Hatshepsut's Collar
4 Stars

Under the influence of an ancient and powerful Egyptian artifact, Queen Victoria is descending into madness and is obsessed with expanding the British Empire across the globe. When her lover, Viscount Nathaniel Lyons, is arrested for treason, Cara Devon must work together with his cohorts to expose those behind the conspiracy to overthrow the monarch.

Despite having read and enjoyed the first book in this series several years ago, I never managed to continue. However, I recently re-discovered the series on Audible and decided to refamiliarize myself with book #1 and continue on to book #2.

This follow up to Nefertiti's Heart (see my review here) is action-packed from the start. Exley's world Steampunk world-building is top-notch, and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of actual historical figures and the twist explaining the death of Prince Albert.

Cara and Nate's romance hits a rough spot as he makes a stunning revelation and Cara must decide if she can accept the situation and move forward. In the meantime, the two are caught up in the queen's madness and the conspiracy plot is well-developed and intriguing.

In terms of the audiobook, Gemma Dawson's overall narration is first-rate. However, her female voices are a bit too high-pitched for me, and her male voices could be deeper.

Overall, I am glad to have found this series again and will continue sooner rather than later.



( )

Trigger Warning: Mention of child abuse and rape.

Queen Victoria is being driven insane by the ancient artifact she's wearing. Cara knows, because she's read all her fathers papers about the artifacts he collected and pursued. Prince Albert knows, too, and he wants Cara to help save her, and save the kingdom. In the meantime, Nathaniel is framed for treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London, and Cara needs to take care of that mess, too.

Here is the absolute, over the top, reason I read this book: Dragon eggs. Dragon babies. Dragons!

As usual, if you like The Parasol Protectorate, want some erotica and dragons mixed in with your steampunk, you'll enjoy this book.

Provided by publisher. ( )

If this is your first look at this series, do yourself a favour & get "Nefertiti's Heart" before starting this book. It has the background that will make for a richer read. (and FYI, some comments in this review may constitute spoilers for book #1).
Cara & Nate are back & after the finale of the last book, bound in ways they're just beginning to understand. Their hearts now beat in synch. They can sense each other when apart & share emotions. The downside is they also share physical pain.
Cara is revelling in her position at Lyon's Airship Co. as Nate's #2. She has Nate & her freedom and couldn't care less about the whispers among the ton. Then conscription notices start arriving for all the young men. It seems Queen Victoria is amassing an army but why?
Speaking of freedom, Nate drops a bombshell one morning. In the last book he revealed how he knew of her before they met 3 months ago. But he left out one whopper of a detail. Cara is furious & ready to pack her bags. However, there is a more pressing concern. Soldiers burst into their home that day & arrest Nate for treason. Before they know it, he's on his way to the tower, courtesy of Victoria.
And the hits just keep on coming. Cara gets an audience with the Queen to plead Nate's case & can't help noticing the large necklace she's wearing. From her research on artifacts, she recognizes Hatshepsut's Collar, an ancient relic reputed to take over the mind of the wearer, making them mad with power.
I don't want to spoil any of the surprises in store & this book is jam packed. Before it's all over, Cara & Nate will travel from London to St. Petersburg, Siberia & back again. Loki, Miguel & Jackson are there to provide help & muscle as they try to foil a coup & keep Nate alive. And Nan & Nessy make an appearance, as randy as ever.
It's also a journey of discovery. We learn of Cara's past, Nate's other job & personal details about Jackson with hints of more to come. And Loki is cured of his hots for Cara after a particularly disturbing scene on his airship.
There are several side stories related to the main plot & plenty of wry humour mixed in with fast paced drama. As for our fearless couple, they may have some serious issues to deal with but the physical side of their relationship is just fine, thank you very much. Might want to have a fan on standby.
It's a great rollicking ride, full of action, cool mechanical gizmos & romance. At the end, Cara & Nate are offered a new job that promises more adventure & mystery to come in the next instalment. ( )

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Cara Devon and Viscount Nathaniel Lyons are back. It’s September 1861, a few months after Cara nearly had her heart carved out by a crazy psychopath. She and Nate are cohabitating and he has hired her to be his Number 2. Unfortunately, Nate has been keeping secrets, some really big ones and just as he drops a devastating one on her he’s arrested for treason and locked up in the grim Tower of London. As mad as Cara is at him she can’t let him hang because Nefertiti’s Heart means that if he dies, so does she. It’s a race against the clock to uncover the real traitor to England and release the Queen from the evil power of Hatshepsut’s Collar before she plunges their country into a war they can’t win.

And…we’re off and running! What an excellent ride! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy following the adventures of Cara and Nate as they race against the clock. The adventure, suspense, humor, romance and mythology are rolled up into a light flaky crust of steampunk and sprinkled liberally with sexy steaminess. Absolutely delicious! Hmmm…I seem to compare yummy books with tasty food a lot. What can I say?

There is so much I could say about what I loved about this book, but I absolutely do not want to spoil the surprises (yes, I said surprises with an ‘s’), so I will say that my favorite characters are back and a few new ones are introduced. I learned a bit more about what Nefertiti’s Heart can do to/for Cara and Nate (holy shit!) and some fantasy elements are increased in this book. The steampunk elements are awesome. The story moves along at a brisk pace and the book was glued to my hands. I truly hope this series continues for quite some time. And Loki? Oh, boy, I can’t wait for him to meet his match though I hope it will be a bit yet. I like having him single for now. *drools* ( )