Series Review: The Artifact Hunters

I picked up a book in November that sent me on an exciting reading spree. I did a Book Review: Nefertiti’s Heart By A.W. Exley in November, but after finishing the series decided to contact the author directly. I loved her books so much, I wanted to find out more about them, and her. But before I post her author interview, I wanted to do a post summarizing the five books of her series.

The Artifact Hunters is a series set in the Victorian age with steampunk as the background. The two main characters are Cara Devon and Nathan Lyons. They are two members of the London peerage, but with much different backgrounds. But it’s their fighting spirit and love of adventure that draw these two together.

A series of five books showcase each of their stories, and the their combined story that throw them into some intense situations that will have you on the edge of your seat. Each book also showcases a particular artifact that either needs to be found, or stopped from creating chaos. Here’s a brief summary of each of the books.

Book 1: Nefertiti’s Heart is where the characters Cara and Nathan meet under precarious circumstances. Cara has to decide if she should trust the nefarious Lyons so she can get the money she needs to set herself up for a comfortable life. She also has to deal with her recently departed father and all the ancient artifacts he left behind. You can read more about this book through Book Review: Nefertiti’s Heart By A.W. Exley

Book 2: Hatshepsut’s Collar finds Nathan on Queen Victoria’s bad side. She’s detained Nathan in the Tower of London. Cara must decide how far she will go to help him. And when she discovers that the Queen is wearing a dangerous artifact, Cara must find away to convince the Queen to give it up. In the meantime, Nathan and Cara have a lot of trouble on their heels as they travel by airship to Russia and Siberia.

Book 3: Nero’s Fiddle comes into the spotlight as people start to spontaneously combust. Cara and Nathan desperately searches for the owner of the artifact when Cara learns that someone close to her may be the next victim. She also learns more about her new husband Nathan that unsettles her. Cara must decide how best to proceed in her new life.

Book 4: Moseh’s Staff is a hard book to put down as this story picks up several story threads from the other three books, weaving together a fast paced adventure. As Cara and Nathan are tasked by Queen Victoria to end the harshest winter in history, disaster strikes the Lyons. Cara and Nathan are forced to face some of their biggest fears. This book also showcases the biggest display yet of mechanical creatures, which adds a streak of fun to a drama filled book.

Book 5: Nessy’s Locket is a lot more light-hearted than the previous books, but still has Cara and Nathan facing their biggest challenge yet––impending parenthood. As the big day arrives, each have to face the coming change in their own ways, while Cara deals with the fact that her family has a high mortality rate during childbirth. Along with having three dragons to now protect, they must also search for an artifact to help bring Cara safely through childbirth.

This series also has two novellas. The first, The Unicorn’s Tail follows Amy Hamilton, a good friend of Cara’s. Amy finds herself quite suddenly under the attention of two gorgeous men, and she must decide which one, if any, will mend her broken life. This book takes place between book 2 and 3.

The second, Paniha’s Taniwha, follows the dashing pirate Lochlan Hawke. He finds himself in uncharted territories when he makes contact with the Maori in an attempt to create a new trade route. The playboy Loki discovers himself confronted with new possibilities that leaves him a changed man. This book takes place between book 3 and 4.

This series is a great read, and it’s hard to stop once you get started! I loved following the unforgettable characters of Cara and Nathan, and some of the other secondary characters like Loki, Jackson, and Brick. This is a well conceptualized story that will leave you wanting more.

And in that spirit of wanting more, I contacted A.W. Exley to get more information about the amazing person who captured my attention with this series. Look for the interview with Exley later this week!