Arrow of Fortune

Raiders of the Arcana #3

by Jacquelyn Benson

A well-behaved lady historian ought to avoid haunted Indian 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.

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

436 pages, Hardcover

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]

Actual rating - 4.5⭐

I cannot express how much I love this series because every single installment only seems to solidify my love for the characters and this world😭💞✨

What to expect -
🏹 Historical fantasy (Victorian Era) with suspense
🏹 Quest to find a mythical artifact
🏹 India as the setting
🏹 Hindu mythology and religion
🏹 Throwing light on Sita from the Ramayana
🏹 Strong female characters
🏹 Generational trauma
🏹 Morality and the impact of standing on the right side
🏹 Anti-colonialism

Micro tropes -
✨ Best friend’s brother
✨ Fake marriage
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Female friendship
✨ Found family

In the third installment of the Raiders of the Arcana series, we follow our characters as they travel deep into the Indian forests to track down the mythical artifact mentioned in the Ramayana and stop it from falling into the wrong hands.

Obviously, this installment is a personal favorite because it takes place in my country, India. I absolutely loved how the author depicted India and its culture. Even though the country was under British rule at the time, it still stood out through its rich cultural practices, food, and hospitality, and the author portrayed all of it in such vivid detail. The festivals, celebrations, and colorful streets brought the images from my history books right to the front of my mind because everything felt so authentic and true to our culture.

Not only that, but I found the author’s understanding and depiction of the Ramayana to be so clear and well done. At first, we’re only given little tidbits about the epic as the characters slowly learn more about it, but I was genuinely astonished by how concise yet impactful the storytelling was while still highlighting all the important moments. And more than that, I loved her depiction of Sita as an empowered woman who let events unfold the way they were meant to, even though she could’ve very well saved herself. If you read this book, you’ll probably align with Constance’s opinions about Sita at first too, until the author slowly proves otherwise through her own interpretation.

The friendship between Ellie and Constance, and Adam and Neil, still remains my favorite part of the series. The way they all rush to protect one another during moments of crisis, while also finding moments of joy amidst the chaos, is so heartwarming to witness.

Adam and Ellie will always be the couple I adore and root for because they’re genuinely one of the best slow-burn romances I’ve read. As someone who's witnessed their romantic development, I fully support their newfound urge to constantly stay near one another in this one🤭😍 I also really enjoyed Ellie’s gradual change of heart toward marriage and the emotional conflict she experiences before coming to that decision. But I have to admit that Neil and Constance completely stole the show for me in this installment.

Watching Neil and Constance go from “she’s my sister’s annoying, tomboyish friend” to “wait, why is she suddenly so attractive and strong, and do I actually like her?!” was SO fun to read about. Constance has always liked him, but she also annoys him so much that he completely loses his composure around her🤭 But now he’s finally starting to admire her for who she truly is. And what I loved even more is that Neil understands her so well. He knows she likes handling things on her own, so he doesn’t interfere unless she truly needs him. And only in this book did I realize that Neil actually has a darker, fiercer side to him because he absolutely refuses to tolerate injustice. Seeing him get angry on behalf of Constance and stand up against people who made her feel inferior because of her ethnicity and skin color?? That hit hard. If you know Neil, you’d know that this is so unlike him because he usually avoids conflict at all costs. And that’s exactly what made me realize he’s the perfect match for Constance😌✨

I could genuinely write essays about this series and these characters, but I’ll stop here and continue fangirling in the next installment review because I’m already so excited for it.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Indiana Jones and The Mummy movies and crave similar adventures with lovable characters, rich mythology, and cultures you’d love learning more about, you absolutely have to pick this series up.

Huge thanks to Vaughan Woods Publishing and the author for the ARC and ALC through NetGalley.

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

[Andi]

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.

[Zoë]

I’d fight to the death for Adam and Ellie

[Esmay Rosalyne]

Look, I have made it absolutely no secret that I had a blast with the first two instalments in the Raiders of the Arcana series, but I fear I was not prepared for how utterly obsessed I would become with what Jacquelyn Benson delivered in Arrow of Fortune. I honestly don't even know how to begin writing this review because I truly just want to sit here and yell about how fun and clever and fascinating and giddy and heartachingly delightful this book was, but I think it’s safe to say that I have found a new favourite.

So, after surviving all their wild adventures in British Honduras and Egypt, our motley little crew of heroes now find themselves in colonial India, once again hunting down a magical artefact before it can fall into the hands of people who would very much like to use it for nefarious purposes. And yes, the basic set-up of each book might sound similar, but I love how Benson keeps making these adventures feel completely fresh, and I was absolutely glued to the page to see how Ellie, Adam, Neil, Constance and of course the bestest boy Kalb were going to pull this quest off, all while trying to navigate their increasingly tangled relationships and budding feelings for each other.

Ellie and Adam have had my heart from the moment I met them, and I continue to adore how Benson keeps their dynamic so fun and interesting even three books in without resorting to unnecessary drama and manufactured tension. I also really loved getting to see such a different and vulnerable side of Adam in Arrow of Fortune as he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past, which he believes make him somehow more difficult to love. Sir, respectfully, shut up with that nonsense. Watching him push back against the expectations placed on him and choose his own path aligned with his own morals and values instead honestly just made me love him more… Ugh, what a man.

But then, to my absolute surprise, it wasn’t Adam and Ellie who were the biggest stars of the show in Arrow of Fortune, because say hello to Dr. Neil Fairfax and Constance Tyrell, ladies and gentlemen. Now, THIS is how you do yearning, this is how you do banter, this is how you do friends to lovers, this is how you do fake engagement… THIS IS HOW YOU DO ROMANCE!!! AAAAAHHHH!!! I absolutely adored how my adorable nerd Neil was so down bad for his danger gnome Connie long before even realising it, and I loved even more how my savvy, quick-witted, half-Indian queen Connie grappled with her identity and her feelings for her stuffy Dr. Fairfax without ever compromising her ferociousness and independence as an individual. Oh dear, I fear I just cannot be normal about these two, the feeeeels!

Benson is just so bloody good at creating real people with real relationships, be they romantic, familial, platonic, antagonistic, or something altogether more complicated in between. But what’s even better is that all that delicious character work is woven so naturally into all of the other aspects that make this series so extraordinary, like the thrilling plot, incredible historical depth, and wonderful cultural richness. I absolutely adored the way she brought both the beauty and the painful realities of historical India to life in Arrow of Fortune, particularly through the Hindu mythology of the Ramayana and the exploration of colonialism, racism, and classism in this timeperiod. It all feels incredibly well researched without the story ever coming close to feeling like a dull history lecture, because seeing it all through the eyes of these passionate scholarly characters is just the most fun and exciting and immersive experience.

At this point it is honestly becoming slightly dangerous how deeply invested I am in these characters, and I actually slowed down my listening speed of the audiobook (which is 10000% the way to go here, trust me) because I was having such an incredibly good time that I didn't want it to end. To me, Arrow of Fortune is just the perfect mix of historical adventure, magical danger, fascinating mythology, complicated relationships, deliciously slow-burn romance, and a healthy dose of ridiculousness thrown in for good measure, and I absolutely cannot wait for book four now. South Korea, here we come babyyy!

[Lauren]

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).

[Tabitha (Reading Tabby)]

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]

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!

[Kelsey | Pages Between Policy]

4.5 ⭐️, rounded up for Goodreads!

The third installment of the Raiders of the Arcana series was, like its predecessors, a well researched and adventurous romp of ancient artifacts, archeology, and a dash of magic.

This time, we find ourselves in colonial India, where Constance’s grandmother has led her granddaughter and her friends on a high speed chase for the lost arcana of the Ramayana before a racist and cruel British colonel can get his hands on it. We are treated to Connie exploring her Indian heritage alongside her friends and becoming incorporated into her extended family. Her enjoyment and appreciation for her culture and the historical depth and richness of India are infections - it’s impossible not to absorb this as a reader!

Benson once again does a really admirable job of researching both the mundane and the extraordinary of life in India, bringing the culture, religion, and beliefs of the country into the novel in thoughtful and nuanced ways. This book continues to exemplify the destructive consequences of colonial rule and the constant vigilance that average Indians living under imperial rule had to maintain just to survive. Benson resists the urge label things in stark black and white terms, instead providing the reader with important context for these historical moments and ensuring that they understand the day-to-day realities of the colonial structure and its damage to society and culture.

As we learn more about the core four characters, I appreciate the introspection and growth that they are each showing. Constance has quickly become one of my favorite fixtures in these books - savvy and quick witted, it was such a delight to watch her come to terms with her feelings for Dr Fairfax without compromising her independence as an individual. The storyline between Adam and his father has deepened and I’m looking forward to seeing these two interact for the first time in the next book!

The fun in these novels is diminished only by their perilously slow middle and consistent pacing issues which tend to lull my interests at times. Unfortunately, like the two other books before it, I wish this was about 50-100 pages shorter, and sometimes we get a bit bogged down in details or scenes that don’t drive the story forward. This is literally my only qualm with this series and the reason that this lands at a 4.5 instead of a 5 star for me. Once I’m in the back half of these books, I find that I’m completely locked in and very engaged with the story, but I’m occasionally frustrated by what I wish was a bit tighter plot structure.

Regardless, I continue to enjoy these novels and was happily surprised that there are many more books to come in this series. I’m very much looking forward to our crew’s adventures in Korea and will be keeping my eyes peeled for anything Jacquelyn Benson does in the future!

[Lauryn Smith]

*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?”

[thebookish.dragon]

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!!

[Natalie]

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!

[Selene]

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 💜

[Irene]

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.

[Gemma Rose]

I'd definitely liked the first two of this series a lot, and it's not that I didn't like this one but it felt a little repetitive of the previous two, both in plot and themes. There's an artifact to find, Jacobs is looking for it too, they have a few run ins before right before they're going to find it, they're captured by him and need to figure out how to escape and get the artifact before him, with a lot of commentary on British colonialism and worrying about how to have a relationship with Adam when she doesn't believe in marriage. It was still good but it felt a little like the same book in a different location? 

[Neelam]

“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!

[Taylor Jefferson]

Book three in the Raiders of the Arcana series. I picked up book one after I heard the dynamic between the two leads being compared to Rick and Evie from The Mummy. As a millennial, legally I had to read it. Came for the nostalgia and stayed for the fantastic characters, slow burn romance, well researched history and magical artifact treasure hunts.

Ellie, Adam, Neil and Constance arrive in India to hunt down another of the Arcana. This time racing against a truly evil British colonel, who wants to use the magic artifact to increase Britain’s foothold around the world. Fuck colonialism!

This took a bit to really grab me. It’s at its best when the group is all together and unencumbered by societal expectations but we get very little of it for the first few hundred pages. It seemed like there was always someone looking over their shoulders making sure everyone was being proper then when we finally get a little freedom, everyone is separated. The gang teams back up in the end but it made the beginning a bit of a chore.

One thing I really appreciate about this series is Benson’s condemnation of colonialism is front and center. It would be irresponsible to write a historical fiction about treasure hunting in the late 1800’s and not touch on the fact that most of it is stolen from the countries it belongs to.

I really love where we left off with the relationships. Adam and Ellie will no longer have to hide how much they love each other and they are doing it on their terms. Neil and Constance were the biggest surprise. Not because I didn’t see it coming, but because I expected them to dance around each other for another book or two. But Constance is fearless and Neil is so incredibly earnest, it made sense for them to dive in.

Recommend if you are a fan of The Mummy and like your historical romance heavy on the history.

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨]

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

[Karin]

4⭐️

Jacqueline Benson does tension SO well, I‘m absolutely obsessed.

I love her characters so much and I honestly need book 4 asap.

[Mackenzie]

So sad I am now caught up, this has been the best comfort series to read over summer.

Still love Mr. Jacobs, he is an amazing "villain" (as opposed to the real, truly evil villains we've seen in the last couple of books). Dawson is so annoying but in the best way. I hope we see them again soon.

Having read these back-to-back I am picking up on how repetitive the plot is. So this third one felt a bit predictable. I feel like Ellie thinks the same 10 thoughts about Adam (and vice versa), and their conversations felt like duplicates of each other which I started to just glaze over. I love Constance and Neil but Neil started to feel like the main character after a while (not that I mind much, but it made me miss Book 1 and when I actually enjoyed Ellie and Adam's POVs).

The stakes are extremely low as they always make it out fine, so none of the action moments really got me on edge. HOWEVER. History + cute romance + magical objects/abilities + adventure = <3

Despite how repetitive it is I still can't wait for Book 4! By then my memory will be wiped and I'll enjoy the plot points as if they're new.

[Katie]

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
- 3rd person POV

[Cait | GoodeyReads]

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

[Emily]

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!

[Yamini]

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.

[Anna-Marie]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC & ALC.

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.

[M Gregs]

Came for the predictable romance, stayed for the fascinating antagonist.

The major thing that kept this from being a 4-star read for me is Ellie’s insane insistence on not marrying Adam while being completely fine with being fake married to him. Like, girl, touch grass.

[Alexandra Morales]

I'm sad to say this series is slowly starting to decline for me.

I also never thought I'd say Neil and Constance would carry a book but they certainly dragged this one to the finish line.

I enjoyed Neil and Constance despite the God awful nicknames of "stuffy" and "danger gnome". They had pretty great moments together and I liked to see the brave moments Neil had. Constance was a bucket of energy that could be grating at times but I think balanced out nicely with Neil.

We see a different side of Adam but it seems like it was really dragged out in this book to prepare for the next book. He seems to be more waylaid in this one and I didn't like that. I want the brave, reckless confident man from book 1. Not the cowed, nervous man I just read.

Ellie is plain UNLIKEABLE at this point. Honestly I thought we'd be getting some arc, maybe her seeing how women from different cultures can actually be married, be happy and enjoy life would somehow rub off on her. The fact that we are still STUCK in this narrative of "I don't believe in the institution of marriage" or "children are shackles of a woman to the patricharchy" bits are getting so freaking annoying. THE AUDACITY Ellie has to judge Sita for being kidnapped and "doing nothing" when Ellie's presence in this book dragged it down and she managed to do absolutely nothing.

The books are very linear, it is quite literally the same story just a differing atmosphere. I would have liked to see some different bad guys since we discovered in the last book there is a whole group dedicated to discovering the Arcana. It can't be the same two mf's every time.

I don't know if I will continue this series or not. Three books in I'd hate to be a quitter no matter how bad this one dragged.

[Caitlin]

I am so in love with this series. I cannot EXPRESS enough how deeply, supremely enjoyable it is.

Expedition fantasy!! (once again asking if this is a thing) 😅 Think of all those classic heart-pounding adventures that take you places all over the world, uncovering lost (magical) treasure against all odds, high stakes, and yup, most likely a myriad of antagonistic forces racing you to the finish for that same treasure. THEN throw in incredibly incisive commentary on colonialism which absolutely must be addressed in these stories, and a handling of historical events (merged with fictional) that’s done with sensitivity, awareness, respect, and urgent aplomb. The research, the care!! THEN add not just one incredibly refreshing, heart-stopping, soul-shaking romance but TWO 💕

(Neil, Constance—my heart. You are worthy!)

It’s so refreshing. It is pure, unfettered adventure. The atmosphere is SO rich—I have loved travelling to Honduras, Egypt, India. I can’t remember the last book where I’ve felt so fully transported. I cannot WAIT for the gang’s next adventure.

Truly, these books are so good. And not just for the wink wink moments of Adam somehow always finding a way to get rid of his shirt.

But yeah, that’s part of it too 😉😘

[Marina McCulloch]

While I didn't connect with this book as much as the others, it doesn't detract from all the things I love about the series.

I feel like this book needed to focus on more interpersonal development, and that focus took away from the archeological details and suspense. I wasn't very invested in this particular "arcanum", but the details and descriptive imagery of India in 1889 were wonderful.

I was glad Adam and Ellie were solid and partnered up in this book. Admittedly I would have enjoyed it more if it was solely about them, but I do adore Neil and Constance as well.

I'm hopeful the next book will be a solo Ellie and Adam adventure.

[Arica]

Unlike the third Mummy movie, this was a great addition to the series! A little repetitive and could have been 100 pages shorter. Constance and Dr. Neil Fairfsx stole the show and I wouldn't mind a solo spin off series with the both of them!

[Lata]

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.