Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyne Benson

5 stars

Releases: April 2, 2024

Recommended ages: 15 and up

Imagine combining the supernatural adventure of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (or any of the first three Indiana Jones movies) with the romantic tension and witty banter of Rick and Evie from The Mummy (1999 version, of course), and you have Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson. I had such a fun time with this book. The history was intriguing, the romance was swoon-worthy, and the supernatural elements scratched that fantasy itch that I tend to get when reading outside my normal genre.

The first in the Raiders of the Arcana series, Empire of Shadows is a reinvention of Benson's 2016 debut novel The Smoke Hunter, with new characters, extra scenes and history in bigger scope. We follow Ellie Mallory, a college-educated suffragette living in Victorian London dreaming of a time in which she she, as a woman, can lead her own archaeological expeditions. A series of fateful events following her arrest at a women's suffrage protest and dismissal from her job lead her to a mysterious amulet and a map where "X" marks the spot--a lost ancient city in Central America.

While Ellie seeks only preservation of ancient artifacts, villainous men also seek the city, but for reasons Ellie can only assume are nefarious. Ellie teams up with the charming and infuriatingly handsome surveyor Adam Bates to find the lost city before others can claim and pervert the knowledge and wonders that lie within.

Empire of Shadows in primarily set in late 19th Century British Honduras (what is now Belize). Although its two protagonists, Ellie and Adam, are British and American, respectively, the book doesn't shy away from confronting the devastation wrought by colonialism in Central America, specifically from Imperial Britain and Spain. Inhabiting British Honduras is a cacophony of peoples--indigenous, colonizers, and the descendants of the forcibly relocated and enslaved--ruled by a faraway empire looking to "civilize" a land while undertaking decidedly uncivilized acts. The reader questions not only what the villainous men want from the ancient city, but also what Ellie wants from whatever she finds at the end of that map. Does finding it and exposing it to the world destroy the very thing Ellie wants to preserve?

While tackling these heavy issues, Empire of Shadows is still a fast-paced, action-packed adventure, where not a word is wasted. Ellie is thrust from one perilously exciting situation to another, all while engaging in delicious banter with her playfully roguish guide, Adam. What does a nice Victorian lady do when trekking through a dangerous jungle with man who only has a passing acquaintance with his shirt? I now know, and I am very grateful for that.

Empire of Shadows is published by the independent and author-driven publisher, Crimson Fox Publishing, which publishes new adult and adult fiction.

Thank you to Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.