5/5 stars, even better than the first book

Tomb of the Sun King picks up where Empire of Shadows leaves off, with our main characters Ellie and Adam heading to Egypt in the hopes of finding the staff of Moses before Jacobs and Professor Dawson catch up. Coincidentally, Ellie's best friend Connie is currently in Egypt and the clues point to the archaeological dig site where Ellie's brother Neil is working. The search for the staff brings the four of them together (as well as few others) in another thrilling search. Along the way, the book also explores the realities of Ellie and Adam's very new relationship within the context of their personal values and the wider societal pressures.

As someone who started this series for the romance, I really enjoyed the direction Benson took Ellie and Adam's relationship in this book. The awkwardness and tension as a result of their relationship felt very honest to their characters and kept their romance interesting without feeling contrived. The miscommunication early on led to the right kind of angst for me. The arc of their relationship in this book was very satisfying and engaging for me to read

I was initially very surprised to see the main cast of characters expanded in this book, from 2 to about 5 (though you could argue 6), but it fit very well within the story, though it does change the tone a bit from the first one. While romance is a common through line in the novel, it is clearly not the main focus of the plot. Overall, I loved the interactions between characters, every pair seemed to interact and have a clear relationship, whether that was scholarly comradery, sibling hood, guilt-stricken friendship, or romance. The characters all feel different and interesting, and the budding relationship between Neil and Connie is clearly different than the one between Ellie and Adam (though why Neil seems to have picked up Adams fear of heights is beyond me)

The plot in this book is also very solid, while the general set up remains similar to the first book, the details are different enough to feel new. And there is more or less the right level of danger to match the high stakes (though someone will probably need to be seriously injured at some point in order for this to feel truly realistic).

This book tackles a lot of large complicated topics, particularly surrounding archaeology and who these historical relics belong to and who should have the right to study them. I found all of this societal and historical commentary very interesting (even if our characters sometimes have very modern opinions). I did also enjoy the part of the authors note that discusses which aspects of Egyptian history were fact and which were fudged a bit for the story.

I highly recommend this book and will be eagerly awaiting the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jacquelyn Benson hit it out of the park again! I LOVED Tomb of the Sun King. While Empire of Shadows still has my heart this was such a good follow up. The story follows Ellie and Adam as they head to Egypt to search for an ancient magical artifact before the bad guys can get to it. Add in POVs (is it still a POV if written in 3rd person omniscient?) for Ellie’s egyptologist brother Neil and her best friend Connie and you get a magical adventure full of history, colonialism commentary (especially in regards to Egypt’s history and artifacts were/are exploited and how Egyptians were excluded from learning/preserving their own history), magic, and of course romance.

While this is an adventure romance book, the focus of it is on the adventure. Since Ellie and Adam spent the first book falling in love, we see them explore how their relationship works when they aren’t stuck in the jungle alone. Their communication was so good! I love that they were able to talk about the things that scared them and come to a decision that was best for them and their relationship. Ellie and Adam are one of my favorite fictional couples so I did miss having the focus 100% on them, but enjoyed getting to know Connie and Neil and see how their relationship might progress.
Romance spice level: kissing only, two non-descriptive fade to black moments in the last couple chapters of the book

Both the main and supporting characters of this book are so good! We see so many distinct characters, with distinct voices and opinions. While our main 4 characters with POVs are all British/American, the Egyptian supporting characters are still so well-rounded and fleshed out with their own stories and opinions. We see a variety of distinct characters or both sides of the conflict.

One thing I have loved about both Empire of Shadows and Tomb of the Sun King is the way Benson includes so much real history of ancient Meso-America and Egypt and includes how, particularly British, colonialism affected the preservation of their histories. I really appreciate the author’s note at the end that expands more on what is real history and where she took liberties to add in the magical elements.

My only critic would be that it is a really long book. I haven’t seen an official page count (my kindle just gave the location stat instead which isn’t super helpful haha), but Storygraph says it is over 600 pages. There were a couple times I kept expecting it to end but it just kept going. This is not a complaint though because I have no idea what could be cut out. It all felt important to the story.

I 100% recommend Tomb of the Sun King, but definitely read Empire of Shadows first since it builds on that story and there isn’t much recap. If you love ancient Egypt, history, magical realism, romance, and adventure stories you’ll love this. If you loved What the River Knows, The Mummy, and/or Indiana Jones I think you will love this series as well. I definitely plan to buy myself a physical copy when it releases next week.

Full review posted to NetGalley, Goodreads, and Storygraph. Planned review posts on Instagram (@ab_bookishphotographer) for release and when I get my hands on a physical copy.

Run. Don’t walk, and get yourself a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me my very first book to review. Honestly, for it to be the Tomb of the Sun King as well… it was an amazing surprise!

Tomb of the Sun King is my most enjoyable read this year. The perfect blend of characters, plot, adventure and deeper themes!

This story is a sweeping, fast-paced historical epic with exceptional world building. An absolute goldmine of Egyptology! You can almost taste the mint tea and smell the spices from the marketplace as you read/walk along side the characters! You can even imagine the train smoke and camel intermingled with the scent of the desert.

Jacquelyn Benson is known for her strong female characters. I really love how she’s portrayed Ellie, Constance and Zeinab, without falling in the trap of being too cliche. Each character’s personalities are strong and distinct. I cannot wait to see what mischief Constance gets up to in the next book! I enjoyed the fact that the Morally grey/villians have had character development.

Tomb of the Sun King is a lovely example of relationship progression between Ellie and Adam since the beginning. I definitely recommend you read ‘Empire of Shadows’. It’s referenced regularly, and the reader is assumed to have background knowledge of this prequel.

Very nuanced in regards to the effect of British and Western colonialism. The unfair double standards and self interest in the theft of cultural heritage is not new - but it’s still upsetting. I appreciated the sensitivity towards cultural identity and religious aspects of monotheism themes. It shows more sensitivity to the themes than just a historical adventure.

I am an absolute sucker for Magical realism, and it’s so easy to get wrong. I enjoyed how the author incorporated the arcane objects into the story without it being too overdone. I’m insanely curious about which arcane artefacts will be included in the series…


While I understand the essential introduction of more characters, I did miss a little of the Ellie and Adam dynamic. I was getting anxiety and angst with Ellies stance on a few things. But I understand where she was coming from, and I acknowledge I’m speaking from a modern woman’s perspective & all the privileges that come with it.


My review will be posted on my instagram account @hannah.joy.reads, Goodreads, Amazon

This review is also posted on my blog - Jess Reviews Things (link below) - on tumblr.
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Mega thank you to NetGalley and the author Jacquelyn Benson for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this before publication on October 1, 2024.

First Impressions/Summary: Ellie and Adam are at it again saving mystical items, this time in Egypt. Lots of reviews reference the film "The Mummy" and it's likely because that's the last American/bit of popular media that has Egypt, a British female lead, an American male lead, adventure and mystical properties. Loved the additional characters introduced within the first ten chapters. I love the covers and fonts of this series of books.

Review: I felt the archaelogy this time was less tedious compared to Empire of Shadows. I find equal interest in Meso-American culture and history as I do with Egyptian so I can't quite put my finger on why this felt easier to read. Ellie and Adam continue to have well-developed and well-written sparks fly between them with what feels like a natural progression and definition of their relationship. The addition of Constance and Neil provided a lot of quippy, funny lines.

Rating:

Characters: 5/5 — Ellie and Adam continue to figure out who they are in this world where magic exists, and I really appreciate Benson's development of them as individual characters and as a couple. I loved the addition of Constance, Neil and Sayyid to this story. They all had distinct personalities and I loved all of them -- Constance's courage, Neil's ignorant bliss, Sayyid's patient intelligence.

Plot/storyline: 4/5 — Ellie and Adam continue to pursue magical items with Benson educating us on the history behind the lore of these items.

Storytelling: 4/5 — I felt like this quest moved faster compared to Empire of Shadows and I suspect it was because Benson laid out the groundwork for her main characters in the first book. I like these little nuggets of future mysteries to uncover in future books (what is Jacobs's role in all this?) and I, personally, really appreciated the commentary on women of the times, in their locations/cultures. Not too preachy, feels like factual statements filled with hope.

Predictability: 3/5 — Lots of fun twists to push the quest along. One of my favorite unexpected twists was who came to save the academics.

Spice/Smut: 1/5 — Perfect young-adult level of kissing and passion. Nothing too overt and subtle enough to let your imagination roam. The kissing scenes are chef's kiss.

Overall: I continue to love the world that Jacquelyn Benson is building with Ellie, Adam and the burgeoning band of characters. If you like a strong intelligent female lead, sweet romance with hints of spice, interesting and complementary supporting characters, Egyptian history/archaelogy/anthropology, quests and adventure, cultural and social commentary — this is the book (series) for you. I recommend it 5/5 and plan to buy this book (despite my advanced reader copy).

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload it to Amazon on release day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jacquelyn Benson for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Tomb of the Sun King coming out October 1, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed the first book, so I was excited to receive this book! I’ve been following the author’s journey in releasing this book, so I couldn’t wait for it! This book felt longer than the first book, but I think I love this book even more! The adventure Ellie and Adam went on was so much fun! There was a ton more chemistry and danger. I’m also obsessed with ancient Egypt, so I was so excited for the plot. There was a lot more character development. I don’t want to give anything away, but I definitely love how things are progressing. I’m excited for the next book!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure stories!

Archeology and Egypt? That’s always going to be an auto-buy for me. Absolutely enjoyed this! Ellie and Adam’s relationship is perfection. I love the way this book weaves the historical elements into the story. As always there’s a little tension, a little romance and a great read in the end!

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.