Empire of Shadows was a brilliant foray into historical fantasy with an engaging host of characters and all the appeal of Indiana Jones and The Mummy. Ellie is the perfect protagonist for me. She does not fit the typical mold, doing everything that she can to live her life on her terms despite the overbearing expectations placed on her by 19th century society. I giggled my way through many of her exploits as she moved from being arrested for protesting for women's suffrage, to stealing an artifact from her boss while waiting for him to terminate her employment, to outmaneuvering a violent treasure hunter, and finally posing as a widow in order to persuade an unsuspecting guide to accompany her on an expedition to explore a potentially historic find. As an unwed female archaeologist, she faced hurdles at nearly every turn and always found a way around them to accomplish her means. The plot was fast paced, if a bit slower toward the middle of the story, and the author did a fantastic job of crafting a world that made my heart race with tension. Her use of imagery made me almost feel as though I was there in the ruins with Ellie and Adam, using their tenacity to save not only themselves, but everyone they know and love as well. I had an absolutely wonderful time reading this one and I can't wait to see what happens in Egypt!
The only complaint I have with the audio version itself, is that I really wish that there had been a male narrator as well. The female narrator did a wonderful job with Ellies lines, but did not have the vocal range necessary to nail the mail parts in my opinion. I would have loved it so much more if there had been a gruffer voice to perform Adams parts.

I give this book 4 1/2⭐️I felt like I was on the adventure with the characters. I loved it. I really enjoyed it and I loved the narrator of this book I love how this boook is a mixture of the mummy and Indiana Jones put together and love the banter and flirting of the characters it was just so much fun and will definitely be reading the next book

EOS is an immersive, archeological adventure where "Romancing the Stone" meets the "The Mummy". Ellie and Bates take you on a journey through the Honduras jungle in search of an ancient city. While the journey is adventurous the book does lag a bit in the middle, I found myself pausing for an extended period of time instead of having the impulse to move through it. EOS did end strong, without a crazy cliffhanger and Book #2 set to release in October 2024.

🎧Audiobook: 16 1/2 hours on 1x
Narrator: Alex Picard
I thought Alex did a wonderful job and put personality into the different cast of characters. Her narration was full of personality and expression that grabs your attention.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ALC in exchange for a review of the audiobook.

Any book that describes itself as having "The Mummy" vibes I am definitely going to at least attempt reading! But I'm going to go a step further and say this book is a mash up of The Mummy and Jungle Cruise with a sprinkle of Indiana Jones and I couldn't stop listening!

The characters, Adam and Ellie, were so wonderful and their chemistry was pure perfection! The descriptions of the places they traveled through were so detailed it really felt like I was there! The narrator did a fantastic job with the voices of all the characters and it really helped bring the story to life. There was a point in the book that I did feel was slower and I feel like some parts could have been cut out altogether but I think this was probably just a me problem because I struggle with longer books, but this is the reason why I am giving it 4 stars (really 4.5 stars) instead of 5. But I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this series and can't wait for the 2nd one to come out! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook!

audio-ARC from NetGalley

Me: I don't like historical fiction.
Also, me to everyone I know: You've gotta read this! It's so good!

This book is perfect for fans of adventurous treasure-hunting stories - think The Mummy, National Treasure, The Lost City, etc. We follow a British woman named Ellie who stumbles upon a map indicating where the White City (kinda like El Dorado) is. Someone is trying to steal the map from her, so she grabs a ship to Belize on a whim and hires an American ex-pat named Adam - who she actually kind of hates - as her guide. All while the murderous man who wants the map pursues her.

There was not one part of this story that didn't work for me. The narrator was incredible - character voices, general narration, and accents were all performed phenomenally. The settings were so ... vibrant isn't the right word because London sounded pretty dreary, but they were just so vividly described and beautifully executed. Our cast of characters was a delight, and relationship dynamics and motivations were well fleshed out and believable.

I found the exploration of the untouched wilderness and relationship development masterfully written. I never felt like anything took too long, nor did it seem that anything needed more time than it was allotted. The characters came to a slow, begrudging respect for one another, and the extra emphasis on Adam's commitment to the community and cultures around him really hit home.

The best part of this story definitely was Adam and Ellie. They get off to a pretty rocky start - cue hate to love, forced proximity, and hidden identity tropes - so their interactions were genuinely hilarious. Adam suffers from reading difficulties but thrives in his role as a surveyor in South America, going about his life with all the joyful exuberance of a year-old labrador retriever - he even has his favorite stick ... which, in this case, is a much-cherished machete. Ellie, for her part, has the worst impulse control of all time, often thinking to herself: That is clearly a very delicate, ancient device that must be treated with utmost care ... I'ma poke it. Honestly, same.

Alas, the reason I can not give this book a full five-star rating is also why I find treasure-hunting movies so frustrating: They always break everything. I can't go to a demolition derby without wanting to cry, and I can not watch the utter destruction of (fictional) historical artifacts without a minor mental breakdown.

Is that going to keep me from reading book two? Absolutely not! I can't wait!

This was a gripping and thrilling story full of lots of adventure and excitement! The main characters had absolutely undeniable chemistry as both colleagues and as lovers. The narrator really gave it her all and kept the story moving with clear voices for the many many various characters. The author leant a great voice to each character to the point where you really felt like you knew them!

I absolutely loved this book! It was well-written, creative, and well-narrated. I have already pre-ordered the sequel!

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. It kept my attention throughout - with fun, adventure and 2 great main characters with good banter! I am excited for the next book to come out and to see their next adventure!!

(3.5 rounded up to 4)

What I liked:

Any book with archaeology will have me bursting at the seams to read it.

Ellie and Adam have great banter.

The whole adventure was a lot of fun

The narrator was great

What didn't work for me:

This was way longer than I think it needed to be.

First, I want to start off by saying thank you to @netgalley for the chance to audio read this book! I had such a good time, and the narrator was top notch, I loved all of the accents and how everyone was very easily distinguishable.

I got fairly bored around the 65% mark, but the ending was very cool, and I'm glad I didn't DNF! I can't wait to see where the story goes in the next book and how their relationship develops. This very much gave 'The Mummy's vibes and I was here for it. I pictured Brendan Fraser as Adam, and you can't convince me it wasn't him 😂

If The Mummy and Indiana Jones had a cosy book baby, this is it. I’d firstly like to say that the narrator did such a great job with the dual POVs and multiple accents! She really brought the story to life.

The book started off really strong. Ellie, our FMC, ends up arrested at a women’s rights protest and loses her job. She’s left with few options open to her and, after stealing an ancient artefact and a map, she begins a dangerous journey to fulfil her dreams and protect historical civilisations. Enter our MMC, Adam Bates, an American cinnamon roll sweetheart. As someone whose favourite colour is Morally Grey, I didn’t expect to love Adam as much as I did!

I did, unfortunately, zone out a little towards the end. I didn’t love the storyline with the antagonist. It felt a little forced as a plot driver and took away from what I really wanted which was the lore and the romance.

Overall this was an extremely well-written book with great main characters! I loved their chemistry and the romance felt natural to the plot and not overly-heavy. The book was very descriptive and I felt like I was right there with the characters exploring the jungle and ancient ruins. I appreciated that it tackled important issues like colonialism and theft, and I LOVED how the book ended with opportunities for sequels (although reading it as a standalone would be fine).

I did feel like it was too long, there are full scenes that would have been fine being cut out, but other than that I didn’t mind it too much. I also really loved all the accents that the narrator did, it really brought the characters to life! 4.25 rounded up.

🌈Queer rep: none

3.5 Stars

Empire of Shadows is like a book version of The Mummy or perhaps Indiana Jones—adventure, romance, villains and a secret civilization hidden away in the jungles of Honduras.

Adam Bates *swoon* He is a dreamy, handsome, daring adventurer, armed with a machete. And our MFC Ellie is a kickass scholar who dreams of living beyond the restrictions society puts on women during Victorian times.

Ellie stumbles upon a map to an unknown ancient city and is forced to flee with said map after a ruthless villain finds out about her discovery and desires the map for himself. Through some comical adventuring, Ellie ends up employing Adam Bates, a local surveyor, as her guide to find this mysterious city. Tons of fun banter, close calls and daring exploration brings Ellie and Adam close as they attempt to evade villains and find the archaeological discovery of the century.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for this Audio ARC.

Historical romance
Victorian times
Adventure
Comical banter

I also got an e-ARC of this book prior to it's release so I am writing this view purely based on my experience with the audiobook.

This audiobook was such a great listen! The story had a good pace, and the characters were equally as lovable when narrated as they are on paper. The narrator did a fantastic job differentiating between the two main characters switching between Ellie's prim English and Adams American accents effortlessly—even when I sped it up to 2.5x!

I cannot rate this book highly enough, if I could give it more than five stars, I would! It has a bit of everything, history, mystery, romance, intrigue, espionage?!?

I loved the characters - the world, the magic, Adam is the perfect male character, he has the charisma and sarcasm of beloved fictional explorers such as Indiana Jones with the sweet, less womanising side that we all know and desperately seek in a mmc. Meanwhile Ellie is what every academically minded girl wishes she could be when she grows up.

This book is perfect for anyone who loved The Mummy, Indiana Jones and Atlantis. I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am for book two. If you havent read this book already, you need to! Highly recommend!!!

A new favorite!
Amelia Peters meets Indiana Jones with a smidge of MacGyver… in Mesoamerica - Terrific read!
I thought the narrator, Alex Picard, was excellent. Her narration was so good, I could easily picture all the characters and I felt totally immersed in the setting. I’ll definitely be looking for more books read by her!

Ellie is a wonderful character. I love her digressions on archaeology and the breadth of her knowledge, but I also love her sense of justice and her adventurous spirit. Adam and she make terrific partners and their banter is absolutely delicious. Every scene with the both of them is great.

Ellie Mallory fought her way into her job as an archivist, but after being arrested for suffragist activity she loses it. On her way out, she discovers a mysterious artifact and a map to a secret Pre-Colombian city. She would have turned it over to the authorities, but a dastardly villain is after it and to outrun him, she ventures to Belize to find the city herself. Adam Bates is the cartographer that, reluctantly, helps her find her way there.

Empire of Shadows is an exciting, super fun adventure with fabulous characters in the jungle of Central America - highly, highly recommended!

4⭐️s. I enjoyed this but had so much going on with life that I will definitely want a reread before Tomb of the Sun King comes out October 1st. Lots of adventure, some romance, brilliant FMC, and intriguing MMC. Recommended for anyone that enjoyed the Brendan Fraser movie The Mummy. I really enjoyed the narrator, @it_sounds_like_alex. The back and forth from the FMC, MMC, and all the other characters was so well done. Really made me forget it was one person narrating Excited to listen to more of your work.

Ellie is a strong and utterly brilliant woman. But no one really acknowledges it. She knows more than her male scholars, but one mistake made and she’s out. It’s when she finds a map with a definite “X marks the spot”. So, she takes matters into her own hands to find the revolutionized Pre-Colombian history. Traipsing through the jungle isn’t very easy however. Plus, there are others looking for valuable artifacts for selfish gain.

Adam is a Cambridge dropout turned maverick surveyor. Worst of all, he knows Ellie’s family. With the use of a fake name and nonexistent dead husband, he’s just the person Ellie needs to help her survive close encounters with waterfalls, looters, all the animals, and those that might kill them.

Available now in paperback and on e-readers. Audiobook is coming September 1st. Thank you so much to @netgalley @jbensonink and Vaughan Woods Publishing for the advanced listener copy.

Imagine a late 19th century Eloise from Bridgerton dropped into the plot of Jungle Cruise, and that’s pretty much this book. Genre-wise, this was more similar to Lost City in that the fantasy elements were limited to a prologue and the last couple scenes; the rest read as (lovingly researched) historical fiction with a light romance subplot and an enormous serving of adventure.

I didn’t *quite* vibe with Ellie; she’s inclined to get distracted by her scholarly interests at critical life-or-death moments, and to bristle when someone implies she doesn’t know something or shouldn’t do something (which I can understand as a natural reaction for a feminist in 1898, but which I found exasperating during the aforementioned life-or-death moments when there’s an actual expert on hand). The expert in question — Adam — is an absolute delight.

And the audiobook narrator, Alex Picard, is simply stellar. Her narration of the story alone puts her at the top of her game, but where she really blew me away was with her accents/voices. We have an English POV character (Ellie) and an American one (Adam), and she uses one English/American voice to speak each character’s dialogue, and another to read the rest of their POV narrative. A native Spanish-speaker has one accent, and a nonfluent American speaking Spanish has another. Truly incredible!

A couple of days ago I came across this gorgeous book and was immediately intrigued! The cover, the title, the description—it all had me captivated! As a history lover, and the kid who said, “when I grow up I want to be an archaeologist just like Indiana Jones”, I knew I needed this book in my life, stat! So I scoured the library apps and kindle, and then I hit the jackpot. I found the ALC on #netgalley. Woot! Woot!

This one is a little bit The Mummy, a little bit Romancing the Stone, a little bit Jungle Cruise, and whole lot of adventurous, slow burn magnificence. Ancient Latin civilization, a harrowing journey, death defying escapes, bat filled caves, waterfalls, dastardly villains, what more could you ask for? Oh, a dashing, daring MMC just like Rick O’Connell or Allan Quartermain. Check! A highly intelligent and capable FMC. Check! Some forced proximity, reluctant partners, this may be our last moments together on earth, tension and build up for 75% of the book. Double check!!

As for the audio, terrific! One narrator but the scope of her talent was fully utilized with a vast array of characters, male and female, nationalities, and accents. Wonderful job.

I would rate this story PG-13 for mild language and one very descriptive make out.

If you love adventure stories, you need this one! And book 2 is coming very soon!

Thank you NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for the ALC, all opinions are my own.

#alc #bookreview #audiobookreview #netgalley #jacquelynbenson #raidersofarcadia #empireofshadows

I read this as an ebook originally and was so excited when the author announced that there would be an audio book. I fell in love with the characters and their adventure and couldn’t wait to visit their world again. It’s one of my favorite books.

The narrator does such a wonderful job. I usually struggle to focus on audiobooks, but the narrator has such a great voice and matched the energy of the book so well! Definitely a great listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jacquelyn Benson for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I can’t fathom why a whole novel narrated from an British English protagonist ( a ‘nice Victorian Lady’, as per the blurb) should be contracted to an American actor who has to try to feign an RP accent for nearly 17 hours.

This entire audiobook is undermined by a tension where it feels like we’re just WAITING for the artificial accent to slip and for American to show through. And boy does it show through!

Alex Picard macerates her vowels, particularly in her habit of chewing short vowels into long vowels. Like in Ellie's mother's and friend's names: Flo[w]rence and Co[w]nstance.

Similarly jarring is Price's inability to make a British 'u' sound; her 'Tuesday' is still 'Toosday', as is her over-correction of her American softening of a double t, as in 'little'. The phrase ‘rankest injustice’ comes out as a Deep-South Louisiana drawl version of a London Suffragette.

This really ruined the book for me. I was listening judgementally to the comical Queen Elizabeth II impersonation, and taking in none of the story. I was jumping from one pronunciation horror to the next instead of following the plot (try listening to Picard’s ‘o[w]ff’ and not hearing the Queen of Hearts yelling “Off with their heads!”).

When I realised that I needed to rewind to the last place I’d been paying attention to the novel and not the narration, and having literally no idea when that was, I concluded that this audiobook was not for me.

It really seems like a no-brainer to me to cast an English actor for seventeen hours of an English accent. What a failure of casting!

But my thanks for Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.