Codex Babylon

Cross-Time Crusade #1

by Robert Kroese

A secret cabal of demonic forces threatens to destroy civilization and plunge the world into a new Dark Age. Humanity's only chance is a shadowy organization called GRAIL--the modern day heirs to the Knights Templar--which has discovered the secret to time travel. The past cannot be changed, but if GRAIL can send an agent into the past to recover a lost book on demonology called the Codex Babylon, they may have a fighting chance to save humanity from utter destruction.

Genres: Science Fiction

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2023

About the author

Robert Kroese's sense of irony was honed growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan - home of the Amway Corporation and the Gerald R. Ford Museum, and the first city in the United States to fluoridate its water supply. In second grade, he wrote his first novel, the saga of Captain Bill and his spaceship Thee Eagle. This turned out to be the high point of his academic career. After barely graduating from Calvin College in 1992 with a philosophy degree, he was fired from a variety of jobs before moving to California, where he stumbled into software development. As this job required neither punctuality nor a sense of direction, he excelled at it. In 2009, he called upon his extensive knowledge of useless information and love of explosions to write his first novel, Mercury Falls. Since then, he has written 18 more books.

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book follows the story of Martin, an attorney who is recruited by a secret organization to travel back in time to stop the influence of demons on the present time. The concept sounds rather bizarre now that I write it out. And it was, but it was very well done. The book is well-written and fast-paced, with plenty of action and suspense. The characters are interesting and believable, and the plot is full of twists and turns you would expect in a Kroese novel. Overall, Codex Babylon is an enjoyable read. I would recommend it to fans of time travel novels, historical fiction, and thrillers.

I'm looking forward to number two.

[S. Pierzchala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyman Martin Raines is ready to leave California for good and join his wife and daughter as they start a new, more relaxed life in Idaho---but on his way out of town, he becomes embroiled in a plot to locate a powerful artifact which may be the key to fighting a looming threat against humanity. A super-secret organization believes Martin's latent psionic abilities make him an ideal candidate to travel back in time to locate a previous agent who was lost searching for the legendary Babylon Codex. Despite his skepticism and against his better judgement, Martin agrees to help these modern heirs to the Knights Templar in their demon-fighting efforts.

Thus begins a whirlwind tale that jumps between the Middle Ages and 2023, with elements that reminded me of Connie Willis' time travel sagas, and Raiders of the Lost Ark (yes, there's a Nazis-hunting-ancient-relics theme in here). Kroese's ability to effortlessly blend historical settings and facts into the action is truly impressive, and more than once I found myself setting the book down to look up a fact or consult a map. This was mildly aggravating, as I didn't want to set it down at all—it's that fast-paced and engrossing. The switching between time streams was seamless and easy to follow. The device of having agents communicate over the centuries via dreams/telepathy is just as hit and miss as one would expect, which certainly heightens the drama. Not much of the story's real estate is devoted to description or character development, but with this type of adventure, that's hardly missed. Deft touches of humor help bring the characters to life without being forced or obnoxious; with a few judicious strokes, Martin, Pepin and Gabrielle are fleshed out enough to be relatable, and Pepin's fate is truly touching.

There are no pointless battles or fist fights in this story, which I appreciated. I also found Kroese's take on demons to be refreshingly accurate, and all his philosophical/theological references are relevant and on point without being the least bit preachy or distracting.

Of course, while the main plot in this installment comes to a satisfying conclusion, the fact this is Book One of the series means there's still plenty of risk and challenges ahead for this demon-fighting secret society and its resourceful agents. “Cross-Time Crusades” is certainly off to a rousing and entertaining start, and I will definitely continue the series. Enthusiastically recommended.

[Jeffrey Schmieder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intriguing start to the novel. Seems AI's have started to take over the world, creating a new Dark Ages where humans have few freedoms, but don't realize they are being led like cattle. A hot shot lawyer is recruited by a centuries old group to go back in time and find a missing book to prevent this current, horrible future.
The book has some interesting twists that I wasn't expecting and I like the author's timelaws. Will buy the next book when it comes out.

[Francis S. Poesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob Kroese has a way of taking what seems like a goofy, throwaway log line like "time traveling Templars" and builds it into a story you hope doesn't come true but are afraid just might. This is a great beginning to the trilogy and keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering who to trust, and guessing what will happen next, all the way. The only disappointment was coming to the end and having to wait for the next book in the series. Luckily, if you haven't read it yet, you can now get all three books in the series and binge them!

[Trevor Denning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like Michael Crichton, but love conspiracy theories? Do you wish Dan Brown was a competent writer with some original story ideas? Then you should read Codex Babylon. And even if you don't have strong opinions on those authors, Kroese's book is still worth your time. It's the first part of a series that spans the globe and time itself. For all the fiction, there's also a healthy amount of historical and life truth.

Buckle up, because he's just getting started.

[Volpot · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. DNF at 50%. Story of time travelers going back to the 13th century to recover a mythical book on how to combat demons. And if the time travel process wasn't complicated enough, there is the entire concept of the demon threat to understand. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough. Worse was that not much really happened. The 50% of the story I read seemed more like a back-story; there were little or no thrills, action, suspense, etc.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful wild ride! I’m hooked!

Kroese’s new series is a remarkably original time travel adventure with more climbs and drops, twists and turns than a roller coaster ride. You’ll want to hold on with both hands, and when you finally come careening to the end, you’ll be shouting, “Again!” (Which translates to “Bring on Book Two!”)

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

a new wrinkle on time travel and non-material entities.

I particularly liked the plot twists and how the characters adjusted to the societal age requirements. I NEED to get into book two asap!

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy!! Time travel, alternative history, mystery/suspense, a 2023 that sounds like the real 2023; in other words, a good Kroese read. I'm hooked, where's the next book?

[Angie Boyter]

I read about a third of the book.
It's not bad, a rather classic SF read, but just not my thing, especially the emphasis on psychic powers.

[Graham Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stronger on the second reading, the back half lost a little steam but the ending was great.