Set in 1898, relluctant allies Ellie and Adam embark on an adventure across the Belizean jungle to track down a seemingly fantastical forgotten city.
One of my favourite themes across the story was the depiction of native Belizeans and other ethnic groups. I was very relieved when the characters openly denounced colonialism and had nuanced discussions about its effects on the local communities. The author clearly has done research on the subject, as well as on Mesoamerican folklore and history, which were wonderfully woven into the plot and setting.
The romance was one of the other highlights of this book. Ellie and Adam’s dynamic was electrifying: the banter, the tension and the secret admiration of each other’s intelligence.
Alex Picard does a remarkable job bringing to life Ellie’s and Adam’s personalities and emotions. In addition, Picard navigates through several accents flawlessly. I’d highlight how she sticks with either American or English accent depending on which main character’s POV the chapter is narrated from. And for those whose pet peeve is the strange “male voice” some narrators put on -fear not! Picard’s emulation of the male characters is as convincing as it is enjoyable.
All in all, this audiobook is a perfect chance to either freshen up or catch up on this series before the release of Tomb of the Sun King.

This was SO MUCH FUN!! I love those old archaeological adventure movies like Indiana Jones and The Mummy but I especially loved seeing a female scholar take the lead in this one. The writing is fantastic and pulls you right into the end of the 19th century. The well researched history is woven into the story so well as to not overwhelm with details someone like me who is only familiar with the rudimentary events. The plot is filled with dangerous trials, fearsome creatures and, of course, greedy shady figures. But our protagonists can handle anything thrown at them when together.

Ellie is smart and witty and a feminist during a time when women are fighting for their right to vote. And Adam is a very handsome assistant surveyor general with a heart of gold who’ll follow her into every danger. Oof how I adored their banter and sizzling chemistry. And the way Adam never once questioned Ellie’s expertise.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was so captivating and handled all the different accents so well. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the review copy!

I haven't fallen in love with a straight romance in ages, but I was hooked by this one from the word go. Both the main characters were utterly charming, fun to read about, had the BEST banter. It was non-stop action, with great tension. And the narrator!! I have a new favorite narrator now. I desperately hope she does book 2 because I NEED it immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of the audiobook!

3.5 Stars!

The Mummy meets Indian Jones in this exciting first book in the Raiders of the Arcana by Jacquelyn Benson. Our MMC Adam Bates and FMC Eleanor Mallory, team up in order to find a lost city. The year is 1898 and Ellie has chained herself to the gates of the parliament in support of women's suffrage. She then finds herself arrested, and then let go on the condition that she would indulge in such activities in the future. The repercussion of her actions, she is fired from her job of being an archivist at the Public Relations Officer. It is here that Ellie, finds clues to a hidden or shall we say lost city. Ellie being scholarly inquisitive by nature decides to tackle this bull by its horns and find this lost city and show the world that woman can do magnificent things of given the chance. But Ellie is not the only one who has her eyes set on the prize. And it will not be an easy to accomplish task. As she sets on her journey, she meets Adam Bates, an American archaeologist and land surveyor who agrees to help her in finding this lost city.

Honestly, this was an enjoyable read. The banter between Ellie and Adam was hilarious. Their first meet was *chef's kiss* The author has done her research in terms of the archaeological elements of the story, so that was a job well done. Made the reading experience much more interesting. The narrator did a fantastic job of switching between accents and narrating the story. The struggles that women face despite being educated, smart and talented did nothing for them just because of gender discrimination was also aptly portrayed.

So why the 3.5 stars? The book was overtly long. The middle part also felt dragged out. That's where I felt like I was losing the interest to continue reading/listening.
Also, the romance started off strong but took a back seat somewhere in the middle with more focus shifting to the other characters in the story.

To summarize, if you adore The Mummy and like stories that talk about lost worlds and artefacts, if you like your FMC to be sassy and strong willed and if you like your MMC who love to support said sassy ladies then this book is right up your alley.

is what happens when a Victorian lady decides archaeology is more fun than being ladylike. Ellie Mallory’s career tanks after a minor whoopsie arrest, but no biggie — she’s got a treasure map and a shirtless, snake-wrangling sidekick, Adam, who’s allergic to clothing.

Together they race a villain to ancient ruins, dodging death, stealing pants, and maybe falling in love. Think Indiana Jones but with more corsets, machetes, and flirty danger. If you like your historical adventures with some sass and swagger, this is your jam!

You that NetGalley and the publishers for letting the sensitives, incredible audiobook, the narration was wonderful.

I think it quite possibly might be impossible to not love this book. When I saw the blurb comparing this book to The Mummy or Indiana Jones, I knew it would be right up my alley. I loved our main characters, their romantic tension, their hilarious banter, and their adventures. This book was just so much fun and the audio version of this was incredible. Seriously, that narrator was perfect. I cannot wait for the next book in the series that will be taking us to EGYPT. Come on, what's not to love??

Thank you so much to Netgalley for a copy of this book!

OMG, this book! The backdrop of fighting social injustice, the premise of the ancient Maya civilization, the mystical components, the romance - I loved every bit of it and genuinely could not stop listening to it. The narrator Alex Picard did a fantastic job with the characters. The storyline is fast paced and exciting. The adventurer component is impeccable. The chemistry, you guys! It is really Rick and Elayne from the Mummy but even better. I can’t wait for the next part in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Vaugan Woods Publishing for this ALC.

I snagged an audiobook of this on NetGalley, and as I listened I kept thinking the plot felt familiar. Sure enough, when I dug deeper, I discovered that this book had been published back in 2016, and I read it in 2021 under the title "The Smoke Hunter." Weirdly, that doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere, and I do think the book underwent a good amount of editing and, to the best of my recollection, is better written overall (though I did enjoy it first time around, as well!). At any rate, this is a fun Victorian adventure romp with a smart, independent-minded young lady and the swashbuckling mapmaker she teams up with in Belize to discover some important relics. Fans of Deanna Raybourn will enjoy this. Alex Picard does a fantastic narration job with the dual POVs and varying accents; I highly recommend this on audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for a digital review copy.

**Thank you to NetGalley, Publisher, and Author for an ALC copy of Empire of Shadows in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.**
☆Review is live on Goodreads as of 8/23/2024.☆

4.5⭐️
0.5🌶

This audiobook was SO GOOD. Alex Picard does such a wonderful job as the narrator- every voice and character are distinct and the story comes to life. The story itself is FUN! If you like the 1999 The Mummy, early 1900s exploration, the suffrage movement, ancient civilizations (especially ancient Mayan civilizations), then this is the story for you!

I grew up with an archeologist for a Nana and a historian for a dad, so a lot of the language was something I was used to, but most of the characters are of the scholarly sort, so keep that in mind!

Ellie and Adam work so well together, and I cannot wait to see where their story takes them in book two!


☆POTENTIAL SPOILER!☆
Favorite memorable quote: "We're going to have to get married! 😰" I laughed so hard 😂

Empire of Shadows has it ALL. Gorgeous cover to draw your attention? Check.
Amazing narrator? The best, it’s Alex Picard. I am usually picky with narrators, but they do lovely accents and distinct voices for all the characters. I had no problems figuring out whose POV chapter it was by the voices. It was easy to follow along with the story and picture the scenes in my head. I highly recommend listening to this one.
And the book itself! It’s a nonstop fun adventure with humor and romance and banter. There were social issues and danger and exciting locales. Ellie and Adam... *swoon*.
This is the first book I’ve come across that deserves being compared to the spirit of the mummy movies. The highest of praises. I cannot wait for the sequel!
Thank you to the author and the publisher for the advanced listening copy provided via Netgalley.

𝓐 𝓢𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓽 𝓢𝔂𝓷𝓸𝓹𝓼𝓲𝓼
Lovely Victorian ladies don’t go looking for lost cities. After losing her job, Ellie finds a map of an ancient city and wants to revolutionize history. A ruthless villain also wants the map. To beat him and protect an arcane secret, Ellie teams up with surveyor Adam Bates. "Empire of Shadows" is a historical fantasy adventure by Jacquelyn Benson, perfect for fans of "Romancing the Stone" and "The Mummy."

𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓼
First off, how pretty is the cover?!
Secondly, I enjoyed reading "The Mummy"-inspired book! It's a beautiful mix of romance, mystery, and adventure, with characters that had me giggling and falling in love with the story. Ellie and Adam are such well-developed characters; their chemistry is truly captivating. While I felt that the book's middle part dragged a bit, the overall experience was still exciting and well-researched. I can't wait to dive into more of their adventures and witness their romance blossom alongside their thrilling escapades.

𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼
"I didn't want the way you looked at me to change,"
"How did I look at you?"
"Like I was your friend ."
"Ah hell, Princess,"
His arm came around her. Ellie let it. She leaned into his side, and her head fell to his shoulder.
His chin came down to rest on her hair.
Emotions tripped and thundered inside of her… and then stilled. A warm, solid sense of calm moved through her. It was all wrapped up in the steady rhythm of Adam's breath, which Ellie could feel rising and falling through the place where her cheek rested against his chest.

"That’s my girl."

"She had everything she could possibly want right there."

I would like to thank NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for an audiobook ARC of this book 😊

If you put The Mummy, National Treasure 2, and The Road to El Dorado in a blender, you’d end up with Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson.

Add a dash of Jumanji to it because our characters Ellie and Adam seem to go level by level defeating bad guys and overcoming obstacles one at a time. While this path seemed to drag a bit in the ebook, as an audio delivery, it moved along much nicer due to the skill of the narrator - Alex Picard. She had a lot of different characters and accents to perform and did them all well!

This is the perfect book for someone wanting adventure with just a dash of fantasy/magical realism. Ellie’s scholarly commentary coupled with Adam’s practical actions endear them both to the reader and leave you wanting to follow them on their next grand adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for the ARC!

This was easily one of my favorite books this year so far! First of all, I loved the story, the adventure, the characters - but I also adored and had such an appreciation for the history and dedication that went into this story. It was definitely a long book, but I thought that the story flowed well and that each detail was well thought and mapped out. I cannot wait for the next book!!

Goodreads review posted 8/22
Instagram content 8/22 and TBD

Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson
Narrated by Alex Picard @it_sounds_like_alex
Author @jbensonink
4.75/5

🐍 Slow Burn
🪙 Magical Artifacts
🧭 Witty Banter
🐍 Tomb Raiding

I love any books that give me The Mummy vibes and this fits the bill, smart and funny characters, slow burn and great narration. Ellie and Adam will have you smiling and laughing and very entertained. Slow burn and a fun read, this hit all the marks for me, I look forward to the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jacquelyn Benson and Vaughan Woods Publishing for providing me with an ALC in exchange for review.

“I know a thing or two about having dreams the rest of the world thinks are madness.”

If Indiana Jones was a proper British lady with a penchant for saying fiddlesticks, she would be Ellie Mallory. It’s been a long time since a book pulled me in so quickly but this book was brimming with adventure, exotic locations, mystery, and so much fun. It felt like a cross between Indiana Jones and the Mummy and I was here for every moment of it.

Ellie Mallory has dreamed of being an archeologist her whole life, so when she comes across a map to an ancient city on the same day she loses her job Ellie decides to pack up her bags and head to Honduras to find it. But Ellie isn’t the only one searching for the city and Jacobs has far less altruistic ideas for what to do when they get to the city. Ellie and her guide, Adam Bates, race through the jungle on the hunt for the ancient civilization.

Adam was exactly what I wanted to see and was the perfect match for Ellie. Their first meeting was perfectly hilarious and set the tone of their interaction throughout the whole book. Ellie was strong willed and smart but also fearless in her pursuit of saving history. Together they were a great team although it took Ellie a bit longer to recognize this.

I listened to this and thought the narrators were perfect for the characters. They did a terrific job.

I am so invested in these two now and I can’t wait to see where the next book goes.

I went into this ALC expecting a cute, lighthearted, historical adventure…I was wrong. This is an epic tale with A LOT going on. Ellie is an intelligent, educated, and passionate suffragette with a love for archeology. After being arrested during a protest she loses her job, but stumbles upon a fantastical relic on her way out. Upon realizing bad men are after it, she opts to set upon an amazing and risky journey herself to protect history from looters. Along the way she meets Adam Bates, an old classmate of her brother, who happens to be very good at navigating the wilderness of South America. Together they meet locals, flee bad guys & wild animals, and jump off the occasional cliff. The description is not wrong when they say this is a story for fans of The Mummy. There are definite Rick and Evelyn vibes here.
Alex Picard does a great job of bringing this story to life. She switches voices and accents flawlessly. You could tell when she switched characters and brought even the most subtle emotions forth to make the moment more poignant.
All around a great story and a great production. I cannot wait for the second book!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jacquelyn Benson, and Vaughn Woods Publishing for the opportunity to preview this!

Alex Picard did an outstanding job narrating Empire of Shadows, bringing the story to life with distinct voices and flawless accents. Having read the book before, I loved experiencing it in a new way through the audiobook. Picard captured Ellie’s intelligence and determination, as well as Adam’s charming, mischievous nature. The narration made the adventure even more engaging, and I hope Picard continues narrating the rest of the series!

Indiana Jones fans, here’s a new book for you!

After being arrested for a Women’s rights protest, strong and adamant Ellie Mallory with archaeological ambitions is fired from her archivist job.
When Ellie finds (steals) a map to a mysterious ancient city, she is desperate to explore. Only thing is, she is tracked by a ruthless villain right out of an Indiana Jones movie.

This means (unwillingly) acquiring the help of surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling, charming rogue who can’t seem to keep his shirt on and makes it his duty to tease Ellie.

The first half was definitely the best. I loved Ellie’s voice. It was distinct, funny, and strong. However, as they get to the temple, the action and moustache twirling villains just overtook any grand character moments.

Honestly, I was fighting boredom the whole time. With such a great premise, I couldn’t get attached to the characters or plot. It seemed too predictable and extremely troupey. Adam was basically a young Harrison Ford insert.

The audiobook narrator did a great job at the dual pov and all the accents!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a review!

“The Empire of Shadows” by Jacquelyn Benson is a thrilling adventure that masterfully blends romance, action, and a dash of the supernatural. If you’re a fan of The Mummy movie or the Emily Wilde series, this book is sure to hit all the right notes for you.

The story is reminiscent of classic adventure tales, full of ancient mysteries and perilous quests. Benson excels in creating a vivid, immersive world that pulls you in from the very first page. The romantic subplot is particularly well-crafted, offering a perfect slow burn that keeps the tension simmering throughout the novel. The chemistry between the characters feels authentic, making the eventual payoff deeply satisfying.

What really made this book stand out for me was the audiobook experience. Alex Picard was outstanding, especially in her portrayal of Adam’s point of view. Her ability to voice the male character so convincingly was impressive—I even thought there were two narrators at first! Her performance added an extra layer of depth to the story, making it even more engaging.

Overall, “The Empire of Shadows” is a fun, action-packed read that left me eagerly anticipating the sequel. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an adventure with a perfect blend of romance and excitement.

Thank you to Jacquelyn Benson, Vaughan Woods Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This recently came on my radar because I saw it compared to The Mummy, and I went, "Say no more," and added it to my TBR. It's not The Mummy, but it's for The Mummy girlies. The adventure elements, the swoony, rugged love interest, and the great banter made the story for me. I loved how headstrong Ellie was and how determined she was to shirk society conventions. I also loved the dynamic between her and Adam. They butt heads at first but come to realize they're a lot more alike than they thought. As I mentioned, their banter was so good, and I couldn't stop smiling every time Adam mockingly (and then endearingly) called Ellie 'princess.' The pacing was a little too slow for my liking, and had I not been listening to the audiobook (which I highly recommend), I may have DNF'ed it because I could feel my attention waning, but I ended up enjoying it and am looking forward to the next one.