This was an amazingly fun book, to start! This is the story of Captain Samantha Moxley. Sam was a pilot during the war, then went on to work for a shady US government agency. The war is over and she’s left the shady agency business, but things have a way of catching up with her. Her sister Jess has found an amazing relic, and the shady agency is after it. Sam will do anything it takes to protect her sister as she finds the relic’s twin in the hopes of unlocking untold historical knowledge. Cue shenanigans.

This book was an absolute thrillride from start to finish, I have to say It’s really fast-paced, full of action and intrigue, and I ended up reading almost all of it in one sitting. I really liked Sam as a character. She’s snarky, clever, and foul mouthed: all things that I love in a main character. I started off thinking that I wasn’t going to like Sam’s sister Jess, but I ended up really liking her as well, along with her boyfriend Will. It’s rare that I really like all of the protagonists in a book with more than 2 of them, but this is an example of a book where I liked all of them.

This book felt very cinematic, and so it can of course be compared to cinema. Mostly Indiana Jones and The Mummy, I think. The whole archaeologists-having-insane-adventures vibe is 100% there. They’re the obvious comparisons here. Personally, if we’re comparing this book to movies, I’d say it’s something along the lines of Indiana Jones with a huge helping of Tomb Raider meets The Mummy with a bit of Men in Black, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and The Matrix sprinkled on top. You’re either like ‘holy shit that sounds awesome!’ or ‘JFC what is wrong with you?’ right now, and I can totally understand both points of view (still… awesome tho, amirite?).

So, all told, if you’re looking for a fast paced archaeological thrillride reminiscent of pulp novels then this is your book right here.

Start with the love child of Indiana Jones & Amelia Earhart. Mix in ancient Egyptian sites, Nazis, high speed chases across the desert, puzzles, traps, and power-hungry G-men. Add a splash of Atlantis lore. Result, a madcap pulpy adventure guaranteed to leave you breathless and craving the next installment. As much as I enjoyed the premise, it could use a little more development of the characters, and a lot more knowledge of the limits of the human body. Both of those tended to get in the way of my uninhibited enjoyment of the book. But at the end of the day, it was a fun summer read.

Imagine you’re an woman standing proudly with your husband as you wait for the bus and an Western woman driving a half-damaged bus asks you in Arabic the next bus stop.

That, dear reader, is why you need to get this.

This book has made me reminisnce of the times I used to read modern day thrillers about ancient conspiracies about 21st century experts dealing with ancient problems of the past. Point in hand. The Dirk Pitt Series by Clive Cussler. Andy Mc Dermott with his Andy and Nina Chase series. Steve Berry and his thriller series. In fact most of my reading went into that because I too was determined to find out what was the missing mystery. The missing series. The missing element. For far too long, I have felt that history just doesn’t go deep enough in many cases, and that is still being discovered even today. But the first man to discover Troy ended up destroying much of the city in the first place did he not? I refer to an Extra Credits history video on this.

I am finally glad that this isn’t the 21st century, but this is the 1950s. An unusual choice of setting, but it does make sense. Historically, most of the former German scientists did join America. In that sense, you can then see how Amercia’s growth happened. The 1950s is the birth of a new American Empire to say the least. And that makes for an ideal setting when we’re living in the world of a declining British and French colonial dominion. There are also winds of discontent in French Africa, not to include stirrings in Algeria. Part of my dissertation focused on French colonial rule in Algeria and Vietnam. Then there was the ironic fact although not focused on the review itself, the 1950s was a riveting time after the Axis Powers lost WWII. Former Japanese soliders were helping the Vietnamese against the French (which could explain a large portion of their defeat, as the Japanese themselves used Banzai tactics, hiding and ambush tactics a lot.) This may, or may not be relevant to the review, but I just wanted to draw attention to the fact this could be a primary reason that Dan chose this setting.

For me, I will express my thoughts of why I want more books like this at the end of my review. The fact that Dan related to this Egypt and the history of archaeological excavations dating back to Napoleon’s expedition in Egypt, was a fascinating context. And what a wonderful concept he has used to make the world-building come alive. I did feel that Smith and Sam’s relationshop was under-developed due to the fact that this book could have been a lot longer than it needed to be – and that’s not a bad thing. Likewise, I felt Sam and Jess’s chemistry was superbly built.

I also liked the Nine, but I did feel they were a bit too complicated, and needed more explanation of their goals. I understand their motivations, but I needed a little more apathy in them as an organisational institution so to say. And I can just as well as imagine that this novel would be a riveting Assassin Creed story. It has that good setting and good ambience to give it off. This could be a fascinating graphic novel series that Starz, HBO or Netflix could pick up. The writing is that good. There’s undead Roman Legions (And seriously, why hasn’t anyone made a novel on the undead in Ancient Greek/Roman times, Mesopotamian times?) underneath the catacombs of Paris. There is so much stuff waiting to be discovered.

I can tell you one thing. There is a sore lack of Indiana Jones style mystery and thriller books that combine ancient civilisation and the periods that come after this. This has cinematic value dripping at its every page, every length, and every corner. Lost Empire of Altantis? Count me in. I wanted MORE of this discovery, more of this Altantis stuff. Heck give us more! Dan’s done some solid research, and I would want to see more sequels. I’d love to see some sorta ancient Greek expedition led by Herodotus to discover the secrets of Altantis, except its all happening in the ancient period or something. I can tell Dan was influenced by Indiana Jones and Assassin Creed that there is no doubt about.

Let me be clear. The World of the 1950s gives us a sort of similar experiencing in 2020 except we don’t have that many wars, but more political spats between countries. There’s a lot of events happening in world politics that really gives you a sense of how everything works. This could have well been done in WWII, but it would have become a little tiring. The 1950s is right at the time of the Cold War, where the cracks begin to emerge and we get the full start. This reminds me of the Disney Adapation of Altantis. I want more man. Don’t hestiate, show us more.

I would love to see more novels like this, in the vein of the Ancient World. The Egyptians themselves considered the Altanteans as ancients. Like we do now as with the Ancient Egyptians. I’d love to see a Roman expedition in Ancient Egypt doing the same thing Sam’s doing. Or an Ancient Egyptian expedition to the mysterious lands of Punt in the same style. I crave for more books like this. I really do. Though, that’s my preference as a reader.

Though, this novel is fantastic. There is cinematic marvel dripping at its every page, rip-roaring exploding action with world powers battling for the mysteries of long-lost civilizations. The next sequel could be set when the Persian army disappered in the sands of Egypt. That would be an interesting choice. Regardless, amazing dialogue, description. There’s a lot more to this. I’d put this next to Clive Cussler. Also, thank you for adding in mythology in this. Too many novels in this vein lack it, and I think it needs to be added in.

Move over Indiana, Captain Moxley is in town.

Just give me a minute to catch my breath..., ..., ... That was one hell of a ride. This is a fast-paced book that doesn’t give you a second to process your feelings or recover from one action-packed event to the next which I believe is very intentional in putting you in Captain Moxley’s shoes. This allows the reader to experience exactly what our protagonist does throughout the journey. We feel every punch, kick and crash.

Dan Hanks creates a thunderously pulpy adventure with his debut. We join Captain Samantha Moxley in her gritty effort to reach a coveted treasure before a team of government agents. Along the way, they must travel the globe to unlock the puzzles and face numerous elaborate booby traps. Now I know that this is a tried and tested trope that some are exhausted with however Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire doesn’t feel like a story trying to convert these haters. It feels very much like a story aimed at the lovers of pulp adventure. Giving us lovers of the trope a chance to bask in all its gloriousness and revel in its triumph.

Our protagonist, Captain Samantha Moxley, is a headstrong adventurer that doesn’t know when to quit. She just keeps going no matter the odds. Samantha is joined on her quest by her sister, Jess, that is equally driven and strives to show her sister exactly what she is made of. Family dynamics are a big part of this story and we get to see true human nature when it comes to how far we will go to protect the ones we love. Dan Hanks gives us a fantastic character line up which we can easily relate in some fashion to all of them. Even the team of corrupt government agents have a little relatability to them. Although not too much as they have Nazis amongst their ranks.

One thing I wanted more of was the Captains back story. I feel the reader is a little teased at the beginning of the book with a glimpse to Captains Moxley’s background and her time as a Spitfire pilot. This really struck a chord with me and I was left a little deflated that I didn’t get more. This is more than made up for with the beautiful world the author creates. We get to see several areas of the world and the areas are described with such detail that even the most unimaginative amongst us can't help but feel right there with Moxley and the team.

If you are a lover of pulp adventure with overly elaborate booby traps like me then I would highly recommend Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire to you. You will love it and if not then I will personally buy you a coffee for your trouble*. A fan of Indiana Jones and need to itch that scratch? Then get this book. It has everything you need to satisfy you. However, if overly elaborate booby traps are too far fetched for you then give this one a miss. There is a lot and they don’t stop coming. However, I loved it and any fan of the genre will. It has my guarantee.


*No I won't, this is a blatant lie that I have no intentions on fulfilling.

If Indiana Jones had been a woman who cut her teeth as a spitfire pilot, and occasionally asked whose museum that artifact belongs in... We would have Samantha Moxley.

After her little sister finds the first key to unlocking an ancient repository of knowledge, a race to prevent the treasures falling into the wrong hands is set in motion. She might not want to be there, but that won't stop Sam Moxley from busting through bad guys in ways that make Lara Croft look little league.

On title along, I thought this was going to be a bit of a ludicrous pulp adventure story - and I was onboard with that. However, once I got going, I could barely put this book down. I enjoyed the characters and the journey I was taken on. There were common tropes, ideas we have seen before and more. It was the style and the detail that carried it all though. I want to know all about Captain Moxley - her adventures before the novel as well. This book reads quickly and had a cinematic scope (if Netflix picks it up, I will be there bingeing it). This is a fantastic debut, and I can't wait to read more from Dan Hanks.

Interesting! A fun retread of some of our favorite action/adventure tropes. Very fun and very escapist. Read for a great time!

Quite possibly the only thing I don’t like about this book is the title, it’s just sounds too much of B movie title and this book is not B movie quality, it’s fun, fast paced, exciting, sad, it has tension and angst and was a jolly good read!

Every so often you find a book that seems to pull from assorted mediums, blending aspects of beloved movies, books and video games into a well-simmered stew of enjoyment. Hanks' debut novel, Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire, is a fun summer blockbuster of a novel that leaves you wanting the ride to continue. With aspects of Evelyn from The Mummy, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones (with at least one wink towards everyone's favorite archeologist) and Dirk Pitt blended into his headstrong protagonist, Hanks has successfully crafted what at first glance would be an easy hammock read. However, he's delved deeper, allowing the characters to be flawed and develop over time, rather than staying as the standard pulp actors from the past. Driven by understandable motivations, Sam and her team encounter troubles and puzzles galore, almost begging for a movie or video game adaptation on the future. Like the pulp novels it evolved from, Hanks' work is fun, brash, and filled with adventure; it's definitely worth the read.

This is basically what you would get if an author said to himself, "I would love a highly cinematic, almost video-game-like pulp novel set in the 1950s, but with a female protagonist who's a former Spitfire pilot and woke about colonialism. I should write one."

If you're up for that - and don't mind some deaths of innocents, quite a bit of swearing, a protagonist who's cynical and world-weary but also carries on when injured to a ridiculous degree, highly unrealistic temples full of traps that are fully functional despite their great age, and a number of small anachronisms - this is the book for you.

Personally, I do mind those things, though, which lost the book a star. The temple-traps thing is a trope of the genre, I suppose, and normally I give those a pass, but they really are over-the-top unbelievable.

I think I was predisposed to notice the other issues because of the names. I'm very aware of the fact that fashions in naming change a lot over time, which is something that not many people seem to be aware of - including many authors who set their stories in a historical period. Here we have Samantha, for example, born in the 1920s, and named after an 18th-century French woman - but Samantha was a very rare name indeed until <i>Bewitched</i> made it popular in the 60s. Her sister, born about 1930, is Jessica, also a rare name until a couple of years before the story is set (1952). It even bothered me slightly that Jessica's friend William was known as Will (as he would be today) rather than Bill (as he would more likely be mid-century). Most people are not going to notice these, or other anachronisms and setting details that made no sense for where they were, but I did, and it wore away at my enjoyment of the book and predisposed me to disbelieve some of the more unlikely plot points.

Because I read a pre-publication version via Netgalley, I'm not mentioning examples which are likely to change by publication; I'm focusing on things like the characters' names, and the protagonist's ex-military rank - which she insists on, and which is part of the book's title. "Captain" is not and has never been a rank in the RAF, which 30 seconds with Google will confirm.

Of course, there weren't any women flying Spitfires in combat in WW II either, but I'm willing to put that in the same category as the ancient Atlantean magic: part of the setup for the plot, a necessary counterfactual. If you want people to buy into the big counterfactuals, though, it serves you well to do your research and make all the small details believable, so that people aren't wasting their suspension of disbelief on things that don't matter.

Leaving all that aside, there's plenty of cinematic action in varied locales to carry you through the story, if you're not thrown out of it by things that are hard to swallow (like a character who is specifically not a badass briefly becoming one for plot purposes). The ending is not a cliffhanger, as such, but it does take a left turn leading straight into setting up a sequel, and for me it was a downer, almost an anticlimax in a way.

I won't be reading that sequel. But plenty of people will probably love this and follow the series on through.

tl;dr: Not for me, might be for you.