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 in Superior, Wis., has a suggestion for a great historical fantasy series that will appeal to fans of “The Mummy” movies. She recommends the Raiders of the Arcana series, which starts with "Empire of Shadows," written by Jacquelyn Benson. 

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The series begins in 1898 in England, but archaeologist Ellie Mallory and dashing adventurer Adam Bates soon travel to Central America in search of a lost city. 

Naturally, there’s a ruthless villain determined to beat them to the discovery and a mythical artifact buried within the ruins. The series has a slow-burn romance with fun, flirty banter. 

Lockwood loves the characters. She describes Ellie as “a woman suffragette, so she's very opinionated. She jumps in there and takes control, and I love that about her! The characters are so real, they just jump out of the page at you. You feel like you're carrying around your best buddies in your handbag when you want to read a book; these are great buddies to have along on any kind of excursion,” said Lockwood. 

There are three books in the series, plus a prequel novella, with a fourth book coming in January. 

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Emily Bright

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Bookseller Maria Lockwood recommends Jacquelyn Benson's historical fantasy series "Raiders of the Arcana" for fans of adventure, romance and "The Mummy."

Ask a Bookseller: The Raiders of the Arcana series by Jacquelyn Benson

A cover of "Empire of Shadows" by Jacquelyn Benson.

Ask a Bookseller: The Raiders of the Arcana series by Jacquelyn Benson

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