Serious The Mummy vibes from this one. Beautiful scholar explores ancient Egypt with super hunk? Imagine Brendan Frasier and you're set.

This was such an amazing sequel. I really loved all the new characters, and I'm excited to see the adventure they get up to in book 3.
I do feel at times the writing was a little repetitive, but it didn't matter because the author is so good at painting a picture. It's really easy to get sucked in and forget your reading.

4.5 stars

Action - adventure historical romance are my one true obsession - and it's a complete pity to have so few of them in book form.

Advance warning : For those (like me!), who dived straight into the second book without reading the first - you'll do well except a few moments during the final faceoff with the villain.

The start was extremely slow, as Constance's family is introduced in a hodge podge of incorrect regional Indian terms (ffs, why is she calling her grandmother "Mother"?). I can only hope the Egyptian side was treated with more care to authenticity.

After that, it's a complete action packed romp. Most of the main cast - Ellie, Neil, Constance and Sayyid are very very well versed in Egyptology - and it serves to bring a glamour and cinematic quality to the adventure, as they solve long hidden mysteries and battle the baddies. As the story unfolds, it becomes an ensemble cast effort - and I totally enjoyed that as each character was so uniquely drawn.

Kudos to the author for the secondary plotline of the effects of colonialism - the looting and taking away of artifacts to Western museums, and the unequal relationships between Western scholars and thier equally knowledgeable local teams.

This is a book that shines on its secondary plotlines. The Neil x Sayyid bromance, the evolution of romantic relationships between Sayyid and his wife , as well as Neil and Constance. That is to say, I found the main line between Adam x Ellie not compelling, and I fear there isn't enough meat in their conflict to cover three books. Having said that, I do believe the author does an amazing job with the secondary characters, as I eagerly look forward to book 3.

My thanks to NetGalley for the honest review, all thoughts my own.

Thank you so much NetGalley for providing me the eARC of Tomb of the Sun King by Jacquelyn Benson for my honest review.

This book was even better than the first, I didn't think it could get any better, but it did!

This book makes me feel nostalgic, while yet also being so refreshing at the same time.

I fell in love with Adam and Ellie even more in this book and the side characters were phenomenal!

We meet Connie again (Ellie's best friend) who helped her grand escape in the first book, and boy is she daring yet hilarious and also get to meet Neil, Ellie's brother who is very strait laced and horrified to find that Ellie has been travelling the world on adventures with Adam.

Neil and Connie were a delight to read about and I can't wait to see their relationship grow, if they don't get their own book, I'm hoping for more chapters with their POV in the next book!

It was fantastic to see Ellie and Adam war with their feelings and also war with Neil and his feelings about their relationship and watch everyone come into themselves and arrive on their own conclusions at the end of the book.

It was also an amazing to see everything regarding history, race and women's rights.

This book was one of my top favourite books of 2024 and I highly recommend every single person pick this series up!

This is such a fun sequel - you get to learn so much more about your favourite couple from the first, while also getting to know additional characters. Can’t wait to see where it goes!

This series is a personal favorite. I read the first novel and fell instantly in love and this one just kept it going.

I love the adventure, the characters, the banter, and the history! It's all my favorite things wrapped up in a beautiful package.

Just like book 1, this has wit, laugh out loud moments, and thrilling moments that have you gripping the edges of your seat!

Adding Constance and Neil has been so enjoyable, and Ellie and Adam are and will continue to be one of my absolute favorite pairs in any novel. Genuinely, one of the best series I've read recently and I cannot wait for the rest of it. I'll read these forever.

4.5 ⭐️

I did not know how or even if one could write a sequel to a book as solid as Empire of Shadows, and yet Benson did just that with Tomb of the Sun King. I devoured this book. The addition of the new characters made this story fresh and even more captivating. It was a long book, but it did not feel like it at all. From the setting to the plot and the character arcs, Tomb of the Sun King was a strong and exquisite sequel. I can't wait to see where all these characters end up next.

One of my favorite finds of 2024 was the Raiders of the Arcana series by @jbensonink . I had the privilege of getting a sneak peak at this story, but September really Septembered and it got lost in the school year shuffle. I finished this up in December, and let me tell you, it was so fun! Think Indiana Jones, but a badass Victorian lady scholar. Ellie is off on another adventure, this time to Egypt! Adam is, of course, along for the ride (still devilishly handsome and distracting Ellie). Add in Ellie’s brother Neil, her best friend Constance and some baddies, and you’re on a thrilling quest through ancient tombs to save a historical artifact. This series is perfect for anyone who loves witty banter, romance, adventure, and history. I also appreciate the commentary around what’s expected of Victorian ladies versus what they may want for themselves. Ellie and Adam are the cutest, and I can’t wait to see what happens with them and their crew in book 3!!!

I loooved the first book in the series, and was so excited to pick this one up! It picks up exactly where we left off, and I fell even more in love with Adam and Ellie. I loved getting to know our other characters even more too.

The pacing was also really good, I never felt bored and everything felt very important to the storyline. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc. 🫶🏻

Thank you NetGalley, Jacquelyn Benson, and Crimson Fox Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I loved this one - even more than the first one.

This book follows Ellie Mallory and Adam Bates, once again, as they follow a trail of clues in Egypt to find an object of legendary power and keep it from the bad guys. There are some new characters, including Ellie’s brother, her best friend, and some people they meet in Egypt. The setting was so vivid and I could imagine looking for clues with them.

I listened to the audiobook a little bit as well and it was amazing. I loved the narrators and it added something special to the story.

I highly highly recommend this series and this book! It’s so underrated and I hope that more people learn about it soon. Thank you for an early copy and I can’t wait to learn more about book three.

Tomb of the Sun King is the second book in the series and mostly sets off where the first book finishes. Adam and Ellie find themselves in Egypt, once again trying to discover a magical historical artifact to prevent the villains from finding and using it. Ellie and Adam’s romance continues to blossom and let’s just say the slow burn becomes a 🔥! We are also reintroduced to Ellie’s best friend, the charming and outspoken Constance, as well as Ellie’s brother (and Bates’ best friend), Neil, a nerdy and anxious archeologist.The second book was just as good as the first and I ATE IT UP! I loved the added potential romance between Connie and Neil - I can’t wait to see what happens next with these two!

If you like the movie “The Mummy” you will absolutely adore this. Pacing was perfect, plot was interesting and kept me on my toes, and the cast of characters were fantastic . Highly recommend!!

Thrilling, fast paced, and feels like The Mummy!

I was instantly sucked into this amazing world from book one and loved the addition of a new couple as well for this book! And the Egyptian counterparts were equally as important which I appreciated.

The historical details blended so well with the fantasy aspects and create an addictive story.

Can’t wait for the next book.

More: Mild language. No spice but some kissing.

My rating: 4*

—-
Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading about the development of their relationship.

The adventure was captivating, but I felt that the introduction of too many characters detracted from Ellie and Adam, who were the primary reason I read this book, following the first one.

I love this series, it is perfect for fans of The Veronica Speedwell and Emily Wilde! It is cosy, mysterious and the slow burn is the best!

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).

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.

Tomb of the Sun King is book 2 in the Raiders of the Arcana series. I loved book one and its historical fantasy romance vibes. The setting is super fun and feels like watching The Mummy. This book continues Adam and Ellie's story which is full of magic, romance, and adventure. I can't wait for more books in this series!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Once again Jacquelyn wrote and engaging and fund adventure that left me turning the pages late into the night.
I loved watching the relationship with Adam and Ellie grow in a way that felt completely natural to the story and the time they lived in.
I can not wait for the next installment!

I absolutely adored this book! Raiders of the Arcana 1 was good, but this one blows it away! The storyline is well paced, and you are along for an exciting ride. I originally read about the idea of Nefertiti being Neferneferauten in Kara Cooney’s When Women Ruled the World, and loved watching the characters in this book figure out that same theory.

I thought that both Ellie and Adam had some strong character development in this book, both separately and in their relationship. I also adored the introduced dynamic between Neil and Constance. I can’t wait to watch the group’s travels to India in book 3!