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.

Solid debut novel. The flim-flamming itself was interesting, and it made me wonder if I wanted the tone to be a bit lighter, as in the Dortmunder books. I wanted more on the medium’s organization. It seemed to vary between loosely affiliated members and a criminal group.

The Shabti is a wonderful story about finding love, being true to yourself, and, most importantly, ghosts. I'm a big fan of historical romance, particularly LGBT historical romance, and this is one I would 100% recommend to others. While it never quite felt realistic, I prefer that over over-the-top trauma that I see from other authors. I could tell that the author really loved these characters and this world, and her expertise in Egyptology added so much to the story. I'm going to keep my eye on Lorenz.

A debut novel, and the setting and concept is just gorgeous and as much fun as expected. In 1930s midwest America, a sweet (closed door) romance between an egyptology professor and a reformed fake medium, dealing with real ancient egyptian spirits and the non-repentant fake medium acquaintances of one of them. It was a little more romance focused than I expected (my fault though, I should have read the already existing reviews a bit more deeply) and I would have preferred a different balance perhaps but I think this will be precisely right for many readers.

As far as I can judge, the setting has been very well, lovingly, researched and it's full of small interesting details about the egyptian language, and spiritism, and 1930s and yiddish(?) slang (I confess I did not get the meaning of all of them). It's a cozy universe, not quite explicitly queernorm but no explicit mentions to prejudice existing against several characters.

Totally a standalone, cozy-with-a-creepy-thrill mm romance. Reminded me a bit, in feel and even setting of Allie Therin's novels. For people who want to be sure of a HEA <spoiler>fear not, it's definitely a HEA. I am not sure if there is room for a sequel though</spoiler>!

This was one of my really rare netgalley requests, so thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

This book landed on my radar due to a review by K.J. Charles, which feels very fitting because this is a wonderful spiritual successor to her work (both literally and figuratively). While this isn’t a spicy romance, it’s a deeply character-driven one: our two main characters complement each other brilliantly and build off each other’s strengths. Our MC, Dashiell, is world-weary and more than a little regretful of his past, but never crotchety or bitter.

And the spiritual mystery is excellent; I love stories where fakers and cheats have to grapple with things potentially being real. The author’s background as an Egyptologist is also used to good effect. It’s clearly well-researched and Hermann is incredibly earnest and invested in the small details, but it never feels like reading a university lecture.

Highly recommended.

What is it about spooky ancient Egyptian antiquities that almost always promises a great story? 'The Shabti' didn't fail me. Not at all.

Megaera Lorenz has written a hugely enjoyable and readable story. Weird happenings in a museum, a growing sense of danger and dread, and a pair of heroes who very much aren't your typical queer leads. Dashiel Quicke is a down-on-his-luck former spiritualist with a past. Hermann Goschalk is an Egyptologist with something very strange going on in his collection of artefacts. Neither of them is young, or much to look at, yet it is lovely how Lorenz weaves in an entirely believable nascent romance between the two men after Goschalk sort-of hires Quicke to solve his problems. It is a sweet offset to all the other shenanigans.

Lorenz doesn't labour the 1930s setting, instead relying on food, dress, domestic surroundings, and a glorious range of period slang to set the scene, The Egyptology rang true, which is hardly surprising given the author's academic interest.

Altogether great fun and well worth a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, ComCat books and Megaera Lorenz for the ARC of The Shabti!

I’m a fan of paranormal; pulp fiction, mysteries and Egyptology, so this was right up my alley! I loved every minute of it.

Dashiel Quicke has stopped being a (very successful) fake medium when he meets Professor Hermann Goschalk, an Egyptologist with a shabti problem - it appears to be haunting the university’s museum. Hermann asks Dashiel to help with the problem… and things escalate. The shabti is becoming more powerful and Dashiel’s past is coming back to haunt him.

This was an utterly satisfying mystery-adventure!
- two middle-aged protagonists
- Jewish rep
- real look into 1930s spiritualist practices
- fantastic Ancient Egyptian insults
- a pretty terrifying seance / possession scene
- so much ectoplasm, gross

Thank you to #NetGalley for the chance to read this fun and endearing book prior to its release. #TheShabti centers around Dashiel, a former Spiritualist and con man, and Hermann, an Egyptology professor and museum curator who has come into possession of a cursed object. This book combines mystery, Spiritualism in all of its faults, and such a heart warming love story. One review compared it to The House in the Cerulean Sea, and I will say that the romance gave me the same warm hug feelings which I thoroughly enjoyed. Beyond that it delves into the tension between fact and fiction, belief and faith, and the power of everyday slights and grudges. I will say I was disappointed at first to learn what the curse was based on because I wanted it to be something large and grand and mysterious. However, the final confrontation and resolution was just *chef's kiss* perfect. The setting and vibe were great, the characters were well rounded and believable, with actions and reactions that made sense within the context of the story. I really enjoyed this book! It was funny with a great mix of love, personal redemption, and scary bits. I will definitely be watching for future works from this author!

The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz was a delightful surprise! The synopsis of the book does a good job of laying down a base for what to expect, but you really don’t understand the stakes until you settle in to read. If you are thinking this is just a story revolving around a former medium being startled to learn that ghosts are real and having to deal with that knowledge, you’d be wrong. There are some pretty creepy moments in this book that gave me pause. I could almost feel an eerie sense of unease settling over me as I read. This definitely has the feel of a horror film which is something I don’t normally gravitate towards, but I loved it here! Any time the spirit showed up was engaging and I honestly wished there was more of it.

Another thing I absolutely loved about this book was the characters. If there is one thing that keeps me from putting a book down is wonderful characters and this novel didn’t have a bad one in the bunch. Hermann has my entire heart and soul. A sweet man I fell in love with the instant he showed up on the page. Also, his cat Horatio? That tubby, little tabby is a star in his own right! And I can’t forget about the main character himself. Dashiel is a complex character that I wanted to both shake some sense into and hide him away from all the things that were upsetting him.

The only real negative I have for the book are down to personal taste. I understand the use of terms of the era and phrases in other languages, but it pulled me out of the story almost every time they were used. I’m the type of reader that has to stop and look up something if I don’t understand it and I found myself doing that quite a bit to understand the context of a scene. But, again, this is a me thing and you might not have issues with that at all.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed novels from the likes of Jordan L. Hawk or K. J. Charles. It has that same horror vibes with lovely characters you want to root for.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a gem! 1930s US setting, Egyptology, spiritualism (the fake kind), creepy atmospheric horror scenes, and a charming m/m romance all mixed together to produce an immensely entertaining (and occasionally very sweet) read.

Dashiel and Hermann are wonderful protagonists and it was lovely to see their relationship develop over the course of the book (bonus points for both of them being middle-aged). The supporting characters are also well-written and really entertaining (especially Porphyrio and Reverend Fink). And, like previous reviewers mentioned, the revelation of what the spirit actually wanted was absolutely fantastic!

I also really enjoyed the language in The Shabti: every character's choice of little phrases and exclamations helped me to 'hear' their distinct voices in my head while I was reading, and I am absolutely going to use the crab on roller skates expression in real life.

And finally - what a great cover! It is seriously making me consider buying a paperback when it comes out.

Huge thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

**Thank you to the publsher for the e-ARC**

What a pleasure to read a book with a romance with middle-aged leads ! Adding the fake-medium, an egyptologist and strange happening, and you have a great recipe for a fun read.
The romance is sweet, not overpowering for the story, fitting the characters and the plot, with enough "setback" and tension to have that feel of realness.
The mystery grow and grow in its spookiness thoughout the book, masterly done and gripping.
I loved how researched and thorough the book felt in its atmosphere, down to little language details, and of course the egyptlologist side was clearly managed by someone knowing their busniess. The fake medium side was really intersting too.
All in all, a pleasure to read, in a pulp fiction way !

This book is enormous fun!

I've seen one of other early reviewers pitch <i>The Shabti</i> as a lovechild between <i>The Mummy</i> and KJC's historic romances (think <i>An Unnatural Vice</i>), and honestly, they are not wrong. But <i>The Shabti</i> doesn't come across as a pastiche, it reads like an absolute labour of love, coming from the intersection of unabashed expert geekery about Egyptology, interest in American Spiritualist movement, and a clear fondless of ye olde golden age pulp. But also make it a soft, understated m/m romance with middle aged characters. But make it a genuionely spooky supernatural thriller. But put it through the lens of a study of an abusive relationship. But but but. There are so many fun layers to this, it's such a deliciously solid debut that I can't help being excited to read more from Megaera Lorenz.

A reformed fake spiritualist Dashiel (please pause here to admire the name, and the mix of sleazy and glamorous it rightfully evokes), who makes a living debunking people of his former trade, is approached by Hermann Goschalk (another pause to savour the naming choice goes here), a gentle and mild-mannered professor of Egyptology, to help him with a sticky spiritual situation: one of the Ancient Egyptian artefacts in his care seems to be haunted. No amount of trying to convince Hermann that no such things as spirits exist, or cynicism borne out of decades of swindling old ladies out of their pensions with parlour tricks helps Dashiel. Especially not when all signs point to actual spirital activity...

I loved the tension and the build-up of the sense of threat and malevolence that surrounded the shabti, and the stakes associated with cracking this puzzle. I loved the addition of Lucille and Agnes to this little impromptu paranormal investigation group, and the fierce sense of protectiveness and down-to-earth pragmatism they brought to the operation. Dashiel's ex was a whole circus act of his own, and really liked the nuance with which his appearance helped further flesh out Dashiel's character.

Thank you to Netgalley and CamCat books for an advance copy of The Shabti. Can't wait for the book to hit the shelves: I will absolutely get myself a copy that I will reread on a rainy day, comforted by the talk of ectoplasm, petty graft and declinations of Ancient Egyptian verbs.

4 stars. This book is like the love child between ‘The Mummy’ and a K. J. Charles queer historical romance and I had a fun time with it. I’ll admit that I’m a bit biased though because I’ve been enraptured with stories about Ancient Egypt since I was a child, so that’s often enough to suck me in on its own.

Set in the 1930s, Dashiel is a reformed conman spiritualist, who doesn’t believe in the spirit world, and is approached by a handsome professor of Egyptology Herrmann, who has found himself the victim of an unfortunately, very real haunting and in need of help.

This is a very cozy sort of low stakes spooky romance. I thought Dash and Herrmann were very sweet together. I did at times find myself wishing for a little more *spark* in the chemistry between them though (possibly cause it was all kept very PG) but this is only a minor gripe. I really enjoyed the little found family vibe that came together with Agnus and Lucille though, that was very sweet.

I personally found that the climax dragged a little bit but not enough to impact my reading experience. I would say that this is a book for when you are in a cozy, low stakes mood though, and to enter into it with the right frame of mind so that you don’t find yourself disappointed.

Given that this was a debut, I think it’s a fantastic effort and I’ll be keen to watch out for future work by Lorenz.

Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Books for the opportunity to read this eARC. These thoughts are my own and freely given.

A fantastic debut novel that features a mixture of Egyptian history mixed with the occult practices of Spiritualism. The two main characters, Hermann Goschalk, a professor of Egyptian artifacts, and Dashiel, the ex-conman who trained under the tutelage of spirit mediums, are a wonderful duo. Hermann is this sunshine man, and his earnestness slowly chips away at Dashiel's jadedness. The shift of Dashiel's attitude as he learns to care for Hermann while they fight against the spiritual demons of the shabti was very cute. The mystery behind the shabti itself was an engaging read with a slew of side characters that add to the chaoticness of the situation. This is like A Marvellous Light mixed with Scooby Doo, a fun mixture of lighthearted characters working together and creepy monsters.