The gods don’t exist but who’s going to tell them?
Something is rotten in the heart of Alexandria and Julius Strathclyde is in trouble. He appears to have summoned the gods, which is driving his partner, Neith Salah, insane. Not to mention all the other ultra-rational citizens of Alpha earth.
It gets worse.
The gods set a challenge that can’t be refused. The race is on to find the lost blueprints for the Quantum Stepper. Whoever possesses them will be able to unlock the stepper’s true potential.
The game is afoot and the outcome is terrifying. All of time and space will be under the control of the victors; to protect, or to plunder. Can Julius and Neith get to the plans before their rivals?
If they lose, Julius’ earth is doomed, but if they win, Neith’s earth will continue to disintegrate.
Can they find a third way? Or will the gods win out?
For lovers of fast-paced, witty novels. The Quantum Curators go from strength to strength.
Wow, what a page turner! This book had a great blend of character and plot development, action and some great battle scenes. While the last sentence was a bit of a cliffhanger, it didn't feel as though the whole point of this book was to set up the fourth. I really enjoyed the intrigue and the interaction and conflict between the characters. It's interesting to see how alpha Earth reacts when their entire societal belief system is shaken to its core and they realize their society isn't perfect as they would like to believe
The Quantam Curators series was sold to me as something I might enjoy because I like Jodi Taylor's books. The trouble is that the comparison doesn't work in Eva St. John's favour. Her books aren't anything like as funny or moving as Taylor's. In this third volume, the plot is all over the place as the supposedly perfect society of Alpha Earth suddenly collapses when invaded by mythological figures well known from other Fantasy series such as Loki, Anansi and King Arthur.
There are exciting scenes, extreme violence and some good ideas in this book but so many elements seem unoriginal. The story is told from a quite a large number of viewpoints, not all of them convincing. The key character of Julius, an academic from Beta Earth, works well enough but I never felt that the author had thought deeply enough about her main heroine, the warrior-curator Neith. She suffers severe psychological traumas in the course of this novel but the writing did not make me feel them. Several more books are planned but I think I'll be leaving the series at this point.
Ye gods this was good, I loved it. I was privileged to be able to read pre launch and really wasn't disappointed. More shenanigans from Alpha Earth. Who in their right minds wouldn't love King Arthur to appear before them, except when it can cause the havok that ensues, I love all the legends, so when he appeared I was thrilled, Julius.. not so much. I love the way the author brings characters to life, literally in this case, with much hilarity for the reader. In this instalment we get to delve deeper into the politics of seemingly perfect Alpha Earth. I fould the different departments fascinating, especially the engineers, I'm hoping Jack becomes a permanent fixture. I really enjoyed the romps of Julius, Neith and all, getting more serious as the book progresses, the game is played with twists aplenty, lots of revelations about the players you really didn't see coming, Really Didn't See Coming! I wish I could say more, but then it would have to include spoilers and I'm not that kind of a Gal. Let's just say I felt like the cat who got the cream reading another brilliant Curator book.
I liked this part the best so far. It's more light-hearted, full of puns and allusions, but also more explicit in its brutality. I still do not like the over-the-toppish RP of the two audiobook performers.
I've made it three books into this series and I thought for sure I would eagerly finish the entirety of the series. However, after reading this one, I'm disinclined to bother with the remaining two.
I've already commented on the terrible editing of these books, which continues to bother me greatly, but the only reason it can really bother me this much is because the story isn't engrossing enough to distract me from the annoying justification, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. (For example, people don't come to "grizzly ends," St. John. Unless this is a tragic story about someone lost in the Alaskan wilderness. Then it's a clever pun.)
At least I'm invested in Julius. I like him a lot and I want to know what happens in his future. However, his co-protagonist, Neith, is annoying beyond anything else. She's also strong and brave and smart, but none of this is enough to counter the eye-rolling exasperation I feel whenever she gets involved in the scene. Honestly, I don't understand why some of the chapters continue to be written from Neith's perspective, because she thinks and does the same things every time. She's not a developing character and it's boring. (Caveat: The fact that she does actually start to wonder about the validity of Julius' claims about multiple universes in this book shows at least a little growth, but it's not enough, and really only happens when the proof is directly in front of her, rather than her trusting in her friend's ideas and observations.)
There is no romance in these books. There doesn't have to be romance, but we all know sexual tension does wonders to drive a story forward. And since there is nothing else really driving the arc of the overlying plot, just individual book plots, this series is slow-moving and I feel no compulsion to finish it because the only thing remotely driving is Julius' fate.
Strangely, I had decided halfway through this book I was done with this series, and then the final 3-5 pages made me question that decision. I am somewhat interested to see what happens since reading the foreshadowing of the final chapter of this book, but again, like the previous two books, everything is wrapped up nicely and St. John simply ramps up another story in the last few pages which I know will last just for one more book--one more stretched-out, overlong book, when the story can likely be concluded halfway through, but won't be.
St. John has a brilliant concept with this series, but it unfortunately continues to fall flat with no drive or emotional investment.
Julius and Neith are set to look for the mysterious codex (Leonardo da Vinci’s original design for the Quantum Stepper), oh and King Arthur has come back looking for Excalibur (which Neith liberated after it was thrown in the lake at the start of book one). Arthur is a minor deity trying to get promoted and he is being egged on by notorious tricksters Loki, Lucifer, and Anansi.
Soon Alpha is divided in two, both sections are tasked with recovering the codex, but is Julius the only one to question the way in which the Quantum Stepper works? Why are the Alphas so resistant to the idea that there might be more than two Earths?
I just feel that the books in this series pivot 90 degrees from each other. The first book was an alternate Earth meets National Treasure. The second book was more about uncovering who in the Alpha society was stealing Beta arts for profit (although it seems as though anyone could have whatever they wanted anyway so I didn't really understand that point). This third book brings in a whole load of gods, goddesses and mythical creatures, a civil war, and more alternate earths.
Overall, I'm liking these books less and less as I continue in the series, in fact I started book four and have left it in my TBR pile.
This is the third installment of what has turned out to be a surprisingly good alternate-world SF series, even though it’s published by a tiny press in Cornwall and I found it through Kindle Unlimited. It would take far too long to re-describe the background and what has come before, so I’ll simply refer you to my reviews of the first two volumes. I’ll just note that the last one ended with the appearance of King Arthur, High King of Britain, and that this one picks up from there. Arthur, it turns out, is a minor deity (sort of) who is trying to move up into the Olympian ranks, and he’s being aided in his ambitions by Loki and Lucifer. Arthur seems to have an affinity for Julius Strathclyde, refugee from Beta Earth, so he, naturally gets all the blame. The codex of the title is Leonardo da Vinci’s original schematic for the Quantum Stepper, the device that allows Alpha Earth’s curators, based at the (unburnt) Library of Alexandria to cross over to Beta on their missions to rescue artifacts that are about to be destroyed. The whereabouts of the codex has long been a secret held by the Engineers for their own reasons -- it’s very existence is unknown to nearly everyone else -- but now that the multiethnic pantheon of gods is in play, all bets are off. There’s a lot of action and a lot of blood is going to be spilled and several conspiracies unearthed, and it’s all a lot of highly original fun. These first three episodes in the series are available via Kindle Unlimited, by the way, but not the fourth or fifth volumes.
The God's, Anansi, Loki and Lucifer, have set out Arthur's quest.. find the missing codex. Two teams, the funsters and the fuddie duddies.. and which one you are on is down to whether or not you are law abiding or a cheater.. the battle is on to find the codex and stop the population of Alpha from committing suicide over the reality that god's exist and there are more than two earth's.
Julius, Rami and Neith are ranged against Clio, Stef and Mo trying to track down La Giaconda.. but is it the painting or the lady herself and how will the Alpha team square the rules of never engaging with Leonardo da Vinci or his connections for fear of wiping themselves and their stepper out of existence..
Will they all survive the battle? And when the depth of the cheaters is revealed to the whole of alpha earth can their society recover? After all they have prided themselves on purity of mind and deed, mocked Betas for their inability to be at peace with one another and for their greed..
Hoping that the final installment is equally as exciting as this one!
The Alpha Earth residents of Alexandria are forced to confront the fact that their 'perfect' society is not nearly perfect at all. Julius, an accidental import fro Beta Earth has forced them to challenge all their beliefs -- no matter how physically uncomfortable it makes them. They learned in Book 2 that there are actual thieves who are using the quantum stepper for their own personal gain. And no one wants to hear Julius' logical extension that if there are 2 Earths, why not more.
Until the gods come. Suddenly, society is turned completely upside down. And leadership is forced to realize they're not just some anomaly of the stepper technology. But they promise to leave after setting a challenge: find the missing Codex. But wait, there's more. It's good guys vs bad guys. It doesn't matter to the gods who wins, but it sure does to Neith, Julius, and the rest of the 'good guys'.
So ... lots going on and quite a fun ride. But you won't have a prayer of following unless you start with book 1.
Interesting concept, poorly executed. I think it was the standard of editing that spoiled this one. Missing commas, clumsy sentences. A real shame as I enjoyed the previous two books and found those plots interesting. Book three? Half the time I didn’t know what was going on. The Arthur thing didn’t really work. He wasn’t even a character. And when you feel nothing but relief when one of the MCs die? Not great. Though I did enjoy that part of the book, so plus points there.
That said, I did read the whole thing, and the multiple worlds/Leonardos/codexes was compelling. The stuffy stiffness of the supposedly advanced societies contrasted to the free-thinking of Julius and Beta Earth meant I sympathised with Beta’s values more (which I think is the point?). Probably a great book for some but just not to my liking. I think I would have enjoyed it more had the copy editing been better. Worth reading the previous two books besides.
I expect each book in the series to be five star, great characters, great storyline, fast pace, great writing making an interesting, rewarding read. This one almost, but not quite gets there. I appreciate the author wanted to dabble with introducing the gods: it opens whole new storyline possibilities in this Egyptian setting, with open ended aspects for the next book. Laudable, more books. But I’m disappointed, dissatisfied with the seemingly unlimited god magic introduced and the consequential reduction in intrigue as these shallow-character gods take over much of the story, yet are easily vanquished by an even greater magical ephemeral underdeveloped character at the end. Now that anything is possible, the suspense has gone: reading became tedious at 55% and I had to fight the desire to fast read to jump to the finish. Frustrating loss of storyline quality. I want to be captivated, I wasn’t.
Excellent third instalment of this series. The plot doesn't just thicken, it gets truly twisty and inventive. I really love the way that everything is linked and how Julius being who he is, is so very crucial to the story, but equally he is a real person, with his own concerns and is a three dimensional person you can feel for, not a cipher. I love stories like this where the author takes an eclectic mix and makes it not just work together but a polished, exciting whole. King Arthur turning up is brilliant and a lovely echo of the opening of the first book (which still makes me laugh when I read it). She doesn't limit herself to King Arthur and her choices surprised me. There were cultural elements of Alpha Earth I could never have thought of but they rang very true. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
St. John, Eva. The Quantum Curators and the Missing Codex. Quantum Curators No. 3. Kindle, 2021. Missing Codex is a good wrap up for this slight but entertaining trilogy. The stakes are raised in Alpha Egypt, a city in a universe that took out Julius Caesar early, and left Egypt as a world power that lasted into the 21st century. Somewhere there is a missing document by an alternate Da Vinci that explains how to hop between elements of the multiverse without a bunch of cumbersome machinery. Some nefarious types may already know how to do it. Can a kidnapped curator from something like our own Cambridge U survive long enough to help solve the mystery? Is it a derivative premise? Yep. Is it fun anyway? Yep. 3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this but not as much as the first two books, if I’m honest. It just got a bit too weird with the all the gods and the challenge. I just found myself wondering what the point of it all was, I wanted more of the focus on the missing codex rather than some strange gods appearing. I appreciate that they had their purpose re the multiverse angle but it just didn’t do it for me. Virtually no time spent on beta either.
That said, I still love julius and neith and loved the ending! I hope book 4 is more like books 1 and 2 and back to a 5 stars from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
this is a direct follow on from book two. it dives further into who is attempting to change the smooth running world of Alpha Earth, and provides an explanation for the appearance of supernatural beings in book two.
as it clearly sets up book 4, and there is no indication that 4 will provide any satisfactory resolution, this becomes a series for those who are comfortable with not knowing when or if there will ever be a conclusion to matters
the writing remains enjoyable, but I'd have preferred a feeling that things may eventually draw to a conclusion.
Taken on a recommendation, this has turned into a must read, must finish series. Three down, two to go. And then what will I read......
The gang are back. And in trouble again. This time with added deities, heroes, anti-heroes, warlords and villains. And time travel. And surprises. And cliffhangers.
There is a lot going on in this book but hang in as it is worthwhile and still contains the much needed, and will written, humour.
Another installment. Such a weird turn. This is certainly going in strange directions. finding all the rot in ones society in a year or so is hard. You think the place is idea. but no, you have thieves and criminals and folks who import guns from the "bad universe" and the group you let control all tech have been manipulating you and they can kill you if you bring up the wrong topic.
Interesting use of Gods and the power from belief as a weapon.
This is a very fun read and a wonderful third installment to the Quantum Curators. I love the science and the relationships.
Again, I will mention that my Kindle copy had editing errors. Fewer than the first and second books but still there. They are not awful but certainly a distraction.
King Arthur suddenly arrives at the Library of Alexandria to retrieve the sword that Neith stole in the first book. Julius agrees to return Excalibur if Arthur can help them fix the Quantum Stepper. Arthur summons his friends Loki, Lucifer, and Anansi, who challenge the team to a scavenger hunt for Davinci's missing blueprints on time and space.
Entertaining but lacking authentic historical representation
It was a good read. Fast paced and exciting. Liked it until it got to the characterization of Leonardo. Appears the author could have researched him a bit more since so much is available about him. He was probably gay but was portrayed as straight which is just wrong.
I really enjoy this series that I found by accident via kindle unlimited. They are an easy read but I enjoy the ideas of Alpha/Beta earth and the characters are interesting and you find yourself rooting for them. I found the addition of the gods in this book very entertaining as its always interesting when writers introduce gods from across the religions.
This entry was so much fun! Everything pretty much goes off the rails. While I wish some Eastern gods were included in the general melee, it was a lot of fun to see world mythology go completely wack on the Alphas. I also still really enjoy the culture clash between Alpha & Betas--really well done. Narrators continue to deliver the same level of quality.
Listen, I have a major crush on the male audiobook narrator of this series. BUT the plot was a goddamn mess. The first two installments of this series were fine, but why are we suddenly dealing with mythological figures and Gods now? I thought this was a time travel series? Have to dnf for now because I am confusion.
I wasn't as thrilled with this one as the previous ones. I think my main issue was the characterization of the engineers (since I am one) as humorless and emotionless. Granted, it is a different society, but I just found this off-putting. Moving on to something else for a while before I try the next one.
Of the three Quantum Curators books I have read, this one was my least favorite. It seemed disjointed and going back and forth between characters was a bit confusing. I did like the concept of the Gods and how Alpha Earth got a reality check, especially the engineers. I look forward to seeing how they deal with Minju Chen and desire for world dominance. Will they remember?
While I liked it, I wasn't that thrilled by the story and gods. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind but I didn't feel as excited as when reading the previous books. It's probably because there was no real progress with the characters, although reintroducing Jack was nice as well as the concept of parallel Earths.