I keep telling anyone who’ll listen that The Mummy (1999) is the greatest movie ever made. Sometimes people disagree with me. They are wrong.
But what can you do when you’re craving more of those delicious vibes? You snatch up great archaeology adventure romance books that capture some of that same fabulous energy.
There are about eight million Reddit posts with recommendations for books like The Mummy, but my list is better. Why? Because I’m gonna break down exactly what makes each of those books Mummy-esque to make it easier for you to pick the ones that’ll scratch your itch.
How am I qualified to do this? Because I write witty-banter-packed, slow burn, artifact-chasing romantic historical adventure stories myself, thx. That’s how much I love this stuff.
Now on to the books, in no particular order:
(Some of these are affiliate links, which earn me a small percentage if you happen to make a purchase.)
Crocodile on the Sandbank
TROPES:
Victorian era, Egyptian setting, lady scholar meets grumpy archaeologist, witty banter, deadly parasol, murder mystery
See Jacquelyn’s thoughts
I said this list was in no particular order, but I lied. Elizabeth Peters’ Crocodile on the Sandbank has the most Mummy vibes of any book on this list. The witty banter between Amelia and Emerson is chefs-kiss perfection. Best of all? It’s the start of a 20-book series, so you can go on to spend the next several decades with these characters. And you probably will, because it’s that good.
The Mummy or Ramses the Damned
TROPES:
Edwardian London & Egypt, nice lady meets sexy immortal, murder & scandal, Gothic vibes, mild steam
See Jacquelyn’s thoughts
This one is for any Mummy fans who thought Arnold Vosloo still looked kinda hot even with half his face in dead mode. We’re talking quintessential Anne Rice, so our immortal mummy is sexy as all get-out, morally complex, and deeply philosophical.
What the River Knows
TROPES:
19th century Egypt, lost tomb, missing parents, debutante meets surly ex-soldier, foul thievery, low steam
See Jacquelyn’s thoughts
The young adult vibes are strong in this one, as plucky Bolivian debutante Inez sets out for Egypt to search for her mysteriously vanished parents. I was definitely here for the lush Victorian Egypt settings, and the budding romance between her and Will looks set up to be a nice slow burn.
Empire of Shadows
TROPES:
19th century Central America, Mayan mythology, lady scholar meets occasionally smelly surveyor, magical artifacts, all the witty banter, mild steam
See Jacquelyn’s thoughts
Yes, this is me, so I’ll let someone else do the talking:
“Imagine combining the supernatural adventure of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark with the romantic tension and witty banter of Rick and Evie from The Mummy … 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.” (Amazon reviewer)
Mr. Impossible
TROPES:
Early 19th century Egypt, hieroglyph-reading widow, stolen papyrus, hunky adventurer, mortal perils, plenty of steam
See Jacquelyn’s thoughts
Yes, this is 100% a romance novel—one with pretty much all the Mummy tropes you could possibly want, except for the soul-sucking demon stuff. The heroine even has to spring our swashbuckling aristocratic bad boy out of jail to rope him into her adventure. Plus it’s smutty, which I consider to be a delightful bonus.
Raiders of the Lost Heart
TROPES:
Contemporary Mexico, Aztec history, dastardly smugglers, rival archaeologists, romcom, only one tent, fairly steamy
See Jacquelyn’s thoughts
The vibes are less ‘witty banter’ and more ‘outright antagonism’ as this adventure in Mexico’s steamy Lancandon forest kicks off. But while things between our rival archaeologists heat up, so does the danger and excitement. Bonus points for using loads of real Aztec history and for naming the MMC after Harrison Ford.
Warrior
TROPES:
Steampunk Victoriana, Mongolian setting, magical artifacts, nefarious villains, bruised rogue meets wild woman, steamy
See Jacquelyn’s thoughts
Warrior will get you rolling, but really, I’m recommending the whole Blades of the Rose series here. All four books are packed with artifact-chasing fun and feature an opposites-attract romance you’ll definitely root for.
As You Desire
TROPES:
19th century Cairo, linguist heroine, dyslexic hero, second chance romance, Egyptian history, ruthless antiquities collectors, steamy
Guarded Treasure
TROPES:
Cursed Egyptian tomb, ambitious librarian meets rugged tomb raider, witty banter, spicy, historical setting
Heart of Fire
TROPES:
Lost Amazon city, lady archaeologist meets rock-hard river guide, mythical diamond, jungle adventure, scheming crooks, plenty of heat
Grim Shadows
TROPES:
1920s San Francisco, dodgy archaeologist hero, missing Egyptian amulet, demon-haunted psychic heroine, treasure hunt, steamy
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