Reviews

5 ROLLED UP SHIRTSLEEVES OUT OF 5

This was wildly refreshing and I LOVED EVERY PAGE. For reasons other than Adam’s muscular forearms! Mostly. 75% other reasons, 25% forearms. All right, 60/40. Okay, let’s be real, it’s half and half. 💪

Jokes aside, this ATE on a new level. I could go on forever but for simplicity’s sake, here is a list of everything I loved SO MUCH about it:

pure brilliant unencumbered adventure
archeology fic at its peak
expedition fantasy (is this a thing? let’s make it a thing)
genuinely one for the Mummy girlies
sincerely researched
tactful awareness and discussion of colonialism
Ellie, a heroine accurate to her time period yet still well ahead of her time in ideas, courage, heart
ADAM
ADAM
ADAM!!!!
“romantasy” these days has become so rote but THIS - defies the overdone vibe of the genre so effortlessly I would never want to shelve it as romantasy cause it’s just that much better
case in point: cave kiss for the AGES
did I mention Adam??!!

neighbor_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

If you combined The Mummy (1999) and Indiana Jones into a book, you'd get Empire of Shadows. It's really perfect. Lovable main characters, action, danger, humor, some romance, and real stakes. The plot moves at a medium pace where I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. This is one of my new favorites and I can't wait for the sequel!

Content Warnings

writingandwhimsy's review

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4.75

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4.5/5

This book was an absolutely fantastic reading; taking me out of readers block and then dropping me back into it because I couldn't imagine how my next few reads could be so good. As someone who loves history, the world felt extraordinarly fleshed out and though I don't know much about this era yet, from the way it was written, I could tell it was historically accurate. I adored Ellie and Adam, and their chemistry is off the charts. I'm definitely going to be buying Empire of Shadows when it comes out, and I'm so excited to see their adventures continue!

cobaltbookshelf's review

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3.0

This book captivated me from the start. Benson’s descriptive story telling kept me hooked until the very end. It pieced together so many cool details from the era and setting, and combined with well-rounded characters. Ellie and Adam are amazing, their banter was great and enjoyed watching their relationship grow.
This a fun historical fiction adventure that is on point with The Mummy vibes! This book is the first in a series, so I cannot wait to next one!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

marygrace_'s review

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

alyp16's review

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

SO GOOD! The Mummy meets The Lost City (with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum) meets Indiana Jones meets National Treasure -esque of a book! Loved every bit of it. Love Ellie and Adam 🫰🏽

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