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Empire of Shadows
Book 1 of the Raiders of the Arcana
Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.
$7.99 – $39.99
Digital version of Empire of Shadows, Book 1 of the Raiders of the Arcana.
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RELEASING SEPTEMBER 1, 2024
Audiobook version of Empire of Shadows, Book 1 of the Raiders of the Arcana series, beautifully narrated by twenty-year acting veteran Alex Picard. Listen to a sample.
Length: 16 hours 40 minutes
Digital products are delivered via Bookfunnel. You will receive an email with a link to download your product on release day. Books and audiobooks may be read directly in the Bookfunnel site or app, or Bookfunnel will help deliver them to you preferred device.
Signed paperback of Empire of Shadows, Book 1 of the Raiders of the Arcana.
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Signed hardcover of Empire of Shadows, Book 1 of the Raiders of the Arcana, with dust jacket and alternative case laminate artwork.
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Personalization available. See shipping policies for further information.
Live outside the US? I do offer signed bookplate stickers to personalize your books.
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About the book
One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.
When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.
To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.
But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.
Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?
Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.
See content warning for Empire of Shadows.
Characters and some plot elements of Empire of Shadows were previously included in The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson, first released by Grand Central Publishing in 2016 and re-released by Vaughan Woods Publishing in 2020.
Praise for Empire of Shadows
“Sassy banter and sizzling romantic tension sparkle throughout the fast paced action! … Fans of Indiana-Jones style historical fantasies will be eager for the next adventure.”
BOOKLIST
THE REVIEW MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
“A feminist, anti-colonialist tour-de-force, a pulse-pounding adventure tale, and a compelling, spirited romance all in one.”
CHARLOTTE ENGLISH
AUTHOR OF THE HOUSE OF WERTH SERIES
“A page-turning historical fantasy romp … Adam Bates somehow becomes more attractive with every extra layer of dirt.”
OLIVIA ATWATER
AUTHOR OF HALF A SOUL