Firstly, huge thank you to Odyssey Books for getting in touch and sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

Publisher: Odyssey Books
Publication Date: 01/10/2019
Length: 300 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi

CW: n/a

Time travel has been used to stop the birth of Christ, altering the timeline of human history.

Lukas is the last Qumranian, an ancient sect sworn to secrecy and to protect the prophecies that bind the worlds together. When they develop a powerful technology that can control time, their discovery attracts unwanted attention.

When the Unclean — a militant force powered by dark magic — attack the hidden Qumranian compound under what once was the Dead Sea, Lukas barely escapes. But at what cost? With his life intact, he finds himself a prisoner in an alternate timeline not his own.

Alone in a foreign landscape ravaged by wars, advanced by technology, oppressed by a corporation partnered with a ruthless religious group slaughtering any who oppose them in the streets, sinister supernatural forces, and an artifact that literally can — and has — changed human history, Lukas must not only struggle to stay alive, but locate the only thing that can prevent the Unclean and the powers that control them from destroying the world.

Will Lukas manage to retrieve the artifact before more damage is done to the timeline of history, or will he be too late, forever lost in a nightmarish alternate reality?

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Review

The description of the novel really intrigued me, as who isn’t fascinated by the idea of time travel and alternate timelines? I really liked how you’re immediately thrown into the biggest event that has happened at the compound. You quickly grasp the relationships between all of the characters and their rankings in this society within a matter of pages. However, even though I enjoyed the fast pace of the opening chapters, it didn’t feel like Lukas had any time to breathe until much later in the novel which made it difficult for me to digest what was going on. 

I think it was also the pace that made it difficult for me to understand how I felt regarding Lukas. There are times when I really understood him and was behind him, but then there were a lot of instances where he felt a little too perfect and didn’t have much of an identity outside of being a ‘Hedge Master’. However, as this is the first novel in a trilogy, there is still plenty of time to learn more about him with this novel as a foundation. 

Although I didn’t feel a connection to most of the characters, I really liked the ‘strangers’ that took Lukas in. They felt so friendly and genuine and I thought they were well written. I also thought Basile’s descriptions of the setting and the more violent scenes were well done too. There were several scenes towards the end of the novel where I actually felt uncomfortable reading them (and not in a bad way!). 

I am pleased I gave this novel a chance, whilst it certainly isn’t making it onto my favourites list, I thought it raised some interesting ideas and I can understand why so many people seem to love it even if, ultimately, it wasn’t for me. I recommend that you check out the other reviews on GoodReads as The Last Qumranian has a lot of positive ones that are well worth checking out too!