Synopsis
Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind.
When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.
With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.
Rating
★★★
Thoughts
I don’t have too much to say about book number one in the Secrets of the Nile series since I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I’d forgotten that this author wrote Together We Burn, which I’d read last month. I spent the first quarter of this book thinking about how the writing style and my feelings of disconnection reminded me of my experience with Together We Burn. Then, I confirmed that the reason was due to the books sharing the same author. I’m not sure if I read too much or too little to encounter such a problem.
I liked the concept of this book, but the execution fell flat for me. I didn’t enjoy the characters and both the plot and pacing felt drawn out. I would have loved more magic and world-building. I know I’m in the minority, but this one was mediocre for me, so I don’t plan to continue the series.