Empire of Shadows
In Jacquelyn Benson’s adventure-filled novel Empire of Shadows, a British bluestocking teams up with a dashing American surveyor in hopes of finding an ancient secret.
In the nineteenth century, spirited, impulsive Ellie harbors thwarted dreams of becoming an archaeologist. When she’s fired from her role as an archivist at the Public Records Office because of her suffragist protests, she swipes a seventeenth-century Spanish psalter that contains a map purporting to pinpoint a lost Mesoamerican city. But Jacobs, a mercenary, wants the map too. His pursuit of her propels Ellie to flee to British Honduras by herself.
Adam, a resourceful outdoorsman who hides his family’s connections, agrees to help Ellie. They develop a rapport with hints of romantic interest; their steamboat trek into uncharted lands teeming with wildlife is exciting. As they converse and share tasks, they also learn that they’re more alike than it at first seemed; both have taken unconventional routes. Their respect for each other’s abilities grows.
Ellie’s self-confidence is matched by her willingness to rough it. Adam, whose ruggedness appeals to her, is considerate of her struggle to prove her place among men who doubt her intellect. But though there are thrills to be had in their explorations (they encounter snake-infested rivers and a treacherous underground cave; they are captured at gunpoint and are forced to extricate themselves using their wits), the question of whether the map is even authentic looms. And side themes surrounding historical artifacts and the harms that ensue when they’re ransacked meld with scientific discoveries and Ellie’s occasional, inexplicable dreams, resulting in excitement.
Like-minded adventurers plunge into the brush in search of a lost city in Empire of Shadows, a splendid introduction to an archaeological adventure series.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
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