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icarusabides 's review for:
The Quantum Curators and the Fabergé Egg
by Eva St. John
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.