Ratings2
Average rating4.5
Respectable lady scholars shouldn’t be dodging evildoers, escaping lost tombs, and chasing down magical artifacts. Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains. Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie’s problems. Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is about to learn that she’s been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet best friend, Adam Bates—the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts on hand… or a recipe for disaster. Together, they’ll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor—and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history. To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops, even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes… and solving one of Egypt's greatest mysteries. Dive into Tomb of the Sun King now to experience the next action-packed historical fantasy adventure in the Raiders of the Arcana series! Praise for the Raiders of the Arcana: “Sassy banter and sizzling romantic tension sparkle throughout the fast paced action! … Fans of Indiana-Jones style historical fantasies will be eager for the next adventure.” - ALA Booklist
Featured Series
2 primary booksRaiders of the Arcana is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2024 with contributions by Jacquelyn Benson.
Reviews with the most likes.
This book has so much of what made the first one fun. Mystery, danger, adventure, ancient history, and some romance.
There's new POV chapters from two “new” characters. They add a lot of depth to Ellie and Adam's backstories and add dimension to the plot. Overall I enjoyed getting new perspectives although it did feel like we got less of Ellie and Adam because of it. The last book by necessity had a lot more interaction where they got to know each other, and I missed that connection. There are external circumstances keeping them more reserved with each other in this one.
This one is set in Egypt which makes everything feel fresh, but still leaves room for criticism on historians who loot and destroy the history of another culture for their enjoyment and wealth.
The history is approachable and explained well. The romance is a little light but very heartfelt. The adventure is grand and exciting. You get a lot of call backs to the first book, so while you technically COULD read this as a standalone, you would supremely be missing out.
I'd absolutely recommend this to people looking for a fun, closed door, paranormal-is romance full of puzzles, Egyptian tombs, and dynamic personalities. I will definitely be continuing the series.
Thank you to Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in return for honest feedback.