This book was EVERYTHING I wanted and more. A perfect mash-up of The Mummy and Indiana Jones and DEFINITELY for fans of What the River Knows.

Ellie was a wonderfully chaotic protagonist who has a fierce passion for history and a knack for getting into trouble which leads to her going on an adventure she'll never forget.

Adam is Ellie's perfect counterpart and their banter is *chef's kiss* immaculate. The slow burn was just the right pace for me and I'm very excited to see their relationship blossom.

Will I be buying a physical copy? 100% yes!

A healthy dose of Romancing the Stone, Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror, The Mummy, and the reimagined Tomb Raider all mixed together, Empire of Shadows gives the perfect mixture of history, fantasy, and adventure.

Benson does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into a world of mystery through her FMC's POV. I loved Eleanor's take-charge attitude, her suffragette spirit, and her desire to learn more about the past. She was such a fun character to follow, especially once she meets Adam Bates. Adam was the perfect foil -- a happy-go-lucky adventurer that does an humorous job of ruffling Ellie's feather's on their adventure together.

I loved the plot that mixed the history of Maya with touches of fantasy. Having discovered a map to mysterious ancient city, Eleanor travels around the world to discover it before her foes do. It is clear that Benson did her research to craft this story, which I truly appreciated it. The plot moves along pretty quickly as Adam and Ellie have to keep one step ahead of their enemies, who are on the trail of an ancient site. Ellie and Adam's escapades are tinged with misadventure moments (his poor boat) and humor. I loved watching the connection between Ellie and Adam grow throughout the book (the cave wall has seen some things...iykyk).

Book Two -- Tomb of the Sun King -- is already on my preorder list. This is one series I cannot wait to continue. If you are a fan of books like What the River Knows and Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, then check out this one. You will not regret it.

"Empire of Shadows" is apparently a heavily edited, almost entirely new version of a book that has already been published by the author some years ago, as per her foreword. Only now, after years of experience, did she feel skilled enough to finally tell the story she always wanted to tell - and I'm glad she did! I love authors growing, and while I haven't read that previous version of Ellie and Adam's adventure, I had quite some fun with this 'remake'.

"Empire of Shadows" is a quintessential oldschool adventure story with a sweeping romance, evil villains, lots of humour and a dash of magic. Think the Mummy films, but in book form (although Empire is not on that level both as a story and with regards to the characters, but what is, really). It's fun, it's not too deep or complex but delivers everything you expect it to - though also not much more than that.
Our protagonists are Ellie, a scholar held back by society's views of a woman's role (which she tells us repeatedly because subtlety is not this book's strong suit) and Adam, a big hunk of a man with a really impressive chest. When Ellie steals an artifact and map that might lead to the legendary White City in Colombia that is also sought by a very dangerous man named Jacob, she decides to do the job society doesn't allow her to do, travel to Colombia and find this fabled place. In dire need of a guide through the rainforests, she finds Adam, and thus the shenanigans begin.

Both characters have their highs and lows. Ellie is smart, fun, opinionated, but also very on the nose in all things. She's a modern feminist and Benson REALLY wants you to know that, so she hits you over the head with it constantly. Adam is a dashing rogueish big guy who's smarter than he appears to be, but also sometimes suddenly an idiot. They are fun to read, but they're neither as complex as they are clearly meant to be nor do they have the chemistry I was hoping for. The attraction was mostly physical really until it suddenly wasn't, and I felt like the kind-of-spicy scene between them later on was more... awkward then sexy to be honest. Didn't work for me. The romance, thus, is cute and entertaining but not exactly memorable.

I did really like the plot of this, as cookie cutter as it might be. I love stories revolving around archaeology and myths, so I was really invested in this one. It made me read more on Mayan and Aztec history, and that is always a good thing. I was at some point reminded of the Assassin's Creed Games weirdly enough, what with the Mythical Artifacts With Powers thing, which was something I didn't expect - but also I really really like it. The plot did suffer a bit from pacing issues - the first about 25% were a lot of fast-paced fun, then the middle part kind of dragged for a while, then the ending picked up speed again. The book could have been about a 100 pages shorter with more focused storytelling. Still, I liked the mystery, I liked the history.

So all in all, this is a nice adventure book bringing back all the nostalgic feelings about the genre. Its mystery is enticing, the characters are alright (I did like the main villain quite a bit), and the writing is great. It did leave me wanting to read the sequel because Egypt!!!! Definitely read this if you enjoy archaeology, myths and adventure with an enjoyable romantic couple at its centre.
3 stars.

The first book in the Raiders of the Arcana, an historical fantasy/adventure series, begins in 1898 London with our heroine Ellie Mallory being fired from her job at the Public Records Office for being arrested during a women’s suffrage march. Before leaving, she comes across a map to an ancient mysterious city and with her yearning to become an archaeologist, sets off for the Yucatan.

She meets Adam Bates, a surveyor in Belize, who reluctantly agrees to be her guide in search of the lost city. Hijinks and adventure ensue as they are chased and menaced by villains who are out to claim an artifact that could be catastrophic in the wrong hands.

The star selling points here are the characters of Ellie and Adam and the adventure. Ellie is a wonderful combination of brilliance, bravery and curiosity. Adam is a shoot-from-the-hip, lovable, sweet rogue. Together they make an unbeatable team, and their chemistry is evident in every scene in which they appear together. The adventure holds pretty much non-stop action (think Raiders of the Lost Ark, Romancing the Stone, The Mummy) and introduces some very interesting (not run-of-the-mill) challenges to overcome.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Benson’s Charismatics series, and I am already in love with this one, with the next installment sounding like it will take place in Egypt…and I’ll definitely be along for the ride.

Totally recommend.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for providing the free early arc of Empire of Shadows for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Female led Indian Jones-esque novel that will have you on the edge of your seat from the first pages. Jacquelyn Benson knows how to write a fast paste novel that is captivating.
Ellie has to go through so many obstacles just because she is a woman. Thanks to her quick witted nature she is able to delve head first into her trials, even if that includes the handsome (regularly shirtless) man, Adam.
I think this will appeal to a wide variety of audiences.

#RaidersoftheArcana #NetGalley
Thank you
Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGally for providing this book to review for my honest opinion

Do you love National Treasure? Indiana Jones? The Mummy?
They should tell you enough what is the book about.

We follow Ellie, educated woman, the only woman who offered to be an archivist in The PRO (Public Record Office) also a feminist who fights for suffrage, discovered a map to an ancient city that lies within is a mythical artifact that holds superb power, that Ellie believes it needs to be protected from some rapacious people. So she off to have an adventure by herself or at least until she met this insufferable guy and inevitably becomes her partner.

I never for once read Jacquelyn’s writing, requested this purely because of the synopsis and also the cover. Just for a moment let’s give applause to the illustrator for making this beautiful gorgeous cover!
WOW WOW WOW. 3 words for this book. I expected nothing but a good reading experience. But this??! OUTDO MY EXPECTATION! JACQUELYN DONE IT WELL I TELL YOU.

This is a fantastic historical fiction with a mix of fantasy and romance, I guarantee you’ll be intrigued from the first page!
Jacquelyn’s writing is brilliant, funny, and heart warming. It kept me curious everytime I reached the last word in each chapters, and that doesn’t happened a lot with me lately. She makes each characters full and interesting with her writing. Plot enganged me so much, honestly I didn’t feel bored at all throughout the book!
Few times, the characters might come out a little bit obstinate or sometimes Ellie can be too naive in a wrong time, but I’m fine with it, didn’t affect me that much, it still gave me the same excitement. The last page succesfully made me yearning for more and I’m already super excited for the second book! While waiting this series get out to the world to enjoy, I wanna get into Jacquelyn’s other works as well! I think she’s so good at it!

I deeply thank NetGalley, publisher, and Jacquelyn as author for giving me this great opportunity!

4.5 rounded up to a 5

This is the perfect read for when you want to run away to the jungle to find an archaeological discovery without getting bitten by bugs. But I don't think this is a good read if you're craving a fantasy story. The magical aspects only become prominent towards the end of the book, most of it reads like historical fiction with a romantic subplot. Nonetheless, I'm not disappointed, the jungle was compelling, the characters had a good dynamic and it didn't portray corsets as an evil torture device.

My least favourite part was the beginning. The prologue doesn't set the right tone. Christianity is mentioned multiple times, but it isn't a theme of the rest of the story. After the prologue, it took a few chapters to get the story properly started and I did find the motives of the characters a little weak, but once I looked past that, I absolutely enjoyed it.

Although it's the first book in a series, the story does wrap up nicely. There is a little set-up for the next book, which I'm looking forward to seeing unfold.

Thank you NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Review of Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson, ARC received through NetGalley.

Tropes:
🌿 Treasure map to lost city
🌿 Awkward first meeting
🌿 Step brother’s best friend
🌿 MMC teasingly calls FMC “princess”
🌿 Forced proximity
🌿 Slow burn

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve been on the hunt for more historical and academic themed fantasy books, and this perfectly fit what I was searching for. The history and languages used in the book were very well researched. It’s not super heavy on the fantasy element in the beginning half, but it increased through the end half of the book, and it seems like there will be more in future books.

Ellie is such a great character! I love female main characters that are smart and resourceful. I also loved Adam’s character - I enjoy reading books where the male main character has layers to him that aren’t visible on the surface. I also love how protective he is towards Ellie, and how he believes in her abilities.

As someone who majored in anthropology, I really enjoyed the anthropology and archaeology references in this book. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Ellie and Adam had a discussion about museums, and how artifacts often end up on the other side of the world from where they originated. I appreciated how passionate Adam was about ethics in archaeology and museums.

The romance aspect of this book was very realistic, and I enjoyed the tropes that were used. I liked reading how Ellie and Adam went from dislike or not really understanding each other, to learning more about each other and building up trust and love for each other throughout their adventure.

I’m so excited for more books following Ellie and Adam! (And for more of Ellie, check out the free prequel novella that is currently out on Kindle, The Stolen Apocalypse!)

I would recommend this book to anyone who loved Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Empire of Shadows is fabulous! I loved every second of it. This is book one in the Raiders of the Arcana series. There is also a novella in the series called The Stolen Apocalypse which is a prequel. I can't wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC . I'll be adding this one to my shelf for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars ⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed this and have a feeling this might become one of my new favourite series! Full review to come soon.

𝓔𝓶𝓹𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼 𝓫𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓵𝔂𝓷 𝓑𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓸𝓷

3.5

When I saw fans of The Mummy would enjoy this book I immediately requested this arc because I’m so obsessed with that movie and I must say there were a lot of similarities.

<b><u>Tropes & What to Expect</b></u>
🌿mythical cities and legends
🌿historical fiction/romance
🌿FMC and MMC late 20s
🌿FMC is an archeologist
🌿maps 🗺️
🌿Mayan and Aztec history
🌿Dual POV
🌿BANTER

<b>< u>The Characters</b></u>

Ellie the FMC works in archives and one day while working she stumbles upon this map of a hidden ancient city. She leaves home to embark on an adventure and goes disguised as widow so no one questions her traveling alone. Ellie was such a gem. She’s strong, educated and independent which for this time period is unlike many of the women. She doesn’t want to get married or conform to society standards.

Bates comes from a well established family but he is disowned because he wants to follow his own passions. He takes Ellie on the expedition to find the ancient city. He let Ellie call a lot of the shots and I loved he wasn’t like the typical man from this era. He was considerate, strong, caring and trustworthy.

I really liked them both together. They were similar in many ways and both loved adventure. The banter was BANTERING…these two had me cackling.

<b><u>Spice Rating</b></u>
.5/5 🌶️
They kiss and grind a little at 76 percent mark.

My only issue with the book is the romance started off real strong and then it just disappeared. The characters are in their late 20s but were written young not due to immaturity just their conversations didn’t seem to match their age. I think this would have been better if featured as NA not adult,

Overall thoughts: this was a fun book with adventure and a tiny smidge of romance. I did enjoy reading this book but I’m not 100 % sure if I would read the next book but maybe overall time it will goes more on me and I will miss the characters.

I read the original version of this story a few years ago, so I was extremely excited to see that it was being revitalized and continued. Every second of this treasure hunt through the jungle is full of fun and romance. If you are a fan of Indiana Jones or The Mummy, this book is for you.

I loved this adventurous and romantic story! Empire of Shadows is a richly imagined tale that I find hard to classify - it is a sweet historical romance, with a touch of fantasy and plenty of feminism and anti-colonialism, wrapped up an archaeological adventure. If you enjoy The Mummy, Uncharted, or Indiana Jones, you will love this book. It was an absolute delight!

This story follows Ellie Mallory, a spunky and intelligent young woman who is stifled under the patriarchal society of late 19th century England. She is a scholar of ancient history, but her gender relegates her to specific roles in society, preventing her from reaching her full potential. As a suffragette, she is arrested and subsequently fired from her job, But before she leaves, she spies a mysterious map and artifact on her bosses desk. Swiping the items, she narrowly escapes a villainous figure who is also searching for the map. Travelling to British Honduras, she teams up with roguish American surveyor Adam Bates to travel into the Cayo, the “unexplored” interior in search of a lost Mesoamerican city. There is plenty of adventure and a bit of romance while the pair navigate the wilderness in search of the lost city, all while avoiding the villain Jacobs and Professor Dawson, who has trailed Ellie from London, also seeking the lost city with seemingly unlimited resources at their disposal.

While the adventure and romance elements of the story were excellent, what I really enjoyed was how this book handled issues of feminism and anti-colonialism. The time period of the late 19th century was rife with those fighting for women’s rights, as well as those in the British colonies fighting for independence. Additionally, the author touches on the "virgin land” issue, while also acknowledging that there were in fact native settlements in areas where Europeans had not yet explored. Tied into these issues is the how at that time archaeology as a science and discipline was seen as glorified treasure hunting, and while there were archaeologists who really wanted to protect artifacts and cultural heritage, that often meant shipping artifacts back to museums in Europe, rather than keeping them in their home countries. I think this book handled these issues rather well, both by expressing these notions that would be appropriate for people in the time period, while also expressing the sentiments that would be seen somewhat in conflict, like women as scholars, anti-colonialism, and protecting cultural heritage by leaving it in the hands of the descendents rather than supposing European superiority.

I really enjoyed Empire of Shadows, and I look forward to more adventures with Adam and Ellie in future books!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for the advanced copy of this book!

The story initially stumbles a bit in its early chapters, which can be attributed to its roots as a reimagining of a previous tale. I struggled to engage with it at first, particularly in the opening chapter. I'm immensely glad I kept going! The Indiana Jones/Mummy-esque elements of fantastical archaeology and pursuit of a Lost City are executed with remarkable precision, keeping the reader thoroughly engrossed. Moreover, the protagonists' responses to the escalating tension are both delightful and entirely believable.

While "Empire of Shadows" doesn't reinvent the wheel of its genre, it doesn't need to. It delivers precisely what fans of such adventure stories seek, presenting a compelling and entertaining narrative with characters you can't help but root for. What sets it apart, though, is its subtle exploration of feminist struggles and its thoughtful examination of colonialism, cultural appropriation, and the clash between academic ambition and the imperative of cultural preservation. It's a reminder that power should be earned, not simply seized.

I love how seamlessly the fantasy elements intertwine with the characters' personal journeys. Often, fantasy writers excel in either plot or character development, but here, the author demonstrates skill in both aspects, crafting a narrative that is as rich in its world-building as it is in its character exploration.

Thank to NetGally for another amazing read!

A wildly underrated book that deserves all the hype. The characters and story are breathtaking and fast paced. The only thing holding this book back is that cover.

Perfect for fans of The Mummy, Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones.

4.5 ⭐️

What to expect:

⛏️The Mummy vibes
⛏️Feminist characters
⛏️Adventure
⛏️History and mythology
⛏️Ancient lost cities
⛏️Slow burn
⛏️Banter and sarcasm

What a truly amazing and diverse book. The story telling, the cultural references, the history, the mythology and fantasy were perfectly woven with adventure and a side of romance. Ellie and Adam reminded me so much of Rick and Evie in The Mummy series, lots of sarcasm and banter, even in the most dangerous situation. I found myself loving their dynamic and laughing out loud at their dialogue. And the slowwwww burn was so worth it.

The book was well researched and respectful of Belize. She also included the suffragettes and the fight for the vote back in Ellies native London during the Victorian era where this book is set.

Overall a great light hearted historical fiction read with lots of adventure and a touch of fantasy.

My reason for not putting this as 5 stars is the amount of academic content within the book and the long chapters felt like the book dragged a bit throughout. But nothing to put me off, just a warning for others going in to read it.

Thank you Netgalley, Empire publishing and Crimson Fox Publishing for a copy of this book to review. I'll definitely be picking up the next in the series!

Will share to my Bookstagram @blonde.reads.fiction soon!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4kWTcigFqf/?igsh=dDRpaWFhdXgycjdl

A link to my review is above!

╰► 2/5 ⭐️ 0/5🌶️

I want to thank Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, fair warning, this review will have spoilers.

I won't lie, this took me a lot longer to read than I usually would take. The prose is great, but it slows the reading down to the point I have to reread the sentences to make sure I am not missing anything. You can tell Jacquelyn has a lot of knowledge about museums and archaeology because the way she described the museum was perfect. It would draw me right in and made it so easy to follow along with the story. Again, there is no doubt she is a good writer. I do enjoy a well written book and it is why I gave this novel the stars I did.

However, as a Christian, I don't enjoy when my religion is used as a parody in a story, or as a joke in the main characters mindset. It just kept throwing me out of the story when Ellie would make a throw away comment, especially as I was in her head. While I pushed through the novel to ensure I was giving an accurate review, this isn't necessarily a book I'd pick up again.

Ellie was a bit of an annoying main character. She was always so angry, and without reason, hated men. She was a man hater, but some of the reasons she hated men weren't valid. She assumed things about them, and if it weren't in every few pages, I could have overlooked it. The feeling I kept keeping from her was she thought she knew it all, but that she actually did know it all. She was logical, but that doesn't make her wise. Which is a good character flaw, but I don't believe it was intended to be written that way.

I feel like people who enjoy a feminist book, where women are written smarter and better than men, they'll enjoy this. I personally prefer when men and women come together and use their personal strengths to balance one another out, but I just felt like Adam didn't have a chance to show his own strengths along the journey. It was all about how Ellie was the smart and right one, always. It really does give The Mummy vibes, but not in the way you may think. I wasn’t feeling Evie and Rick vibes, but more adventure vibes.

I feel like the over-the-top feminism ruined it for me. I don't hate men, so I don't like to read about how much men suck in every other paragraph. I wish I was joking. Unfortunately, I am not likely to continue the series.

My rating system:

⭐️: Not my vibe at all.
⭐️⭐️: I finished it, but I didn't have a good time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️: Yeah, that was fun. I enjoyed myself. I probably won't reread it, but it was fun.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: I loved it and want to read more from this author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Perfect, amazing, everything I love in a novel!

Empire of Shadows took me on a wild ride. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book filled with so much adventure. And y’all, it didn’t disappoint!

What I loved about it:
〰️ Historical adventure fantasy
〰️ Victorian/Archeological Theme
〰️ Slow burn romance
〰️ Witty banter that actually made me giggle

I’m a history nerd so I really enjoy books that give authentic background and are packed full of interesting history and finds. It shows that the author put passion into the story, and Benson did a truly wonderful job.

The FMC Ellie Mallory is a force to be reckoned with - especially to the MMC Adam Bates. Their sassy banter was adorable and no lie, it had me giggling out loud at times. Benson did a great job of making their connection and chemistry so real that you could feel it through the pages.

Overall, Empire of Shadows is extremely well written. It can be challenging to read an action/adventure novel if the writing and pacing isn’t perfect, but this isn’t the case with this one. Benson kept the writing flowing gracefully while keeping a fast-paced tempo that left me on the edge of my seat at times.

Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. It will debut on April 2, 2024, but you can pre-order now! Go on, add it to your TBR - I promise you won’t regret it!

I want to give a huge thank you to NetGalley, Crimson Fox Publishing and Jaquelyn Benson for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Romancing the Stone meets The Mummy in this delightful novel about a suffragette swept into an adventure to Belize to look for the fabled White City where she meets a roguish hero determined to help her. The chemistry between Adam and Ellie was instant and addicting!!! This was a very well written novel and while it can be read as a stand alone, there were definitely hints near the end that there could be another adventure in their future. I would love to read a sequel!

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 by 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧
Raiders of the Arcana series ℬℴℴ𝓀 𝒪𝓃ℯ
3.75 ★

Empire of Shadows is such a fun start to what I imagine will be an adventurous, historical fiction fantasy series! We kick it off strong with our FMC, Ellie, fighting for women’s rights and we love a strong feminist woman! Unfortunately, she gets fired from her job shortly after her boss finds out that her protest led to her (one little) arrest. Ellie leaves her job, but not without first stumbling upon a map that could send her on an adventure of a lifetime! Sure, she may have stolen this piece of history from her boss but she has good intentions! She just wants to protect and preserve what she might find from other more dangerous characters with less favorable intentions.

I loved the way this story began! It felt very much like The Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones with promise of exciting adventure and fun-quippy banter. We have a strong willed FMC, Ellie, who is not scared to speak her mind and a physically strong/protective MMC, Adam, who allows our FMC to be herself.

The excitement and snarkiness continued for me up until the actual adventure into the jungle began. After that it somewhat fell flat for me and the quippy banter somewhat disappeared for me. I’m not saying it disappeared completely, it just didn’t hit for me like the first part of the book. The antics Ellie and Adam got themselves into were definitely dangerous and exciting; I just felt like I was missing the comic relief that the earlier parts of the book gave me. I think the only way I can really explain it was that it was a lot of descriptions of what was going on and not a lot of fun dialogue to go along with it. I felt like I was just watching things happen to the characters rather than experiencing it with them. But, truly, aside from that, I did enjoy this book and its adventure. I look forward to the other books in the series and I can’t wait to see what Ellie and Adam get up to next!

Thank you to @netgalley and @crimsonfoxpub for this ARC! You can also find my review on GoodReads and Instagram linked below.

You can start your Raiders of the Arcana adventure beginning April 2nd!