Dust and Desire: Archaeology and Adventure Romances

Dust and Desire: Archaeology and Adventure Romances

Sun, sand, mysteries from times long past... There’s just something so inherently romantic about archaeology. Sure, it’s a lot of tedious digging, but it’s also a field where each discovery changes the way we think about ourselves and our history. And there’s nothing sexier than a hunky guy who is also smart and passionate about his work. I first became obsessed with archaeology romances when I read Elizabeth Peters’s Crocodile on the Sandbank. While the Amelia Peabody series is definitely a mystery series, the first book is also a romance. A newly wealthy spinster travels to Egypt and meets a surly (but quite handsome) Egyptologist. Together, they uncover a mystery set among the tombs of Amarna. Elizabeth Peters earned a Ph.d. in  Egyptology, which gives her authorial cred, but she’s also Barbara Michaels, who wrote romantic suspense novels filled with gothic elements. For me, the interplay between Emerson and Amelia are what kept me reading the series.

Many of the archaeological romances are historicals set during the 19th century or beginning of the twentieth. Perhaps my favorite one is Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke. We usually think of travel and exotic lands when we consider archaeology, but this book is set in England, about an excavation on English land of old Roman ruins. What is so fun about this book is that it combines the archaeology plot, a workplace romance, and an ugly duckling story.

Review: The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

Format: hardcover
Pub Date: July 2017
Publisher: William Morrow
Length: 323 pages
POV: 1st past, with occasional 3rd in the form of Manuscript H

I started reading the Amelia Peabody series in college. There is just something about them that is so compelling. The series runs from the late 19th century through World War I and ends with the discovery of King Tut's tomb. This series is my comfort read series. The first is a solid Novel with Romantic Elements book.  Back in 2013, I even led a read along on Twitter, but stopped midway following the death of Elizabeth Peters that year.

When Peters passed away, it was well known that she was working on a new manuscript, although her fans were never quite sure how far she had progressed on it. I assumed we'd never see that book, but I was happy to hear that her estate was working to get it finished and into the world.

If you have not read the series, this is absolutely NOT the book to start with. Although each story is a standalone mystery, this series was NEVER about the mysteries. Those have always been secondary to the relationships, and there are multiple arcs that should be read in order. If you're just starting the series there are two ways to read it: as it was published or chronological. After Peters finished the Tomb of the Golden Bird, she went back and started publishing "in between" books that covered archaeological seasons she had skipped. The Painted Queen is one of those "in between" books, taking place between Falcon at the Portal and He Shall Thunder in the Sky.

Amelia Peabody ReRead Update

Okay, summer is over for most of us. How did you do on your Peabody reread?  *spoilers ahead*

I just finished reading He Shall Thunder in the Sky. That makes 12 of the 19 books I've managed to read. Admittedly, I stalled on some of the books that aren't my favorites. And I skipped River in the Sky, which I'll have to go back to.

Some random observations gleaned from the reread:

For all that Amelia is portrayed as not being maternal, we're given several examples of it throughout the series. But it's not until Ramses is grown that Amelia believes *herself* to be at all maternal. She's pretty hard on herself for not being a worrier, but once Ramses becomes involved in the war effort, she finds herself near tears often, and worrying herself sick.

I still really, REALLY hate the turns taken in The Falcon at the Portal. This is the book I threw against the wall when I first read it at its initial publication in 1999. I mean that literally. I still feel like Nefret's actions are more a device to continue the angst of the romance arc through to another book, rather than a natural reaction based on past actions. She's OLDER than Ramses. She's had medical training. She's smart, savvy, and while impulsive, she's NOT stupid. And her actions in that book are beyond stupid.

He Shall Thunder in the Sky is definitely one of my favorites. It's heartbreaking. It's complex, too, with all of the various POVs we're given through Amelia's journals, Manuscript H, and Nefret's letters to Lia. And Peters did an amazing job setting the stage with the wartime machinations without burying the reader in details. If you want to find out what war was like during World War I outside the trench warfare on the Continent, this is an excellent source. Even if it is fiction.

 I also discovered that I am a sucker for the Sethos books. I didn't realize it until now, but all of the my favorite books are the ones that feature Sethos. Clearly, I like rogues.

I'm continuing the reread through the Fall, because I can't just drop the series midway through. Follow along with the #Peabody tag on Twitter, along with the occasional title of the book I'm reading. 

The Amelia Peabody Summer Re-Read!

I've been a little disillusioned by the romance genre's offerings lately and decided to try a mystery. Sadly, none of the new mysteries appealed either. Enter, the summer reread. And not just any reread. It's the Amelia Peabody reread.

Beware, if you haven't read these books, they are highly (highly!) addictive. If you have read them, but not recently, don't start your reread unless you're prepared to neglect every other book on your TBR for a few weeks.

There are 19 books set from 1884 to 1922 and written by Elizabeth Peters from 1975 to 2010.  They are a hilarious blend of mystery, romance, family saga, adventure novels, and historical fiction. Set mostly in Egypt, although a few are set outside of it, these books are the (mostly) first person account of Amelia Peabody's life as an Egyptologist during the heyday of Egyptian exploration preceding the discovery of King Tut's tomb.

I'm on the 4th book, but anyone is welcome to read along! I'll be chronicling my adventure mostly on Twitter using the #Peabody hashtag, and occasionally the title of the book I'm currently on. Each book has a self-contained mystery, but the characters age and grow over the course of the series, so reading in order is important! (Completely unrelated, but I adore the titles in this series. They always have some bearing on the story, they are original, and they are easy to remember. Take note, Romancelandia)

The first book is Crocodile on the Sandbank.

The rest of the series (by series order not publication date)
Curse of the Pharaohs
The Mummy Case
The Lion in the Valley
Deeds of the Disturber
The Last Camel Died at Noon
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog
The Hippopotamus Pool
Seeing a Large Cat
The Ape Who Guards the Balance
Guardian of the Horizon **
A River in the Sky **
Falcon at the Portal***
He Shall Thunder in the Sky
Lord of the Silent
The Golden One
Children of the Storm
The Serpent on the Crown
Tomb of the Golden Bird

**Published out of order as "lost seasons" books. They are shown above in the correct chronological order based on when they are set.
***Huge cliffhanger book. You'll want to have He Shall Thunder in the Sky close at hand.

Falcon at the Portal [audio]: "Good Parts" version

I've already read the entire Amelia Peabody series from start to finish. Several times. I even have the Amelia Peabody companion book. In short, I'm a wee bit obsessed with the series. Just a smidge.

I had been working my way through Barbara Rosenblat's fab narration of the audiobook versions.  And then I reached Falcon at the Portal. Anyone who has read the series knows the significance of that. For those who haven't read the series, let's just say a major character acts out of character and FUBARs  the romantic story arc from the last few books.

I got about halfway through it. Then...I stalled. Not because I hated the writing. Or because I didn't want to find out what happens. I already knew what came next. But because I just didn't want to suffer through what happened again. Once was enough. In fact, the first time through Falcon, I pitched the print book against the wall. Literally.

So...I decided to skip to the last 20 minutes of the book. There's still some angsty stuff there. But the hit me in the gut emotion was skipped. And, cowardly though it seems, I'm glad I skipped. Because the next book, He Shall Thunder in the Sky rocks! And I don't have the cloud of depression and annoyance following me around that came from my 1st reading of Falcon at the Portal.

What about you? Are there any keeper books that you reread but only the "good parts?" Any books that you'll stop reading just before an emotionally draining scene? Or am I just weird? (Don't answer that last question.)

Review: Wedding of the Season by Laura Lee Guhrke

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Avon (Harper Collins)
Pub Date: December 28, 2010
FTC: Digital ARC received from publisher through Netgalley

The Blurb:

Abandoned at the altar…

Lady Beatrix Danbury has always known she would marry William Mallory. She’d loved him forever, and she’d never doubted he loved her, too. But when she made him choose between their life together and his lifelong dream, Will chose the latter, and left two weeks before their wedding.

Return of the duke…

Will has no illusions that Beatrix will welcome him back with open arms, but six years has not diminished his love or his desire for her. The only problem is that she’s about to marry someone else. Someone safe and predictable… the complete opposite of Will. But can he stop the wedding of the season and win Beatrix back, or is it just too late?

Laura Lee Guhrke writes some of the most fun late 19th/early 20th century romances out there. They are wonderful, sweet, romantic, and sometimes very funny. Wedding of the Season definitely had its amusing parts, and it also had plenty of heart.

I love the second-chance-at-love trope. And there's plenty to love about Will and Beatrix. There really isn't a villain in this book. No third person who broke the young lovers apart. The parting was a result of mixed priorities, chance, and the naivete of youth. And pride. Lots and lots of pride. As I was reading the book, my sympathies swung from Will to Beatrix and back again. It's painful to watch these two wrestle with the realities of what drove them apart. And to watch them fight their attraction for each other.

Quickie Review: Assassin's Honor by Monica Burns

Format: Trade Paperback
Pub Date: June 2010
ISBN: 9780425234167
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
FTC: Purchased myself

Most of the time, buzz on Twitter, Goodreads, and romance blogs is a good thing. And most of the time, I don't regret forking out money for a trade paperback I purchased based on overwhelming praise by my favorite sites. But...this is one of those times that I was very disappointed both in buying a new copy of a trade paperback and the highway robbery prices they charge for them and for wasting my time reading the book.

Assassin's Honor annoyed me right away by employing a spelling for archaeology that infuriates me. "Archeology" may be an "acceptable" alternate spelling, but it's not what people in the field use. Which means that if your main character is someone attached to Chicago's famed Oriental Institute, they wouldn't be using "archeology." So using it in the text and dialogue results in an immediate auto-fail with me.

So, already cranking about that spelling pet peeve, I start reading. Only to discover that what could be a fun, suspenseful story is...irritating. Our "hero" Ares likes to add little swear words to his thoughts and speech that just grated on my nerves. "Christus" this and "Deus" that. And let's not forget "Fotte" or "Merda" either. It felt hokey and unbelievable. Like a cheap ploy to add something exotic without expending any real effort. And, since they're in a different language, they are set off in italics. To make them even more irritating.

I guess my problem with this book is that it never felt real. The premise was fine, but I had serious problems with the execution. The characters felt phony and the plot seemed canned for something that was supposed to be fresh and different. Spelling pet peeves and style issues aside, I wish the author had taken a different approach with the plot. This felt too derivative and at times made absolutely no sense. Add in a TSTL heroine and my lack of enjoyment was sealed.

My Grade: D+

The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters (Vicky Bliss series)

It's been well over a decade since we were last treated to a new Vicky Bliss novel. Ms. Peters (aka Barbara Michaels aka Barbara Mertz) has obviously been focused on completing her Amelia Peabody series which wrapped up with the Tomb of the Golden Bird. And, unfortunately, the lapse between novels is what causes a huge continuity problem--a fact that Ms. Peters addresses in a forward.

Although this is far from the best Vicky story, it's well worth reading anyhow. The characters have always been the main appeal to the series, and reading this installment is like visiting with an old friend you haven't seen for years. Familiar, but also new.

I listened to this one on audio--tempted because the narrator was Elizabeth Peters's "official" narrator: Ms. Barbara Rosenblat. Rosenblat is one of the absolute BEST narrators of audiobooks. Only Jim Dale, of Harry Potter fame, comes close. Her skill with dialects and accents is so amazing to me. I have listened to other versions of Vicky Bliss, notably one voiced by actress Kathleen Turner, but only Rosenblat does Schmidt convincingly.

I won't spoil the ending, but I do want to say that Ms. Peters manages to tie this series to her other one and even makes an appearance as herself in the narrative of the story. Quite funny for fans of her other series.

If you haven't read a Vicky Bliss mystery, please do not start with this one. There is a chronology of sorts--although the changes in culture and technology may make it more confusing than it really is--and reading them out of order would diminish the impact. Technically a stand alone story, it is a novel that is so much richer if you've followed the characters throughout their previous escapades.

For those wanting to go back to the beginning, here is the order:

• Borrower of the Night
• Street of the Five Moons
• Silhouette in Scarlet
• Trojan Gold
• Night Train to Memphis
• Laughter of Dead Kings

I enjoyed revisiting these wonderful characters. For fans of the series, this has been a long time in coming.