Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940161847282 |
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| Publisher: | Ribbonwood Press |
| Publication date: | 08/09/2018 |
| Series: | The Artifact Hunters , #1 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Sales rank: | 42,972 |
| File size: | 693 KB |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Nefertiti's Heart
4.3 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
64 reviews.
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Your typical strong willed, strong minded girl with crummy past meets tall dark and sexy notorius bad boy who is actually a good guy with a hero complex love story. Exley paints an interesting and unique view of turn of the century scene with steampunk mechanizations and inventions. Almost like an indiana jones meets sherlock holmes with a twist of steamy scenes.
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This was one hell of a good book. I didn't to put it down before I was half way through I bought the next 3 books. This is the kind of book that I will keep saying what a great story. I read a lot and this was one of the best
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Very unusual story--part fantasy & part historical romance & mystery. I very much enjoyed it!
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I don't normally like Steam Punk novels,but this story is changing my mind. This series is a cross between Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes with a hefty measure of The Librarian. I love it. I'll keep reading as long as A.W. Exley keeps writing them.
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Great romance period piece adventure and much more! Loved the characters and story. Immediately bought next book in series.
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Here's my problem, I loved this book. I adored the characters, the heroine is fun and spunky and strong. The hero is determined and interested. In some ways I was reminded of Amelia Peabody and Radcliff Emerson. Tgsi was on my enhanced as I read through the series and found these two fighting bad guys and uncovering artifacts. Yes Peabody and Emerson have more realism about them (obviously since the Artifact Hunters is billed as Steam Punk / alternate history genre) but I felt the core of the story line was the same, until I finished Moseh's Staff (#4) and learned that was it. The book ends, the characters are left on a cliff (literally), and I'm waiting to hear more - how do they get on? What about thete children? What else do they uncover? What other plots will they foil? Only these questions won't be answered.
If you think you can live without closure, or live with feeling a lack or it, read these books. They really are enjoyable. I don't know about any of the other series because I refuse to read them. I do not want to be disappointed.
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Exciting and interesting fictional characters and history in this fast moving book. Amazing information about the heart by A. W. Exley.
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The steampunk was an unexpected surprise.
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Interesting story, well developed characters, unexpected plot twists. Very few errors.
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A Free Friday selection which held my attention most of the time. A strong female character, a love interest and a mystery w/ a little futuristic mechanisms thrown in for this 1700 - 1800 time period. - JDL
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Loved it very engaging read finished it in one day
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Rousing story of a female adventurer searching for ancient & magical artifacts. Cara's both tough & vulnerable in dealing with a society who sneers at her, though it is her that was an innocent victim. She clashes with lyon, a cold yet seductive viscount who is powerful & is known by all as the villianous viscount. Evil is running amuck in london & cara is pulled into the sights of a deranged murder.
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Scary and sexy steampunk thriller
Cara Devon is back. After a horrific childhood and long absence from London, she's returned to tidy up her father's affairs. He died recently, bitten by an asp. How an egyptian snake found its' way to his bedroom does raise questions but the end result is the same. Cara will no longer have to suffer his brutal beatings or hide at her Nan's.
Lord Devon was a cold man who loved two things: gambling & accumulating ancient artifacts. When Lord Clayton bought up his debts, instead of handing over his collection, he paid with something far less valuable...14 year old Cara. Depraved but protected by his position, Clayton took delight in starving her between the repeated rapes & beatings. But Cara has always been a fighter & she manages to escape. She spent 7 years recovering at Nan's & now 21, she's smart, strong & well armed. However, her time with Clayton has left her unable to bear being touched & she avoids physical contact.
Let Inspector Fraser worry about who killed dear old Dad. Her priority is finding all the artifacts, selling them to fund her independence & renting the townhouse. She's always hated the place & it seems to feel the same way about her.
She needs a fence for her treasures. Enter Nathaniel Trent, Viscount Lyons. He inherited a title but no money so made his own fortune through illegal underworld activities. He's respected, feared & handsome. And more than a little interested in Cara.
In alternating chapters, we are privy to the thoughts & actions of a creepy , twisted killer who is luring respectable women to his lair where he attempts to "open" their hearts. Fraser is under pressure as the body count rises & he believes Cara is the key.
This is a sexy and spooky entry to the steampunk genre. It's a great mix of Victorian mores and cool gadgets with several side stories to flesh out the fast paced plot.. There are well written peripheral characters & dialogue is tight, at times witty and graphic. I particularly liked that Cara is not portrayed as some weeping damsel in distress. She's a brave, modern woman determined to live on her own terms. And Nate...well, he can be brutal and violent when it comes to business but with Cara, he's delicious. These two have chemistry to spare as their professional relationship becomes something more.
This is book #1 so not all issues are resolved and there are more mystical secrets to uncover where the artifacts are concerned. At the end, you get a sneak peek at book #2 so fans can follow Cara and Nate on their next adventure.
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One word to describe this title... Brilliant! From the very first page Exley ensnared me in her riveting novel; once I began Cara's story I couldn't stop reading until I knew every detail of her past, about the artifacts, and of course her steamy involvement with the intriguing Lyons. Not only did Exley fully deliver on her promise of an enchanting tale full of Steampunk elements, but she provided an excellent mystery to follow and unfold, and an enticingly steamy romance. It's not often I come across a title that offers so many genres in one, and the ending product actually shows a perfect merging of them. I found that none of the genres battled for the top marker, and that they were all equally apparant throughout the story.
To start with the Steampunk elements, they were beautifully showcased throughout Nefertiti's Heart without being, for lack of a better phrase, overplayed. Exley scattered enchanting details of her Steampunk world throughout the scenes of her novel, making them the natural backgrounds and not the primary focus of the story, which I must say I am imensly grateful for. Too many Steampunk novels try too hard to show the elements of this newer up and coming genre, and the end result tends to overwhelm the reader and loose the story's primary focus. This is not the case for Exley's Nefertiti's Heart.
On to the mystery aspects of the story, I found I loved the supporting characters roles of the inspector, Fraser, and his second in command Connor. I kept finding myself envisioning them in the rolls of the main characters of the newer BBC America show Ripper Street. For those of you who are not complete mystery fans you will love the set up of the mystery elements in this title. Exley did an amazing job presenting the details in the appropriate times, and once again didn't overkill the presence of the mystery genre. Not only was the investigation into the deaths of the debutantes spread evenly throughout the book, there wasn't a moment in the story where it was abundantly obvious who the killer was, though you have your suspicions throughout reading. This was another fact I was thrilled about reading this title, often times it is sometimes too obvious who the psychopath is and a story looses it's momentum to be finished. This was of course, thankfully not the case for Exley's novel.
Now finally, on to the steamy romance bits. The back story of our main gem Cara is so devastatingly full of horrifying details that when it comes to her reluctance with the mysterious Nate you are fully aware of her dramatic dilemma. She battles internally throughout the story with her traumatic need to flee from possible pain, and her longing need to feel loved and tenderly cared for. The underground criminal/Lord Lyons seems like an unlikely option to test her boundaries and slowly push her forward, but alas somehow the man is the picture of patience, but naturally only to an extent of course. The progression of the steamy romance is a slow one, but that's what makes it so perfectly enticing as a read, it is only another one of the many elements of Exley's novel that you cannot wait to see concluded.
Overall, I would highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a great combination of mystery, steampunk, romance, and even some adventure and action. It is extremely refreshing to read a novel where the main female is a gun-slinging, fighting, survivor instead of a wilting damsel in distress who fears the possibility of breaking a nail if she attempts to save her own ass. I am equally thrilled to read of a powerful alpha male who still understands the woman's needs to be independent and strong for herself, and furthermore desires these exact qualities in her. I'm even further impressed by Exley since discovering that this might be her first published book. I was fully impressed with Nefertiti's Heart that I immediately attempted to find other titles by Exley and have failed to do so, leading me to believe this is indeed her first published title. If this is in fact so, I say bravo to you Exley on a well executed first title and I truly cannot wait to see what else you come up with!
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No real character depth, and half formed plot filled with holes.
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Love this series!! Brilliant author. Sexy, funny, adventurous, smart. A magical world you never want to leave.
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A riveting page turner that I couldn't put down! I highly recommend this!
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H
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It has so much wonderful potential but most of the time I felt as though I was chasing bits of broken dream clips. Especially during the first half of the book. Scenes changed and developed haphazardly and you often had to fill in details. I would've preferred something a bit more fleshed out and easier to follow. However, I absolutely love the world that has been created and the characters! It's a very intriguing storyline that I am not ready to put down yet. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
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I enjoyed the book very much, I like the surprising ending. And the start of next book. Thank you for letting me read it. Marilyn ?
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Couldn't put it down.
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Good book.
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She's survived a horrendous childhood in a society that shuns her for the abuse inflicted. She's learned how to take the fight to bad guys while getting her revenge on her late, unlamented, psychotic father. Finds the ultimate bad boy lover and catches a murderer in her spare time. The best thing is, she's just getting started.
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great story, the characters are great, great adventure, with magic and historical references throughout the book. like Indiana Jones with steampunk and a touch of magic thrown in.
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I really enjoyed this book, it didn't keep me in suspense as I kind of figured Weaver Clayton was the killer as soon as he made his first appearence in the book, but I really enjoyed the story line.
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