This is such a niche interest series, and in my heart, it is a 5-star experience as a whole. I had a few minor issues with this book. The pacing didn't always work for me, and some dialogues and decisions were confusing. But I loved all the rest. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed everything about archaeology, history, ancient languages, written vs. spoken words, and translations. Who would have thought that the process of translating a sentence or word could work so well in a novel? I was glued to the page during those passages. The plot took a much darker turn than I expected and hit a bit close to current world events. Uff. I was an emotional mess by the end. Which! Reminded me of one of my all-time favorite sci-fi series, actually....