DNF at 55%.

I was looking for an exciting swords and archaeology novel with secret societies and ancient artefacts. Unfortunately, what I got was more of a PNR complete with telekinesis powers, which are used to remove a woman’s towel (against her will).

Ares DeLuca (even his name irritates me) is the leader of a branch of an ancient secret society called the Sicari. Back in the time of Ptolemy the Sicari and the Praetorian were Ptolemy’s guards but there was a schism and since then they have been mortal enemies. The Praetorian hunt down and murder the Sicari in vicious and ghastly ways (flaying alive seems to be a favourite), it is how his own parents were killed.

Emma Zale is a young archaeologist working in Egypt on a dig, she discovers evidence that the Sicari truly existed, something her father had passionately believed until his death, but that she had doubted. Whilst investigating further her colleague is viciously murdered and everyone suspects that Emma herself is the murderer.

Ares believes that Emma and her deceased parents are actively working with/for the Praetorians but assists in her release by the Egyptian authorities, only so that he can force/ blackmail her into helping him.

There’s lots of use of Latin, Ares in particular likes to swear/ make exclamations in Latin but at other times uses modern idioms. He is in fact not immortal, just brought up in a closed, secret society who’s membership is dwindling. Also, everyone is a special snowflake. Ares has telekinesis, his sister Phae has miraculous healing powers (although since she takes on the wounds physically I’m not sure I want that power), and Emma can read an artefact’s history just by touching it. Of course most ancient artefacts have blood-soaked histories so she spends a lot of time incapacitated by the visions she receives.

One of Emma’s close colleagues is in league with the Praetorian, he or she may have murdered both Emma’s parents and her colleague. Someone also tries to kill Emma and it is only Ares’ quick actions that saved her, at the cost of one of his men. At this point I was kind of enjoying this Indiana Jones style novel but then Ares whisked Emma away to his secret lair, of course the Sicari are rich beyond imagination, with ancient documents and weapons. There’s lots of mutual erotic dreams, pointless rituals and bizarre ceremonies, many of the Sicari hate Emma for being an outsider (and possibly a Praetorian sympathiser). All of this is interspersed with smouldering looks, stolen kisses, pouty lips, pert breasts and overwhelming attraction. I expected Ares to imprint on Emma at any second (or at least become a sparkly vampire!).

But hey, I was on the Eurostar and I was gamely ploughing, waiting for the plot to resume, when Ares is seriously wounded having been forced to suffer a ritual punishment which he volunteered to take on Emma’s behalf after she interferes (after being expressly told not to interfere of course). For some ridiculous trumped up reason no medical assistance can be provided for 24 hours after the ritual, so Emma decides to look after Ares herself, then gets distracted removing his clothes. The guy is unconscious, bleeding from multiple wounds, he may not last the night but she is staring at his dangly bits! Of course by the next day he is well enough to get out of the bed by himself and stumbles into the bathroom where Emma just happens to be having a shower. When he uses his telekinesis powers (which were totally depleted in the previous days’ fight) for the ridiculous purpose of pulling Emma’s towel out of her reach I decided the plot had literally and figuratively been lost and I threw in the towel.