professor and the other a con artist. Yet, somehow, they complement each other in a Yin-Yang kind of way, so much so that their conversations become the highlight of their chapters together.

One of the main things that intrigued me about this book was the fact that both characters are middle-aged, which is something I don't come across often (for context, I am in my 20s). I was not disappointed by the decision to explore a romance between two men in this age group. Although their longer life experiences are evident in how they navigate their intertwined paths, the story also shows that the simple human yearning for companionship and to be loved by another transcends age, time, and gender. So much so that, despite being at a different stage in my life, I was able to understand their feelings and root for them.

Another major draw for me was the ancient Egyptian aspect of the story. After all, the novel is titled The Shabti, and the author is an actual Egyptologist, so you can imagine my excitement. If you're a New Kingdom enthusiast like me, especially if you're into funerary texts, you're in for a treat! The best part is that no prior knowledge is required to understand the references to ancient Egyptian customs and rituals because Lorenz uses Herrmann, our well-meaning, friendly neighborhood Egyptologist, to explain the lore. This is balanced masterfully with Dashiel, who stops Herrmann right after he has delivered the important information and right before he turns the narrative into a lecture about late Egyptian language and hieratic script. Everything about ancient Egypt feels authentic and real, not so mainstream in fiction, and this is simply because Lorenz knows her stuff. This expertise shines whenever she writes about her field, giving it a touch of humanity often lacking in narratives about 'ghosts from the past.'

Speaking of which, I wouldn't describe this as solely a horror story. Like I mentioned at the beginning of my review, this story is a delicious blend of many addictive ingredients. But whenever the story leans into its horror aspects, it does become genuinely scary, which had me worried for the main characters a few times. This alone says a lot about Herrmann and Dashiel and how Lorenz successfully made me fall in love with them.

Overall, The Shabti is easily one of my favorite books this year and will hold a special place both in my heart and on my shelf. It has it all: romance (and that's coming from someone who doesn't usually enjoy reading romance), incredible character work, ancient Egyptian elements I can geek out about, and very well-executed horror. This is a story I will probably revisit multiple times until I reach Herrmann's and Dashiel's age, and therefore it deserves five glowing stars.

This book is quite an enjoyable read. It is gripping from the beginning, delivering charming characters, both main and side ones, and an alluring setting. The variably glittering and shady world of the faux mediums, séances and theatre performances selling illusions presents a fascinating setting within which a harrowing ghost mystery starts playing off. Mix it with a queer romance between an introverted, clever and sweet Egyptologist and a battered lone wolf of an ex-illusionist, and you've got a perfect springboard for a truly amazing story.

So far so good.

What I was sorely missing was more depth in practically every aspect of the book - in the unravelling of the plot, details that would provide a more insightful understanding of the culture from which the Shabti came and in the central romance. It all felt rather rushed and underdeveloped, which was quite grating, because I did feel the throbbing potential somewhere underneath. The result is a mystery that falls quite flat and a romance that is a tad unconvincing.

All in all, the aspect I came to appreciate most about this book, was the feel and aesthetics resonating with old Hammer horrors and pulp Gothic novels, which, in my book, is always a good thing.

Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Publishing for the free eARC of "The Shsbti" by Magaera Lorenz.
Join Dashiel, an ex-spirit medium and Proffesor Herman Goschalh in a possible paranormal mistery.
I have to admit I was a dissapointed when we got to the horror elements. They did not felt scary or atmospheric at all, not even to me, a person that can't even watch a children's horror movie.
I love queer romance and I enjoyed the slow burn between the main characters.
However I am sad to see how all the straight women are portrayed as villans so far in this story.
I decided to stop at 31%. It is no use trying to force myself to continue a story that does not hold my intrest.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
From the second I laid my eyes on this book, I knew it was Jewish. It says it nowhere in the description or even on Storygraph’s AI blurb, but I could feel it in my bones. And by g-d, I was right. The Shabti gets an extra .25 stars for that alone.
This book was fighting an uphill battle from the very start, because geez are those names, all right. Dashiel and Hermann. Whew. It took me a second to get over how absurd they were, when I started reading. The good news is that once you do get over it, you’re in for a grand time.
The horror moments were impeccable. The tension and stakes were high, the romance was much too quick but still sweet (very insta-lovey), the setting was beautifully done…and there was a cat. A cat that survives and thrives, at that. What more could a guy want?
If you liked The Mummy, you’ll enjoy this. You don’t need a background in Egyptology in order to understand what’s going on, because everything is explained nicely, and there’s no confusion. I don’t know that I’d ever read it again, but I definitely don’t regret picking it up. It’s a very bingeable book.

3.25 "I really wanted to love this book" stars. Maybe my expectations were too high after seeing rave reviews from several of my favorite authors and reviewers, including some that compared "The Shabti" to the work of the singular Jordan L. Hawk. Maybe I had a book hangover from a recent 5-star read, and any follow up would have paled in comparison. Whatever the reason, I'm going to be the outlier, and admit that I liked-not-loved this debut novel.

There is plenty to appreciate about the book's premise. Disgraced but charming reformed fake medium Dashiel meets nerdy, Jewish, Ancient Studies professor Hermann; who wouldn't enjoy a queer opposites attract trope set in a Depression-era small town? The ancient evil is suitably creepy, and the story's climax is suspenseful and dramatic.

The weakest aspect of the book is its characters. The MCs felt like black and white drawings that hadn't quite been colored in sufficiently. I appreciated the way Hermann's religion and frequent use of Yiddish phrases were presented as No Big Deal. His impassioned defense of his chonky cat after an unwelcome visitor disses him was the book's highlight. But the dialogue between Hermann and Dashiel frequently rang false. That issue, and the closed door nature of their physical relationship, contributed to a disconnect between the strong emotions they expressed and the lukewarm passion I sensed between them. The bad guys were sort of bad, but not diabolically evil (where's a good Cthulhu cultist when you need one?). I even felt a bit sad when one of them Got What He Deserved.

I'm a big fan of queer paranormal fiction set in the first half of the 20th century, and I hope that Lorenz is planning more books about these characters. Perhaps as we learn more about their pasts and personalities, I will feel as strongly about them as Hermann does about his cat.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

Solid debut novel. The flim-flamming itself was interesting, and it made me wonder if I wanted the tone to be a bit lighter, as in the Dortmunder books. I wanted more on the medium’s organization. It seemed to vary between loosely affiliated members and a criminal group.

The Shabti is a wonderful story about finding love, being true to yourself, and, most importantly, ghosts. I'm a big fan of historical romance, particularly LGBT historical romance, and this is one I would 100% recommend to others. While it never quite felt realistic, I prefer that over over-the-top trauma that I see from other authors. I could tell that the author really loved these characters and this world, and her expertise in Egyptology added so much to the story. I'm going to keep my eye on Lorenz.

A debut novel, and the setting and concept is just gorgeous and as much fun as expected. In 1930s midwest America, a sweet (closed door) romance between an egyptology professor and a reformed fake medium, dealing with real ancient egyptian spirits and the non-repentant fake medium acquaintances of one of them. It was a little more romance focused than I expected (my fault though, I should have read the already existing reviews a bit more deeply) and I would have preferred a different balance perhaps but I think this will be precisely right for many readers.

As far as I can judge, the setting has been very well, lovingly, researched and it's full of small interesting details about the egyptian language, and spiritism, and 1930s and yiddish(?) slang (I confess I did not get the meaning of all of them). It's a cozy universe, not quite explicitly queernorm but no explicit mentions to prejudice existing against several characters.

Totally a standalone, cozy-with-a-creepy-thrill mm romance. Reminded me a bit, in feel and even setting of Allie Therin's novels. For people who want to be sure of a HEA <spoiler>fear not, it's definitely a HEA. I am not sure if there is room for a sequel though</spoiler>!

This was one of my really rare netgalley requests, so thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

This book landed on my radar due to a review by K.J. Charles, which feels very fitting because this is a wonderful spiritual successor to her work (both literally and figuratively). While this isn’t a spicy romance, it’s a deeply character-driven one: our two main characters complement each other brilliantly and build off each other’s strengths. Our MC, Dashiell, is world-weary and more than a little regretful of his past, but never crotchety or bitter.

And the spiritual mystery is excellent; I love stories where fakers and cheats have to grapple with things potentially being real. The author’s background as an Egyptologist is also used to good effect. It’s clearly well-researched and Hermann is incredibly earnest and invested in the small details, but it never feels like reading a university lecture.

Highly recommended.

What is it about spooky ancient Egyptian antiquities that almost always promises a great story? 'The Shabti' didn't fail me. Not at all.

Megaera Lorenz has written a hugely enjoyable and readable story. Weird happenings in a museum, a growing sense of danger and dread, and a pair of heroes who very much aren't your typical queer leads. Dashiel Quicke is a down-on-his-luck former spiritualist with a past. Hermann Goschalk is an Egyptologist with something very strange going on in his collection of artefacts. Neither of them is young, or much to look at, yet it is lovely how Lorenz weaves in an entirely believable nascent romance between the two men after Goschalk sort-of hires Quicke to solve his problems. It is a sweet offset to all the other shenanigans.

Lorenz doesn't labour the 1930s setting, instead relying on food, dress, domestic surroundings, and a glorious range of period slang to set the scene, The Egyptology rang true, which is hardly surprising given the author's academic interest.

Altogether great fun and well worth a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, ComCat books and Megaera Lorenz for the ARC of The Shabti!

I’m a fan of paranormal; pulp fiction, mysteries and Egyptology, so this was right up my alley! I loved every minute of it.

Dashiel Quicke has stopped being a (very successful) fake medium when he meets Professor Hermann Goschalk, an Egyptologist with a shabti problem - it appears to be haunting the university’s museum. Hermann asks Dashiel to help with the problem… and things escalate. The shabti is becoming more powerful and Dashiel’s past is coming back to haunt him.

This was an utterly satisfying mystery-adventure!
- two middle-aged protagonists
- Jewish rep
- real look into 1930s spiritualist practices
- fantastic Ancient Egyptian insults
- a pretty terrifying seance / possession scene
- so much ectoplasm, gross

Thank you to #NetGalley for the chance to read this fun and endearing book prior to its release. #TheShabti centers around Dashiel, a former Spiritualist and con man, and Hermann, an Egyptology professor and museum curator who has come into possession of a cursed object. This book combines mystery, Spiritualism in all of its faults, and such a heart warming love story. One review compared it to The House in the Cerulean Sea, and I will say that the romance gave me the same warm hug feelings which I thoroughly enjoyed. Beyond that it delves into the tension between fact and fiction, belief and faith, and the power of everyday slights and grudges. I will say I was disappointed at first to learn what the curse was based on because I wanted it to be something large and grand and mysterious. However, the final confrontation and resolution was just *chef's kiss* perfect. The setting and vibe were great, the characters were well rounded and believable, with actions and reactions that made sense within the context of the story. I really enjoyed this book! It was funny with a great mix of love, personal redemption, and scary bits. I will definitely be watching for future works from this author!