I absolutely adored the historical setting, the details were beautiful and really brought 1884 Egypt to life. You can tell the author put a lot of work into her research and it really shows in how alive this story felt. It made me want to revisit Egypt and soak in the history. The time period in question is chaotic and full of tension and this made for an compelling backdrop whilst also offering real history and mythology.

This is a historical fantasy story though I would say it felt more like a historical fiction adventure with magical realism? The magic was minimal and vague and not very tangible. Personally I didn’t mind this style at all but don’t go in expecting high level magic systems.

The plot was interesting though not particularly fast paced - the setting really brought it together, and the concept of excavation of historical sites was excellent. I liked Inez and Whit and their banter was excellent, though Inez did frustrate me in the latter section of the story. Im interested to see what she’ll do next and whether she really learnt anything in this half of the story.

The other side characters filled out the story but none really stood out to me except Elvira. (And Isadora who i would like to know more about!) I still can’t quite get a handle on her uncle and his temperamental nature, at some points I really like him and at others I wish to shake him! Overall I really enjoyed following Inez on her journey and uncovering the truths alongside her. The story left a lot of unanswered questions but has me very excited to find the answers in the sequel. Also how dare she leave it like that?!