This has a similar feel to M.R James ghost stories but is set in a wonderfully realised 1930’s Illinois.

At its heart is a sweet m/m romance between a jaded ex-hustler of spiritual demonstrations and a kind professor of Egyptology. I loved that they were both in their later years with accompanying baggage and I cared about their relationship.

There are creepy moments when the spirit is active - much more frightening than I expected for what is essentially a cosy historical mystery/romance. The writer is an Egyptologist, which grounds the book in factual explanation, and it was interesting to learn about the tricks employed by fake psychics of the time. This is a wonderful story ghost story.

"The Shabti" is a fun tale that transports you to Egypt where you're met with Dashiel Quicke who becomes roped into a mystery/ghost story and begins to fall in love along the way.

It think this is such a fun read! It's definitely "House in the Cerulean Sea " vibes. It's got everything that I love... some mystery, a romance, and (the best part) ghosts! Not to mention Egypt as the setting. I highly recommend!

The kindest and earnest-est man meets a cynical filmflam man, and they have unsettling, dangerous adventures with a vengeful ancient Egyptian spirit and an abusive ex. While falling in love.

Hermann is sweet and weird, and I love him. He's easy to love with his gee willikers energy and compassion. Dashiel, former magical conman and current snake oil seller, is harder to love at first sight, but his rags to riches to rags journey of meaning is compelling af. His generosity is a bit gruffer than Hermann's but just as genuine.

The Shabti is a genre romance masquerading as a historical fantasy thriller. It's funny and gentle despite its high stakes. The combination works well for me because there's space for hope around all the deadly risk.

It reads like a noir story meets eerie ragtime song. The tone is often sarcastic and goofy--full of '30s slang that comes across (to me) as exemplary of a couple of goobers--but it never betrays the more serious and sincere moments. It has KJ Charles vibes, and I think fans of her work would enjoy The Shabti too.

The book's layers build gradually, and it feels in parts like a comeuppance fantasy, which is very satisfying. It's atmospheric and tense; the threat is real. The character work is well done, particularly for Hermann and Dashiel, who fit archetypes while still feeling like individuals. Their romance weaves around the bigger plot moments, and it's subtle and graceful. P.S. It's such a relief to read a romance between two characters in their late 40s/early 50s.

I'm a fan of parallels, where the plot mimics the individual and couple character progression. The ghost story works in tandem with 1. Dashiel's transition from flimflam medium to upstanding citizen; and 2. the contrast of Hermann's kindness and Dashiel's anger. All three plotlines come together in a gratifying, if abrupt, ending.

It's such a fun read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect mixture of being very clever and very full of heart. It’s 1934 and Dashiel Quicke, now a de-bunker of the ‘phychic flim-flam racket’ he used to make a living in, runs into an Egyptologist with a problem. Reluctantly drawn into the mystery, everything Dashiel thought he knew is turned upside down. And, as danger grows ever closer, it isn’t only his heart that’s in trouble.
There were so many things to love about this story. The period setting is absolutely convincing, with a wonderful Chandler-esque feel to the language. It was like watching a favourite film noir, with added Egyptology. I particularly loved the way the writer managed to weave Ancient Egyptian language and mythology throughout the story without once dumping information or lecturing. At the same time, there is a depth of knowledge there which makes a huge difference in grounding the story and making it work. A great deal of learning, worn very lightly.
What I liked most, though, was the relationship between the two leading characters. They are both fascinating, in their own way, but together they are utterly charming. Unusually, neither of the heroes is in the first flush of youth and this somehow made their loneliness and search for happiness more touching. Personally, I don’t know how anyone could resist an owlish professor of Egyptology with a grumpy cat.
All in all, this is a terrific read. An exciting thriller with a touching romance and perfect sense of period, with an Ancient Egyptian curse into the bargain. And the cat. I don’t know what more you can ask.

This was recommended to me because I enjoy Jordan L Hawk and KJ Charles's books - and the comparison was apt! I very much enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more from the author.

Key to a good romance is the characters, and I liked the pair here and their connections -I always enjoy older characters getting to take centre stage. Combined with a good mystery and some chills, this had a lot to like!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz is a Queer historical paranormal novel following Dashiel, a former medium and snake oil salesman who debunks other mediums while on the run from his former business partner/lover. When Dashiel meets Hermann, an Egypstiologist with a haunted Egyptian funerary figurine, he finds a reason to stop running and take his ex head on.

Dashiel and Hermann have a really tender romantic arc that is rooted in mutual respect and understanding despite the very different places they are coming from. Dashiel refuses to take advantage of Hermann and shares a lot of himself, including confessing to the things that he did as a medium. Hermann, meanwhile, is a more soft-spoken, academic character who comes out of his shell the more time he spends with Dashiel.

The novel is set around 1935 in the US and makes references to the Egyptology craze, Old Hollywood, and the different tonics that were popular at the time, including traces of cocaine added to a lot of them. We see Dashiel selling his tonics and the mixed feelings he has around it as well as the ways he gets more money out of customers. It paints Dashiel in a morally gray light while also grounding him and the story firmly in the time period.

The medium and Spiritualist aspect, the Egyptology, the references to Old Hollywood, and Hermann’s love of his cat make this such a great read. It feels alive and grounded and hits on all of the right things for me, personally. Hermann’s love for his cat was a real highlight for me, especially when Dashiel’s ex-lover insults Hermann’s cat and Hermann can’t wrap his mind around anyone thinking poorly of a cat. True cat ownership representation.

I would recommend this to fans of the 1930s looking for fantastical elements, readers who like books around Spiritualistm or mediums, and those looking for a tender Queer love story with a morally gray lead.

A nicely done queer historical romance with a paranormal edge. Impeccably researched, cleanly written, but the plot beats are, in the end, somewhat predictable. And while it's great to see an m/m book with two leads who are both older and don't have pecs bursting through their shirts, the romance plot line, too, is conventional though nicely done. Really solid effort for a first novel, and while it isn't quite fully formed, there's enough here that I'll be keeping an eye out for what Lorenz does next.

The Shabti is a queer historical fantasy romance following a reformed fake medium in 1934. Ex-medium Dashiel now spends his days debunking false spiritualism and mediums when he is accosted by Egyptologist and college professor Hermann to investigate a possibly haunted Egyptian artifact called a shabti. Just as Dashiel starts falling for Hermann in the course of their investigation, the quite real ghost as well as Dashiel’s ex-partner both make trouble, forcing Dashiel to choose to flee as usual or stay and fight.

This was just an incredibly cute and charming book that is equal parts historical fiction, queer romance, and paranormal fantasy. I liked that both Dashiel and Hermann were older men in later stages of life, carrying baggage and life experience that colored who they are. Dashiel is a man full of regret, wanting to make amends while also yearning for what he gave up. Hermann was just a soft pillow-cushion of a man, and I liked that about him (he was kind of adorable). Their romance was simple, understated, and refreshingly straightforward. HEA guaranteed!

The paranormal aspect of the story (especially the ending) was quite a bit darker than I was expecting for an otherwise cute and cosy book. It’s a quick easy read despite some darker themes and occult subjectmatter. The setting also made for some pretty cute old fashion expressions/figures of speech that disproportionately delighted me for some reason.

The Shabti was a sweet and delightful MM historical romance with a creepy occult fantasy element.

This is a well written novel with a lot of imagination. I enjoyed the general plot and the prose. I mean - wizards, reformed crooks and adorable middle-aged archaeologists in a whirlwind of magic, danger and gay puppy love! What more could you ask for?

Well, come to think of it, I would ask for the dialogue to be a little less saccharine. I would ask for characters that were a little more... rounded, perhaps? Some were just too good and naive for their age, others were a bit one-dimensional. I would also ask for a relationship that was a little less romantically fictional and a little more... believable. And I would ask for the historical context to be less tacked on. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed reading the book, and if you like romantic gay fantasy and want to see middle-aged, slightly damaged men find love, this will give you that. But in the end, the book didn't grab me. All in all, an enjoyable, competent book, but not one I will be thinking about for a long time.

Really enjoyed this one!!! Such a fun read. Sweet m/m romance between (mostly) reformed ex-scoundrel and ex-phony-medium Dashiel and good-hearted Egyptology professor Herman--who just happens to have a bit of a problem with a grumpy undead spirit. I loved the 1930s Midwest setting, the spiritualist in-fighting, and the Handsome But Very Bad Ex as the antagonist. The ending comes together just as you hoped it would. A terrific read for fans of KJ Charles (though way less explicit). Several hundred bonus points for Horatio the cat!

Although I enjoyed this book at the start, ultimately I found it a bit boring. The plot is a bit thin and the characters lack depth, either one of which I would have accepted alone, but in combination left the book feeling rather empty. I think the biggest missed opportunity was the failure to develop the romance more convincingly - for me, Dashiel and Hermann don't have enough chemistry or on-page development of the relationship. I was wavering between two or three stars, but ended up rounding down because I was disappointed by the ending and what I felt were some inconsistencies in characterization/moral reasoning.

I found this to be a quick read. I enjoyed the fake spiritualist who finds that he can actually communicate with the dead - specifically, the shabti. It wasn't as scary as I would have liked, but it was full of Ancient Egyptian references with an LGBTQ+ romance.

This was a fun tale.

I really liked the ex spiritualist medium debunking his former trade. And then he gets confronted with an actual haunting. The parts with the spirit were nicely suspenseful. The romance was wholesome and adorable. This was a very fun read.

If a story about people being terrorised by an ancient spirit could be said to be cozy then this is cozy. The stakes are high for Dashiel and Hermann but not world-ending; the pair aren’t secret superheroes but they do their best to save the part of the world they’ve managed to carve out for themselves. They both manage to get over their shortcomings while unraveling this mystery and fall in love in the meantime. This book is an absolute delight and I can’t recommend it enough!

If I had to sum up The Shabti in one word, I would probably struggle to choose between “delicious” and “addictive”!

“Delicious” because of the incredible blend of unique romance between two middle-aged men, the noir-esque and horror elements, and the ancient Egyptian seasoning on top. “Addictive” because I found myself constantly walking around with the book, unable to put it down, and even when I was forced to set it aside, I kept talking about it to everyone who crossed my path.

At its core, The Shabti is a love story between Dashiel, a reformed spiritualist who grew tired of deceiving people with the nonsense he sold them (for the most part), and who discovered that there might be a place in his life for someone who helps him believe that he deserves love, and Herrmann, an Egyptologist who realizes that there might be room in his life for someone besides his cat, and the possessed Shabti that intertwines their fates. The main characters couldn't be more different, with one being a respected professor and the other a con artist. Yet, somehow, they complement each other in a Yin-Yang kind of way, so much so that their conversations become the highlight of their chapters together.

One of the main things that intrigued me about this book was the fact that both characters are middle-aged, which is something I don't come across often (for context, I am in my 20s). I was not disappointed by the decision to explore a romance between two men in this age group. Although their longer life experiences are evident in how they navigate their intertwined paths, the story also shows that the simple human yearning for companionship and to be loved by another transcends age, time, and gender. So much so that, despite being at a different stage in my life, I was able to understand their feelings and root for them.

Another major draw for me was the ancient Egyptian aspect of the story. After all, the novel is titled The Shabti, and the author is an actual Egyptologist, so you can imagine my excitement. If you're a New Kingdom enthusiast like me, especially if you're into funerary texts, you're in for a treat! The best part is that no prior knowledge is required to understand the references to ancient Egyptian customs and rituals because Lorenz uses Herrmann, our well-meaning, friendly neighborhood Egyptologist, to explain the lore. This is balanced masterfully with Dashiel, who stops Herrmann right after he has delivered the important information and right before he turns the narrative into a lecture about late Egyptian language and hieratic script. Everything about ancient Egypt feels authentic and real, not so mainstream in fiction, and this is simply because Lorenz knows her stuff. This expertise shines whenever she writes about her field, giving it a touch of humanity often lacking in narratives about 'ghosts from the past.'

Speaking of which, I wouldn't describe this as solely a horror story. Like I mentioned at the beginning of my review, this story is a delicious blend of many addictive ingredients. But whenever the story leans into its horror aspects, it does become genuinely scary, which had me worried for the main characters a few times. This alone says a lot about Herrmann and Dashiel and how Lorenz successfully made me fall in love with them.

Overall, The Shabti is easily one of my favorite books this year and will hold a special place both in my heart and on my shelf. It has it all: romance (and that's coming from someone who doesn't usually enjoy reading romance), incredible character work, ancient Egyptian elements I can geek out about, and very well-executed horror. This is a story I will probably revisit multiple times until I reach Herrmann's and Dashiel's age, and therefore it deserves five glowing stars.

This book is quite an enjoyable read. It is gripping from the beginning, delivering charming characters, both main and side ones, and an alluring setting. The variably glittering and shady world of the faux mediums, séances and theatre performances selling illusions presents a fascinating setting within which a harrowing ghost mystery starts playing off. Mix it with a queer romance between an introverted, clever and sweet Egyptologist and a battered lone wolf of an ex-illusionist, and you've got a perfect springboard for a truly amazing story.

So far so good.

What I was sorely missing was more depth in practically every aspect of the book - in the unravelling of the plot, details that would provide a more insightful understanding of the culture from which the Shabti came and in the central romance. It all felt rather rushed and underdeveloped, which was quite grating, because I did feel the throbbing potential somewhere underneath. The result is a mystery that falls quite flat and a romance that is a tad unconvincing.

All in all, the aspect I came to appreciate most about this book, was the feel and aesthetics resonating with old Hammer horrors and pulp Gothic novels, which, in my book, is always a good thing.

this uses the use of ghosts perfectly and glad the overall feel of the book worked. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed the use of the 1930s. I was enjoying the overall feel of the story and glad it worked with the overall feel in this world. I enjoyed the way Megaera C. Lorenz wrote this and can't wait to read more from the author.

Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Publishing for the free eARC of "The Shsbti" by Magaera Lorenz.
Join Dashiel, an ex-spirit medium and Proffesor Herman Goschalh in a possible paranormal mistery.
I have to admit I was a dissapointed when we got to the horror elements. They did not felt scary or atmospheric at all, not even to me, a person that can't even watch a children's horror movie.
I love queer romance and I enjoyed the slow burn between the main characters.
However I am sad to see how all the straight women are portrayed as villans so far in this story.
I decided to stop at 31%. It is no use trying to force myself to continue a story that does not hold my intrest.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
From the second I laid my eyes on this book, I knew it was Jewish. It says it nowhere in the description or even on Storygraph’s AI blurb, but I could feel it in my bones. And by g-d, I was right. The Shabti gets an extra .25 stars for that alone.
This book was fighting an uphill battle from the very start, because geez are those names, all right. Dashiel and Hermann. Whew. It took me a second to get over how absurd they were, when I started reading. The good news is that once you do get over it, you’re in for a grand time.
The horror moments were impeccable. The tension and stakes were high, the romance was much too quick but still sweet (very insta-lovey), the setting was beautifully done…and there was a cat. A cat that survives and thrives, at that. What more could a guy want?
If you liked The Mummy, you’ll enjoy this. You don’t need a background in Egyptology in order to understand what’s going on, because everything is explained nicely, and there’s no confusion. I don’t know that I’d ever read it again, but I definitely don’t regret picking it up. It’s a very bingeable book.

3.25 "I really wanted to love this book" stars. Maybe my expectations were too high after seeing rave reviews from several of my favorite authors and reviewers, including some that compared "The Shabti" to the work of the singular Jordan L. Hawk. Maybe I had a book hangover from a recent 5-star read, and any follow up would have paled in comparison. Whatever the reason, I'm going to be the outlier, and admit that I liked-not-loved this debut novel.

There is plenty to appreciate about the book's premise. Disgraced but charming reformed fake medium Dashiel meets nerdy, Jewish, Ancient Studies professor Hermann; who wouldn't enjoy a queer opposites attract trope set in a Depression-era small town? The ancient evil is suitably creepy, and the story's climax is suspenseful and dramatic.

The weakest aspect of the book is its characters. The MCs felt like black and white drawings that hadn't quite been colored in sufficiently. I appreciated the way Hermann's religion and frequent use of Yiddish phrases were presented as No Big Deal. His impassioned defense of his chonky cat after an unwelcome visitor disses him was the book's highlight. But the dialogue between Hermann and Dashiel frequently rang false. That issue, and the closed door nature of their physical relationship, contributed to a disconnect between the strong emotions they expressed and the lukewarm passion I sensed between them. The bad guys were sort of bad, but not diabolically evil (where's a good Cthulhu cultist when you need one?). I even felt a bit sad when one of them Got What He Deserved.

I'm a big fan of queer paranormal fiction set in the first half of the 20th century, and I hope that Lorenz is planning more books about these characters. Perhaps as we learn more about their pasts and personalities, I will feel as strongly about them as Hermann does about his cat.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.