Wow this book was such a great time. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

Rabbit is the washed-up pop star of time traveling archeologists. He’s very good at his job, but one terrible album* (*jump, and he did leave a coworker stranded and probably dead in 455 CE, so...) and his career is tainted forever.

Twenty years later and he’s trying to make a comeback at the behest of a mummified rabbit to reclaim the long-lost menorah. The same long-lost menorah that he lost, spectacularly, in the worst moment of his career. However, he’s not the only one looking for the artifact. The woman who has long hunted him on his jumps to the past, an unlicensed “stringer” named Helen, pops up with parentheses on each side of her quirky lips (it’s written by a man, obviously) to make his job harder and steal his prize.

The question is: will Ahab get his white whale or will the menorah be lost to time forever?

Summary aside, I liked this a lot. The whole book spends most of its time in Constantinople in 535 CE. While I would have liked more time traveling, I think this is a beautiful setup for what could be an awesome series. There’s some great conflict outside of the story between the Christians and the Jewish, Rome and Constantinople, and a gang of Christian defenders. There were a few plot points I didn’t love, but they mostly felt useless to the overall story and read like filler. The character development for Rabbit was great, but a lot of the other characters (mostly the women—the plucky sidekick at least had a backstory) just fell a little flat. Otherwise, as a closet history nerd, I loved this. I’m really excited for what comes next for Rabbit.

4.25⭐️ rounding up to 5!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, the author, and NetGalley for this ARC!

3.5 stars. Plot > character here, with all the normal issues that time travel creates. I have a strong background in the Roman empire in the late antique period, so I loved the setting, which was very well-researched. Rabbit was fine, nothing special, and the rest of the characters are just vehicles for the story to play out, which I was happy with.

A fun ride with time travel and adventure. It was a lot of information, a lot of the time, I was overwhelmed with all the details. It seems like a well-researched book, and people interested in history will enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book and the idea behind it. A time traveling archeologist from the Smithsonian Institute whose mission is to discover artifacts lost to time and history and bring them back to the present. This is an original take on the role of archeology and artifacts in history but one that uses the best of fiction to help craft a real story that has the feel of a good Saturday Afternoon Movie.

In Splinter Effect, the mystery is secondary to the Time Travel feature of the novel, but the unique quality of this novel will appeal to mystery/thriller readers. The fresh take on time travel involves a Smithsonian archaeologist, Rabbit Ward, who travels through time on government sponsored expeditions to secure precious artifacts before they are lost to history.
Andrew Ludington has found a new way to make time travel intricate to the storyline. Some have called it a time traveling Indiana Jones; one of the reasons I decided to give this novel a try. So off to 6th Century Constantinople and then Rome, where I learned a great deal about the people, culture and politics of the day.
But of course, complicating things are the non-government travelers, who are paid by wealthy benefactors to get to the artifacts before the researchers can for personal gain. And then there is the revolution just about the begin in the region…
History buffs will adore this novel; I would label it more of a thriller than a mystery but several twists develop and people are murdered (in the past!) which could quality this a mystery. I think the characterization is minimal, but the setting and plot are exceptional. Ludington has put in the research for an amazing reader trip to the 6th Century. His second novel in the series, Double Shadow, will be out in 2026.
My rating: 4 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Splinter Effect was published on March 18, 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for this free copy of "Splinter Effect."

This debut novel was so ambitious and I really, really tried to let it engulf me. But there was too much action and it was hard to follow.

And while I appreciated the extensive historical research and the intricate time plotting, the historical events that Rabbit (the time traveler) discussed with the "locals" seemed so obscure and dry to me.

I thought the concept was amazing and wonderful, but it just didn't grab me and I skimmed quite a bit of it so I could see how it ended.

This is a unique idea, time travel to find artifacts that disappeared somewhere in time It is a type of archelogy in this story. Research is done, costumes and money are created and a trip back in time is started. A splinter is a mistake in the time-trip. It is a really good read. I received an Advance Reader Copy. and am leaving a review voluntarily.

Rabbit works for the Smithsonian institute and travels back in time to make retrieval of historical artifacts possible in the future. The work is full of history, mystery, character building, and an interesting plot. Some twists were predictable and some were not. I do think there is a bit too much detail sometimes, but this will probably get better as the books progress in the series.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more written by Ludington in the future. I think there is a little bit of everything in this story that will appeal to a variety of readers.

(I know I am late with this review, but life gets in the way of reading a good book within a specific time frame every now and then) I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

The idea behind the book is fascinating. A modern time travelling archeologist goes back in time to find some artifact that has disappeared in the murkiness of time and he finds it and buries it so that when he returns to his own time, it can be dug up. He has competition in his quests and lately his batting average has been poor. He is sent a series of clues that brings him back to his “holy grail”, the menorah that had been in the Temple before it was destroyed. He keeps running into his two nemeses and through a series of unfortunate incidents, he and the woman who has thwarted him more than once becomes his reluctant ally. The menorah has an extra importance to him as it was on the quest to get it twenty years earlier that he had left his partner behind in time.

There are lots of twists and turns and much danger, the least of all being the need to return to his point of entry before time closes in on him and he is trapped in the past. When he discovers the Machiavelli who has orchestrated the entire series of events, he is stunned. There is lots of excitement as he grapples with choices and decisions as he attempts to complete his job and return safely to the present.

Once the story really started to rev up, it was a page turner. I could not put it down. Five purrs and two paws up.

In every time travel movie or book we've been warned that it can have repercussions, something this book calls the splinter effect. There are two types of time travelers. One is the "I'll go back in time, find a rare artifact, and sell it to a private organization for a lot of money." The second one is most easily explained by Indiana Jones' "It-belongs-in-a-museum." Either way, when you travel back in time, you can only do it once, because of the risks of meeting your future self or past self or whatever. So trips are carefully calculated with the most information that can be found to retrieve an artifact without splintering the timeline. When Rabbit (yes, Rabbit. I feel compelled to explain that it's because his younger brother could not pronounce the name Robert. That way, you don't have to wait half the book like I did.) goes back to Ancient Rome, he runs into another traveler trying to retrieve the artifact that eluded him and destroyed his life years ago. Suffice to say, things don't go as planned.

In this time traveling, time-jumping Indiana Jones type book, Rabbit Ward is an archeologist with the Smithsonian. He can go back from the present to find artifacts that may be lost to the vagaries of history, mischance, carelessness, etc. Years ago, Rabbit’s mission to reclaim a lost menorah ended in disaster, but this time he wants a second chance to get it right. Of course, things don’t go well as he finds himself in 6th century Constantinople where there is unrest, danger and maybe others who want the prize. There is also some historical insight into that time period. Given all these elements, the book will appeal to lots of readers. But I had trouble following the action and getting into the main character – probably me, not the book since time traveling is usually not my genre. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

It wasn’t bad but I don’t think I would read it again. I am terribly picky with anything time travel.

**3.5-stars**

Splinter Effect is a Time Travel Thriller that features heavy historical aspects. I found it to be a unique read, that definitely improved for me in the 2nd-half of the book. While it started slowly and was a bit heavy-handed in the historical politics, there were definitely some fun twists towards the end that hooked me back in.

In this story, we follow Rabbit Ward, a Smithsonian Archaeologist tasked with traveling through time in order to rescue precious artifacts before they are lost to history. Even though Rabbit is quite successful in his career, there was an epic screw-up decades ago that included the loss of his mentee, Aaron, and it has haunted him ever since. They were after a special menorah during that mission, and recently evidence has surfaced that the menorah has now been located in another time and place.

Rabbit sets out again to try to recover it, mistakenly thinking this time, it won't be quite as difficult. However, from the moment he arrives in the past, things go wrong. Apparently, there are others, contemporary competitors, of his searching for the same artifact. One in particular, Helen, becomes a real thorn in his side.

In addition to this though, the time and place they're in, 6th-Century Constantinople, is on the brink of revolution. It's a dangerous place for anyone to be, and Rabbit and Helen find themselves thrust right into the middle of it all.

I listened to the audiobook and am glad that I did. The narrator, Roger Wayne, had a film noir quality to his voice, which I feel worked very well for this story. I would recommend that format if you're going to pick it up.

I think as a start to a series, this is strong. I have a feeling the longer the series goes on, the better it is going to get, as the Reader becomes more attached to the MC, and also gains a better understanding of the time travel system. The concepts did take a minute to get used to, as it is sort of a fresh take on time travel, and one I did thoroughly enjoy.

For me though, it did lean a little too heavily into the politics and societal happenings of the time that Rabbit traveled back to. I felt that brought the pace of the story down, which detracted from the high-stakes mission Rabbit was on by sucking some intensity out of it. As mentioned above, there were some great twists towards the end though that I definitely didn't see coming. One in particular, helped to completely reinvest me into the story, which was starting to lose me.

I would be interested in continuing on with the series. I think my decision will most likely be made after I read the synopsis for the 2nd-book; if the mission sounds intriguing enough to me, I will continue. Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I do enjoy checking out different styles of Time Travel stories, and this one was fascinating. Even though I had some few issues with it, I still think the author did a great job in developing the plot, settings and characters.

Andrew Ludington explores the complications of time travel in Splinter Effect. Rabbit Ward goes back in time to rescue artefacts just before they are lost to history; however, he messed up and failed on his last expedition to find the Jewish menorah from the temple and lost his partner in the attempt. The menorah resurfaces in sixth century Constantinople and Rabbit goes back for it. Then the complexities of time travel intervene and he is left dueling with Helen another operative. Historical records are warped in this splinter and Rabbit is struggling to survive and return to the future. Excellent plot with lots of twists and turns.

That was interesting. If Indiana Jones and a sci fi time travel story had a baby-this would be it.

This is my first story by Andrew Ludington. It’s fast paced. I did enjoy the story, but I feel it lacked character building. It’s almost as if the author assumed you already know the characters even though this is book one.
This series is about Rabbit Ward who travels through time and takes artifacts. He has competition. She seems to get to the artifacts first, and Rabbit’s job is on the line because she keeps getting there first.
I recommend this story if you like time travel books.

Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington is a fast-paced, globe-trotting debut that delivers both action and intrigue in equal measure. Rabbit Ward, a treasure hider for future generations (yes, that’s a job!), is on a mission to redeem himself after botching the protection of an ancient menorah. His latest assignment? Try again—only this time, he’s got fierce competition in the form of Helen, a savvy and stubborn privateer with a knack for showing up at the worst possible moment. Packed with clever twists, historical detail, and nonstop momentum, this book is as entertaining as it is informative. A solid 4-star adventure that sets the stage for what could be a fantastic series.

There’s almost nothing as satisfying to me as a good time travel novel—and Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington absolutely delivers.

The protagonist, Rabbit Ward, works for the Smithsonian’s time travel division, where he helps procure artifacts from the past. Readers join him on several jumps through time, meeting a range of characters along the way—including lawless opportunists who manipulate the past for personal gain.

When Rabbit attempts to right a failed mission, he encounters the “splinter effect”—divergent timelines caused by choices that disrupt history’s natural course.

Ludington crafts an engaging plot and a thrilling adventure. One of the joys of any time travel story is discovering the rules the author invents, and here, the premise is well thought out and entirely believable.

If there’s one thing that occasionally slowed my reading, it was the depth of historical detail. Much of the story is set in ancient Rome, and while Ludington’s grasp of geography, science, and politics adds richness to the world, the immersion sometimes weighed down the pace.

Still, Splinter Effect is a novel well worth reading. It hints at a potential sequel, which I’ll be eager to read if it comes to pass.

I received an ebook review copy from NetGalley with the suggestion to leave an honest review—and I’ve done my best to do just that here.

Rabbit Ward is a time traveler and an archaeologist who goes back to Ancient Rome to try to recover an ancient artifact. But things go very wrong and he’s in danger and scrambling to complete his mission and return to his drop point so he isn’t stuck in the past. Action packed, this would be a fun movie.

Splinter Effect adds a different spin to time travel. This engaging adventure with historical elements is a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has several great elements that set it up for success: time travel, archeology, heists, and professional rivalry. As one might expect, there are plenty of action-packed scenes that are some of the strongest parts of the book. I liked the way part of the main character's backstory was set up, but thought that the characterization of one of the villains was too one-dimensional and felt like a cartoon, although it was an interesting twist. Similarly, one of the major side characters seemed like his whole personality was being helpful and trusting. However, the developing relationship between the main character and his rival was fun to read as they found themselves forced to work together.

Many aspects of the time travel and potential alternate timelines were also explained in a way that feels plausible enough. At times, it did feel like the plot was being overly simplified to move the action along, but the overall premise of the book was so fun that I found myself not minding too much how the protagonist seemed to be having such an easy time maneuvering around everything.

The ending definitely keeps the door open for more time-traveling adventures, and I would be interested in seeing where and when the main characters go next. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting an action-packed archaeological adventure with time-traveling.