Review – Arrow of Fortune (Raiders of the Arcana, Book 3) by Jacquelyn Benson (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Adventure/Historical Fantasy
Length: 538 pages
Publisher: Vaughan Woods Publishing
Release Date: November 18, 2025
ASIN: B0FCSMMBXT
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Raiders of the Arcana
Source: eGalley from NetGalley for Review
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Ellie Mallory didn’t exactly volunteer to prevent the most dangerous artifact of the Ramayana from falling into the wrong hands—but if one has been coerced into an adventure, the least one can do is bring along a few friends.
Constance Tyrrell has new daggers stuffed in her garters, a thirst to discover everything India has to offer… and absolutely no interest in Dr. Neil Fairfax, Ellie’s scholarly stepbrother. Meanwhile, Neil finds himself wrangling a magical sword along with his increasingly tangled feelings about a certain doe-eyed danger gnome.
Then there’s Adam Bates—handy with a machete, perpetually shirtless, and about to face some unsettling ghosts of his past.
Together, they must follow the footsteps of an ancient hero from the festivals of Puri to the shadowy depths of a legendary forest, racing a brutal colonial administrator with allies of his own—including the complicated and mysterious Mr. Jacobs.
It will take all Ellie’s resources—from a working knowledge of practical chemistry to a highly excitable dog—to beat a new sort of demon to the place where a holy power has lain hidden for two thousand years… alongside the secret history of the woman at the heart of India’s greatest story.”
Series Info/Source: This is the 3rd book in the Raiders of the Arcana series. I got this on ebook from NetGalley for Review.
Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this third installment in the Raiders of the Arcana series. This book takes us to a Britain invaded India and focuses more on Constance and Neil, although Ellie and Adam are still very much a part of the story.
Ellie and her team are trying to prevent a very dangerous magical artifact from falling into the wrong hands. Their adventures bring them into conflict with both new and familiar villains. Neil is trying to figure out what to do with the magical sword he’s acquired, he’s just not really the magical sword type. He finds his life even more complicated when Constance (nicknamed danger gnome) sets her sights on him in the form of a fake engagement. Constance is hoping to dodge her family’s attempts to make her settle down and get married. Joining the team is Adam’s faithful but troublesome dog, who Ellie just cannot see eye to eye with.
This book did start a bit slow as our characters oriented themselves in India and meet some new companions. However, the pace quickly picked up, and we found ourselves delving into ancient tombs, bargaining with gods, and trying to survive brutal British military in no time.
As always, I very much enjoyed the characters here. There is a lot of swapping of gender norms which I enjoy and I love that the characters are open to non-conventional ideas for the time. Ellie is obsessed with blowing things up, Constance can’t wait to raid the next palace, and Neil is very much uncomfortable with wielding any sword, much less a magical one. Watching Constance and Neil circle each other as companions was greatly entertaining as well.
I also enjoyed watching Ellie and Adam navigate their new relationship; Ellie has strong opinions on marriage (mainly that she will loose her independence in she concedes) and Adam wants to figure out a solution where society accepts them as a couple but where Ellie doesn’t feel trapped. All the characters involved have excellent sense of humor, which adds to the fun.
I also continue to really love the unique magical artifacts, the dastardly villains, and the amazing archaeological adventures we get to go on. This series does an amazing job of blending historical fiction with light elements of fantasy. I was incredibly happy to find out there would be additional books in the series. This is like Indiana Jones in book form, but much better in my opinion.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this book and think it is a wonderful addition to the Raiders of the Arcana series. I love the characters, the world, and the adventures. This was easy to read, humorous, action-packed, and highly entertaining. I love the slightly magical take on historical fiction and enjoy the adventure with some romance wrapped in. This whole series has been a fantastic read and I would highly recommend to those who enjoy archaeological adventures with some romance.
