I received an ARC of Tomb of the Sun King, written by Jacquelyn Benson and performed by Alex Picard in return for my review. I had received the audio arc a bit late so i wasn’t able to finish listening to it fully before providing this review but i did read it before. I will say that Alex Picard does an amazing job of bringing the book to life. We continue to follow Ellie and Adam as they travel to Egypt to look for the next Arcana which they believe has to do with the staff of Moses and her brothers expedition. They also have to have a conversation with Neil because Adam and Neil had gone to university together and were best friends. Adam and Ellie were also needing to figure out what they were to each other. Along the way to get to Neil, they run into Connie who brings herself along for the journey because she’s wanting to avoid being married off adn wants an adventure of her own. I had mentioned previously that i was hoping she would get her own story, it would seem that for now we’re getting a story with all of them together.
I absolutely adored the way they introduced Neil and his foreman Sayyid, they were busy working at a tomb, and Ellie had to rush into the tumb by tumbling in to hide from the baddies and at first Neil just said “oh hi Peanut” before he continued to work and it took him far too long to realize that she was in Egypt and not in England. It was very absentminded professor of him. He and Sayyid got dragged into the adventure of looking for the tomb of Nefertiti or Nepherneferatum a pharaoh, they determine that they are one and the same and they need to get to the tomb first before the others get there. It was a wonderful book and i loved how much of a green flag Adam was with Ellie, he said he needed time and they discussed their needs together, he didn’t just hide his thoughts or needs from her or be too much of a “man” about it. Plus, they finally got their heads out of their rears long enough to realize at the end that there are different ways that they can form a relationship. Its ok for them to be outside of the box like Sayyid and his wife though Sayyid didn't know that his wife was a revolutionary at the time. As always Jacquelyn Benson does an amazing job of immersing ourselves into the world of an ancient civilization and i loved all the banter. The next book will be in India and I can’t wait to see the developing relationship between Connie and Neil. their relationship is very different from Adam’s and Ellie’s but its still very cute. Plus, i loved the fact that she had Sayyid be the one to use the staff of moses to hide the tomb, this time they didn’t just drop a mountain on the place, but used the sand to hide it until it was safe to return. I gave the book and the audiobook 5 stars and i am looking forward to see what happens next. Once i finish the audiobook and create my podcast episode i will see what i can do about attaching the podcast episode to this review. Which will go into more detail

If you loved Indiana Jones or The Mummy, this is the book for you. This is book 2 in the Raiders of Arcana series, and it is an action packed, yearning, and occasionally comedic book that follows Ellie and Adam on their adventure to Egypt to stop a secret society from uncovering ancient relics with untold power. In this book we have additional point of views from Ellies best friend and her brother. This was a 5 Star listen, the narrator truly brought every character to life and the ease in which she spoke the Egyptian words was fantastic!

Ellie and Adam are the cutest! I really enjoyed the first book in this series Empire of Shadows, and part of the reason was the brilliant voice acting from Alex Picard. Her English accent just gives me so much The Mummy vibes (one of my favourite movies of all time). With Tomb of the Sun King exploring the one of Egypt's greatest mystery I was super excited. What could be more "Mummy/Indiana Jones" than an Egyptian setting!
In addition to chasing down lost artifacts and exploring tombs, we have the cute romantic development between Ellie and Adam continuing, this time with some hardship of reality kicking in.
Another fab book and can not recommend it enough for someone looking for a kickass historical adventure.
Thanks to Netgalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for the ALC.

5⭐️s! I’m so here for this series. I enjoyed this book more, and I don’t feel like that happens often with the second book. So excited to read what’s next for Ellie, Adam, Neil, and Constance. The moments between Ellie and Adam were so good!! Love they dug deeper into their relationship. Neil was such a good addition!! Constance was so scandalous for the time, and proved to be so fun. I highly recommend this series. Please consider reading Empire of Shadows and Tomb of the Sun King to support and wonderful author.

@it_sounds_like_alex, I am truly in awe of your narrating. Just utterly amazing work to have so many characters shine.

Thank you to @jbensonink @netgalley and Vaughn Woods Publishing for the advanced listener copy.

3.5 rounded up.

I preferred the pace and relationship tension of the first book as the sequel felt a bit slow and disjointed in the middle because there were more characters that took away from the central characters of Ellie and Adam.

But there was enough of a balance of character growth and action to still be enjoyable.

I liked that the topics of appropriation and the history of Western countries stealing historical artifacts were touched upon sensitively.

I was hoping the physical aspect of the central relationship wasn't as closed door as it turned out to be because I always feel the build up of tension isn't worth it, but I respect the author's choice not to include spice even though it's an adult book.

My thanks for the audio ARC goes to NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Historical Fantasy, Romantasy, Victorian Fantasy, Historical Fantasy Adventure
Spice Level: Fade to black
Language: A little profanity
Readability: I haven't read the first and it would have been nice but each book basically seems to stand on its own.

*TOMB OF THE SUN KING* somewhat reminds me of Elizabeth Peters' books because of the archeology in Egypt and the tone of the characters—both Benson and Peters create a rollicking good time.

Women are navigating the perils of society, Egypt, and would be murderers all while maintaining their wardrobe. The good men are supportive and learning how to be better men. The bad men are closed-minded and people you'll love to hate in this book.

I love how our main character's brother is constantly having everything he thought he knew about the world turned upside down. Poor fellow! As an academic, he never thought of the world outside of his books and research. Surprise! There's magic. Oh, and your sister is amazing. And of course, someone wants to murder you too.

The one thing that bugged me slightly was how the two main female characters went on and on about societal expectations and how one might take a lover and how the other is shocked and how much they want a physical relationship with handsome men . . . I could have cut out at least 1/2 of their discussion and been perfectly happy to move forward with the rest of the plot.

Overall, I loved the book and the pressure from the baddies, and the tomb, and the treasure, and the secrets revealed.

Happy reading!

Yet another wonderful listening experience from Alex Picard. The variety of accents—American, British, Indian, Scottish, and several Egyptian ones—turned this book into a feat that she conquered. I also appreciate her ability to swiftly switch between male and female voices. This is my second time around reading this story, and listening through it has made me relive my love for the troublesome characters and their heart-shuddering adventures. I will be coming back for more—both for Jacquelyn Benson's writing and Alex Picard's narration.

Tomb of the Sun King is the perfect sequel in the Raiders of the Arcana series. Having already read the book, which I loved, I knew I was in for a treat by listening to it. I expected it to feel like visiting an old friend. Oh, but I was wrong. Alex Picard breathes new life into an already vibrant story.

I fell in love with this narrator's work in the first book in this series, Empire of Shadows. Alex Picard is so talented that it's easy to forget there's only one person behind all the voices. Her tone, her pacing, and everything else are spot on.

Do yourself a favor. Grab a copy and expect to be swept away into a story filled with wonderful characters and unexpected twists and turns.

I want to thank Netgalley for the ARC review copy. I absolutely loved the story that has transpired and loved the first book as well. The adventure was wonderful and the relationship between the MFC and MMC is still as cute and adorable as before. I can't get enough of these two but like others have said it felt like the original main characters from book one are in the background and it made me a bit sad. The new friends were still amazing and worth the read.

Now here is my issue because the story is a strong 4.5 ⭐ but because I listened to the audiobook I needed to bring up the issue I had which is why there is 3 ⭐ s and not higher. She was so hard to understand and some of the words nearly impossible to decipher. Her cadence was also so weird that it was very difficult for me to find a good speed to listen to ( Goldilocks over here). So between the accent and the cadence I wouldn't recommend the audio version but to go with the written version.

I really liked the narrator, it took me a little bit to get used to the strong british accent for my french ears but after 1-2 chapters it was completely fine and kept me focused. Also I appreciated the accents and voices well done for each characters. The story is as good as the first book, well written and nice banter. I defended recommend it

As always, reading The Raiders of the Arcana has given me a strong desire to watch The Mummy, read some Dan Brown books, and maybe plan a trip to Egypt (or anywhere with historical ruins really). Tomb of the Sun King once again follows Ellie and Adam as they attempt to thwart Mr. Jacobs and Professor Dawson from getting their hands on a powerful relic: in this case, the staff of Moses. However. This time we also get new POVs from Ellie’s brother, Neil, and her best friend, Constance.
I always enjoy stories that play on lost artifacts or historical lore/theories (think Davinci Code) and this series is rapidly becoming a favorite for me. I love how much information we get in this series and the respect for culture Benson shows through her characters. The action is always intense, the surprises are fun, and the romantic tensions are delicious. I also like that we get the tiniest hint of background for Mr. Jacobs and am particularly interested in seeing how that plays out later. Of course, the final chapters have me eager for the next book and I cannot wait to see what happens in India!
Alex Picard once again knocks it out of the park with her narration. She finds a way to make each character have their own style and voice, she switches accents like it is nothing, and she knows how to make things sound dramatic. Simply fantastic.

I absolutely love this series! It has such The Mummy meets Victorian era vibes and I am here for it. I love the Egyptian archaeological setting. This story is full of good vs evil twists and turns that makes it hard to step away. I enjoyed the growth of Ellie and Adam’s relationship, and the addition of Ellie’s best friend Constance made the story so fun! Definitely recommend this one!

4.5 ⭐️
This has been such a wonderful story to follow. My immediate interest came from seeing book one all over TikTok (rightfully so), and this is such a novel continuation from book one as the story takes hold. Filled with adventure and all the best reading (listening) vibes. I enjoyed listening to the audio of book two and look forward to devouring more works from this author.

☆Thank you to the Author & NetGalley for the ALC in return for an honest review; all opinions are my own.☆

5⭐️
0.5-1🌶

I originally read this as an ARC last year, but I knew that as soon as audiobook arcs were sent out, that I would want to read this one again! The narrator, Alex Picard, is PHENOMENAL! She really brings the story and the characters to life.

TOMB OF THE SUN KING follows Ellie and Adam in continuing their good vs. evil fight, and are joined by Ellie's childhood best-friend, Connie, and Ellie's brother, Neil, amongst others. This is book 2, but so far it is my favorite! It was so nice to see Ellie and Adam's relationship blossom even more, and to see what the big bad of the series might be thinking.

If you're a fan of:
▪︎the 1999 film The Mummy
▪︎steamy scenes
▪︎ action & adventure
▪︎ magic
Then this is probably the series for you!

Unfortunately I did not realise that this was a second instalment of a series :(
BUT I’m so glad I found it because I am so intrigued with this series and will definitely read the first one ASAP

What fun! This is the second book in Jacquelyn Benson’s Raiders of the Arcana series of Victorian fantasy adventures with a slow-burn romance and a hint of the supernatural. This continued storyline series is best enjoyed in order, especially to prevent spoilers, but this volume can stand on its own. Although I haven’t read the first book yet, I never felt lost.

I adored the characters. Both main characters and supporting characters include admirably smart, strong, resourceful, independent ladies. The men are fun too, but I think the women definitely outshine them.

The plot is interesting and exciting, and I loved the Egyptian setting. If you enjoyed the movie The Mummy, you will probably enjoy this too, although I think the history and mythology are even more interesting here.

The audiobook production was excellent, and Alex Picard’s narration was a delight. She was fun to listen to, with good pacing; clear pronunciation; wonderfully distinctive voices, accents, and speech patterns to suit each character; and the ability to convey mood, emotion, and humor effectively. The story works very well as an audiobook, and I highly recommend it. I also look forward to listening to the rest of the series.

Thanks to Vaughan Woods Publishing for providing me with a free advanced review copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

Tomb of the Sun King is the second book in the Raiders of the Arcana series by Jacquelyn Benson. We still follow Ellie and Adam as they arrive in Egypt to warn Ellie's brother Neil of the shadowy organisation that is trying to find magical artifacts and use them for nefarious purposes. And it seems their next goal is connected to Neil's excavation in Saqqara.

With the new location come new and old characters that get more spotlight in this second book. No only is Neilp art of the team, but also Ellie's friend Constance and Neil's foreman Sayyid. This opens up the narrative quite a bit and since they all bring their own strengths and flaws to the table, the book makes for a very engaging read.

After the first book dove into mesoamerican history, the second concentrates completely on Egyptian history and makes it its own. I loved the different historical sites and figures.

The audiobook is narrated by Alex Picard - just like Empire of Shadows. She does a great job of using different accents and voices so that it's always easy to differentiate between the various characters. I read the first book physically and felt that the second book was even better with the narration. It added so much feeling and emotion to the story and the characters and made everything come to life.

In the end, I loved this book as much as the first one - maybe even a little bit more since I really enjoyed the characters that were added. This series is perfect for fans of The Mummy or Indiana Jones - especially with this second book. And you can't go wrong with the audiobook. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series since it promises another great adventure.

Book 2 did not disappoint. It was full of the same attention to historical detail as book 1. I personally love Egyptian history and I love the focus on women impacted history. Ellie and Adam's relationship is everything and I love the tension there. I'm curious how Connie and Neil will evolve in book 3. I liked the revelations this book and how it sets you up for book 3.

Book is even better as an audiobook. The narrator is great. It really brought the words to life. I read this book twice because of the narrator being wonderful and wanting to read the story again. So many details. Beautifully done.

The world building is beautifully done and I felt like I was there. I like the depth of the characters and felt that they were realistic. I felt that this story is adventure/questing more than romantasy. It does have magical and romantic elements, but it's not the main storyline.

It felt there were multiple POVs and I think the chapters would have benefited from labeling the POV it was in. I liked that it was multi-POV and the different perspectives gave a richness since there was many layers to the story.

Overall, I feel this story is perfect for anyone who loves Indiana Jones, Egyptian culture, strong female leads, historical fictions, and adventure/questing. There is kissing and sexual tension, but no graphic scenes. You do not need to read book 1 to enjoy this book, however, some things will make more sense if you read book 1 first. Worth reading book 1.

Excellent read. Highly Recommend.

Ellie & Adam must race to Egypt to beat Jacobs & Dawson to finding the tomb that hides the staff of Moses. Teaming up with Ellie’s friend Connie, her brother Neil, and his friend Sayyid, they hope to protect a lost tomb that will redefine Egypt’s history.

No sequel slump here! The relationship of Ellie and Adam stayed solid as they communicated and stuck together, the Egypt archaeology had me totally hooked and had me researching things as the story progressed (always a positive sign, for me).

In addition, we get some absolutely delightful new characters. We get more of Connie, whose brief appearance in the first book was a delight. And getting more depth on her character, while she also sweeps in to save the day was fantastic. Ellie’s brother Neil, as the slightly bumbling expert, was fun, but where he truly shined was the development he undergoes as he really starts to process the discrimination both Ellie and Sayyid are subjected to. And Sayyid! What can I say about home, but then I want a whole spin off novel of him and his wife, Zeinab, as they work together fighting for Egypt’s independence.

While I still was a huge fan of the romance between Ellie and Adam, I’m less invested in Neil and Connie, who seem remarkably ill suited for each other, which saw its foundation in this book. Hopefully, book three will give them more time to grow. But I find myself also hoping not. We don’t need every main good character paired off in a romantic relationship.

And I am so invested to finding out more of Jacobs’s history. Taking the more overtly villainous character and opening up so many questions about him has really sealed me in for book three.

This series also seems to be falling into a pattern of the White Savior trope with Ellie and Adam and Neil being the driving forces behind saving the world, which makes me very interested in book three as we will be getting Connie and the gang going to India, where her family is from. I’d love to see her take more center stage.

And now for the narrator! I had already read and reviewed an eARC of this book last year. But when I saw the audiobook go up I immediately had to request it purely because of Alex Picard’s work on the first book of the series. She does a fantastic job giving each character such a strong and unique individual voice that I know whose POV we’re in without any other clues. And the emotion she conveys throughout is amazing. I’m ready to seek out books she’s narrated without any more context.

My thanks to both NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for this arc!

This is the 2nd installment of the Raiders of the Arcana Series. It picks up shortly after the first book left of, with Ellie and Adam travelling to Egypt to visit her brother Felix’s dig site. They enlist the help of Ellie’s best friend Constance, who also happens to be in Egypt. I LOVED the first book and the second did not disappoint! Ellie and Felix, along with several interesting local Egyptians, use their extensive knowledge of history to pull together clues that tell a story that no other archeologist of their time would consider as possible.

It's amazing that the author continues to tell the hard truths about past and how Europe’s fascination with archaeology and poor practices often led to important historic items being sold away or stolen from the places and people they belonged to. It also brings up how poorly local experts were treated in the process.

There is also a lot of action and funny moments. Various new and interesting characters were introduced. My favorite was definitely Connie, the thrill-seeking martial artist and debutant, who also happens to be the granddaughter of an Indian princess!

The audiobook is narrated by Alex Picard, who yet again did an amazing job. She seamlessly swapped back and forth between the various character’s accents. The pacing and rhythm was spot on!

I can’t wait to read/listen to more in the next book!