Curse of the Specter Queen was just amazing I adore tv shows and movies like Indiana Jones so when I saw this book was like that I had to request it. And thankfully I got it.
All Samantha Knox wanted was to become an archaeologist until her father died during the Great War. Since then she decided to work at the antique bookshop she had a job at because it was safer which was true until a.very old diary arrives bringing along very bad and evil men and shattering her peaceful life. Along with the diary Sam sets out with her best friend and crush and land in Ireland where they uncover a plot to bring to life the Specter Queen the Celtic Goddess of Vengeance and Death. To stop them she has to solve a complex cipher that will take her and her friends on a high stakes adventure to find a bowl that was carved from the tree of life. Can she stop the Rising of the Specter Queen read the book to find out

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this fun YA historical fantasy adventure!

The story follows Sam Knox, who works in an antique bookshop in a small town in Illinois. One day, the shop receives a mysterious package with an old diary inside, and Sam can't resist trying to fix it and solve the riddles found inside. She ends up going on a grand adventure with her oldest friends to try and stop some shady individuals from raising a goddess of death and starting a cataclysmic war that will destroy the world. She also grapples with the death of her father in WWI and tries to find meaning in her life once again.

Overall, this is a really fun book, full of twists and turns and puzzles just waiting to be solved. I especially love the worldbuilding and atmosphere, since it is set in the real world of 1920s America and Ireland, while also containing some fantasy elements. I thought the author did a great job of creating a setting that felt real and combined real world and fantasy elements together quite well. I also enjoyed all the puzzles in the book, and, although I was able to figure out some of the twists in the plot, there were some that I didn't quite see coming. The one thing about the book that I didn't love as much was the characters, even the main character Sam. All the characters felt a bit flat and kind of incidental to the plot, rather than the other way around. The relationships between the characters also weren't particularly exciting, but I still enjoyed reading it for the most part because the plot and setting kept me so engaged.

I would recommend this to fans of YA historical fantasy, Celtic mythology, and plot-driven stories!

This was such a fun read, from the Irish mythology to the book love to the archeology aspects. The romance elements didn't saturate the story, the characters were fleshed out well (and strong leading female FTW), the plot was a constant ride of engagement and entertainment, and the setting is delicious if you appreciate history and the 1920s. I love similes, but some readers may take issue with the abundance Moke provides - but others will adore just how fabulously they're used to describe things. I think most of my book highlights were similes. Moke doesn't shy away from some brutality, either, where it's necessary.

Only thing I found odd were two lines near the very end; if the strange exposition uttered by Sam and Bennett was a cute, new little quirk of theirs, then it fit and worked, but if it was for the reader's sake, it was almost jarring how drastically it changed from the writer's flow and patterns previously established. But it certainly didn't deter the novel. It was just one of those 'huh?' moments where you squint one eye and cant your head. And then shrug and impatiently wait for the second installment. Looking forward to following Samantha Knox in the future!

Holy moly this was a fun book! I loved the modern take on Indiana Jones-type female lead, the historical setting, and everything in between! The characters are captivating in this book, and the storyline is fabulous. I enjoyed getting to know these characters immensely, and I could not put this book down. I thought I would savor this book, but instead, I devoured it. Once I started, I couldn’t stop! Such a fun read, and I really think it’s a great choice as a middle-grade reader for middle school and high school students. This was fun but easy to read, and the story line was intricate but still easy to follow. Not easy tasks to accomplish, but this book does it effortlessly! This book is a winner!

Very cool, and very well written. Can't wait to read others in the series, and by this author. Would tell my friends and family to look out for this book and this author. Loved the world building, The style of magic, and the way in which things were described.

Ugh. I wanted so much more from this book.

When you bill something as "Indian Jones like", I expect action. I expect archaeological adventures and maybe a quirky sidekick or team. Those elements were present, but not well done. The majority of the book is backstory and an information dump, which I understand is needed if you're intending to start a long series- but drop stuff like that into conversation or use it to move the plot forward, don't spend half your time detailing it minutely. Not a fan.

**I received a free digital copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Did I just stay up until five in the morning to finish this book? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Irrevocably yes! It has been quite some time since a book has pulled me in as quickly or as intensely as "Curse of the Specter Queen" did. The characters were all vibrant, and it felt as though Sam was an old friend that I'd known all my life. There was something extra about this book that just reached into my little mystery-loving heart and plucked all the right strings. "Curse of the Specter Queen" has just the right balance of fantasy and mystery to make it a firm favorite!

I was so excited when I heard that Jenny Elder Moke, author of Hood, started a new series. Then when her new book was compared to Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and National Treasure, I knew I had to read it. That’s totally what it reminds me of – a clever combination of all of those movies with a bit of Enola Holmes mixed in.

Curse of the Specter Queen takes place in the 1920s and is steeped in history. After losing her father in the great war, Samantha gave up her archeological dreams. An expert at repairing books, Samantha’s life unexpectedly changes when a mysterious diary ends up at the shop. Her life is quickly endangered, and Samantha’s journey to figure out the significance of the book begins.

Sam, along with her former best friend and her childhood crush team up in a whirlwind, international quest, which makes sense considering how often they solved puzzles and mysteries together when they were younger. With people chasing them and danger lurking around every corner, Sam, Bennett, and Joana must work together to solve the mystery.

Sam, Bennett, and Joana are an interesting trio, each realistic and distinct. They all bring different strengths to the table, and they make a good team. At the start of the story, they are estranged and haven’t seen each other in some time. They aren’t on the best of terms, and it’s interesting to see how they work through their issues and learn to trust and work with each other again.

Sam is so smart, curious, and observant, and she’s really good at solving puzzles. She has such a love of literature, archeology, history, as well as ciphers and puzzles, which helps her in her adventures. Her character also shows a lot of growth throughout the novel. At the start of the story, Sam is scared, anxious, and a bit insecure, but as the story progresses, her confidence grows. She becomes much more self-assured and empowered, and I love that.

As I mentioned before, the story is steeped in 1920’s history. The treasure hunt also incorporates history, folklore, and puzzles, and I enjoyed the allusions. It’s such a fascinating aspect of the story! I like that Irish folklore and mythology had some prominence, as I’m not super familiar with it. These elements of the story really added so much to the setting, characters, and mystery.

An archeological adventure with action, suspense, and the beginnings of a great romance, Curse of the Specter Queen is a fun read and a great start to a new series. I can’t wait to find out what Samantha Knox is up to next! Thanks so much to Disney-Hyperion, NetGalley, and Jenny Elder Moke for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Wow I was surprised by this is a good way. The plot kept me on my toes. And the characters were relatable.

While reading "Curse of the Spectar Queen" I found it very difficult to understand what time period we were in. I had to look up the time period after reading the "RMS Olympic", at that point I was set for the book and knew where we were. I love a good page turner but this book was not that for me. I found myself taking long breaks in between reading and took me 2 weeks to actually finish the book. The character development is very slow and it take a while, in my opinion, to get to know them. Now in the Authors defense, this could be their way of setting the book up. I just like to get to know the characters at the beginning of the book so we have a better connection with the characters. The writing was actually very good and I enjoyed that part of the book but I would not recommend this to my class to purchase and read or adopt this to a curriculum. The reason behind this is because if I lost interest so quickly, I know my students would as well.

Sigh. Such real promise. There are codes and puzzles to untangle, a mysterious cult and monks with swords - all to the good, right? But things are so rushed that the solving part gets lost in the action. I also had a difficult time buying Samantha and Bennett's romance, and the resolution of Joana and Samantha's rift wasn't believable. Samantha, on the other hand, was a delightful find, in that she was believably intelligent, scared, brave and willing to go forward with the quest. The use of Irish folklore was also a good addition, although more could have been said about the problems Catholics had practicing their religion and how The Morrigan fitted in to the overall mythology.

eARC provided by Netgalley.

Fantastic page-turner! Samantha is a strong female protagonist who isn’t afraid to show her strengths, and I look forward to hopefully reading more of her story. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged, but it stays tightly woven enough to not be distracting.

Curse of the Specter Queen was a surprisingly good read. The story is compelling and the characters engaging.

Sam has the biggest character arc, which should be the case since she is the main character. She goes from this scared, shy little girl to the female Indiana Jones that readers would expect.

She finds her niche and really comes out of her shell. I love that! But Sam isn’t my favorite character.

That title belongs to Joana Steeling. Jo is a confident, mischievous young woman, and also Sam’s best friend. Or at least she used to be.

Jo and Sam are complete opposites, but they weren’t always. When Sam’s father died in the Great War, she pulled away from everyone in her life, leaving a rift between her and Jo.

But what makes me love Jo so much is her attitude. She is herself and she doesn’t care what anyone else feels about that.

And because Jo is such a carefree individual, she is given the best lines! Her snarky remarks give some much-needed comedic relief in tense situations.

All of the writing was well done. Moke has a way of finding the perfect adjectives to describe her characters and their emotions.

And there are plenty of emotions in this book. Mostly tension, awkwardness, things of that nature. But also fear and attraction and the love of friendship, all well written and felt by the reader.

My one turnoff was Moke’s description of the character’s surroundings. When they are outside or somewhere that the setting was crucial to the plot, she did an amazing job! There was so much detail in those moments that I felt like I was there.

But if the characters were just having a chat in a room, that room was a black hole with a couple of pieces of furniture. There was no grounding in those scenes and it really distracted from the story.

But like I said, there were scenes that were just magical. And I feel like part of that was the time period.

I love that Moke chose the roaring twenties for the setting of this novel! It was perfect and really matched the character’s personalities.

I loved this story and all the characters, and I can’t wait for the next Samantha Knox novel!

Thanks to Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for the arc. I was excited for this one, an archaeologic action adventure set in the 1920s, right up my alley. Samanatha Knox is a rare book repair expert who gets a strange badly damaged book from someone she doesn't know. This kicks off the adventure. Before long strange Irish 'monks' are trying to rob her and Sam turns to childhood friends whose father had set her up with her beloved job. Joana and Bennett (siblings) were her good friends. Bennett's a bit older than her and Joana who the definition of a Bright Young Thing/ Flapper, more interested in parties than anything and she has not been friendly to Sam since Sam did not go off to college with her. There is a huge social difference between Sam (daughter of a washer woman who lost her father young) and Joana (wealthy elite).

The book is connected to Bennett's mentor who is back in Ireland. Much to his dismay, Sam and Joana follow him to Ireland where mysticism, Celtic lore and secret societies cause nothing but chaos. I really liked Sam and grew to like Joana who does show she is intelligent as well as a party girl. Bennett might grate a little on modern readers as he's protective of the girls in a way that is probably patronizing today but would have been seen as appropriate in 1920.

I enjoyed the story immensely and I hope they have more adventures down the road.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review of, Curse of the Specter Queen, by, Jenny Elder Moke.

This story was not what I expected from the title, it was even better!

The characters were full of charm and ardently full of determination. They were developed so well that you could easily see their path in their description and their verbiage.

The plot was exciting as it took us from the USA to Ireland. This was very dear to my heart.

The antagonist was a suspect in my mind from the beginning, and I knew it couldn't have been whom the brothers suspected. The way it all played out was fantastic and superbly written.

I really hope there are more books to come for these amazing characters. I also love how the author, whom I secretly hope did this on purpose, gave the two heroines, guys names. It just is such a joy to see that irony come to life in the era this is being told in as well as the aristocratic flair that is so alive in this story.

Female Indiana Jones? Heists, quests, and trickery? Sign me up.

This follows Samantha Knox as she runs from men trying to steal a mysterious diary that showed up at her door. Along the way, we meet friends, have laughs and cry, face dangerous feats, and in natural Indiana Jones fashion, death defying escapes.

If you're a fan of Laura Croft, Uncharted, or Indiana Jones, pick this up. Samantha Knox is a daring and wonderful beginning into the world of curses, queens, and tomb raiding.

Wanted Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Got Indiana Jones and the crystal skulls. It was such an interesting premise: "Samantha Knox put away her childish fantasies of archaeological adventure the day her father didn't return home from the Great War, retreating to the safety of the antique bookshop where she works. But when a mysterious package arrives with a damaged diary inside, Sam's peaceful life is obliterated. Ruthless men intent on reclaiming the diary are after Sam, setting her and her best friend, along with her childhood crush, on a high-stakes adventure that lands them in the green hills outside Dublin, Ireland. Here they discover an ancient order with a dark purpose - to perform an occult ritual that will raise the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, to bring about a war unlike any the world has ever seen. To stop them, Sam must solve a deviously complex cipher - one that will lead her on a treasure hunt to discover the ancient relic at the heart of the ritual: a bowl carved from the tree of life. Will she find the bowl and stop the curse of the Specter Queen, or will the ancient order bring about the end of the world?"

Filled with like able characters and a strong heroine was not enough to keep my interest. The clues that's Sam and Bennet find throughout 1920's Ireland felt contrived and not all that believable. And the fact that the Morrigan of ireland was portrayed as a man hating crone left me with a bad after state. The writing is very nice and descriptive. I may read another book by this author if her style truly develops. Thank you Netgalley for providing a free copy of this ebook for a truthful review.

I seem to be significantly in the minority in my response to this one, but this book irked me. Almost from the beginning. It had a great start - and I really thought that Sam was going to be the kind of plucky Disney heroine of recent vintage that I've come to enjoy (hello Moana, I'm talking to you!). Instead she felt more like old-school Disney heroines, bookish, subject to a traumatic familial backstory, scattered and constantly finding herself in trouble without knowing why... Perhaps this changes throughout the course of the book - but frankly I could not find myself engaged enough to get there. I found Bennett condescending and suffering from a significant hero complex. Joana wanted to be spunky but really just seemed reckless and fickle. And even the mystery - and I can't believe I'm saying this - involving Irish Brothers and lost artifacts and a curse wasn't enough to save this one for me...

I really enjoyed this book. It had a great cast of characters and the characrer development was great. The main character over came both external and internal conflicts and learned how to enjoy her life again. It was also great reading more about Celtic folklore and culture. Overall it was a great and engaging story.