A review by elenikin
Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I loved this book! I adored Ellie (love me a highly educated suffragette/feminist) and Adam (swoon worthy adventurer), and I found their adventure to be very well written. It did drag a tiny little bit, but I found the Mayan/Aztec ruins/mythology to be fascinating, and that kept it interesting.
The whole part in the caves was so well done- I loved the combo of them having to use their wits and also Ellie's knowledge of the culture to get through the various death traps, as well as them finally kissing *swoon* Very much Indiana Jones vibes.
I thought the slow burn romance was very well done, and the character development was great.
The only frustration I had with the book, other than parts of the journey dragging a smidge, was that the whole magical/mythical objects was not dwelt on enough. However, with another book in the series, I hope that is further discussed.
Overall, fantastic book! Cannot wait for book 2!

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