Arrow of Fortune

Raiders of the Arcana #3

by Jacquelyn Benson

A well-behaved lady historian ought to avoid haunted forests… not plunge into them seeking an invincible weapon of the gods.Ellie Mallory didn’t exactly volunteer to prevent the most dangerous artifact of the Ramayana from falling into the wrong hands—but if one has been coerced into an adventure, the least one can do is bring along a few friends.

Constance Tyrrell has new daggers stuffed in her garters, a thirst to discover everything India has to offer… and absolutely no interest in Dr. Neil Fairfax, Ellie’s scholarly stepbrother. Meanwhile, Neil finds himself wrangling a magical sword along with his increasingly tangled feelings about a certain doe-eyed danger gnome.

Then there’s Adam Bates—handy with a machete, perpetually shirtless, and about to face some unsettling ghosts of his past.

Together, they must follow the footsteps of an ancient hero from the festivals of Puri to the shadowy depths of a legendary forest, racing a brutal colonial administrator with allies of his own—including the complicated and mysterious Mr. Jacobs.

It will take all Ellie’s resources—from a working knowledge of practical chemistry to a highly excitable dog—to beat a new sort of demon to the place where a holy power has lain hidden for two thousand years… alongside the secret history of the woman at the heart of India’s greatest story.

Pick up Arrow of Fortune and plunge into the next epic historical fantasy adventure in the Raiders of the Arcana series.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Adventure

538 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2025

About the author

Jacquelyn Benson writes smart historical thrillers where strong women confront the stranger things that occupy the borders of our world.

She once lived in a museum, wrote a master’s thesis on the cultural anthropology of paranormal investigation, and received a gold medal for being clever. She owes a great deal to her elementary school librarian for sagely choosing to acquire the entire Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown series.

Her debut novel, The Smoke Hunter, was nominated for Best Historical Fiction by RT Times. When not writing, she enjoys the company of a tall, dark, and handsome English teacher and practices unintentional magic.

If you’d like to be friends, you may find her everywhere @jbensonink or join the email list at jacquelynbenson.com.

Reviews

[Aisvarya (Semi-hiatus)]

Happy Release Day😍🥳✨

✨Pre-read -
Pausing my current read to start this one cuz I absolutely love this series & cannot believe I got approved for the ARC!!!😭

Huge thanks to Vaughan Woods Publishing for the E-ARC & ALC.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Jacquelyn for allowing me a second round on your ARC team! I was really excited for what was teased in this book on instagram. Along with my hopes, I felt like this was going to be the best of the three.

It was - and more.

Gosh oh golly, where to begin!? While this book had to do with an arrow that was capable of obliterating entire races of people, there was character development and down-time/growth on the side.

I had said in my review for Book 2 that I wanted to see Adam outside his element, to see him in the society that he abandoned. We get it! And gosh, the absolute dislike he has for society (plus the way they treat his lady's bestie?) has him getting absolutely ferocious (and Ellie getting turned on).

Now Constance and Neil? Boy oh boy, were they an adorable pair! A faux engagement too! I like that this book was both of them also coming to terms on what they want in life and what they can offer (not only to each other but to others as well).

And, Mr. Jacobs. *fans* He is absolutely dangerous - but he has his secretive (and eventual reasons)of why Adam and Ellie are important. Every time he was on the page, all I saw was Cillian Murphy. From the way he was selective with his words, the wry humor, the leering, the threats. And, that he can tell that people are lying. Which is how this ties into the London Charismatics series.

The villain in this one was someone who was after the arrow, basically a racist a-hole. I kept tearing through the book to see how (or if) he was gonna meet his end.

I AM SUPER EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOK, and that it had to do with Adam making the choice to take them there. I'm stoked to meet his dad since he has been a huge issue to him no matter where he goes.

All in all, *my* personal favorite of the series.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! If you've loved the first two books, you will enjoy this one just as much. Benson's beautifully florid writing is back on point, this time describing the gorgeously lush forests of India.

We get even more of Adam and Ellie, this time discussing and deciding exactly what type of relationship they want, and more of the burgeoning love and yearning between Neil and Constance from the second book. I like that we also get more of Jacobs and his mysterious story, as he has made a fun and scary antagonist across these last three books.

The best part of the book however, is the confirmation there will be a fourth book!! I'm already looking forward to it lol Give me more of the mutual love and respect of my favorites please lol

I'm so glad I found this series earlier this year as it's been absolutely everything I'm craving and wanting from a romantic adventure.

[Ckelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Neil Fairfax. Yep. That’s the review.

Ellie and Adam are still as incredible as always but Dr. Neil Fairfax 😍

Thank you India Holton and Behind the Pages for the ARC!

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫑 (non-explicit, fade to black)
Format: 📱& 🎧


First and foremost, I read this too fast and now I’m sad because I desperately want to go with the gang to Korea (and it would seem back to Egypt for one of the pairs???)!! Jacquelyn Benson is so amazing at her research and description/development of these international settings! So far we’ve been to Honduras, Egypt, and India. Each place fantastic and well done, and so easy to picture in my mind.

The Arrow of Fortune is the 3rd installment in the Raiders of the Arcana series, and we find our hero’s bamboozled into an impromptu trip to India by Constance’s Royal grandmother, to save their royal state from the heinous machinations of a British colonizer, hell bent on stealing an ancient Indian artifact - capable of mass destruction or mass genocide on the whim of the wielder. Elle & Adam and Constance & Neal must race time and fight through Indian jungle (tigers, snakes, and a giant man-eating catfish???) to reach the Arrow before the Colonel and the sinister Jacobs (and the bumbling Dawson, though he doesn’t get much page time this go’round).

I genuinely cannot wait for Book 4! Ancient Korea??? Yes!

The audiobook: Alex Picard did SUCH an amazing job (as always. Between JB’s excellent descriptive powers and Alex’s voice magic, the characters get brought to life so vividly for me! I just discovered that this duo worked together on JB’s other series: The London Charismatics, which I just found out is a sister series?? AHHH!

Notable tropes & themes ——

🐘 Multiple POVs (2 FMCs/2 MMCs)
🏹 Forced Proximity
🐘 Fake Engagement
🏹 Flaming Magical Sword 🗡️
🐘 Evil Colonialists/ British Colonialism
🏹 Yearning/unrequited love
🐘 Indian legends and history
🏹 Major “The Mummy” vibes
🐶 One ridiculous dog


Thank you to Jacquelyn Benson for these gifted eARC & ALC, it was a genuine pleasure and I can’t wait for book 4!!

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt so much like picking up a book about the O'Connells and following them to India! I listened to the audio of this and it was so immersive!
Narrator did an excellent job with the accents and all the different characters! Adam's voice may be my fav "male" voice narration! Thanks so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the copy to listen too 💜

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I heard that this book was set in India, I was getting vibes of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and also Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and I am happy to report that this book heartily delivered on both fronts!

There were lost cities...



elephants...



beautiful scenery...



plenty of romance...



and oh yeah, a psycho bad guy after the same treasure...




If that doesn't hook you to pick up this series, I don't know what will.

All that aside, now onto the review.

For some context: I love adventure stories that have romance in them. There's a wide spectrum here: some books are too heavy on the romance with minimal action and adventure; others concentrate on the adventurous aspects and leave the romance undeveloped. This series hits that sweet spot and is the perfect balance of adventure and romance.

While I love Adam and Ellie, I do also really enjoy Constance and Neil. In this book especially they become a lot more developed as characters and their relationship evolves quite a bit too. I really liked getting more dimension to Neil's character in particular, since he was just sort of reluctantly along for the ride in the second book. Maybe it was the fact that Constance is part Indian, or the fact that she had an "attack first, ask questions later" mentality but I pictured her to look like Chloe from Uncharted.



As far as the story goes, it was a bit slower than the first book especially. There was plenty of action and danger, but also plenty of quieter moments. I still think the first book is my favorite, but I still loved this one too!

Adam is still 100% my favorite character. He steals the show for me every time. I love his witty and humorous comments. I also liked the segments told from his perspective. He is such a great character and a total book boyfriend for me! Also, I am very intrigued by the fourth book and where the story will go from there. (I'm so glad there's going to be a fourth book!)

I like seeing the story build and become more complex with each volume. (I'm still waiting for them to find Atlantis!)

If you love adventurous stories with a swoony romance, this book (and series!) is for you! I really can't recommend it enough!

[Lauryn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75

First off— big thanks to NetGalley for this arc— this was one of my most anticipated releases this year and I was super excited to see it approved.

Alright folks, if you like books one and two you’ll be sure to like this one. The vibes are great and I love the ever changing dynamics between all of the characters.

Ellie continues to love talking about blowing things up, Adam continues to be the greatest gentleman ever (and without his shirt as per usual), Constance continues to be a Danger Gnome, and Neil continues to be my favorite academic nerd who thinks way too little of himself. All of this set in the beautiful, vibrant setting of India made for a great read. This was my least favorite in the series so far, but I still absolutely loved this book. Also I’ve you’ve read the author’s other series, The London Charismatics, you might start to see some connections to those in this book…

I was a bit frustrated with Ellie in this book. She wants all of the benefits that come with being married and is totally fine with pretending to be married but she won't actually get married? What's the difference if you're already pretending to be married? Like I get you're against marriage as an institution, but there is this lovely thing called character growth. You can still be against it, but girl you love this man, what is going to happen? Just actually get married at this point. It was an endearing character trait in book one, but it's a bit old now.

And now for some of my favorite (spoiler free) quotes- because the author is always more eloquent with words than me.

“Son of the Wind!” “Are you cursing?”
“I know that tone. That’s your practical chemistry tone.” “I have a practical chemistry tone?”
“It was only a shame that he had refused to take off his shirt.”
“She was hardly going to call him out for carrying a weapon around. She had two knives in her garters as they spoke.”
“What if we didn’t end it?”
“You have never once asked me to be somebody other than who I am.”
“Are you suggesting that the entire country is infused with some sort of supernatural dancing magic?”

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Arrow of Fortune is a great example of how to ruin a series by the third book. The first book in this series, Empire of Shadows, showed great promise. A tale of adventure, fun banter between the main characters, and the start of a fun fantasy world. Book two in the series left a little to be desired as the book picked up several weeks (or months - it’s hard to say) later and the characters spent much of the book stuck in a rut of not really talking to each other. However, the addition of Ellie’s brother Neil and her friend Constance were enough to keep my interest, though it’s not really a good sign when the reader starts to dislike the original characters by book two. This latest entry in the series, however, proves that this series is going to be an endless, formulaic slog with no character development.

Book three is almost beat for beat the same book as book two, but now set in India. My prediction for all future books based on reading essentially the same book twice in a row is as follows: 1) The book starts with the characters traveling by train and they mention a previous boat ride. 2) The characters will run into the bad guys early on in the new location because, oh my, they’re both after the same mythical object at the exact same moment. 3) Ellie and Neil (Neil via mystical powers and Ellie through…quick reading that thankfully is all in English, I guess) will somehow know everything there is to know about this new culture, history, languages, etc. 4) They will all go on a journey to places. 5) They will run into danger. 6) They’ll get captured by the bad guys who won’t immediately kill them even though this all keeps happening again and again. 7) They’ll escape and get the object first and destroy places of historical significance in the process. 8) The bad guys will run off to find new objects another day. 9) All of them will be utterly stupid in the final moments of the book. 10) They will be ready to set off to a new country to do it all over again and again and again….No thank you.

In addition to this formulaic style of writing, readers are subjected to several other problems that are now impossible to overlook by this point. First, the author makes up an insane amount of historical, cultural and mythological content. Hundreds of pages of these bloated books (where was the editor?!?!) is dedicated to fabricated information that the author presents as pseudo-realistic. Granted, this is a fantasy series, so readers should expect a certain amount of imaginative content, but in all other aspects of these books, the author spends so much time explaining how close this is to the real world, it becomes jarring to the reader to switch from hyper realistic, preachy exposition on colonial racism, historical misogyny, lack of birth control, etc. to flaming swords, arrows of destruction, and other mythological objects. Second, Adam and Ellie are the most irritating characters and the author refuses to let them develop. Adam is perpetually rebelling against his family and past, while Ellie is perpetually fixated on making a statement to the world at large by rebelling against social norms just for the sake of it. I can’t even talk about where they land on their relationship at the end of the book as it fills me with disgust and irritation.

Honestly, I could keep going on the problems with this series, but at some point it will be as tedious as the books themselves and no one deserves that. Suffice it to say I will not be continuing this series. If you want books that know how to do this genre right, I suggest you read the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters (Crocodile on the Sandbank is book 1) and give yourself a happy, satisfying treat after the horror show that was this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book (I suppose).

[Neelam · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The men who crush nations under their boots are stealing our own history to help them do it.”

This is the third book in the Arcana series & each book just continues to be absolutely amazing! If you love historical fantasy with The Mummy vibes then I highly recommend these books!

In this book we follow Ellie, Adam, Constance & Neil to India where they are in search of an artifact from the Ramayana before it can fall into the hands of those who will use it to harm others.

I adore these characters & their dynamics. The friendship between Ellie & Constance is everything to me. The way they love & support each other. The way they defend & protect each other & also just how they giggle & laugh late into the night talking about everything. Truly just a girl vibes in the night & knife weilding, explosives enthusiast during the day. The duality they have!

I especially love how we get more backstory on Adam & his family & how he became the man that he is. He is, in fact, a whole green forest.
His and Ellie’s slow burn romance & all the obstacles they face in being together is written so well. The tension, the angst, the chemistry is sizzling!
I also loved seeing Constance & Neil’s relationship develop & how they both refuse to admit their feelings while being fake engaged was so entertaining & had me giggling kicking my feet.

As with the previous books there are some incredibly important discussions woven into the story, about white male privilege, colonisation, racism & misogyny. I love how these are handled and how the white characters have to confront their own biases & become better allies.
Constance has Indian heritage & so it was really relatable seeing how she didn’t feel she belonged in either place & trying to find a way to honour both parts of herself.

I cannot wait to read the next book & I need you all to go pick up this amazing series!

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I AM FULLY INVESTED NOW

"I am very good at libraries" - Neil

By now I am fully invested in Ellie, Adam, Neil and Connies search for Arcana!

What I liked

👍 Chemistry: Where the first book centered on Ellie and Adam, Connie and Neil were introduced in the second installment of this series. At that time I complained that Connie and Neil took too much focus from Adam and Ellie. But this time around I didn't get that feeling. Either the balance was a lot better, og - maybe more likely - Neil and Connie have become as precious to me as Ellie and Adam!

👍 Connie: Connie especially has grown on me. Even to such a degree that I absolutely adore her! She's fiercely protective, completely blind to danger, rash but also incredibly kind. While Ellie with always be my soul sister (archivists for life!), I have also really fallen for Connie.

👍 Healthy relationships: Perhaps my favourite part of these books, aside from the history and the mystery, are the relatively uncomplicated and healthy relationships at the center. The struggle and drama of the story doesn't come from the couples, it comes from outside factors. Our couples face everything together, with unwavering support and love. It is, quite honestly, refreshing.

What I didn't like

👎 Pacing: If I were to point out one weakness of this book, it would be the pacing/length. It felt a bit too long at times.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacquelyn, I am BEGGING YOU to open the door 😩

I didn’t think another couple could come close to Adam and Ellie but in comes Constance dragging Neil in behind her. And if that doesn’t perfectly sum up their characters then idk what does. Jacquelyn Benson does such a fantastic job at creating the relationships between characters. They are well thought out and they take their time which is so refreshing in this time of Romantasy/instalove. Getting to see the love grow between Connie and Neil was so precious. I’m really going to miss them if they go their own way in the next book 😭 (novella maybe? 🤔)

With that being said though, I really miss spending time with Adam and Ellie. As much as I LOVED them in this book, I really miss the dedication to building their love story that we had in the first book. It really felt like they took a back seat to Connie and Neil.

These books are such a joy to read. I cannot wait for the next book. Hand it over ASAP 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Thank you, NetGalley for both the audiobook and the digital copy. And thank you to the author for inviting me to be a part of your street team!

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Vaughn Woods Publishing for the gifted ALC.

IT WAS GOOD.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK

I loved the first two books in this series so when I heard ALC’s were on Netgalley, I RAN and then binged this as fast as I could. It was another wild adventure and I loved being back with these characters.

This book did highlight one frustrating thing for me. If there’s going to be a series I don’t love seeing a couple fully endgame by book one. So now that I’m in book three there’s a distinct lack of tension and angst between Ellie and Adam because they’re together. I just wish the burn had been spread out through at least two books.

I did enjoy the romance between Constance and Neil. The dynamic between them was amped up more and I loooove a good argument turn make-out session.

Some of the plot felt a bit repetitive to the other books. Go to a new location, find an ancient artifact and try not to die. And do that a few more times. It’s still easy to read and covers multiple important topics, I’m just hoping book four brings a different edge.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical fantasy romance
- Language: mild
- Romance: fade to black
- Violence: moderate

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Audio: Dual

Thank you to Jacquelyn Benson and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Ellie, Adam, Constance & Neil embark on another rollicking adventure through Colonial India, where Connie explores her cultural heritage, Neil struggles to comes to terms with his newly realized magical abilities and Adam is haunted by the weight of his father's expectations.

In the race to retrieve an ancient arcane artifact before it falls into the wrong hands, they will confront class entitlement & racism, question societal norms surrounding women's rights and marriage, dodge family expectations, tramp through Indian forests, battle giant (wo)man eating catfish, face down tigers, all the while Connie & Neil's friendship & respect for each other deepens and Ellie & Adam wrestle to define their relationship to the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment in the Raiders of the Arcana series, I absolutely adore Adam & Ellie and although I struggled with the addition of Connie & Neil's POV's in The Tomb of the Sun King I am now fully invested in the their budding romance and can't wait to see what adventures await our intrepid gang in Korea!

Alex Picard is an absolute delight to listen to, she gives each character their own distinct voice and switches between English, American, Scottish & Indian accents seamlessly, I was never in doubt as to which character was speaking and who's POV I was listening to.

Tropes:
- Scholarly FMC
- Golden retriever MMC
- Colonial India setting
- Brothers best friend/Best friend's brother
- Fake engagement/Pretend marriage

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie Mallory, Adam Bates and his new excitable dog Kalb, Constance Tyrell and Dr. Neil Fairfax are in India, at the behest of Padma, Constance's grandmother, and Padma's colleagues. Ellie never imagined she would be travelling the world to find and safeguard arcana from a wealthy and highly secretive cabal, but this is her life now.

There is an artifact mentioned in the Ramayana, the highly influential ancient Indian epic story about King Rama, that Ellie and company will have to find before Jacobs secures it for the current English high poobah bigot in India, and the cabal.

Constance is ecstatic; this is her first time in India, and she is entranced with all the sights and sounds and colours, but also at the prospect of finally meeting the Indian side of her family, who prove to be charming. Constance is also always up for anything, whether throwing someone to the ground using her judo moves, or skewering them with one of her many daggers she has secreted about her person.

Neil is nervous, not just about what they have to do, but also because he's not a naturally brave person, and he has a magic sword now along with his strange historical visions, and there are nasty people they have to outwit and beat to the artifact. And, he's flummoxed by the one thing he never expected: he's beginning to have a variety of warm feelings towards the danger gnome, who never passed up an opportunity to prank Neil when they were kids.

There is much danger, action, frantic running about, hiding, daring escapes, and some rather frank discussions between Constance and Ellie about 1) how Constance can avoid giving in to her family's desire for her to marry someone of their choosing, and 2) how Ellie and Adam can travel around safely and without fear of recriminations against Ellie for being unmarried with an unmarried man who isn't her brother. This results in a fake engagement for Contance, and a possible fake marriage for Ellie, or some type of arrangement, if she can ever broach the subject with Adam, when they're not in danger.

This is another terrifically entertaining and fast-moving story with plenty of danger, humour, great dialogue, and romance.

I absolutely ADORED Constance; I liked her immediately when I first met her in the series prequel novella, but my fondness has just grown each time she's appeared. With her being so prominent and integral to the plot, I was thrilled. Ellie's lovely, as usual, but it was Constance, and the promise of her and Neil together that had me so eager to read this entry in this series, and I was not disappointed with the way their relationship deepened, and the way in which Constance took charge (because, of course she did.)

And, I was always intrigued by Jacobs; instead of just being scary this time around, he finally got a bit of backstory, and I liked it. He's gained some nuance, and I understand now why he had needed Ellie and Adam alive.

I'm also intrigued by the way this is connecting to the London Charismatics series (of which I've only read book one so far.)

Alex Picard again narrates this book, which I both read and listened to. While I LOVE her Constance, Ellie, Adam and Neil, I was much less enthused with her voicing of the Indian characters, whose accents kept veering between Italian and Romanian.

I cannot wait for the next book (I dearly hope we still get more Constance being Constance), which takes the action to Korea. We'll get to meet Adam's father, who has been such a large, negative influence on this man. Can't wait to see the man's reaction to Ellie!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Vaughan Woods Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series Info/Source: This is the 3rd book in the Raiders of the Arcana series. I got this on ebook from NetGalley for Review.

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this third installment in the Raiders of the Arcana series. This book takes us to a Britain invaded India and focuses more on Constance and Neil, although Ellie and Adam are still very much a part of the story.

Ellie and her team are trying to prevent a very dangerous magical artifact from falling into the wrong hands. Their adventures bring them into conflict with both new and familiar villains. Neil is trying to figure out what to do with the magical sword he's acquired, he's just not really the magical sword type. He finds his life even more complicated when Constance (nicknamed danger gnome) sets her sights on him in the form of a fake engagement. Constance is hoping to dodge her family's attempts to make her settle down and get married. Joining the team is Adam's faithful but troublesome dog, who Ellie just cannot see eye to eye with.

This book did start a bit slow as our characters oriented themselves in India and meet some new companions. However, the pace quickly picked up, and we found ourselves delving into ancient tombs, bargaining with gods, and trying to survive brutal British military in no time.

As always, I very much enjoyed the characters here. There is a lot of swapping of gender norms which I enjoy and I love that the characters are open to non-conventional ideas for the time. Ellie is obsessed with blowing things up, Constance can't wait to raid the next palace, and Neil is very much uncomfortable with wielding any sword, much less a magical one. Watching Constance and Neil circle each other as companions was greatly entertaining as well.

I also enjoyed watching Ellie and Adam navigate their new relationship; Ellie has strong opinions on marriage (mainly that she will loose her independence in she concedes) and Adam wants to figure out a solution where society accepts them as a couple but where Ellie doesn't feel trapped. All the characters involved have excellent sense of humor, which adds to the fun.

I also continue to really love the unique magical artifacts, the dastardly villains, and the amazing archaeological adventures we get to go on. This series does an amazing job of blending historical fiction with light elements of fantasy. I was incredibly happy to find out there would be additional books in the series. This is like Indiana Jones in book form, but much better in my opinion.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this book and think it is a wonderful addition to the Raiders of the Arcana series. I love the characters, the world, and the adventures. This was easy to read, humorous, action-packed, and highly entertaining. I love the slightly magical take on historical fiction and enjoy the adventure with some romance wrapped in. This whole series has been a fantastic read and I would highly recommend to those who enjoy archaeological adventures with some romance.

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It takes more courage to walk outside of their circles than it does to fit into them.”

“Arrow of Fortune,” by Jacquelyn Benson

Perfect for lovers of The Mummy. It was very adventurous with lots of action. It was very character driven and they all went through lots of development throughout the book. My only issue from giving it 5 stars was that it was too similar from book 2 in the series. The first one seemed less focused on marriage and children and had a romance in the moment type of relationship to the buildup. The second one was way more marriage and family focused which made sense for the character development of their next step. This one I was hoping the focus would be a little bit more unique to the characters that were in focus for this one, but it reminded me a lot of book 2. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Magic
-Adventurous
-India
-Slowburn
-Political Intrigue

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“She wondered what it would feel like for home to become a place where you not only didn’t belong, but were no longer even welcome to try. Where the doors were only open if you pretended to be someone entirely contrary to who you really were.”

“She wondered what it would feel like for home to become a place where you not only didn’t belong, but were no longer even welcome to try. Where the doors were only open if you pretended to be someone entirely contrary to who you really were.”

[WenDeeDeeDee36 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Benson absolutely killed it with Arrow of Fortune! We get the same band of lovable characters and their shenanigans in the new location of India 🇮🇳
We get Ellie struggling with her love and desire for Adam against her wish to stay out of a marriage. Constance is similarly feeling the pressure to marry particularly coming from her grandmother in AOF, and in Constance fashion comes up with a crazy plan. Adam wrestles with who he was raised to be versus who he is and wants to be. And of course Neil is Neil and is still coming to terms with his career, adventure, and unexpected feelings for a certain feisty female.
But AOF not only adds more depth to our lovable group of misfits, but also to their long time villain, Jacobs. This is something I have been hoping would happen for a while now and Benson definitely delivered! 🤩
As with the rest of the series, AOF is narrated by Alex Picard, and as usual they do an AMAZING job. They manage to make all characters sound distinct and unique from one another, and well as doing multiple scene really well. They also are fantastic at throwing little emotions and quirks into the narration in a way to really shows character personalities and makes the story come to life.
Overall, Arrow of Fortune is another wonderful book in the Raiders of the Arcane series, and I am already dying to get my hands on the next story ❤️‍🔥

HIGHLIGHTS:
🌿 legendary demon haunted forest
🐅 surprise tigers
🏹 epic Indian history
👖 everybody's in trousers
✊ giving imperialists hell
🪩 Bollywood dance sequences
⚗️ even more practical chemistry

[Mia 🌸 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Book three basically felt like the same story as book two, just set in India. At this point, I can already guess how every book will go: they travel somewhere new, run into the bad guys after the same magic object, somehow know everything about the culture, get captured, escape, destroy something, and then move on to the next country to repeat it all.

Even when I find a story boring, I usually still like the characters—but these ones didn’t do much for me either. The whole trope of “how does my best friend like my brother” also got on my nerves. I don’t care if a book has spice or not, but this one couldn’t decide—it’s mostly PG but randomly throws in PG-13 moments, which just felt awkward. The plot itself was fine, and the action finally picked up around 60%, but I’m not really into all the history stuff (especially when I can’t pronounce half the words).

Honestly, I think I’d love this series as a movie because it gives major National Treasure or The Lost City vibes—but reading it just isn’t for me. I think part of that is because ancient civilizations and mythological history just don’t really interest me, so that might be why this series feels a bit boring to me even though I can see why others might enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley & Vaughan Woods Publishing for this ARC!

[vicki.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.2/5🌟
0🌶️
Pub date: 11/18🎉

I love Ellie and the gang but the plot fell short for me.

➕
- A beautifully written historical fantasy set in India.
- The best parts for me are the main characters!
1. Ellie is a fierce female scholar with a penchant for explosives.
2. Constance is a curious fire ball that will not be tamed! I love her vivaciousness. It was very relatable as she struggled with her dual identity.
3. Adam is adventurous, strong and loyal. While it hurt, I loved the deeper look into his complicated history with his father.
4. Neil is a treasure that needs to be protected at all costs. He's a sweetheart who does scary and difficult things because they're the right things to do.
- Kalb 🐶 is the bestest boy ever!
- The reveal about the villain Jacobs 😱.

➖
- I'm not sure why the adventure plot didn't quite blow me away. Maybe by the third book now, it feels more comfy / formulaic. Or maybe I just don't love any other ancient civilization quite like ancient Egypt 😅.
- The climax with the arcanum was underwhelming.
- I do think you'd have to read the previous two books to thoroughly enjoy this one.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me an eARC. All opinions are my own.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecs #jacquelynbenson #arrowoffortune #historicalfantasy
#india

[Sarah ⟡ Tea & Tomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Jacquelyn Benson for the free gifts!

This was an absolutely fantastic continuation of the series. I loved how it gave us so much more of Neil and Constance, two characters whose dynamic I was already eager to see explored. Their growing relationship added such wonderful depth and warmth to the adventure. Adam Bates remains the quintessential dashing hero, and watching his and Ellie’s connection continue to evolve was immensely satisfying.

The setting in Colonial India was a standout element. It gave the story a rich historical and cultural texture, and Benson wove myth, history, and adventure together beautifully. The balance between humor, heart, and danger was spot on, and the pacing kept me fully immersed from beginning to end.

Alex Picard’s narration was once again exceptional. She gives every character a distinct voice and personality, making the entire cast feel alive and vivid. Her performance adds so much vibrancy and nuance to Benson’s writing that it’s truly a joy to listen to.

This installment only deepened my love for the series, and the next adventure teased at the end has me beyond excited. It’s a smart, witty, and exhilarating story that’s both heartfelt and wildly entertaining, everything I’ve come to expect from Jacquelyn Benson.

[DeannaK ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Jacquelyn Benson for providing me an e-ARC of Arrow of Fortune and also to NetGalley for providing me the audio version. I absolutely love this series and was beyond excited to jump back into this world with these characters that I adore so much!

Alex Picard is such a phenomenal narrator, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her tell this story. She so seamlessly switches between accents and tones without struggle. Absolutely flawless performance!

This time the crew are in India and I absolutely flew through this instalment, there is hints of the paranormal with a demon haunted forest, a very cute doggo sidekick who may just be a lucky charm and romance that fires up in the best way possible! I did find the plot leaned more towards the romance this time and whilst I’m not complaining and loved the history we were immersed in, I definitely wouldn’t have been sad if we got more of this rich incredible history.

“And I recognize that forced proximity can be a powerful force for romantic entanglement.”

I really love Connie and Neil’s dynamic. They are such a joy to read and every time she calls him Stuffy, it just makes me giggle! “But I’m not some mighty mythical warrior! I’m just a… a weak-kneed academic!”

Ellie and Adam as always are burning up with the tension they provide and they are such fantastic well rounded characters.

You haven’t the foggiest notion how rare you are.”

The end leaves you hanging wanting more, looking forward to going to Korea next (and maybe a sneaky trip to somewhere we’ve been before!)

[Yamini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowing from the Ramayana, the book weaves a mystery around saving an artefact from falling into the wrong hands. The timeline is set around the period when the British were establishing themselves in India during colonial rule. The protagonist is fierce and driven, with both the head and heart to pursue groundbreaking ideas.
The way ancient historical texts are leveraged to create ambiguity around what might have been left to interpretation, and what may not have been recorded at all, was one of the aspects that kept me engaged. The characters, however, along with their scandalous conversations and overt lust, were not something I enjoyed. These elements were not handled subtly and often felt too direct and in-your-face.
If I were to look at the individual aspects, there are several gold nuggets scattered throughout the story. Still, there were moments when I found myself rushing just to see where the chase would eventually lead. It was a good read, but not a wow one, and that is coming from someone who has read multiple versions of the Ramayana.

[Temi (temisreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
So fun!!! Arrow of Fortune is the third book in the Raiders of the Arcana series and is jam packed with adventure, romance, mystery, and witty moments. Ellie and Adam were just as incredible as they were in the first two installments but I fell in love with Constance and Neil!! The unrequited love, easy banter, and shenanigans between them just made me fall in love with them. With strong Indiana Jones vibes, this book is filled with rescues and many twists while having these core four relationships at its center to bring the emotional moments. I also really loved that Benson took the time to tackle harder topics like feminism, racism, and more through her writing. This series is so so fun and I can't wait for the next book now!!

Thank you to Vaughan Woods Publishing and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my review!

[Kisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great instalment in the Raiders of the Arcana series! This time we’re in India chasing down another lost artifact. I loved how Neil and Constance expanded the story, and I especially appreciated the way Constance navigated her dual, and often conflicting, heritage. As always, Benson’s commentary on colonialism was sharp and thoughtful while still keeping the book fun and fast-paced.
This one is packed with yearning, and the slow burn works so well alongside Adam and Ellie’s already-established relationship. I really liked the direction this instalment takes the series, and I’m already counting down the days until the next book!
Thank you to Jacquelyn Benson and Netgalley for this ALC

[Roxanne Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Jaquelyne Benson,

PLEASE DON’T EVER STOP WRITING THIS SERIES!!! 😍🤩

Another wonderful addition to the series, filled with adventure, romance and another hunt for a magical and power artefact in the beautiful jungles of British Colonial India.

These books are everything I have wanted and more. I grew up watching Indiana Jones and The Mummy Movies and this book series has all that I love from every single one of them.

An easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars


What to expect:

~Mythical & powerful ancient artefact
~Jungle adventure with its deadly beasts 🐅
~Closed door romance 💋
~Action packed scenes

[Anna-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I just adore this series. Jacquelyn continues to impress with her depth of research and rich detailed depictions. The landscape comes to life around you which helps to visualize the people, food, and culture. I usually find more than 2 POVs in a story really choppy but the addition of Constance and Neil is so much fun. How can you not love the characters? I did find myself wanting to hear more from Mr. Jacobs and maybe get his POV. Perhaps in the next book?? I smell a redemption arc.

As always Alex Picard does an incredible job balancing all the characters and accents.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this whole series, and Arrow of Fortune was no different. I continue to be impressed with the research that Benson puts into these stories to get the settings and artifacts to feel accurate. In this installment, we’re taken to India to stop nefarious dealings with an arrow that can cause absolute devastation. I also love how Benson develops characters in a realistic and believable manner. Benson also doesn’t shy away from having those characters discuss difficult and meaningful topics. In particular, Ellie needs to be protected at all costs. The plot pacing felt a little off at times for me after the first two books feeling so fast paced. This one had more slower moments than I expected, but that’s not to say there wasn’t plenty of action too. The audiobook narration for this continues to be a huge hit for me. Picard does an amazing job bringing each character’s unique energy to life. This book has me so excited for the next installment, and I will 100% be continuing the series.
✨
✨
ALC courtesy of Vaughan Woods Publishing

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first two books of this series earlier this month because I was looking for a lighthearted adventure. The first book is fun. The second book is more of the same. This third one continues in that vein, in a way that feels increasingly and eye-rollingly repetitive. There is very little character development and the worldbuilding feels thinner and thinner as you read on. To be fair, I wasn't expecting these books to be life-changing, but I'm a bit at a loss for what the point of them is.

They read like Baby's First Encounter with Misogyny and Racism, with a side of Parental Trauma; trite and overly-sentimental, with a frankly irritating attempt at subverting heteronormativity in the most counterproductive way. Maybe I'm being overly critical because I just finished War and Peace and the insight that a rich Russian man born in 1847 was able to have into other people was leaps and bounds beyond what Benson could muster.

If at least these books delivered on the romance, I could defend them, but Benson's idea of sexiness is that someone is sweaty or has somehow become wet and it doesn't go much beyond that. There's a lot of kissing and fading to black. Lots of descriptions of kissing with spices and amber. The characters ogle each other a lot and then have a moral panic crisis, over and over. These three books amount to 1500 pages, and if you're going to do that, you are better off with War and Peace.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie, Adam, Constance and Neil are back for another adventure, this time in India! They face off against familiar foes and new enemies, while chasing down a legendary weapon and grappling with the ramifications of colonialism. I enjoyed everything about this book, from the historical and mythological commentary, the fast-paced and exciting action sequences, to the heart-achingly genuine conversations between our favorite ships (seriously, you should see the sections I highlighted). Not to mention the witty banter and romantic scenes with enough tension to cut with a knife. And a very good dog too!

Later revelations had my jaw on the floor, and I simply cannot wait to see where the ramifications of those reveals take us next.

I cannot recommend this series enough. It balances the reality of writing stories set in the past, navigating the complexities of historically accurate bigotry, racism and sexism, as well as the very real presence of colonialism, with tact and the willingness to not shy away from the hard topics. While the main characters espouse views more common in the 21st century than the 19th, it is handled in a way that does not feel overly anachronistic, if anachronistic at all. Instead, by facing it head on, Jacquelyn Benson provided adequate room in the narrative to establish how these characters have developed these views naturally through their experiences and values. To top it all off, the main characters are all memorable and relatable in their own ways-you can’t help but root for them as they navigate this dangerous new adventure and their relationships with eachother.

🪷🗺️🏹🌄🐘

Tropes: Fake Engagement, Friends-to-Lovers, Fake Marriage, Magic Weapons, Practical Chemistry, Lucky Dog (iykyk)

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!