A review by wendeedeedee36
Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson

4.25

I went into this ALC expecting a cute, lighthearted, historical adventure…I was wrong. This is an epic tale with A LOT going on. Ellie is an intelligent, educated, and passionate suffragette with a love for archeology. After being arrested during a protest she loses her job, but stumbles upon a fantastical relic on her way out. Upon realizing bad men are after it, she opts to set upon an amazing and risky journey herself to protect history from looters. Along the way she meets Adam Bates, an old classmate of her brother, who happens to be very good at navigating the wilderness of South America. Together they meet locals, flee bad guys & wild animals, and jump off the occasional cliff. The description is not wrong when they say this is a story for fans of The Mummy. There are definite Rick and Evelyn vibes here.
Alex Picard does a great job of bringing this story to life. She switches voices and accents flawlessly. You could tell when she switched characters and brought even the most subtle emotions forth to make the moment more poignant.
All around a great story and a great production. I cannot wait for the second book!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jacquelyn Benson, and Vaughn Woods Publishing for the opportunity to preview this!