A review by rachachisaur
Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson

adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Another book giving very much The Mummy and Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider vibes, but with Mayan/Aztec cultures as the setting. 

I really enjoyed the two main characters, their dynamic was very cute. A few cringy cliche lines here and there but otherwise solid banter and somewhat slow burn romance.

The plot was intriguing but got a little lost in the multiple mazes and false starts. A strong start, but the middle wandered too much and took a bit too long to bring the magical artifact elements into play. I wish there had been more of the “mystery” and supernatural elements and a bit less time spent in the maze type settings.

The audiobook narrator did a good job with the various accents represented amongst the background characters.