* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

This was super fun read. It reminds so much of my regency romances. I really liked the ages of this character and this story felt aged up to me. I also really loved the focus on both traveling and also mythology. I also saw so much of Indian jones in this story. I liked the all the characters but did not feel super connected to anyone. Some of the plot points were super fast but it was fun read and would def read more books in the series in the future. ( )

* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

This was super fun read. It reminds so much of my regency romances. I really liked the ages of this character and this story felt aged up to me. I also really loved the focus on both traveling and also mythology. I also saw so much of Indian jones in this story. I liked the all the characters but did not feel super connected to anyone. Some of the plot points were super fast but it was fun read and would def read more books in the series in the future. ( )

This young adult book really caters well to its intended audience. Sam (Samantha) repairs old books and gets one in the mail. Before she repairs it the bookstore is burnt down by two men connected to a sinister organization in Ireland. The men were trying to find the book. The story moves to Ireland where she goes with her two best friends to find the professor that sent the book for her to repair. Here, they find out about a curse in the book and and the evil people who want to unleash it causing mass destruction on the world. Part of a planned series. ( )

Good blend of historical and fantasy. A heroine whose survival after losing her father during a war relies on her intensity, concentration and puzzle solving skills. When the bookshop where she works is invaded by scary Irish monks and subsequently set afire, it starts a chain of unexpected events that reunites her with a former best friend, his brother who she secretly loves and a completely unplanned trip from her Midwest town all the way to Ireland. Add in supernatural demons coupled with an arcane treasure hunt and you have quite the story. ( )

Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke is the first A Samantha Knox Novel. This is a fast-paced entertaining novel. I loved the main characters that included Sam Knox, Joana Steeling, and Bennett Steeling. Sam is an intelligent, strong woman who is loyal and determined. Joana Steeling is a crafty, resourceful, and full of life. Jo adds humor and lightness to the story. Bennett Steeling is a handsome man who is a smart and loves archaeology. I especially liked the relationship between Sam and Jo. Sam Knox is a woman who loves books and her whole life has centered around Rare Antiquities since the death of her father. She had looked forward to more schooling and adventures, but everything changed for Sam when her father passed away. Sam receives a battered package with a small book inside that is badly damaged. She soon learns that the book will change her life once again. Sam ends up on an adventure that takes her to Ireland where mystery, magic, and mayhem ensue. The author is a descriptive writer that brought the book alive with her word imagery. The author captured the time-period of the 1920s (historical references, clothes, conveyances, language). Ciphers, treasure hunts, ancient relics, old legends, and creepy diary make for a great story along with action and magic. I did feel that Curse of the Specter Queen is a slow starter. Once robbers invade the bookstore, the pace picks up. I liked that this was a clean story with just a hint of romance. This novel can be read from adults down to tweens (I would have loved this book when I was nine or ten). Curse of the Specter Queen is an entertaining tale that will take you on a rollicking romp from Clement, Illinois to Ireland with eerie bad guys, rusty relics, and mysterious magic. ( )