I adored the first book with it's 1999 Mummy vibes, delicious duo and action packed plot. My only criticism of that one, was it got a bit clumpy at times due to the historical dumps that would occur.
Book Two is a brilliant continuation of this series, our lovable duo are back and this time they've got friends which was a great addition, everyone loves a group dynamic. The slow burn tension that I loved is still at its best and the story was action packed in a swashbuckling adventure full of romance, comedy and magic.
Once again the only thing I personally struggle with is history info dumps as this pulls me out of the story but I still loved it and can't wait for more from this series.

Such an incredible continuation of Raiders of the Arcana series! While I did find the book quite dense just due to the amount of history brought into the pages, I think Jacquelyn does an amazing job of bringing in factual bits of history along with the magic of the story.

The addition of Connie and Neil to the crew was PERFECT - their dynamic is hilarious and I’m obsessed with Constance. Sayyid and Zeinab were also new additions that really rounded out the group dynamics! I love the way that women are written in this series - there is such a strong focus on the strength and intelligence of women, and I love how each character pushes back against oppression and patriarchal expectations in different ways.

Ellie and Adam’s slow burn love story is killing me in the best way. While we didn’t get as much alone time with them, the tension was just delicious and I am SO excited to see where their story takes them!

A lovely continuation of the series! I appreciate that this book really tackles colonialism and the British field of egyptology. A lot of historical romance books tend to gloss over these issues but not here. Looking forward to the next.

Ah! I finished this months ago and neglected to leave a review 🫣. I love this series! It’s full of adventure and I thought the new characters were a fantastic addition. I LOVE a witty and strong willed FMC like we got in Constance paired with an academic like Neil. I’m excited to see what artifact and adventure this crew goes on next.

I LOVE THIS BOOK AND I LOVE JACQUELINE BENSON. JACQUELINE'S BOOKS ARE AN AUTO-BUY FOR ME, AND I HOPE HER WRITING CAREER FLOURISHES AND MORE PEOPLE WILL DISCOVER HER BOOKS. Anyway, this sequel to "Empire of Shadows" was so full of adventure, romance, comedy, and the most charming cast of characters. Absolutely loved it. A rollicking, swashbuckling adventure book. So so so much fun!

Such a great continuation of Raiders of the Arcana series! While I did find the book quite dense just due to the amount of history brought into the pages, I think Jacquelyn Benson does an amazing job of bringing in factual bits of history along with the magic of the story.

The addition of Connie and Neil to the crew was PERFECT - their dynamic is hilarious and I’m obsessed with Constance. Sayyid and Zeinab were also new additions that really rounded out the group dynamics! I love the way that women are written in this series - there is such a strong focus on the strength and intelligence of women, and I love how each character pushes back against oppression and patriarchal expectations in different ways.

Ellie and Adam’s slow burn love story is killing me in the best way. While we didn’t get as much alone time with them, the tension was just delicious and I am SO excited to see where their story takes them!

After finishing the first book in this series, Empire of Shadows (5⭐️), I jumped right into the second book. This story picks up right where the other one left off. It was cute and witty, and I wish I had loved it as much as the first one. It’s a bit more focused on the love story and it just felt a bit repetitive at times. Still very glad I read this second book!

👉 I would recommend this book to
Readers looking for a fun and lighthearted adventure book.
Fans of Jungle Cruise or Indiana Jones.

I really appreciated the Mummy vibes and the discussion of the consequences of colonialism and treasure hunting. selfishly, I wish the romance had more of an adult feel with at least one spice scene. I come to expect that form books marketed as adult fantasy romances.

3.5 stars

I absolutely adored Empire of Shadows so I was SO excited to get early access to book 2!!! I compared EoS to The Mummy and Romancing the Stone (the highest of compliments) and this one continued that feel, it had action and romance, mystery and adventure! I loved that this one continued right off from the first book and we got more Ellie and Adam but we also had Constance (Ellie's BFF) and Dr. Neil (Ellie's bro and Adams's BFF) join in on the adventure this time. They added a fun dynamic to the mix and I loved that we got POV chapters from them as well. Constance is a fearless badass and Neil is a hopeless academic. I loved the Egyptian history in this one, I recently read a few historical fiction novels set in the time periods they were researching so it was really cool to understand a lot of the history they were talking about! I also loved the side characters, their names escape me at the moment, it was an Egyptian husband and wife and I loved how they were revolutionary and the care they had for their culture. I CANNOT wait for book 3, please give it to us soon!!!

I was excited to get this I really loved the first book. And to continue on with Ellie and Adam's adventures in Egypt! More fun and adventure that had me laughing and groaning as things go wrong. I great story!

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this free & gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is such a refreshing read and series in a world where sometimes it can be tricky to find something new & unique. If you love history or archaeology, you need this series in your life! If you specifically like Egyptian history or the Mummy film franchise, I think this will be right up your alley! While I personally preferred book 1 ever so slightly, this was an equally satisfying sequel & I eagerly await book 3! Ellie & Adam are a fantastic couple, each skilled & capable in their own right - I’ll protect them at all cost. What else I loved: the clear amount of knowledge/research that goes into these books by the author, the realistic dialogue & stand out side characters. There’s a great deal of growth here for some characters. My only notes are the same as book 1 - some parts are slower, some action sequences happen a tad too quickly. I longed for just a tad more action in some places, wishing there’d been some more trials or traps in some of the locations like we saw in book 1. This book also had a lot more focus on side characters & I’m clearly attached to Ellie & Adam, but I’m still glad we got to know these new characters - I just missed them a bit, that’s all. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the strong presence, impact & heroism of characters native to Egypt in a book that takes place in Egypt made my heart very happy! Our band of heroes established, I look forward to seeing where the series builds & continues to take us!

The first book in this series was fantastic. I therefore had enormous expectations before reading this novel. I liked that this book demonstrates a great deal of respect for the history and place being studied. This had a good conclusion that effectively set up the next book while concluding this section of the plot. I'll keep on with this series.

A wonderful sequel novel filled with faced paced adventure and great dialogue! Looking forward to what Jacquelyn Benson writes next as I definitely don't want to miss it.

Thank you to Crimson Fox Publishing and Jacquelyn Benson for allowing me to continue my adventure with Ellie and Adam by granting me a copy of book 2 of the Raiders of the Arcana series, Tomb of the Sun King.

Tomb of the Sun King boasts a race against time, lots of swashbuckling action as Ellie, Adam, and a cohort of new allies race all over Egypt to stop the dastardly villains from book 1 from pillaging magical, sacred historical artifacts and descreating ancient history. Jacquelyn Benson has the knack for mixing the perfect blend of historical fact with fantasy, adventure, humour, and romance to pull off a stunning caper that will keep you hooked with the mysteries and wonder of the Ancient Egyptian forgotten past. Her attention to detail is wonderful, including bringing to life the historical period's geo-political tensions and atmosphere of the time, focusing on the Egyptian struggles with British colonialism and theft of their ancient cultural heritage smuggled off to private collections and museums around the world.

What a motley bunch of fun characters get thrown into the fray in Tomb of the Sun King. Bringing new POVs to the storytelling's scope, entertainment, and chaos. Be prepared for lots of dynamic personalities, sassy banter, simmering tension, fumbling mishaps, and miscommunication. I laughed so much at the group dynamics, quirkiness, and the mad skills these wonderful weirdos brought to the mission.

The romantic relationship between Adam and Ellie is still burning hot with desire and doubt as they figure out their relationship. Ellie's battling her fear of the institution of marriage that will curtail her freedom and limit her rights. Adam craves doing the right thing to protect Ellie's reputation, but being noble backfired when he proposes, driving a wedge between them. Deep down, he wants to be at her side to love and support Ellie, whether she marries him or not. Scandal be damned.

A rip-roaring romp of a read full of exciting escapades, awesome adventure, peppering of passion, and a random, ragtag group that includes a secret group of rogue, revolutionary ladies with some mad skills. If you loved books like What The River Knows or movies like The Mummy and Indiana Jones, I think Jacquelyn Benson is a book that needs to be on your TBR. And… its not over – you will have the delights of another book in this global trotting adventure series, which continues east onto India!

This was such a great sequel! I am such a fan of the Mummy and Egyptian mythology, and this story does such a great combining them while also having amazing relationship and dialogue.

This was such a fun adventure. I loved getting to read about the history of Ancient Egypt as well as getting Hatshepsut’s reign and history in this as well.

The romance between Ellie and Adam was really cute and makes you laugh at times. I love the personally of Adam, he is the perfect MMC with a little bit of the goofiness and enough of the brute strength mentioned. I can’t wait to see where things lead with Connie and Neil. The next adventure is going to be just as awesome as the first two!

I absolutely love this series! Especially being an archaeologist, it's fun to read these adventures. I just can't get enough. I love the relationship between Ellie and Adam, I love Ellie as a character (she cracks me up), and overall these books feel like a comfort. The kind of books you just curl up with under a blanket and a cup of tea. Love it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST!

I could cry from how happy I was finishing this book and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. It's the perfect adventure wrapped up with even more characters that I can't wait to see more of in the third installment. Danger, magic, laughs, romance, history... it's just perfect. I hope the series never ends!

A wonderful and exciting continuation to the series. Ellie and Adam, swoon. Needy Neil and hellion Constance are a great add. There is also an underlying larger plot of a secret agency trying to get to famous artifacts (with great power), so I see this series going around the world.

Love Egypt, love Mummy (the movie), and I do love a swashbuckling couple, this book totally met all those needs.

#netgalley #TomboftheSunKing

Empire of Shadows was one of my favorite reads this year, but this one didn't have the same magic for me. I think my biggest issues honestly were that the I just completely adored the audio version of book one, so this one fell a little more flat since I just read this on kindle. Additionally, I wanted more Adam and Ellie. The romance bits were definitely a slowwwwwwww burn in this one, but I loved when they did happen. The Egyptian aspects were incredibly well-researched and I'm just so impressed with everything that went into this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review.