Dr Robert “Rabbit” Ward has gained a reputation for being one of the world’s premier chrono-archaeologists. Working out of the Smithsonian, he and his team pinpoint the timing and location of historical artifacts that are about to be destroyed, then jump back in time to retrieve them without anyone in the past being any the wiser. It is, admittedly, an inexact science with many skeptics, some of whom Rabbit finds himself having to justify both his work and the science to:

QUOTE
[“]When we go back in time, we’re just trying to make sure we don’t change history so much it would have prevented us from leaving on the trip in the first place.”

The questioner didn’t seem satisfied. “So, time is self-healing?”

“That’s not exactly right, but it’s close enough practically to be useful. [Our timeline] is malleable enough that, so long as I don’t alter anything we know to be true then my actions won’t create a splinter. The physics of that aren’t quite right, but the outcomes are close enough. Of course, there is a lot of guesswork here. Really, the best we can do is know the history and try our best not to change anything in the written record.[“]
END QUOTE

Time travel is, of course, expensive, and as with all such scientific endeavors throughout history, funded by wealthy patrons looking for trophies. One such trophy is the menorah of the Second Temple, which remains one of Rabbit’s greatest regrets. He’d been sent back in time to retrieve it before it disappeared during the sack of Rome, but had managed to lose both it and the young man who had come with him on that doomed mission. Aaron Kahan was the son of the trip’s wealthy sponsors, a twenty year-old college graduate who had wanted firsthand experience of the past. Rabbit has lived not only with the guilt of watching Aaron die but also with the shadow of the Kahan family’s grief and anger towards him ever since.

Being incredible at his job has helped him forget and move forward, but in recent years he keeps being beaten to the prize by younger, wilier competitors. With the funding drying up, Rabbit is facing the unappetizing idea of retiring from the field… until he gets one more chance at the menorah. New evidence turns up showing that it’s been sighted once more since being lost to the Vandals, and that Rabbit might finally have a chance to rescue it before it disappears from the historical record for good.

Constantinople in 535 CE has been the centre of the Roman empire since Rome fell, and it's to this time and place that Rabbit heads. But he’s not the only one after the menorah. The Kahans have sent their own chrono-archaeologist to recover it, and the mysterious woman who’s already stolen several relics out from under him is also on its trail. Worse, Constantinople is on the brink of revolution, with one of the city’s gangs taking what feels like a deeply personal dislike to Rabbit. Will Rabbit be able to rescue the menorah and redeem himself despite these odds?

This historically rigorous time travel adventure has plenty of spills and thrills, as Rabbit navigates the equally treacherous modern day and post-antiquity worlds. The wealth of information included here regarding an era of Roman history that isn’t often covered in popular media is a treat for anyone curious as to the period; science fiction fans will find little to complain about either.

But what I enjoyed the most about Splinter Effect was the way in which Andrew Ludington interrogated the accepted, or at least most culturally dominant views, of history as they’ve been passed down through the centuries. While navigating sixth century Constantinople, Rabbit and a female colleague watch history as it unfolds before them. She, understandably, has a very different view of the received knowledge regarding General Belisarius’ wife, Antonina, as it’s survived to the 21st century via Procopius’ gossipy Secret History:

QUOTE
“Still, I was just thinking how crappy history is to women. If we’re not hysterical weaklings, we’re sex addicts or power-hungry manipulators. I don’t know this chick from Jane, maybe she’s everything he said, but what we do know is they went together on most of his military campaigns.”

“Because he was dependent on her, Procopius says.”

“Why is it so bad to be dependent on one another, though?”

“I didn’t write it.”

She punched his arm. “I’m serious. History loves this image of a man being totally isolated and above everybody else. I don’t get it. We became the dominant species on the planet literally because of our ability to work together. But history wants to pretend that everything happened at the individual will of a handful of dudes.”
END QUOTE

Both intelligent and wise, this is a novel that reads like it should be a series debut, and a promising one at that. Some of the interpersonal interactions can be as awkward as Rabbit is, but the pragmatic philosophical musings that integrate history with anthropology – particularly from Helen and Daichi – make for the kind of really good, thought-provoking stuff that I look forward to reading in future novels in this series.

For a debut novel this book is awesome.. Obviously well researched to have all those dates and places intact and is definitely interesting. What a concept! Time travel on a little metal disk sorta like Star Trek and a little like Dr. Who, but not in a phone booth. It would be cool if that could be done, somebody might find a lot more relics. Characters are interesting & a little bit mysterious. I got a little bogged down in all the excitement keeping up me the good guys vs the bad guys but made I through. Fun quick read. I was invited to read an advanced reader copy but under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Opens an exciting new time travel series starring archaeologist Rabbit Ward. He travels in time on sponsored expeditions to recover priceless historical artefacts moments before their destruction.

His own past catches up with him when he goes after a sacred menorah in sixth century Constantinople, where he and a rival time traveler barely make it back to their own time.

Time traveling archeologist, Robert (Rabbit) Wade is after a relic that caused so much past trauma for him and his former ward in a previous jump. This story has adventure but it also has a lot of info dumping that kind of slowed the story in parts. There were also a few times I had to stop and just set the story a side due to it impressive history lesson that my brain stopped working with it being so overloaded. I did guess the twist but I wasn't disappointed in that part. There is a second book and I might look for it but I do hope there is a good balance in history and action.

Splinter Effect is an exceptional debut novel. Seamlessly blending historical fiction with science fiction, compelling storytelling, and well-crafted characters, it takes readers on an journey reminiscent of the adventures found in the Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase series, among others. Ludington appears to have a success on hand, and the anticipation for the second installment is palpable.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 3/18/25

*Thank you @NetGalley and St Martins Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
I liked the time travel aspect of this story, but unfortunately that’s all there was for me. I didn’t jive with the characters or the plot- I thought I’d enjoy the “Indiana Jones” like storyline- but it didn’t work for me. I was bored. The writing itself ok, it didn’t draw me in and have me wanting more. I think many will like this one though, it needs the right reader. This was a DNF at 20% for me.

I believe when you have a story about time travel, it can get a bit complicated. I feel like this story made it pretty easy for me to follow along. It was an interesting action adventure, with the vibes of Indiana Jones or the Uncharted video games. It didn't feel like it was drawn out and kept my attention. I think I would've liked to have multiple POVs, at least for Rabbit and the person he worked with for a good bit of the story. Rabbit himself is a somewhat interesting character, There's not much given about who he is as a person and why I should root for him. But the overall story was good.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read Splinter effect by Andrew Ludington. This is a debut novel, and I love time travel novels, although most of the novel takes place in the 6th century. You could tell the author researched the time very well, and enjoyed writing about his main character, Rabbit Ward, a Smithsonian archaeologist. While I did find the story was slow to start, I found it improved as I continued to read. It's indicated this is the first book in a series and I am sure history buffs will enjoy it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ A Solid Adventure with Some Bumps

Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington caught my eye with its promise of time travel, ancient artifacts, and high-stakes adventure. If you’re imagining a time-traveling Indiana Jones tangled up in religious history and political schemes, you’re not far off. Rabbit, our scrappy, slightly worn-out hero, definitely gives off those Indy vibes.

I read this during a five-hour work shift, and it kept me turning pages the whole time. That says a lot. The pacing is steady, the plot intriguing, and there’s always something around the corner—whether it’s an ambush in 535 Rome, a twist in the mission, or an uneasy alliance with someone who may or may not stab Rabbit in the back.

One thing I really enjoyed was the religious and historical depth. The search for a lost Jewish artifact set against a backdrop of Christian-Jewish conflict and Roman-Byzantine politics added weight to the story. It wasn’t just about finding a cool object—it meant something. That’s where this book shines.

That said, the historical detail sometimes veered into info-dump territory. Rabbit tends to launch into long explanations about obscure facts, which slowed things down in a few spots. It’s not bad writing—just a bit heavy at times for readers more interested in action than ancient trivia.

Character-wise, Rabbit gets the most attention, and he’s a strong lead. The dynamic with Helen—his clever, double-dealing rival—adds tension, though I wished a few of the other characters had more depth. Aaron’s storyline, involving his being stranded 20 years ago in ancient Rome, had serious potential, but it didn’t land quite as emotionally as I expected.

Still, the ending pulled it together nicely. I closed the book with a smile, glad I stuck with it. The concept of splintered timelines is always fun, and Ludington handles it in a way that feels fresh, even if not every moment hits perfectly.

Final verdict? A 3.5-star read for me. Great premise, solid execution, and a lot of love for history and theology packed into an ambitious adventure. If you’re a fan of time travel, religious artifacts, and ancient settings, this one’s worth checking out—especially if you’ve got a few uninterrupted hours to kill.

really good mystery. Kept me on my toes and loved all of the characters and what they went through on this journey. Loved that they a happy ending happened.

Time travel books can be weird, they can be fun, they can be far out, and they can be interesting. “Splinter Effect” was a little of all of these things. The notion of sponsored expeditions to the past to research and maybe acquire certain artifacts was a novel concept that worked fairly well. The history lesson was beyond great and I was totally absorbed by the imparted knowledge. They mystery was fairly diabolical so another plus. The characters had just the right amount of stealth, brilliance and “aw shucks” to keep me turning pages.The story moved and hung together with a few “what the hell is going on” moments. I wasn’t expecting much from this debut and wow was I off base. I really enjoyed “Splinter Effect” and am so hoping the interesting protagonist, Rabbit Ward, has another adventure bing penned by Andrew Ludington.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy.

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.