Jacquelyn Benson has done it again with Tomb of the Sun King! This second installment in the Raiders of the Arcana series continues to deliver on the adventure, historical intrigue, and romance that made the first book so captivating. If you’re a fan of Indiana Jones or The Mummy, this book is the perfect blend of ancient mysteries, magical artifacts, and exhilarating tomb raiding.

The relationship between Ellie and Adam is truly one of the highlights. Unlike many similar adventure romances, Ellie and Adam feel like equal partners, with unique strengths and complementary talents. Their chemistry is palpable, and their dialogue feels refreshingly real. The way they navigate both perilous situations and their evolving relationship is incredibly engaging—neither character is overshadowed, making their dynamic even more compelling.

Neil’s character development was another standout. Watching his growth throughout the book added depth to the story, and I’m excited to see where his journey leads. Constance, with her fearless personality and sharp wit, was an absolute delight, bringing even more excitement and feminist energy to the novel.

The story kept me hooked, and I’m eager to see what happens next for this adventuring team.

Overall, Tomb of the Sun King delivers exactly what I hoped for: a thrilling adventure with a side of romance and a dash of magic.

I haven't read the first book in this series - I didn't realise it was the second book in the series.
But I went straight into the audiobook anyway and found I didn't feel lost at all.
What a great adventure and fun ride! Nice banter between the characters and the audiobook was an easy listen.

I liked the first book in this series, but I loved book 2 so much more. Ellie and Adam are in Egypt searching for an artifact, and also for a solution on how these two can be together. I appreciated how conflicted Ellie is about marriage - it felt realistic and handled well.

My favourite part of this one was the introduction of Ellie’s friend Connie and her brother, Neil. It added a fun dynamic to the story (and a nice boost of romance too).

The narration was perfect! I didn’t listen to the first one, so the narrator was new to me and it added so much to the story.


I can’t wait to continue this adventures!

Empire of Shadows ended with Ellie and Adam learning where the baddies were likely heading next, which just happened to be Ellie's older brother's archeological dig site. The duo make their way there with Ellie's best friend Connie, who really wants to live a little. Things get complicated very quickly once they reach Ellie's brother, and we are on with more action and adventure! Jacquelyn's writing allowed me to picture the whole book so clearly; I could see it being adapted for screen. I love the way she writes humor into her story, and the characters are all fun in their own ways.

I enjoyed Tomb of the Sun King immensely. Book one caught my interest, but book two has me invested. I can't wait to see what else happens with Ellie and Adam!

The audio production was very good. There was only one narrator, but she was able to make the different characters distinct enough to keep straight. I was able to speed it up without losing clarity without issue.

Thanks to Jacquelyn, Vaughn Woods Publishing, and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook for an honest review.

"Tomb of the Sun King" is a good option for fans of Indiana Jones-style adventures, historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. The story follows Ellie Mallory, our intrepid heroine, as she delves into the heart of ancient Egypt. Joined by her equally adventurous (though perhaps less experienced) step-brother Neil and the formidable Constance, Ellie embarks on a perilous journey through treacherous tombs, deciphers cryptic clues, and grapples with the complexities of Victorian society and the realities of colonialism.

Alex Picard delivers a masterful narration, giving a voice to each character and making the listening experience immersive and unforgettable. Benson weaves a fast-paced and captivating tale of adventure, romance, and historical intrigue, filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Vaughan Woods Publishing, NetGalley, and the editorial team - thanks for giving me the opportunity to review an audiobook ARC of this publication!

Estimated publication date: 14 Jan 2025 (audiobook release)

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#TomboftheSunKing #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

This audiobook is a wonderfully entertaining Victorian archeology adventure romp, (Indian Jones like) with lots of humour, some arcanum magic and a continued fight against the villains trying to steal ancient artefacts for unknown evil purposes. Following on from book one the story moves from South America to Egypt. Ellie and Adam continue their somewhat romantic interactions, while trying to deal with the ‘needs of Victorian society propriety’ much to Ellie’s, suffragette leaning, disgruntlement. This made me laugh so much. This time Ellie’s brother Neil, and her best friend Constance, are drawn into the action. Though only one of them has a modicum of adventuring ability. That would be Constance, ready to put into practice the skills she has been learning. As for Neil, he isn’t ready at all but circumstance means he better adapt quickly indeed. Listen to book one first if you can, you will love it too. Also it would appear book three is in the offing. I am looking forward to that a lot. Thank you to Vaughan Woods Publishing and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I just finished the ALC of this book and I am so glad that I got the opportunity to listen to it. I love the narrator, she does such a good job portraying each character. This is like National Treasure and The Mummy in a book. The characters are super interesting and easy to love. I also absolutely love the amount of ancient history in this series!

Absolutely amazing!! Alex Picard is such a talent as a narrator, I spent the entire audiobook in suspense because she made each character’s voice and personality come alive!

Tomb of the Sun King was such an epic follow up to Empire of Shadows! It never ceases to amaze me how much detail and research Jacquelyn Benson puts into each book. I’m honestly blown away. First Colonial British Honduras, now colonial Egypt - I can’t wait to head to Colonial India and see what shenanigans Ellie, Adam, Connie, and Neil get up to in book 3!

AHHHH I was so excited to get this audio arc. I got book one for my birthday last year and purposely waited for the audio to come out because I think romance books are better in audio. Obviously, personal opinion.

This book picks up right where the last one ended. Of course, we have our favorite couple but also some new characters and secondary characters from the first book that become main characters. A possible secondary romance plot? This time we're in Egypt which I love. I've always loved Egyptian mythology so this was right up my alley. I loved all of the new characters. I love how the ending set us up perfectly for book number three, which can not come quickly enough!

Our narrator did a fantastic job as always. I love her male voice for Adam. I feel like a lot of female narrators can't pull off male characters but that was not a problem. Additionally, she was very easy to follow at an increased speed.

Jacquelyn Benson, the woman that you are. I LOVE this series so much and the edition of this amazing cast of characters has made the story even more rich. This fun romp takes our characters and the stakes to the next level and I cannot WAIT for the next installment.

I am taking away a star simply because we got less of Ellie and Adam’s relationship in this book. Given that the timeline is shorter and we have more characters taking up space, it’s understandable but I feel just as touch starved for that couple as they do.

This series has been so good! My Indiana Jones/Rick O’Connell loving heart is just giddy every time I think about Adam. I did love the first book more than this one just because I felt there was more tension and page time for Adam and Ellie. The new characters were fun, but I needed all Adam!

The audio itself is a definite 5 stars. Alex does an outstanding job with the narration. I hope to see more of Adam’s and Ellie’s adventures.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

The audiobooks for this series are some of my absolute favorites!! And that’s due to the combination of the captivating narration and phenomenal writing. This is historical fantasy at its best. The romance, the banter, the thrilling adventure, the feminism, the archeological discoveries. The bromance! And just enough fantasy elements to keep it intriguing but not overtake the historical plot. The detail to the historical elements is just astounding. And I appreciated the author’s explanation at the end of which elements were historically accurate and which were invented for the sake of the plot.

I also appreciated that the author showed the consequences of imperialism and British colonialism that the native people of Egypt had to face every single day. I think one of the most important moments in the book is when Neil has to face the reality of the differences in privilege between him and Sayyid, who isn’t able to research his own ancestors and history. Neil’s character arc was the most significant in this one and initially I wasn’t sure I was going to like his character. But he grew on me as he came to realize his mistakes and the white male privilege that he’d been taking for granted. His and Constance’s dynamic was highly entertaining and I cannot wait to see it play out more.

Adam and Ellie will forever remain my loves. I loved how they worked out the best way forward for them as a couple regardless of societal norms and expectations. Adam is true book boyfriend material.

Also shoutout to the female revolutionaries!! What a delightful surprise!

It’s always so much fun returning to this series and I’m left eagerly waiting for the next book. Especially since we’re going to India next!!

After recently listening to Empire of Shadows and really enjoying it, I was very pleased to receive the audio ARC of Tomb of the Sun, the second book in the Raiders of the Arcana series. Ellie and Adam continue their adventure this time in Egypt and are joined by Ellie's best friend, Constance, and her brother, Neil. I love that both female characters are very strong women and that Adam is very supportive of Ellie’s independent thinking. The villainous characters from Empire of Shadows are in this book too. This is fast paced and engaging and I highly recommend it to others especially fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Mummy. The narrator, Alex Picard, did a fabulous job.
Thank you NetGalley and Vaughan Woods Publishing for the arc of the audiobook.

#netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Jacquelyn Benson, and Vaughan Woods Publishing.

This is a great audiobook. I have enjoyed the narrator for this series. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good audiobook.

I loved Tomb of the Sun King even more than the first book! I received an audiobook for both books in the series and honestly love the narrator so much. The narrator does an amazing job and makes me love the book even more. I was so excited for the second book after the ending of the first. We are left with the perfect semi-cliff hangar and hints for what is to come. This second installment of The Raiders of the Arcana series takes place in Egypt and I couldn't be happier! First I love Egyptian lore and mythology so I always love books focusing on Egypt. Second, The Mummy is forever one of my comfort movies so I love all The Mummy vibes in this series. It's perfect!

One of my favorite things from this book has to be the four pov's. Ellie and Adam are once again so funny and their relationship continues to grow. I love their interactions. But for me Constance stole the show. We are introduced to her in the first book as Ellie's best friend who encourages Ellie to go on her adventure. Constance is fearless and honestly a hellion. I loved all of her parts in the book. Add Ellie's brother Neil to the mix and we have a hilarious group of main characters. All of their interactions were so funny and I don't know how they got anything accomplished!

Once again the storytelling was incredible and really pulled me in from the start. I love this world and the characters and can't wait to see where the next book goes. Highly recommend this series!

Thank you to Jacquelyn Benson, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for this arc!

I will be posting my review to instagram/amazon on Jan 14th (publication day).

(Disclaimer: I received the audiobook from the publisher, but this has in no way influenced my review. My thoughts are entirely unbiased and honest.)

5 Golden Fiddlesticks!

This has been my most anticipated sequel this year, and how it ended definitely met my expectations.

I’m so glad that Ellie, our heroine, finally had character development, and her feminism became more grounded in reality (hahaha). Her romance with the best guy ever, Adam Bates, also had me squealing right to my elbows.

My absolute favorite character, though, is Constance, and her few chapters were so amusing.

(I may or may not have a small crush on her.)

On a more serious note, this book is better story-wise because, while it’s still mostly character-centric with different POVs, it achieves a nice balance with the adventure backdrop.

It’s entertaining to follow, but also satisfying because the emotional journey really paid off (something the first book lacked, in my opinion).

I’m so thankful that this book had an audiobook version because the narrator really brought the prose and banter to life.

As a newbie historical nut, I can tell that the author is not only well-informed but also skilled as a fiction writer. They managed to integrate theories, debates, and speculations about Egyptian history (herstory) in an engaging way. This is a great introduction for those who aren’t as familiar with the discipline, making it both educational and entertaining.

I really enjoyed the other characters, especially the female revolutionaries with Zeinab. Herstory matters—especially for those whose pasts were stolen from them, both materially and immaterially.

I do hope that for the next book (which, by the way, will be set in India—yay!), there will be more chapters with our female protagonists, Ellie and Constance because if there’s one thing I didn't enjoy at all, it was that there were so MANY chapters from Neil's perspective. I personally don't care about him and he’s really annoying skdkdk I hope he has fewer chapters in the third book.

Overall, Tomb of the Sun King had a perfect balance of comedy, yearning, and action—so kudos to the author and editor (if they had one).

If you're still reading this review, don’t hesitate to start the entire series and join the adventure!

I absolutely loved this sequel! This may be one of my new favorite series. I loved the setting of this one in particular---Egypt is one of my favorite places to read about. The (reintroduction) introduction of Neal, Constance, Sayyid and Zeinab made for a well-rounded main cast that were all interesting and well-developed in their own right. The fast paced adventure was just as enjoyable as the first book and I look forward to what more this series has to offer. I also highly recommend the audiobook for this series. The narrator does an excellent job of doing all the distinct voices of the characters.

I received an ARC of this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to the publishers for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This series holds a special place in my heart, and the audiobook narration makes it even better! I think anyone could make an easy comparison between the Raiders of the Arcana and The Mummy (1999). Benson takes everything good from the film (adventure, history, swoon-worthy roguish American man and intelligent woman) but puts her own unique spin on it.

I could talk for hours about the things that Benson does well in this book, but the one that stuck out to me (and one that some similar books have failed in) is the flaws and struggles of the characters. Our four mains, Ellie, Adam, Neil, and Constance, have all live with inerrant privilege, and have to learn and grow as they navigate the complex world they are thrust into. Each had a really compelling internal struggle that they grappled with throughout the book. It was realistic and juicy and handled extremely well.

I am so excited that Book 3 is in development right now. Benson laid some hints as to what's to come (India? More encounters with Jacobs?) that have me needing the sequel ASAP.

This has quickly become one of my comfort series. Jacquelyn Benson deserves every award possible because she managed to bring back “The Mummy” nostalgia, while making this book wholly unique. She puts so much research into this series, and as an Ancient Egyptian enthusiast, she did the history such justice. Nefertiti is one of my favorite female figureheads, and Benson wrote her magnificently. The introduction of Sayyid, Zainab, Neil, and Constance were such great additions to this group. While I missed experiencing lots of banter between Adam and Ellie, I really love the new characters too. Jacobs continues to be one of my favorite, multi-faceted villains of 2024, and I am so grateful NetGalley gave me a free audiobook. It was the best Christmas present ever!!!

Ellie and Adam are at it again. Thrilling, exciting and their romance is so cute. They deeply adore and admire each that. The secondary romance was nice to read about as well. I loved the narration, it was perfect.

Cannot wait for their adventure in India next.