Thank you to NetGalley and Vaughn Woods Publishing for the audiobook ARC!

If you’ve seen The Mummy or read any Amelia Peabody mysteries, you know roughly what to expect with this adventure story. It’s got lush descriptions, a beautiful, funny, quirky cast of characters, dastardly villains, and of course some raging against the (colonial) machine.

It’s the characters that make this adventure so much fun - I enjoyed meeting some new friends as well as continuing Ellie and Adam’s story… and best of all, the gang’s sticking together as they head to the Indian subcontinent for book 3. Sign me up!

The narrator of this audiobook was INCREDIBLE! She really brought the story to life along with giving each character their own unique voice and giving me the perfect idea of how to view them.

The story itself was well done! You could tell that the author really did her research with Egyptian studies and religion (specifically the story of Moses). She very much makes her own fantastical story that almost feels straight out of history. We have some humor, action, and a blooming romance the has continued on from the first book. The new characters are such a delight! Especially Constance. This book had me thinking about how history is preserved and if it was okay to take artifacts away from their origin country. Always love a book that makes me think!

While still a great adventure story, it lacked some of the magic that just Ellie and Adam brought to the story. I liked the addition of Constance, but Neil was just whiny. I also thought this was just going to be a duology, but the ending indicates a continuation. I will definitely continue the story, hopefully Neil redeems himself in book 3.
As always, the narrator was fantastic! I love her voices.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC!

Unfortunately this book didn't grab me- I wanted more of the archeology and action. I think that this is a great choice for anyone who loves fast-paced historical romance, though!!

🗺️ "Tomb of the Sun King" by Jacquelyn Benson🗺️

The "Raiders of the Arcana" series continues with another captivating blend of historical fiction and romance! "Tomb of the Sun King" is just as entertaining as its predecessor, "Empire of Shadows," with new characters, exciting locales, and a deepening mystery.

Constance is a fantastic addition to the cast! Her cleverness, strength, and independent spirit shine through. While Neil's initial naivety might be frustrating, his redemption arc adds depth to the story.

It's a delight to witness Ellie and Adam's relationship evolve as they navigate new challenges and delve deeper into the world of arcana. The historical and mythological elements are seamlessly interwoven, creating a rich and immersive experience.

Alex Picard once again delivers a stellar performance as the audiobook narrator. Her lively delivery and impressive accents bring the story to life. The pace, her inflection, her way with accents. Picard is a master at her craft.

If you enjoyed "Empire of Shadows," you won't want to miss "Tomb of the Sun King"! It's a thrilling adventure with captivating characters and a fascinating glimpse into history.

These books are an absolute delight, and I hope there are at least 20 of them. I will read them all.

I am obsessed with The Mummy and this delivered on all of the The Mummy vibes whilst still managing to feel fresh and exciting. I loved the characters and really enjoyed following their adventures across Egypt. It was a really fun read, and I will definitely be going back to read the first book in this series (and be coming back to read the next).

I'm so glad Adam and Ellies's story continued and I hope there will be more books in this series cause it's just so much fun! This time we got to meet Ellie's brother, Neil, and he became a pretty pivotal character and I loved him! I hope he continues to join in the adventures moving forward. The first book was marketed as "if you like The Mummy, you'll love this book," and that still holds true for the sequel!! Loved it so much! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my audio ARC!!

After falling in love with "Empire of Shadows" just a few months ago, I was eager to dive into the next installment of Jacquelyn Benson's series. Unfortunately, "Tomb of the Sun King" didn't quite hit the same high notes for me.

What captivated me about "Empire of Shadows" was the deep and nuanced relationship between Ellie and Adam. Their bond was the heart of the story, and I was thrilled to see that connection continue in this book. However, the introduction of Neil and Connie felt somewhat distracting. While their narratives added new layers to the story, I found myself yearning for the focus to remain on Ellie and Adam. The switch between multiple perspectives diluted the intimacy and depth I so cherished in the first book.

That said, the writing remains as engaging as ever. Benson's ability to craft compelling characters and intricate plots is undeniable, and I’m still fully invested in Ellie and Adam's journey. Their relationship is beautifully written, and I can’t wait to see where the series takes them next.

As for the audiobook, Alex Picard’s narration is nothing short of stellar. Her skill in distinguishing characters through accents and tone elevates the listening experience. Her performance brings the story to life in a way that makes the audiobooks an absolute must for me. I wouldn’t dream of experiencing this series any other way.

Despite some of my reservations with this installment, I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book. The allure of Benson’s writing and the promise of more Ellie and Adam are enough to keep me hooked.

Thank you to Jacquelyn Benson, Alex Picard, Vaughan Woods Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was brilliant! I loved every second of listening to it, and found the entire reading experience delightful. It was *everything* I want in a Indiana Jones-style story, with all the wit and banter and danger and narrow escapes and discovery and magic... while *also* being very anti-British-Empire and being very clear about architectural discoveries needing to stay in the countries they are found in and belong to the people who live there, not the invading colonizers.

I wasn't sure how suddenly introducing a second romantic storyline would work but it did. I liked how Benson chose to split the party and sent each pair of potential lovers in different directions facing different perils. It let them have plenty of banter and attraction without being overwhelming.

All of the characters were wonderful and I became very attached to the whole party. They all also played vital roles in the discoveries and escapes so that was nice.

These books are longer than the typical romances I read but that works because they pack in so much plot (and banter) that I never wanted to stop reading.

I loved the first book and I loved this one and I cannot wait to devour the third.

The audiobook was brilliantly performed as well. All of the characters' voices and accents were easily recognizable and believable and it's hard to believe they all were voiced by one person. It was a joy to listen to.

*Thanks to Crimson Fox Publishing and Vaughan Woods Publishing for providing an early copy for review.

After battling through rainforests to save an ancient and powerful Mayan artefact from falling into the wrong hands, archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory should be taking a well earned break to figure out her growing feelings for her former-guide-slash-partner-in-crime Adam. Instead, Ellie and Adam are thrown into adventure again when they travel to Egypt in a race to find the legendary Staff of Moses before the ruthless villains get to it. Joined this time by Ellie’s straight-laced brother and her terrifyingly fearless best friend Constance, the team must follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues across pyramids and tombs to unlock one of the biggest discoveries in Ancient Egyptian history.
✨
This is the second book in the Raiders of the Arcana series and it definitely lived up to the first one. I like that we had some new characters come into play whilst also getting to see Ellie and Adam’s storyline develop. As always, there was a great feminist theme as well as an anti-colonialism narrative which I found really interesting to read. The setting of Egypt was so fun and we got plenty of action, banter and romance along the way. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this series!
✨
Rating: 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Diverse Rep: British-Indian SC, Egyptian/Muslim SCs
✨
Thank you Netgalley for the gifted audiobook.

I tried speeding it up and slowing it down, but I cannot for the life of me get into this book. I am retaining 0 details and can't seem to wrangle my thoughts long enough to stay focused on this any time I go back and re-read a section.

Had I known this was Historical Fiction, I wouldn't've picked it up. I like Fantasy and I love The Mummy, so those were the vibes I was looking for. But the Fantasy in this is so negligible that it's not worth mentioning.

This is a severe case of it's not you, it's me. So I'll be giving a neutral 3/5

Thank you to the publisher for granting me this ALC

I received an ARC of Tomb of the Sun King, written by Jacquelyn Benson and performed by Alex Picard in return for my review. I had received the audio arc a bit late so i wasn’t able to finish listening to it fully before providing this review but i did read it before. I will say that Alex Picard does an amazing job of bringing the book to life. We continue to follow Ellie and Adam as they travel to Egypt to look for the next Arcana which they believe has to do with the staff of Moses and her brothers expedition. They also have to have a conversation with Neil because Adam and Neil had gone to university together and were best friends. Adam and Ellie were also needing to figure out what they were to each other. Along the way to get to Neil, they run into Connie who brings herself along for the journey because she’s wanting to avoid being married off adn wants an adventure of her own. I had mentioned previously that i was hoping she would get her own story, it would seem that for now we’re getting a story with all of them together.
I absolutely adored the way they introduced Neil and his foreman Sayyid, they were busy working at a tomb, and Ellie had to rush into the tumb by tumbling in to hide from the baddies and at first Neil just said “oh hi Peanut” before he continued to work and it took him far too long to realize that she was in Egypt and not in England. It was very absentminded professor of him. He and Sayyid got dragged into the adventure of looking for the tomb of Nefertiti or Nepherneferatum a pharaoh, they determine that they are one and the same and they need to get to the tomb first before the others get there. It was a wonderful book and i loved how much of a green flag Adam was with Ellie, he said he needed time and they discussed their needs together, he didn’t just hide his thoughts or needs from her or be too much of a “man” about it. Plus, they finally got their heads out of their rears long enough to realize at the end that there are different ways that they can form a relationship. Its ok for them to be outside of the box like Sayyid and his wife though Sayyid didn't know that his wife was a revolutionary at the time. As always Jacquelyn Benson does an amazing job of immersing ourselves into the world of an ancient civilization and i loved all the banter. The next book will be in India and I can’t wait to see the developing relationship between Connie and Neil. their relationship is very different from Adam’s and Ellie’s but its still very cute. Plus, i loved the fact that she had Sayyid be the one to use the staff of moses to hide the tomb, this time they didn’t just drop a mountain on the place, but used the sand to hide it until it was safe to return. I gave the book and the audiobook 5 stars and i am looking forward to see what happens next. Once i finish the audiobook and create my podcast episode i will see what i can do about attaching the podcast episode to this review. Which will go into more detail

If you loved Indiana Jones or The Mummy, this is the book for you. This is book 2 in the Raiders of Arcana series, and it is an action packed, yearning, and occasionally comedic book that follows Ellie and Adam on their adventure to Egypt to stop a secret society from uncovering ancient relics with untold power. In this book we have additional point of views from Ellies best friend and her brother. This was a 5 Star listen, the narrator truly brought every character to life and the ease in which she spoke the Egyptian words was fantastic!

Ellie and Adam are the cutest! I really enjoyed the first book in this series Empire of Shadows, and part of the reason was the brilliant voice acting from Alex Picard. Her English accent just gives me so much The Mummy vibes (one of my favourite movies of all time). With Tomb of the Sun King exploring the one of Egypt's greatest mystery I was super excited. What could be more "Mummy/Indiana Jones" than an Egyptian setting!
In addition to chasing down lost artifacts and exploring tombs, we have the cute romantic development between Ellie and Adam continuing, this time with some hardship of reality kicking in.
Another fab book and can not recommend it enough for someone looking for a kickass historical adventure.
Thanks to Netgalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for the ALC.

5⭐️s! I’m so here for this series. I enjoyed this book more, and I don’t feel like that happens often with the second book. So excited to read what’s next for Ellie, Adam, Neil, and Constance. The moments between Ellie and Adam were so good!! Love they dug deeper into their relationship. Neil was such a good addition!! Constance was so scandalous for the time, and proved to be so fun. I highly recommend this series. Please consider reading Empire of Shadows and Tomb of the Sun King to support and wonderful author.

@it_sounds_like_alex, I am truly in awe of your narrating. Just utterly amazing work to have so many characters shine.

Thank you to @jbensonink @netgalley and Vaughn Woods Publishing for the advanced listener copy.

3.5 rounded up.

I preferred the pace and relationship tension of the first book as the sequel felt a bit slow and disjointed in the middle because there were more characters that took away from the central characters of Ellie and Adam.

But there was enough of a balance of character growth and action to still be enjoyable.

I liked that the topics of appropriation and the history of Western countries stealing historical artifacts were touched upon sensitively.

I was hoping the physical aspect of the central relationship wasn't as closed door as it turned out to be because I always feel the build up of tension isn't worth it, but I respect the author's choice not to include spice even though it's an adult book.

My thanks for the audio ARC goes to NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Historical Fantasy, Romantasy, Victorian Fantasy, Historical Fantasy Adventure
Spice Level: Fade to black
Language: A little profanity
Readability: I haven't read the first and it would have been nice but each book basically seems to stand on its own.

*TOMB OF THE SUN KING* somewhat reminds me of Elizabeth Peters' books because of the archeology in Egypt and the tone of the characters—both Benson and Peters create a rollicking good time.

Women are navigating the perils of society, Egypt, and would be murderers all while maintaining their wardrobe. The good men are supportive and learning how to be better men. The bad men are closed-minded and people you'll love to hate in this book.

I love how our main character's brother is constantly having everything he thought he knew about the world turned upside down. Poor fellow! As an academic, he never thought of the world outside of his books and research. Surprise! There's magic. Oh, and your sister is amazing. And of course, someone wants to murder you too.

The one thing that bugged me slightly was how the two main female characters went on and on about societal expectations and how one might take a lover and how the other is shocked and how much they want a physical relationship with handsome men . . . I could have cut out at least 1/2 of their discussion and been perfectly happy to move forward with the rest of the plot.

Overall, I loved the book and the pressure from the baddies, and the tomb, and the treasure, and the secrets revealed.

Happy reading!

Yet another wonderful listening experience from Alex Picard. The variety of accents—American, British, Indian, Scottish, and several Egyptian ones—turned this book into a feat that she conquered. I also appreciate her ability to swiftly switch between male and female voices. This is my second time around reading this story, and listening through it has made me relive my love for the troublesome characters and their heart-shuddering adventures. I will be coming back for more—both for Jacquelyn Benson's writing and Alex Picard's narration.

Tomb of the Sun King is the perfect sequel in the Raiders of the Arcana series. Having already read the book, which I loved, I knew I was in for a treat by listening to it. I expected it to feel like visiting an old friend. Oh, but I was wrong. Alex Picard breathes new life into an already vibrant story.

I fell in love with this narrator's work in the first book in this series, Empire of Shadows. Alex Picard is so talented that it's easy to forget there's only one person behind all the voices. Her tone, her pacing, and everything else are spot on.

Do yourself a favor. Grab a copy and expect to be swept away into a story filled with wonderful characters and unexpected twists and turns.