A review by literaryland_livin
Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson

5.0

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. 

Ellie Mallory refuses to conform to the ridiculous notions that Victorian society believe she should be. Why shouldn’t she be able to hold the same jobs or rights as a man does. Ellie is a suffragette and has no qualms about who knows it even if it leads to her being let go at her present employment. However as she’s waiting in her soon to be ex employers office she finds a map on his desk. A map to an ancient city long thought to be myth. Ellie realizes she has more than enough knowledge and means to decipher and find the “x” located on this map. There’s just one problem she’s not the only one who wants the map. Now being chased by a villain whose goal is to not only to locate the ancient city but steal its arcane treasures. Determined to thwart these looters Ellie journeys to unknown lands forcing her to enlist the aid of guide and surveyor, Adam Bates. Together they must trek thru ruins and dangers to reach the city before their pursuers. 

This book was so incredibly amazing! As someone who has a huge love of history and ancient civilizations this book was everything I needed and more! This novel was as if Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and Jungle Cruise all came together and I devoured every minute of it. Empire of Shadows brings all the adventure, mystery, and heat. I enjoyed Ellie’s character so very much as she was funny, independent, smart, determined, and resilient. Adam was a great counterpart to Ellie, his role as the “rogue” type to Ellie’s ladylike demeanor was perfection. I’m simply obsessed with them! The tension, the banter, and their mutual appreciation of each other’s knowledge had me smiling every second of reading. The history elements, depictions of native Belizeans, and the Mesoamerican folklore were so incredibly well done that it is abundantly clear the amount of research that the author has done for this novel. The authenticity of these elements made my history loving heart happy. The way Benson wove all these historical facts with the adventure, plot, romance, and fantasy elements was flawless. I am desperate for the sequel immediately as I do not see myself not thinking about this book, anytime soon. I cannot express enough how much I adored this book! 

Empire of Shadows is for anyone who like me once dreamed of adventures unearthing history from our world’s past. If you love historical fiction that has action, fantasy, ancient civilizations, and romance all within an incredibly immersive setting you have to read this book. 

Empire of Shadows comes out April 2nd, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.