In Sekhmet’s Shadow is an ambitious, darkly introspective take on the post-superhero genre. Rhodes builds a vivid world of divine power, trauma, and moral ambiguity—though this is a loooooong book. Still, its blend of mythology, sci-fi, and psychological depth makes it a rewarding read for those who enjoy sprawling, character-driven epics.

This work is told from multiple POVs. It does start off a tiny bit disjointed at the beginning, but thankfully as the characters are strong and the writing is descriptive, it was easy to keep track of who was doing what. I did like that the books begins right in the middle of the action. It didn’t feel like the start of a book, but like we were placed in the middle of an ongoing adventure, which was well done.

It doesn’t take long for the POVs and plots to begin to come together. The characters are well realized, with strong depth and development. I loved how varied the POVs were as well (an up-and-coming hero wanting to embody the values of the Golden Age, a washed-up retired hero, and a group of chaotic mercenaries), and it added much to the complexity of the plot. Despite the length of this book, it didn’t feel like it was overwritten or unnecessarily lengthy.

There were a handful of typos/errors throughout the work, though thankfully not a ton. I did find that some of the writing got too repetitive as well – the main example of this for me was one character’s use of “Christ and Allah” as an exclamation and just how often it happened. But overall, the writing was quite strong. I enjoyed the humor included in the prose as it helped to bring the characters to life and keep it interesting.

I don’t usually seek out books with superheroes and actively avoid movies with them, but this was well worth the read. This work sets up for what promises to be an even more epic book two, and I’m excited to see how things end up for the characters. My thanks to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

4.5
adventurous challenging dark hopeful tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Set in a post-apocalyptic world that teeters frighteningly over the edge, In Sekhmet's Shadow is an gritty, action-packed novel that I could not put down. A washed-up has-been, a girl with the heart of the sun and a tendency to punch first, ask questions never, and the mercenary that long carved out his heart — and the wacky hi-jinks (to say the very least) that ensure when they have no choice but to work together.

Although the writing is straightforward, it excels in its simplicity and there are a lot of quotes throughout the book that I could not help but keep for myself. The humor is deadpan and sarcastic, and while it does get a little old when used too much in the same scene, for this book, it works. But yeah, the dry humor does get a little old when it's leaned on much too heavily, but it's not that all the time fortunately.

There are separate POVs but they make contact very early on, and it doesn't take much time until they mesh together. Despite that, the characters are naturally secretive - sometimes just unreliable - thus the audience has to really get into the groove of assessing each scene.

Probably would want the book to be sectioned in each "cour", as there isn't much breathing room. It feels like a long weary day where Fisher Pavel just can't seem to catch a break. If that is the author's intent then definitely achieved it. It's just a tiny nitpick for me to have split the book into cours so that there's a bit of finality in each of important battles.

I really requested this on NetGalley on the basis of the title and the promise of NGE, and honestly it's such a good read regardless. I did not expect the tropes that I encountered throughout the book but I say that in the most excited way. Genuinely such a good book and I will be picking up the rest of the series soon.


Big thanks to the publisher for providing me this ARC via NetGalley. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.

In Sekhmet’s Shadow blends sci-fi action with a deeper story about power, identity, and the cost of trying to save a world that may not want saving. Sabra Kasembe is a compelling lead—raw, grieving, and far from the perfect-hero mold. I liked how the story lets her be complicated while also weaving in perspectives from an ex-hero and a mercenary, which adds momentum and emotional depth.

The worldbuilding is vivid and chaotic in a good way, mixing mythology, corporate dystopia, and superhuman conflict. The story leans into moral gray areas rather than simple good versus evil, which worked well. My only hesitation is that the book drops readers straight into the action, so it took a moment to find my footing.

Overall, this is a gritty, thoughtful sci-fi read with complex characters and a bold scope. Great if you enjoy speculative stories that challenge the typical superhero narrative.

Absolutely fantastic and totally recommended. If you Sci-Fi with a sprinkle of politics, power grabs, complex relationships then this book is for you. Plus superheroes! Beautiful nuanced writing with depth. And my favourite relationship Defiant and Revenant. Can’t wait for book 2. Thank you so much to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. 6/5!,