First off I am so grateful to have received this ARC and I did have a good time reading this book. I give this book somewhere around 4-4.25 stars, overall fun but I have some complaints.  My first mistake was thinking that this book was a stand-alone. I have seen other reviewers led to believe the same so maybe there was a disconnect in the marketing somewhere. I think my major issues with this book boil down to me thinking I was reading a stand-alone while the author was actually setting up for a duology. Before I get into my complaints I need to give credit where credit is due and praise this book a bit. 

I think that the care that went into creating the historical setting is so obvious and really shines throughout the book. The scenes are described so richly and with so much attention to detail regarding ancient Egypt and the nineteenth-century setting. I really enjoyed Inez and Whit’s banter with one another and had a great time with their general dynamic. It is an enjoyable story to read, it had me staying up late trying to unravel the mysteries plaguing Inez. 

My major issues with this book were the pacing, the twists, and the magic system. The book starts out very fast-paced with lots of action and information coming at you and slowly grinds to a near halt as you progress through the story. It really felt like the starting pace could've made this book a stand-alone but the author decided to start stalling to have enough action for book 2. I will not get too much into my opinions on the twists to avoid spoiling anything. I think that books can have too many twists and I’ll leave it at that. I was really disappointed in the magic system in this book, I’d almost prefer it wasn't there at all. Magic continually felt like a second thought throughout the book and was never really explained all that well. 

At the end of the day, that epilogue sealed my fate and I will be reading the next book.