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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Well paced, enjoyable time travel
For a start, I’m a book cover tart. The image on the front that we aren’t supposed to judge a book by - I do. This grabbed me by the doolallies and I got stuck right in. Upon seeing the contents page I though urghhhh as they were all variations of each other but throughout the book he clarity it provided in knowing where and who I was and when was invaluable.
This book was paced well, well constructed and most of all highly enjoyable. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.
For a start, I’m a book cover tart. The image on the front that we aren’t supposed to judge a book by - I do. This grabbed me by the doolallies and I got stuck right in. Upon seeing the contents page I though urghhhh as they were all variations of each other but throughout the book he clarity it provided in knowing where and who I was and when was invaluable.
This book was paced well, well constructed and most of all highly enjoyable. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.
The Quantum Curators and the Faberge Egg features a team of 'Curators' from what they refer to as Alpha Earth venturing to an alternate version of Earth (Beta) and tasked with retrieving objects of historical significance before they are destroyed. It has the feel of Warehouse 13 crossed with Artemis Fowl, especially given all the covert technology they have to aid them in their task.
It's a fun premise but one that fails in its execution. It's a book full of unsubtle writing that constantly tells rather than shows, usually via one of the myriad information dumps featured throughout. The bulk of the book flits between two points of view chapter by chapter, Neith head of the Alpha retrieval unit and Julian of Beta Earth who is a frustrating caricature of a Cambridge academic.
As the pov flips so does the writing from first to third person presumably in an effort show the difference between Alpha and Beta earth peoples but regardless it makes for a very jarring read. The third person for Julian especially makes it hard to attach to the character in any meaningful way.
Overall it's a nice premise for a book that quickly gets bogged down in a poorly done spy drama and infighting over an object that never fulfils the interesting opportunities the setup provides.
It's a fun premise but one that fails in its execution. It's a book full of unsubtle writing that constantly tells rather than shows, usually via one of the myriad information dumps featured throughout. The bulk of the book flits between two points of view chapter by chapter, Neith head of the Alpha retrieval unit and Julian of Beta Earth who is a frustrating caricature of a Cambridge academic.
As the pov flips so does the writing from first to third person presumably in an effort show the difference between Alpha and Beta earth peoples but regardless it makes for a very jarring read. The third person for Julian especially makes it hard to attach to the character in any meaningful way.
Overall it's a nice premise for a book that quickly gets bogged down in a poorly done spy drama and infighting over an object that never fulfils the interesting opportunities the setup provides.
St. John, Eva. The Quantum Curators and the Fabergé Egg. Quantum Curators No. 1. Mudlark Press, 2020.
What we have here is an alternate worlds romantic caper fantasy. That is a mouthful, and I am sorry. Think The Librarians series meets the historians of St. Mary’s series, and you will be about right. In fact, there is a Fabergé egg hunt in one episode of The Librarians TV series. Homage happens. We live on Beta Earth. On Alpha Earth Julius Caesar drowned before he could conquer Egypt. In the 21st century, Alpha Egypt has time travel and an enlightened Pharaoh. They raid Beta Earth to retrieve artifacts that would otherwise be lost. Neith is a time-traveling curator from Alpha Earth who gets involved with Julius, an archivist from Beta Earth’s Cambridge U. There is, of course, a meet-cute and the two join forces to find a missing Fabergé egg. Adventure and humor happen. It is an enjoyable popcorn read. 3.5 stars.
What we have here is an alternate worlds romantic caper fantasy. That is a mouthful, and I am sorry. Think The Librarians series meets the historians of St. Mary’s series, and you will be about right. In fact, there is a Fabergé egg hunt in one episode of The Librarians TV series. Homage happens. We live on Beta Earth. On Alpha Earth Julius Caesar drowned before he could conquer Egypt. In the 21st century, Alpha Egypt has time travel and an enlightened Pharaoh. They raid Beta Earth to retrieve artifacts that would otherwise be lost. Neith is a time-traveling curator from Alpha Earth who gets involved with Julius, an archivist from Beta Earth’s Cambridge U. There is, of course, a meet-cute and the two join forces to find a missing Fabergé egg. Adventure and humor happen. It is an enjoyable popcorn read. 3.5 stars.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When I had gotten about... 30% through this book I thought I would give it a generous 3 stars for an interesting idea but a poorer execution. Then I gave it a bit of a rest because of some other reading projects. When I returned to it and gave it my full attention, starting to make some headway, I suddenly felt my view on it changing. I started to like it!
When I read the blurb for this I thought it sounded interesting (come on, what book nerd won't get off on the library or Alexandria NOT burning and developing time and reality travel??) and then I started to feel it was a poor copy of st Mary's and I think this was what bored me with it for a while. I can surely imagine st Mary's being an inspiration, but it's like a mix of that with a splash of doctor Who and a heap of heist/action-movie.
The POV characters are likeable and this being kind of a short book, the first in a series and the focus being event driven I think they are enough developed with a hope for more depth in future instalments. The background story is fine, this to could also use more in-depth details with the Alpha-Earth story unfolding more. But the main selling point for this is the main story if the artefact retrieval. This was so exciting and even if you sometimes were one-step ahead it wasn't in an irritating way, I was looking forward to finding out if my suspicions were right, not feeling that the clues were totally spelled out to me.
I'm really glad I weren't right in my first opinion and will happily give it 4 stars and am looking forward to getting to the next book in the series!
When I read the blurb for this I thought it sounded interesting (come on, what book nerd won't get off on the library or Alexandria NOT burning and developing time and reality travel??) and then I started to feel it was a poor copy of st Mary's and I think this was what bored me with it for a while. I can surely imagine st Mary's being an inspiration, but it's like a mix of that with a splash of doctor Who and a heap of heist/action-movie.
The POV characters are likeable and this being kind of a short book, the first in a series and the focus being event driven I think they are enough developed with a hope for more depth in future instalments. The background story is fine, this to could also use more in-depth details with the Alpha-Earth story unfolding more. But the main selling point for this is the main story if the artefact retrieval. This was so exciting and even if you sometimes were one-step ahead it wasn't in an irritating way, I was looking forward to finding out if my suspicions were right, not feeling that the clues were totally spelled out to me.
I'm really glad I weren't right in my first opinion and will happily give it 4 stars and am looking forward to getting to the next book in the series!
There's lots of fun good things in this book. I felt the characters and team were a little lackluster and the violence oddly gruesome, but overall still fun.
The blurb for this book does no justice to how enjoyable this book actually is
Quantum Curators (QC) are essentially time travelling versions of Indiana Jones and Neith is one such QC, who has to lead a team of curators in finding a lost Fabergé egg
Part of this is coming into contact with Julius - a professor at Cambridge university who is mourning the death of his friend, Charlie, who was murdered, and trying to figure out what the egg his friend mentions has to do with it
A story of lies, double crossing, and two versions of earth intersecting where crossing between the two could cause problems, It made for a very fast read (for me at least, took me about 3 hours all in) and a very enjoyable book
Quantum Curators (QC) are essentially time travelling versions of Indiana Jones and Neith is one such QC, who has to lead a team of curators in finding a lost Fabergé egg
Part of this is coming into contact with Julius - a professor at Cambridge university who is mourning the death of his friend, Charlie, who was murdered, and trying to figure out what the egg his friend mentions has to do with it
A story of lies, double crossing, and two versions of earth intersecting where crossing between the two could cause problems, It made for a very fast read (for me at least, took me about 3 hours all in) and a very enjoyable book
Let me first say that I had no idea what this book was when I picked it up. It only came up on my radar because I was looking for a book with an egg on the cover for a reading challenge prompt, and this was the only book I could find. That being said, I was not expecting to enjoy myself as much as I did while reading this. This was just right up my alley with a plot focused on the procurement of historical artifacts but with an added dash of Stargate. Will definitely pick up the sequel.
I don't think I have ever read a book where the word whilst was used quite so much. If at all...
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated