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The Quantum Magician

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The Quantum Magician

By: Derek Kunsken
Narrated by: T. Ryder Smith
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About this listen

The breathtaking debut from acclaimed short story writer Derek Kunsken

Belisarius is a quantum man, an engineered Homo quantus who fled the powerful insight of dangerously addictive quantum senses. He found a precarious balance as a con man, but when a client offers him untold wealth to move a squadron of warships across an enemy wormhole, he must embrace his birthright to even try. In fact, the job is so big that he'll need a crew built from all the new sub-branches of humanity. If he succeeds, he might trigger an interstellar war, but success might also point the way to the next step of Homo quantus evolution.

©2018 Derek Kunsken (P)2018 Recorded Books Genetic Engineering Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Genetics Fiction

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I’ve given this three stars, only because I know the author probably put a lot of time and effort into it and everyone has different tastes. I see so many reviews of this that are showing five stars and people saying how great it was. But for me personally it was a drag. I think it’s just because it’s a heist story, it just felt really predictable. Other people might enjoy it. I know some people like heist stories I’m just not one of those. I might try something else by this author, but it won’t be a book in this series

Not for me.

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This is a great book, the story is quite unusual and told with style and pacing that it had me wanting to listen to just one more chapter from start to finish. 10/10 would highly recommend you try it for yourself.

Got me hooked to follow the series

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Simply stunning.
That's it, really. Not sure quite what else to say.
Well, all right then:

This is the story of a galactic sized con, perpetrated by a team of idiosyncratic experts brought together by the master conman, Belasarius, himself an homo quantus. It is set some time in the far future when 'humans have done a terrible job of their own evolution', creating new sub species including the Puppets, a race originally created to be happy slaves so given the total belief in the divinity of their masters - now these are one truly creepy crowd. The other main players are also imaginatively blessed with exceptional abilities and all are brought to life as living beings with Derek Kunsken's masterful writing.

This is a thriller with benefits. A lot of hard science, much of which, I confess, went over my head despite the fascinating explanations which slotted effortlessly into the storyline without distracting from the main event. But this didn't matter, just added to the awe and magic of the construct. The characterisation and world building were excellent and conversations and interactions felt real. Also the concepts of what it is to be human, of religion and life itself. All this, and the heist to surpass all others.

To cope with it all, the narration had to be something special, too, and it is. At first, I was a little unsure about the timbre of T.Ryder Smith's voice, but I need not have worried. He morphed into so many very distinctively different characters it was hard to believe he was just one person and the text was read impecably, with clarity, intonation and just a touch of emotion. An excellent performance of an outrageously good story. This is one of the very few books which I know I will listen to again in the future as well as pestering other people to read it.
Really, it was a truly great read.
Go on, get it . You know you want to read it, too!

Home is where the mind is.

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I listened to the first two chapters five times before I could understand what one character was saying. This was the result of the narrator attempting to emphasise a female French accent and creating an indecipherable muttering. It was almost comical ehaw-ehaw stereotype.

The story was fine, as far as I can tell but whenever the preposterously accented French lady spoke I could not understand a word.

Some voices incomprehensible

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The science behind it felt very real.
I could really imagine the world and characters with great detail.

Great story. from the beginning to the end.

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An incredible book, very well narrated. Up there with some of the best Sci-Fi, not sure how I’d never come across it before.

Brilliant and unexpected

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There was nothing I disliked a big twist in the story I wasn't expecting but overall I liked it

interesting ideas fast paced great finish

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For some reasons, I had some misgivings initially but they were unfounded. An interesting story set in a universe that is quite unusual. Good characters and well-written. I wasn't sure if the narration at first but it turned out to be a really good performance.

Original & gripping

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The book is well written and well narrated but the subject matter is very difficult to describe audibly quantum mechanics is only really slightly understood by the smartest people on the planet so to most of us it's just a name for something we know probably exists but don't know why or how.
That said his character portrayal and interactions are excellent.

great book difficult subject

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If you’re a fan of Asimov and not least, Dennis E. Taylor then you will love the fantastical worlds and peoples of Derek Künsken in the Quantum Magician. A highly imaginative piece of science fiction with great characters and and intriguing plot involving the con of the eon!

Gripping, intelligent and enthralling science fiction!

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