*2.5 rounded up to 3

This was an enjoyable read, though it wasn’t quite what I expected. The author offered an impressive level of detail about the time period, which tied in well with the archaeological aspect of the story. However, at times, this focus on historical details almost overshadowed the main plot, which slowed the pacing and made it harder to stay fully engaged. While the historical elements added depth, they sometimes detracted from the momentum of the action and the intrigue I was hoping for.

I found myself skimming parts of the middle section, where the narrative focused heavily on daily life in ancient Turkey. Those parts were richly detailed but felt slower compared to the intrigue of the time travel, artifact theft, and layers of conspiracies and betrayals, which were far more engaging to me.

Overall, it was an interesting read with strong historical elements, even if the pacing didn’t fully match my expectations.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this copy!

I loved it! This is a fast paced, action adventure Indiana Jones novel. This is Andrew Ludington's debut. I thoroughly enjoyed all the history in this book. It was well written and I really felt immersed into the ancient times of Rome. Good character development. All of this makes for a great book.

As an archaeologist Rabbit Ward's job is to time travel back to the past to recover long lost artifacts. His job is to go back to Constantinople in 535 CE to secure the precious menorah. His last adventure that took him back to Rome went so wrong and he was not able to secure the menorah. Now he is back in Constantinople in 535 CE to secure the menorah but finds out his annoying competition is there too. And that is only the beginning of things going wrong. He only has a short time to get the job done and back to his jump site. If he misses that timeframe, he will stay and live his life in that time period.

This kept me on the edge of my seat. There were times it felt difficult to understand. However, I just kept going and it all comes together. It reminded me of "Project Hail Mary", where you didn't understand certain things but keep going and you will end up with a very satisfying adventure.

I highly recommend this book if you like an Indiana Jones adventure with time travel. I cannot wait for his next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this advanced copy of this book.

Quite enjoyed this take on time travel. Lots of hand-waving about the "science," but the basic mechanics and restrictions were easy enough to understand. It did feel very cinematic with plenty of scenes that would translate well to the screen.

The Sci-Fi debut novel “Splinter Effect” by author Andrew Ludington begins with a harrowing escape by Dr. “Rabbit” Ward, a Smithsonian archaeologist/time-traveler who was being pursued by pharaoh’s troops in 48 BCE. His means of escape was the Egyptian National Time Dilator, just barely avoiding capture. But the ‘wrinkle in time travel’ is that only what you bring to the past can return the future, but nothing found in the past can be directly transported to the future, thus setting up part of the plot. The descriptions of cities, walls, gates, countryside, roads, businesses, the crowds, residences, arenas, the battles and individuals, all wrapped around real historical events are impressive and lend a “you are there” immediacy to the plot. Rabbit is a tortured time-traveler who may have have bitten off more than he could chew, more than once, in multiple jumps in pursuit of elusive goals. A fresh take on time-travel. Highly Recommended. Five DANGEROUS Stars. NetGalley ARC novel for an honest review. 282 pages.

This book was a disappointment at best. The author tried to establish a storyline with an Indiana Jones type character that just did not come up to snuff. The author’s writing style just did not resonate with me. The book was a challenge to complete as the storyline, which had great potential, did not hold my interest. Some others seem to enjoy the book so I will leave it to you as to whether or not you want to gives this novel a try.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington is a great example of historical fiction smashed together with time-traveling science fiction. Smithsonian Archaeologist Rabbit Ward travels through time. He is one of a handful of licensed time hopping archaeologists who are sponsored to go into the past, find the artifact before it’s lost to history and bury it somewhere safe that will let them come back to the present and dig it up. He’d be the best in the business, if it weren’t for the lost menorah, and a “stringer” named Helen who’s been shadowing his jumps.
When the menorah reappears in Constantinople, Rabbit is drawn into a historical political conflict between the oppressed Jewish population and the Christian converted Romans. His past mistakes start to catch up to him while he’s in the past, and new dangers are closing in on him in this race in time.

As time travel novels go, this one does a good job of it. There’s just enough groundwork for the science to make it easy to leave the “how was that done?” in the back of your mind and immerse yourself in the story. The historical aspects ring true and are brilliantly written. I especially like the interplay between Rabbit and Helen as she was a fully fleshed out character compared to some of the other side characters.

I would recommend Splinter Effect to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, time travel, or just a good Indiana Jones type adventure story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest opinion.

I'm often leery of reading time travel books, because I can only suspend so much disbelief. But, I REALLY enjoyed this take on time travel. Rabbit Ward is a great main character. He has been recovering precious artifacts for years, but a particular menorah is his "great white whale". I loved the glimpses of history, the characters (especially Rabbit) and the plot. The pacing was good, and the book kept me interested from start to finish.

Wow, this is a very well written effort for a debut novel. It takes a bit to get going but when it does. I could not put it down.

The premise is time travel to safeguard treasures of the ancient world that would have been lost forever.

Dr. Robert, (Rabbit), Ward is returning to ancient Constantinople to find and recover an ancient menorah which he lost 20 years before. He also lost his young mentee, Aaron, who was killed in their attempt to abscond with it during the chaos of an invasion.

This is his second and final attempt at recovering this item. His monetary support has dried up because he has been robbed repeatedly by a "stringer" (an unauthorized person who jumps where and when he does), named Helen. Confidence in his abilities is waning, so everything is on the line for this jump.

In this world jumps can only be 20 days long or they can't go back. In most cases in the ancient world transportation to their destination takes up a lot of their time, so speed is of the essence.

I liked the characters and the premise of the time travel. Rabbit is a likeable personality who has to think on his feet and be believable.

I hope that this will become a series. Well done Andrew Ludington, et al.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for this ARC. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Smithsonian archaeologist Rabbit Ward's job has been to travel through time and secure precious artifacts moments before they are lost forever to history. New evidence reveals the menorah Rabbit lost on his disasterous previous mission may have reappeared in 6th century Constantinople.

This reminded me of a mix of national treasure, the savings code, and 11/22/63. Once the book got going, however, I really enjoyed it! I very much liked Rabbit and the other main characters. The pace picked up nicely and Splinter Effect became a story of intrigue, danger, history, and maybe even a wee bit of romance. I really, really hope this is the start of a series!!

Thank you #MinotaurBooks for providing this arc! #NetGalley. This book has an expected publication date of March 18, 2025.

Over all I enjoyed the book, but the premise of time traveling to save artifacts for the future, was a bit beyond my interests. I am not very into sci-fi and this seemed too much so. The characters were okay, but Rabbit was a bit blah. I liked Helen. On the whole, I'd recommend this for people who love time-travel and history books.

Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington is an absolute genre mash-up that kept me entertained from start to finish. This intriguing story effortlessly blends time travel and historical fiction with an exciting adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Rabbit, the protagonist, works on sponsored expeditions into the past, aiming to save precious artifacts before they vanish from history. Currently, Rabbit is trying to save a Menorah, but things haven't gone as planned. The setup for this story is truly unique and complex. Ludington has done an exceptional job incorporating the rich history of Constantinople, while still making the story engaging and action-packed.

Several side characters play important roles in the overall narrative, including a past failed mission and an illegal time traveler named Helen. The story takes a number of fascinating twists and turns, and not all the action takes place in the past.

I found Splinter Effect to be exceptionally well-written, keeping me engaged from the very first page. Rabbit is likable and easy to root for as he navigates various scrapes, using his wits and creativity to come up with clever solutions.


Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

What I know about sixth-century Constantinople would fit on the head of a pin. But I love time travel books, so I decided to risk it. I’m glad I did. “Splinter Effect” is one of those books that, the more you read, the more you want to read. With any time travel book, chances are probably pretty good that the main character will return to his home safe and sound at some point. I wasn’t really sure about Dr. Robert “Rabbit” Ward’s chances. Either outcome could have led to a really captivating story.

“Splinter Effect” begins in 2018 and Rabbit has already been a time-traveling archaeologist for 20 years. Most of his missions have gone well but recently a thief has emerged, threatening Rabbit’s livelihood.

I’ve observed that most time travel books utilize: 1. A machine; 2. A portal; or, 3. A random event in which the traveler awakens in a different year and often in a different body. Rabbit uses a machine to travel to the past, then establishes a “decay point” to return to for his trip back.

I recommend “Splinter Effect.” Most of the book takes place in Constantinople and the action moves quickly. Rabbit doesn’t know whom to trust and he’s constantly in jeopardy. It reminds me of spy novels and movies: I know I don’t have the nerve for it. I got nervous on Rabbit’s behalf.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of “Splinter Effect.” This is my honest review.

What an epic time traveling adventure through history. This was a wonderful debut novel. Danger and suspense around every corner. I see good things in the future for this author.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. Sorry to say that I wasn't expecting too much from this book, but I was totally wrong. It pulled me into the story immediately and it was hard to put down. I definitely want to read more in this series. It reminded me a bit of Indiana Jones if he was a time-traveling archeologist. A very unique and adventure-filled book.

I generally stay away from time travel books because they make my head hurt trying to figure out what, where, and when. LOL! However, this blurb appealed to me anyway. We started with a bang, and the plot never really let me go. I wasn’t sure I really liked Rabbit, but I did love Helen, much to my surprise. I grew to like Rabbit by the end, though. Add in an interesting universe, some intense characters, and an action-filled plot. I didn’t really like all the history (personal preference), but I would have if this wasn’t a fiction book, and I know some will love it. All in all, a fun, interesting read. I really did enjoy it aside from a few times my head hurt. LOL! Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Heavy on the history with an interesting time travel element to it. But these kind of took back stage to the main character and his life as a time travel and the results of doing so.

Splinter Effect is an exciting combination of time-travel sci-fi and historical adventure heist. The premise is fairly simple: Rabbit Ward travels back in time to find and hide precious artifacts so they can be found in present time. It's not as easy it sounds, since he had to face dangerous situations and potential interference from other time-travellers.

The first half of the book sets the scene of ancient Rome and Constantinople, and there's the awe of being there with the historical figures and architecture. And the second half really picks up with the action of the heist, and Rabbit would need to face consequences of his past and present decisions.

Overall it's a really fun book that pulls you in with the plot! It's light on sci-fi elements, and probably more enjoyable as an adventure story!

I enjoyed the time travel concept and the history throughout this book. Rabbit read a little flat as a character, but I loved Helen. I would read the next book just to find out more about her!

Indiana Jones meets Back To The Future? Kind of. Sounds great alright although this one didn’t quite hit the mark.

A story of people travelling back in time to find precious lost artefacts, hide them so they can be found in the future and jump back to present day within a certain time.
Time travel is legal but heavily regulated and although it is used by museums, there are also privately funded missions also.

I thought this one would be a lot more fun than it was. Interesting ideas but the vast majority of the book takes place approximately 500AD and I found it a little boring. Too heavy on detail of the setting, buildings etc and not enough happening or even dialogue. I also found it hard to keep track of all the characters.

It’s not a bad book per se and it had some cool ideas but it dragged a lot for me and ended up feeling all a bit convoluted.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

I found the premise of this novel interesting as I tend to drift to any time-travel novel. The journey to ancient Rome and the excessive detail about life there seemed to pull down the pacing. As other promotional material states, this work is very similiar to Raiders of the Lost Ark but not as suspenseful. A bit of suspension of reality is needed to accept that there is no real language barrier. It takes some time to find out about the treasure and why Rabbit Ward is so intent of acquiring the menorah. There are some flaws but overall a fairly enjoyable tale