The premise of A Coin for the Ferryman is an intriguing one, especially for anyone interested in Ancient Rome. What would one of the most famous ancient Romans think of today’s modern society? I felt that Edwards gave us compelling characters in Caesar and Cassandra, but so many others fell flat for me. And the introductory chapters, especially the parts with the 1970s archaeologists, felt unnecessary. However, the book really picked up for the last third or so, and I found myself saying “just one more chapter” over and over, well past when I should have gone to bed! Thank you, NetGalley, for providing the book in exchange for an honest review. #netgalley #acoinfortheferryman

It’s unfortunate that it has come to this, but I won’t be finishing A Coin for the Ferryman. I’ve decided to DNF this because the sharp downwards turn this story takes after the halfway mark into absurdity. I really wanted to like this but there were just too many small and medium things that didn’t sit right with me or didn’t make too much sense or simply were unlikeable that added up to a decent amount of stuff that bogged down my reading experience. Also, I can’t help but feel that this could’ve been shorter and quicker in pace. A Coin for the Ferryman drags for the first half with frequent dives into the lives of the ensemble cast–which it could’ve gone without. There were so many instances in which we were were steered away from the main plot and I didn’t care much for that. In regard to characters, other than John, Eric and Cassandra, I don’t think I can say that the characters in this book were likable to say the least. Lastly, I didn’t really care for the way the women were written or portrayed as through the lens of the male characters. There were also too many details on their bodies and appearances–which could’ve been left out. Also, the fact that Faith suddenly becomes a villain of sort as a result of the two day fling with Andrew is baffling.

This book sounds amazing, as in its story, and really it is. It doesnt get bogged down in the science, but there is enough there to make it sound plausible, and that is all you really need. The writing is good, descriptive but not flowery, and the characters are fun, if you love them or hate them. I did not see elements of the ending, and I loved being surprised by that. This is a must read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Nobel prize winner Andrew Danicek has built a “time machine”. He sets up a team and after a series of positive tests decides to bring a prominent historical figure to the future, Julius Caesar.
So now you have a man who lived 2000 years ago, walking around in our time. One of our other MC’s Cassandra is picked to be his “hostess” because she’s fluent in Latin. But nothing goes as planned!
Caesar can’t remain in our time, because they don’t know how and if it will influence the future. But will they be able to, with everything that has happened?

Thank you NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. That being said, this was such an utter disappointment.

The way this book was described was not at all like the story that I read. It started strong: philosophical and ethical questions about abducting someone (from the past!) in the name of science. How would biological concerns be handled? And then of course there was basic communication problems to address. Everyone knew they were operating in grey areas and I was hoping the book would continue down this path, but then...

* A coin collector mixed up with an Eastern European mob
* The team's physician falls so madly in love with a colleague (after two days of obvious, non-stop creepy attention) that she becomes the group's bitchy female and social pariah
* High speed car chases around Los Angeles, in a manual transmission VW Beetle
* A deus ex machina helicopter flight financed by a poultry-empire billionaire
* Another two-day love affair that breaks hearts
* A truly bizarre kidnapping plot, that goes to attempted murder a few pages later (seriously, why does Hank have his sniper henchman attempt to shoot the plane out of the sky if he needs Caesar alive?)
* The wealthy woman in this book are abject idiots and everything is catered to their ridiculous social whims. Is Sonia really too much of a moron to understand the biological safety ramification of having a party of her house? And none of the scientists could talk her out of it?
* Having Eric Barza's first thought about every woman he met being "she's not bad for [age]" was annoying

Everyone just seemed so...dumb? after Caesar arrived. Much emphasis was put on their academic credentials and professional accomplishments, and then to have them turned into dolts was beyond the pale.

This book is way too long and cannot decide what it wants to be.