This book has so much of what made the first one fun. Mystery, danger, adventure, ancient history, and some romance.

There’s new POV chapters from two “new” characters. They add a lot of depth to Ellie and Adam’s backstories and add dimension to the plot. Overall I enjoyed getting new perspectives although it did feel like we got less of Ellie and Adam because of it. The last book by necessity had a lot more interaction where they got to know each other, and I missed that connection. There are external circumstances keeping them more reserved with each other in this one.

This one is set in Egypt which makes everything feel fresh, but still leaves room for criticism on historians who loot and destroy the history of another culture for their enjoyment and wealth.

The history is approachable and explained well. The romance is a little light but very heartfelt. The adventure is grand and exciting. You get a lot of call backs to the first book, so while you technically COULD read this as a standalone, you would supremely be missing out.

I’d absolutely recommend this to people looking for a fun, closed door, paranormal-is romance full of puzzles, Egyptian tombs, and dynamic personalities. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Another super fun archaeological adventure!

I loved the new characters we got to meet! Neil (a.k.a. Stuffy) was adorable, Connie was hilarious, and Sayyid and Zeinab were a bad-ass power couple. I really enjoyed Connie giving Neil a hard time and I hope we'll get to see their friendship/relationship develop more in the next book! That being said, I also couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that all this focus on new characters meant we didn't get as much of Ellie and Adam. I sort of missed it being the two of them against the world and all the close-quarters, only-relying-on-each-other moments the first book gave us.

The history/archaeology was really interesting (more interesting for me than the first book as I'm very into ancient Egypt), but there was also a looooootttt of it -- like lots of academia and facts and talking.

All in all, a very enjoyable read! I didn't love it AS much as the first book, but it's a series I will definitely look forward to and keep reading!

This is the second book in the Raiders of the Arcana series, and it is the perfect second book to Empire of Shadows. The characters are amazing, and I loved the development of Ellie and Adam’s relationship. I thoroughly enjoyed their back and forth at the start, and the mixed up communication. Even better they managed to solve issues by just talking to each other, even if it took a while to get there! The addition of Neil and Constance to the story was fabulous, they really added to the story, and helped develop the world. I just hope we get to see more of Sayyid and Zeinab in future books!

Over all without giving too much away this book was a wonderful adventure novel, and you can tell Benson has spent a long time researching and developing her world. Any book in this series is now an auto-buy for me, and 2025 can’t come quick enough!

Would I read it again? 100%, this series can be enjoyed time and time again.

Thanks for the advanced copy! This book was everything I hoped it would be! Loved getting to meet the new characters and to revisit with some old!! I loved the relationships, and how they were influenced by new characters. I can’t with for the next one!!

Another historical, hair-raising adventure for Ellie and Adam!

There was a bit of a slow start as Ellie caught up with her friend Constance, but almost as soon as they set out to thwart the villain(s) of the last book, the ball started rolling and did not stop until the end! This book, more than the first, had a lot more of a constant history-dump that would likely overwhelm readers who don't care to know the difference between two Egyptian cubits, but I (an archaeoogist who has studied and been to Egypt) was in academic heaven. I'm basically Neil.

I appreciate the stance Jacquelyn Benson takes against namely British colonialism in the 19th century and how carelessly and disrespectfullyEgyptian archaeology was handled at the time. I appreciated that she included two important intelligent and dedicated Egyptians to the main adventuring party, both of whom were integral to the success of their mission.

Ellie and Adam were brilliant together, it was great reading about their relationship progressing 😊

The adventure overall was intriguing but I think there was just too many characters introduced in this one book so the attention was taken away from Ellie and Adam and they are the main reason I wanted to read this book following on from the first one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars!! This was such a fun continuation of the Raiders of the Arcana series, this time in Egypt to find a new historical, magical artifact of Biblical proportions!! This book has EVERYTHING- historical facts and myths surrounding a mysterious pharaoh, a band of secretive revolutionary ladies, same old villains (with some new goons), same delightful main characters (plus two more!), and definitely no booby traps!!

Ellie and Adam have made their way from British Honduras to Cairo, where they are off on their next adventure, bringing along Ellie's best friend Constance and her guardian, to find her brother Neil on his archaeological dig at the tombs in Saqqara. As you may imagine, the baddies have also figured out that's where they need to be, so clashes abound in the fight to be the first to find this next magical artefact!

This book brings back our beloved characters of Ellie and Adam, letting the two of them try to figure out what their relationship can and should look like (with Ellie not wanting to be married as it is a tyranny against women at the time, and Adam not wanting to be a cad and prove his father right- oh what a crossroads!!) as they both get to show off what they're best at: Ellie's insane memory and deep knowledge of Ancient Egypt and Adam's skills with a machete. However, the real fun comes from the new characters brought into their world and mission. Constance Tyrell, daughter of an Indian princess, is a spitfire ball of energy (I believe danger gnome also works) ready to defend her friends with her mad jiu jitsu skills and secret talents in espionage. Her presence is just one of many things that cause Ellie's brother/Adam's best friend Neil (our other new character!! what a confusing time for him!!) to be stressed. This hapless academic is full of fear, knowledge, and a powerful intuition that I want to learn more about!! Our local pals here, foreman Sayyid, his wife Zeineb, and Umm Waseem and her crew round out the story so well, with great insights into the Egyptian side of the British colonialism that destroyed their culture and society.

The heart of this book, other than the wonderful characters, is the historical myth surrounding a mysterious and short-ruled pharaoh. I loved learning about Ancient Egypt as a child and this book scratched those itches again (and caused many a tab to be opened as I deep dove back into different aspects of this ancient civiliation). The story is handled with care and a lot of strong commentary on colonialism that I really respected!!

This series is shaping up to be one of my favorites and I absolutely cannot WAIT until we find out more about book three!!! More artefacts please!!! Thank you so much to Jacquelyn Benson for a chance to read this as a part of her street team, and to NetGalley for giving me another chance to spread the news about this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Book Funnel, Jacquelyn Benson, and the publisher for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.75 stars

I loved this book so much. I’m so happy to be with Ellie and Adam again. I’m glad that the conversations about women’s rights, education, and marriage continued in Book 2. This book was steeped more in religion than in the Book 1. The new side characters were a perfect addition to give a sense of found family. Constance is a badass. She wants to live life as an adventure. Neil is a stubborn and hyper-focused academic. He doesn’t try to understand the people around him. I can’t wait to follow them on their next adventure!