Arrow of Fortune

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.

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.

Nice Victorian ladies don't run off to find legendary lost cities. One trifling little arrest shouldn't have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it's only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions. When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she's holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There's just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way. To race him to the ruins-and avoid being violently disposed of-she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can't seem to keep his dratted shirt on. But there's more than Ellie's scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren't just looters. They're after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world. Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands? Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson's smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of R omancing the Stone and The Mummy .

Nice Victorian ladies don't run off to find legendary lost cities. One trifling little arrest shouldn't have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it's only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions. When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she's holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There's just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way. To race him to the ruins-and avoid being violently disposed of-she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can't seem to keep his dratted shirt on. But there's more than Ellie's scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren't just looters. They're after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world. Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands? Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson's smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of R omancing the Stone and The Mummy .