Tomb of the Sun King by Jacquelyn Benson is the second book in the Raiders of the Arcana series. Her first book in this series, Empire of Shadows, I also loved and rated 4.5 stars. This is the continuing story of feminist Ellie (Eleanora) Mallory and Adam Bates set in the late 19th century. On this adventure, we are in Egypt. This time the team has expanded to include Constance, Ellie's best friend who is now living in Egypt, as well as her step brother Neil who is friends with Adam. They are seeking the Staff of Moses. It is an artifact with rare powers. Of course, they are not the only ones interested in the artifact. In this story, just like in Empire of Shadows, Dawson and Jacobs are hunting for the staff as well. There is a secret society in England of powerful men that want to acquire all of these rare and powerful artifacts. I really loved this book of the team's adventures in Egypt to acquire and preserve the staff of Moses. On this journey they are joined by an Egyptian husband and wife who are each very valuable to the team, Sayyid and Zeinab. Sayyid manages the archeological dig sites - he is an archeologist in everything but name, and Zeinab is a midwife, but she is something much more than that, too. The only reason this is 4.5 stars is the length. As with the first book, I think it could be a little bit shorter. That being said, I absolutely loved it and gave it 4.5 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and Jacquelyn Benson and Crimson Fox Publishing for my e-arc. The kindle version is available October 1st. I don't know when or how I can get the hardcover, but I will be adding that book to my shelves.

“The world doesn’t change. Not unless we make it- you, me, everybody. We’ve got to keep rattling the bars, even though they feel like they could never possibly break. Because maybe if enough of us do, something’ll finally give.”

“Tomb of the Sun King,” by Jacquelyn Benson

What I liked about this book:
-The setting, it takes place in Egypt looks through tombs. It was way more like the movie The Mummy than the first in the series.
-Very feminist focused, even compared to the first in the series because there was a greater focus on topics like marriage.
-So adventurous, this series has so much adventure and treasure hunting, but the good kind of treasure hunting and not just stealing artifacts, and that especially has a focus in the book (the morality of archeology and treasure hunting).
-Loved the family aspect in this book with the main FMC and her brother being the main characters.
-The magic, the lore, aesthetics, the entire vibe of the book.
What I didn’t love as much:
-This book was focused on the relationships with other characters and the story of adventure, more so than the first book which had a little more romance aspect to the book.
-A little too much time spent on talking of morality of marriage than I wanted to read.
-More POV’s than the first book. Not a huge fan of book that have more than 2 POV’s.
All in all, I loved this book. I did love book 1 a little more than. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Egypt
-Multi POV
-Magic Items
-Family Conflict

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“If one must bluff, one might as well do it wildly.”

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

The number of people that I've talked to about this first book, Empire of Shadows, has created it's own nickname among my friends. It's called my adventure book and I was soooo thrilled to get this book and get a early look at it.
I am obsessed with Ellie and Adam and I was so glad that this story moves to a new location in Egypt. I loved getting to explore a new place and find a new culture and history and getting to meet Ellie's brother and Adam's best friend, Neil. Constance was a huge breath of fresh air in this book and such a good way for the reader to feel more inserted into the story through her. I cannot say enough good things about this without giving everything away but you MUST read book one before you dive into this one!

Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains.
Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie’s problems. Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is about to learn that she’s been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet best friend, Adam Bates—the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts on hand… or a recipe for disaster.
Together, they’ll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor—and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history.
To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops, even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes… and solving one of Egypt's greatest mysteries.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

This is the second book in a series and I absolutely loved the first book! It was magnificent! This book follows on from the first so it is worth reading them in order. This one has some familiar characters continuing their quest but in a different country this time. We see an expanded cast of characters this time and a further unveiling of secrets we started to learn in the first book.

I did really enjoy this as it had the same spirit of adventure of the first book and sense of a race against time with high stakes. However, I did feel this one lost some of the tightness of plot the first book had. This was due to the larger cast and I did find I wasn’t getting enough time with the original duo as much of the book focused on new additions to their team. I did find myself missing the time with the original characters and I found them a little underused in this book which was a shame because they are awesome.

This book shows a lot of respect for the history and location that’s being explored which I appreciated. This had a satisfying ending that wrapped up this part of the story whilst setting up the next book well. I will continue with this series.

I am truly obsessed with this series. Empire of Shadows was fantastic and this sequel was just as good, if not better. I love all the shenanigans that Ellie gets herself into and her and Adam are just perfection.

I cannot wait for the next one!

Jacquelyn Benson has done it again, when I read her first book Empire of Shadows I was amazed how well researched it was. This book was no different, and I think I was even more invested in this story because I am fascinated by the Ancient Egyptians.

What to expect:
Ancient Egypt history
Folklore
Adventure
The Mummy Vibes
Romance

I loved the developing relationship between the 2 main characters, but we also had side characters become part of the main ensemble with new characters added, making this group of scholars and heroes more dynamic.

Jacquelyn also touched quiet heavily on female rights, and the rights of the Egyptians under British rule in the Victorian era. I think it's great to learn about the extreme errors the Bristish Empire made. As well as other countries that colonised and stripped other parts of the world of the history and resources that are rightfully theirs - some of this is yet to be corrected.

This was an education in a book, and as a avid history lover I was absolutely THRILLED. But it also had so much heart and thrilling adventure. Think The Mummy, Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones.

I can't wait to see what trouble this group of wonderful people get up to next! I'll be eagerly awaiting book 3 in this series.

What a blast!! I loved this even more than the first book. Smart, funny and with some romance- this action packed historical fiction with a touch of fantasy will be sure to fill The Mummy sizes hole many are looking to fill. There is a bit of a pacing issue but all in all I adored this and cannot wait for the next book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Crimson Fox Publishing for the ARC of The Tomb of the Sun King by Jacquelyn Benson.

This series is amazing, and Benson does an amazing job continuing the momentum from Book 1. Not only does the storyline continue really, really solidly, but she is able to add in Stuffy, Elli's brother Neil, and Constance, Ellie's best friend and "danger gnome" in an Egyptian setting that has clearly been meticulously researched and explained. Adding in two more major characters with their own plot could have stretched the limits of the storytelling for some authors, but it only made Benson better. Everyone felt so defined and aimed toward growth, both in terms of conquering this adventure and in looking inwardly.

Ellie and Adam's romance continues in a really nice trajectory, and their enemies from Book 1 reappear and we get a lot of additional context into who or what is looking for the arcana overall.

If you haven't read the first book, you definitely need to. But if you have, I don't want to say too much because Benson is just going to absolutely sweep you away in this sequel. I read this in one sitting and did not want to put it down or wait until late 20025 for the third one!

This is an amazing slightly magical, historical fiction adventure series with romance subplots. Benson is such an excellent storyteller. Her plots and her characters are well thought out and well characterized. These are such cozy gems - I wish everyone was reading them because they deserve all the praise and popularity.

Tomb of the Sun King picks up where Empire of Shadows leaves off. Ellie and Adam are off to Egypt in an attempt to stop their opponents.

If the movies The Librarian and The Mummy ever had a love-child, it would be this book. There was plenty of action and adventure, humour and romance, but the absolute selling point for me was the Ancient Egyptian history. In particular, the history about Hatshepsut and Akhenaten. While this was information I was largely aware of due to my studies, it was still fascinating to read. The author did a fantastic job of balancing the history of Ancient Egypt with the story line, without one overpowering the other.

The progression of Ellie and Adam’s struggles, Ellie’s in particular, to determine the future (and nature) of their relationship was well written. Having seen the start of their relationship in book 1, this felt like a natural progression for them.

Ellie’s awe and enthusiasm at finally being in Egypt was sweet to read, and her struggles with her relationship with her brother were very heartfelt.

Neil was an unexpectedly hilarious inclusion to this story. And watching him realise just how much society (and he himself) has hurt the people he cares about is a moment of growth that was perfect. I look forward to seeing more of it in the next book.

Constance is a delightfully fierce character, and I can’t wait to see more of the developing relationship between her and Stuffy.

Curiosity for what this cohort can get up to in the next book will keep going until its release next year.

Till next time

I give this book 4 1/2⭐️ This is an adventurous read. If I thought book one had the mummy vibes I was wrong. This one had it hands-down, and I loved every minute of it. I love we had the Brother and her best friend join this adventure and the trouble they get into and the facts about Egypt. It was just fun.

This book was not it for me. Too similar to like an Indiana Jones story where it felt like a copycat. I thought it was a bit juvenile too so It made it less enjoyable for me. I think the overall premise was decent, but it just was too much for me

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!

Activist and suffragette Ellie Mallory is off on another adventure to find and save precious and mysterious ancient artifacts from the hands of those who seek to exploit them. With the help of her charming and dashingly rouge friend Adam Bates they set out for the arid desert land of Egypt. As Ellie and Adam arrive in Egypt they are met with danger and adventure as they race against ruthless villains. The two-some is soon joined by Ellie’s best friend Constance as well as her step-brother and Adam’s best friend, Archeologists Dr. Neil Fairfax. Needless to say Neil is less than happy to see Ellie and Adam off gallivanting around the world unchaperoned. However they have more pressing matters to attend to like the search for another arcanum artifact. But as the group closes in on the three thousand year old clues left behind from the necropolis of Saqqara so to does their aggressive counterparts. With danger lurking at every corner how will the group manage to save history as well as their lives.

If I thought the first book in the Raiders of the Arcana series, Empire of Shadows reminded of my immense love for the 90’s film The Mummy then this book 100% transported me there! Tomb of the Sun King without a doubt brought an entire Egyptian world filled with action, adventure, wonder, mysteries, and magic to life. This sequel absolutely had everything I had hoped it would and then some! Following Ellie and Adam again on another adventure was highly satisfying. These two are just beyond perfect together, I loved watching their relationship progress farther and seeing Adam’s unwavering support of Ellie warmed my heart. The banter in this one is just as good if not better than the first, as we now are joined by Ellie’s step brother and her best friend who bring their own new level of tension to the group. One of the highlights is that while reading I found myself fully transported to this ancient world. As someone who once longed to be an archaeologist (specially an Egyptologist no less) I couldn’t help but smile the entire time while reading this. The amount of work and research Benson put into this sequel shines thru, which she even talks about in greater detail of the accuracy in her after-notes (which I highly suggest reading after completion.) This truly shows how dedicated an author she is to her work and I know moving forward in the series I can count on this accuracy to be a consistent theme as well as alittle magically spin on it of course. Bottom line I simply can not wait to see what book 3 has in store for these amazing characters and all the adventures they will continue to find themselves in.

Tomb of the Sun King comes out October 1st, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jacquelyn Benson knows how to write an amazing book. This had everything I could want. Adventure, banter, Egyptology, fun characters, all in one book. Such a fun read and I can't wait for more.

I was glued to my reading chair for this one. I read this in one sitting because it is PHENOMENAL!!! Reminded me of the Mummy which is my favorite movie of all time.

This book has so much of what made the first one fun. Mystery, danger, adventure, ancient history, and some romance.

There’s new POV chapters from two “new” characters. They add a lot of depth to Ellie and Adam’s backstories and add dimension to the plot. Overall I enjoyed getting new perspectives although it did feel like we got less of Ellie and Adam because of it. The last book by necessity had a lot more interaction where they got to know each other, and I missed that connection. There are external circumstances keeping them more reserved with each other in this one.

This one is set in Egypt which makes everything feel fresh, but still leaves room for criticism on historians who loot and destroy the history of another culture for their enjoyment and wealth.

The history is approachable and explained well. The romance is a little light but very heartfelt. The adventure is grand and exciting. You get a lot of call backs to the first book, so while you technically COULD read this as a standalone, you would supremely be missing out.

I’d absolutely recommend this to people looking for a fun, closed door, paranormal-is romance full of puzzles, Egyptian tombs, and dynamic personalities. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Another super fun archaeological adventure!

I loved the new characters we got to meet! Neil (a.k.a. Stuffy) was adorable, Connie was hilarious, and Sayyid and Zeinab were a bad-ass power couple. I really enjoyed Connie giving Neil a hard time and I hope we'll get to see their friendship/relationship develop more in the next book! That being said, I also couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that all this focus on new characters meant we didn't get as much of Ellie and Adam. I sort of missed it being the two of them against the world and all the close-quarters, only-relying-on-each-other moments the first book gave us.

The history/archaeology was really interesting (more interesting for me than the first book as I'm very into ancient Egypt), but there was also a looooootttt of it -- like lots of academia and facts and talking.

All in all, a very enjoyable read! I didn't love it AS much as the first book, but it's a series I will definitely look forward to and keep reading!

This is the second book in the Raiders of the Arcana series, and it is the perfect second book to Empire of Shadows. The characters are amazing, and I loved the development of Ellie and Adam’s relationship. I thoroughly enjoyed their back and forth at the start, and the mixed up communication. Even better they managed to solve issues by just talking to each other, even if it took a while to get there! The addition of Neil and Constance to the story was fabulous, they really added to the story, and helped develop the world. I just hope we get to see more of Sayyid and Zeinab in future books!

Over all without giving too much away this book was a wonderful adventure novel, and you can tell Benson has spent a long time researching and developing her world. Any book in this series is now an auto-buy for me, and 2025 can’t come quick enough!

Would I read it again? 100%, this series can be enjoyed time and time again.

Thanks for the advanced copy! This book was everything I hoped it would be! Loved getting to meet the new characters and to revisit with some old!! I loved the relationships, and how they were influenced by new characters. I can’t with for the next one!!

Another historical, hair-raising adventure for Ellie and Adam!

There was a bit of a slow start as Ellie caught up with her friend Constance, but almost as soon as they set out to thwart the villain(s) of the last book, the ball started rolling and did not stop until the end! This book, more than the first, had a lot more of a constant history-dump that would likely overwhelm readers who don't care to know the difference between two Egyptian cubits, but I (an archaeoogist who has studied and been to Egypt) was in academic heaven. I'm basically Neil.

I appreciate the stance Jacquelyn Benson takes against namely British colonialism in the 19th century and how carelessly and disrespectfullyEgyptian archaeology was handled at the time. I appreciated that she included two important intelligent and dedicated Egyptians to the main adventuring party, both of whom were integral to the success of their mission.

Ellie and Adam were brilliant together, it was great reading about their relationship progressing 😊

The adventure overall was intriguing but I think there was just too many characters introduced in this one book so the attention was taken away from Ellie and Adam and they are the main reason I wanted to read this book following on from the first one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.