Nefertiti's Heart (Artifact Hunters, #1)

by A W Exley

Cara Devon has always been curious and impulsive, but tangling with a serial killer might cure that. Permanently.

1861. Cara has a simple mission in London – finalise her father’s estate and sell off his damned collection of priceless artifacts. Her plan goes awry when a killer stalks the nobility, searching for an ancient Egyptian relic rumoured to hold the key to immortality.

Nathaniel Trent, known as the villainous viscount, is relentless in his desire to lay his hands on both Cara and the priceless artifacts. His icy exterior and fiery touch stirs Cara’s demons, or could he lay them to rest?

Self-preservation fuels Cara’s search for the gem known as Nefertiti’s Heart. In a society where everyone wears a mask to hide their true intent, she needs to figure out who to trust, before she sacrifices her own heart and life.

• ISBN10: 0473414562
• ISBN13: 9780473414566
• Publish Date: 28 September 2017 (first published 14 February 2013)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Imprint: Ribbonwood Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 300
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Nefertiti’s Heart by A.W. Exley

I have been eying Nefertiti’s Heart for quite awhile. The combination of Egyptian mythology and a steampunk world definitely checks off at least two boxes for this reader.

Cara, our main character, is smart, sassy and independent. She has a dark past that Exley slowly feeds the reader. This is one mystery the fuels who Cara is, how she reacts to the world around her. The character complexity Exley created for Cara makes her leap off the page and makes me want to be her best friend and confidant. I would love to go on artifact hunting adventures with her!

I was NOT expecting for Nefertiti’s Heart to be sexy. For some reason, I thought this was a young adult novel so when Cara meets her match when her path crosses Nathaniel Hunt, a man with unknown motives and a dark past of his own, I was not expecting so much heat. Let just say that when Cara and Hunt end up in a room together, when they are not in mortal danger, the tension ratchets up to 11 and usually someone ends up hot and bothered.

In the end, the many layered story and complex characters kept me reading and looking forward to the next book in the Artifact Hunters series.

[layawaydragon]

TW: Rape and living with the trauma afterwards.
THIS is how you write a survivor coming to terms with her abuse and being coming sexually active, aware, and confident. It’s glorious. And sweet. And sexy.
I fucking LOVED Cara. She’s one BAMF. I hate how she was screwed over by the system and shunned from society. However, I love what she did, how she survived and handles it. And then she ends up helping other women in sticky situations though some have a giant stick up their ass about it.
Nate is an awesome male romance lead. He’s bold but is very cautious with Cara, is aware of her boundaries and doesn’t push her. At first, I was skevved out by his “I want you as a payment” just like Cara but it worked out beautifully.
There is a lot of romance but I think it was well-balanced with the mystery. I liked the way it unfolded and wrapped up. I also liked how the Sherlock and Watson duo were not the end all be-all geniuses that are unbelievably brilliant. And the fact it pointed out how the poor women were discarded and treated as gossip by the ton was brought up with tones of shame. Well, at least by them and our romantic duo.
There isn’t much in the way of Gaslamp factors. It’s mostly flare like literal mechanical horses alongside flesh and bone horses and cars. Instead of drowning in gears and gadgets, it’s a more subdued affair.
I do like how it brings up the money issue when it comes to the cool Gaslamp items. This also gives a reason why it’s so subtle in this book, which makes far more sense to me.
While Nefertiti’s Heart is the main artifact in play, it’s rather magical as well. Or appears to be since it’s not really explained and *magic* is the default if the science isn’t explained. At least for me.
It was an easy, fast-paced read with great characters, action and a mystery worth uncovering. All in all, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to continue the series.

[inlibrisveritas]

First I want to send a big thank you to Curiosity Quills who, after I mentioned not being able to read the galley I received due to computer issues and having it expire on me, sent me an e-copy. I was completely surprised by this and their kindness has definitely left it’s mark. Now on to the review.

Nefertiti’s Heart is a delicious mix of historical romance, mystery and steampunk with an ever so slight sprinkle of fantasy. I originally snatched this one due to the name and the added steampunk element, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was also getting a delicious Viscount and an interesting murder mystery to go along with it. I know…that’s plainly visible in the summary, but between me and you I didn’t read it. I judged this one solely on the cover *blushes*. At any rate this one certainly did not disappoint on any level.

Cara Devon is a spirited and tough girl with an equally tough past. She always has a gun on her (in some cases two) and isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone, man or women. She’s not accepted by the Ton and in truth she could care less. She’s my kind of woman; independent, strong willed, smart…what’s not to like? We also get the yummy Viscount Nathaniel Lyons, a stoic Alpha, who has his eyes (and occasionally hands) on Cara. He has a rather shady reputation and it’s not one that he strives to hide. The dynamic, not to mention tension, between these two is fantastic. One of my favorite characters in this was actually Cara’s grandmother, who I found to be hilarious and supportive of the wilder side of life. I’m also widely curious about Hawk aka Loki, who is a close friend to Nate. He is a wonderful side character but I’d love to learn more about his past as well.

The actual plot is really entertaining as well, laced with suspense and wonderful details. I loved the fact that at the beginning of some chapters there are sections based around the killer, it adds to the suspense and really drove me to keep reading because I simply had to know who the nut-job was. The artifacts that Cara inherits are very rare and very unique, and I’m more than little curious about the rest of the collection mentioned. I am such a fan of Exley’s writing! It felt rich and each little detail was woven in such a way that everything seemed visible and real.

Nefertiti’s Heart with it’s rich writing and vibrant character, has become a fast favorite.

I relieved this book in exchange for an honest review.

[tellemonstar]

Set in the steam era and full of mystery and intrigue, I thoroughly enjoyed Nefertiti’s Heart. Cara is a refreshing heroine, and I really enjoyed her and her take on the world. I’m so glad I took a chance and requested this galley.

I quite enjoy anything to do with Egyptian mythology and the parts of the novel that deal with that are well researched and very interesting. The expansion on the known ‘mythology’ of Akhenaten and Nefertiti is very interesting, and the Heart itself is a spectacular piece of creativity. It’s link to the serial killer and indeed Cara were extremely well written.


I had lots of *flaily hands* and *yay* moments, as well as a few *hmm, that’s interesting* moments too. I would recommend this for anyone who likes a little steampunk with their mystery, and who doesn’t mind the odd steamy romance (especially since it isn’t an insta-love, it does take some time).

Full review here