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A review by mxsallybend
The Copper Scroll: A Lesbian Adventure Novel by Robyn Nyx
4.0
The Golden Trinity was one of those perfect books that delivered exactly what I'd expected, in exactly the manner I'd hoped. It was well-written, with engaging characters, action-packed adventure, and sexual chemistry that was off the charts, leaving me desperately needing more.
With The Copper Scroll, Robyn Nyx has indeed given us more, and the way in which she explores the consequences and conflicts of a tomb-raider (Rayne Marcellus) in love with a serious archaeologist (Chase Stinsen) is fabulous. The first book was built around a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic arc, full of mistrust and anger, longing and desire, and those lingering issues aren't magically resolved just because they're now a couple. It never becomes overwhelming or tedious, never overshadows the romance or the adventure, but the reality of how to mesh or cross their worlds is an important part of the story. I loved them as a romantic couple even more than I loved their romantic tension, and it's adorable how they still manage to sneak in passionate kisses and caresses at the most dangerous, inopportune moments.
I really like what Nyx did with Gin and Tonyck here as well, fleshing out the characters and personalities of Rayne's kickass mercenary sidekicks. She makes us question their motives and wonder about their loyalties, viewing them in the mirror of the mercenary men who art part of this adventure, even as she reinforces those same loyalties, forcing a confrontation (and moment of revelation) with Chase. It's a small part of the story, but I loved the feel of a family on the edge, working to figure out how they all fit together with a new member.
Where this second book faltered just a bit for me was in the adventure. I said three things of the first book that have sort of come back to haunt me here. The first is that feminist mythology that was far more fascinating than the typical overdone Biblical nonsense that dominates the genre . . . and here we find Rayne and Chase in pursuit of nothing less than the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments. The second was that the story didn't just pay lip service to the adventure, it was almost entirely an off-the-grid, in-the-wild, underground adventure . . . and here we have a laid back quest that's more about the puzzles of Robert Langdon than the frantic excitement of Indiana Jones. The last was that the backdrop of terrorism, war, deforestation, and other crimes against humanity and nature added real consequence to the story . . . and here there's really no larger social context to the story, other than some soft commentary on wealthy tycoons who make a hobby of legitimate science, with everything happening a little too easily.
Those complaints aside, I still enjoyed The Copper Scroll immensely, and am absolutely up for more adventures with Rayne and Chase. Nyx writes a story that effortlessly pulls you in and happily carries you along, making it a tough book to put down. Even if it lacks some of the substance of the first book, it still has all the flash and fun, and (more importantly) the romance we all crave.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2021/06/17/book-review-the-copper-scroll-by-robyn-nyx-adventure/
With The Copper Scroll, Robyn Nyx has indeed given us more, and the way in which she explores the consequences and conflicts of a tomb-raider (Rayne Marcellus) in love with a serious archaeologist (Chase Stinsen) is fabulous. The first book was built around a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic arc, full of mistrust and anger, longing and desire, and those lingering issues aren't magically resolved just because they're now a couple. It never becomes overwhelming or tedious, never overshadows the romance or the adventure, but the reality of how to mesh or cross their worlds is an important part of the story. I loved them as a romantic couple even more than I loved their romantic tension, and it's adorable how they still manage to sneak in passionate kisses and caresses at the most dangerous, inopportune moments.
I really like what Nyx did with Gin and Tonyck here as well, fleshing out the characters and personalities of Rayne's kickass mercenary sidekicks. She makes us question their motives and wonder about their loyalties, viewing them in the mirror of the mercenary men who art part of this adventure, even as she reinforces those same loyalties, forcing a confrontation (and moment of revelation) with Chase. It's a small part of the story, but I loved the feel of a family on the edge, working to figure out how they all fit together with a new member.
Where this second book faltered just a bit for me was in the adventure. I said three things of the first book that have sort of come back to haunt me here. The first is that feminist mythology that was far more fascinating than the typical overdone Biblical nonsense that dominates the genre . . . and here we find Rayne and Chase in pursuit of nothing less than the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments. The second was that the story didn't just pay lip service to the adventure, it was almost entirely an off-the-grid, in-the-wild, underground adventure . . . and here we have a laid back quest that's more about the puzzles of Robert Langdon than the frantic excitement of Indiana Jones. The last was that the backdrop of terrorism, war, deforestation, and other crimes against humanity and nature added real consequence to the story . . . and here there's really no larger social context to the story, other than some soft commentary on wealthy tycoons who make a hobby of legitimate science, with everything happening a little too easily.
Those complaints aside, I still enjoyed The Copper Scroll immensely, and am absolutely up for more adventures with Rayne and Chase. Nyx writes a story that effortlessly pulls you in and happily carries you along, making it a tough book to put down. Even if it lacks some of the substance of the first book, it still has all the flash and fun, and (more importantly) the romance we all crave.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2021/06/17/book-review-the-copper-scroll-by-robyn-nyx-adventure/