Empire of Shadows

(4.75) Adventure, romance, danger, and a bit of ancient magic

This book is marketed towards fans of The Mummy and I think it delivers on that. You get a strong-willed, intelligent female lead and her brash, resourceful, charming male counterpart. Their partnership is full of witty banter, respect, and keeping each other from dying.

There are dangerous rivals. Ancient booby traps. Conveniently ripped clothing. False identities. Deadly puzzles. Old friends and new friends. And yet always time for flirting. The story kept my attention in both pacing and plot.

Slow burn, annoyed-acquaintances-to-lovers with no overt spice but enough innuendo that I could see future books leaning that way.

There are a handful of glaring typos I caught (and probably some that I missed) but it's in no way unreadable. They were easy enough to immediately move past. The writing itself was good.

I'd recommend this specifically for anyone who loved The Mummy (1999) or the Amelia Peabody series, and more generally for anyone looking for a bit of romance, mystery, and adventure in a jungle setting.

Special shoutout to the person who borrowed this book before me and MARKED their reactions in a LIBRARY BOOK. In pen. You're a monster.