Delightful characters on a puzzle-solving, artefact-hunting adventure. Perfect if you’re looking for a quick, solid, lighthearted YA adventure with the barest touch of supernatural elements. It was exactly what I needed right now, and I will definitely pick up any future installments in the series.

* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts* This was super fun read. It reminds so much of my regency romances. I really liked the ages of this character and this story felt aged up to me. I also really loved the focus on both traveling and also mythology. I also saw so much of Indian jones in this story. I liked the all the characters but did not feel super connected to anyone. Some of the plot points were super fast but it was fun read and would def read more books in the series in the future.

*2.5 When Sam Knox was young, she loved nothing more than running around on pretend archaeological digs but, after her father never returned from the war, Sam packed away all her childish fantasies and found solace in the antique bookshop where she works. While working late one night, Sam receives a mysterious package containing a damaged diary which quickly turns Sam's peaceful life on its head. Now, she, her estranged best friend, and her childhood crush find themselves on the run from dangerous men who will stop at nothing to get the diary. Their adventure will bring them to Ireland, where they stumble upon an ancient order determined to enact a ritual to raise the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, to bring about a war unlike the world has ever seen before. To stop them, Sam must decipher a complex cipher that will lead to the final piece of the ritual: a bowl carved from the tree of life. With her investigation taking her all over Dublin and time dwindling, will Sam be able to find the bowl and stop the curse before the Hellfire Club destroys the world? This is essentially a YA gender-bent Indiana Jones meets The Mummy with a splash of National Treasure, which sounds like it should be amazing, right? Unfortunately, it just missed the mark. This is meant to be very action-packed-- ancient orders are trying to raise an evil entity, and mysterious men chasing Sam and her friends across the country, for crying out loud-- but nothing ever felt high stakes. There was never a moment where I was holding my breath or that left me on the edge of my seat. I also had an issue with the characters. Sam was so meek and seemed to let everyone walk all over her. It was frustrating watching her sit there while all the male characters brushed off everything she said or were entirely too protective over her *cough*Bennett*cough*. It was satisfying when she finally stood her ground and took charge, but it took too long, in my opinion. Speaking of Bennett, there's a romantic element between the pair that felt like such an afterthought, and I didn't think needed to be there. The saving grace of this for me was the Celtic mythology woven throughout that I found fascinating. I liked seeing the conflict play out, even though it was all conveniently wrapped together in the end. Overall, this had so much potential but needed a bit more development.

This story was such a fun ride! It has a sort of “Indiana Jones” meets “The Mummy” vibe, and I’m all for it! The characters were so lovable, the quips had me snorting aloud, and the action/suspense had me tightly gripping the binding of the book (sorry, book!) until the end. I can’t wait to see these characters again in the future!