Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the book early for an honest review.

Time traveling archaeologists. Need I say more? Really though they are less in historical research and preservation than private artifact hunters.
A fun romp through time. The Roman Empire in particular is a favorite. Rabbit (Robert) reminds me a bit of Harry Dresden with high morals but a willingness to do what must be done. Only more of a planner for sure.
I have some questions about the ending and how it all works. Still I enjoyed it. A good plane read.

Archaeologist and time traveler Rabbit Ward is chasing redemption after a mistake that’s haunted him for twenty years. He lost both the menorah of the Second Temple and his mentee, Aaron, during a failed mission. Now, with new clues pointing to 6th century Constantinople, Rabbit has a shot at fixing the past. But nothing is easy—he’s up against Helen, a determined "stringer" with her own agenda, and the city is a powder keg of tension and danger.

I found this book to weave rich history with fast-paced action, pulling you in with a real, lived-in dynamic between Rabbit and Helen. The stakes feel personal, the twists keep you hooked, and the emotional depth lingers long after the last page. It’s a story that makes you care, and keeps you wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books.

This story has a bit of an Indiana Jones feel about if, the main character, Rabbit Ward, is an archeologist who recovers historical artifacts that had been previously lost to time. Except he's doing it by going back in time to the period before the item was lost to try to secure it in a place where he can recover it when he returns to his current time. He had a good track record until in attempting to recover a valuable menorah he ends up losing it and a person he was mentoring, something that still bothers him. But the Smithsonian calls on him to try again and he finds himself in Constantinople in the 6th century where not long after he arrives he meets a young man who's very friendly and invites him to stay at his house (actually his parents), Rabbit accepts and is able to establish a base of sorts to begin his search. Not long after he arrives he finds there is another person trying to obtain the same item, there is also another person who is killing certain people that Rabbit had come in contact with. I found the story well paced and I loved the historical part, very realistic. If you like historical/mystery/thriller type stories, I'd highly recommend this one. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur for the ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC copy they provided.

Unfortunately, I just did not feel enough of a pull to finish reading this book, and will be putting it on my incomplete pile. This decision has nothing to do with the quality of the writing, and everything to do with my own personal preference. Splinter Effect just wasn’t quite what I imagined it would be when I read the blurb and picked it up.

And that is completely on me, and not the author or publisher. From what I did read of it, Splinter Effect feels like a relaxing read with a solid plot and enormous room to draw people in with action and numerous twists and turns. It might not be my style, but I’m sure plenty of other people will love it.

This was a fun read reminiscent of Jodi Taylor. There were times the research could have been better but overall a good entry into the time travel genre, looking forward to more

I liked this one, but felt at times like I was reading historical fiction about ancient Constantinople rather than the "action-packed" time traveling archaeologist novel I was expecting... That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it did give it a very different feel than I was looking for, and that wasn't always good.

I definitely found the time travel/stealing artifacts/conspiracies and betrayals elements the most engaging. Unfortunately, there was a LOT of description about the ancient world and the everyday elements of that world, and that's where I stuttered in my attention. I admit, I skimmed a bit in the vast middle section of the book when all the action, such as it was, was centered on life in ancient Turkey. Not that those descriptions weren't well done, just that they pulled me completely out of the action time and again, and that made my attention wander.

So, this premise of this story is a time-traveling Indiana Jones (with apologies to the author for an oversimplification). Being if you accept this as the premise, then you will really enjoy this tale, as it delivers these elements excellently. This characters (in the past and present) are believable, the level of research necessary to get the details right was clearly extensive and the plot was intriguing. I am definitely interested to see how this series will play out.

Thank you to netgalley for the free ARC!

As a fan of stories about time travel, I was looking forward to reading this book. However, it was a very uneven read for me. The good parts: The author did a really good job with action scenes and with more emotional scenes. It was interesting to learn about the rules of time travel in this universe, the splinter effect. The book just did not work for me as a whole though. The pacing was very uneven. While the action parts picked up the pace, the level of description that was used for some of the scenes became excessive and the book dragged. Also, when time traveling to different places, at times, it became difficult keeping track of some of the characters. At the beginning of the book, it was difficult to take it too seriously as one of the main characters' names is Rabbit. When this nickname is further explained later on in the book, it completely makes sense and it helped me understand why he would stick with this name. Having the explanation towards the beginning of the story would have helped. There were also some descriptions of historical references. It seemed like there was an expectation that there would be some level of knowledge on the reader's part before reading the book that I just did not have and so had difficulty following along with some of these historical descriptions.

Time-traveling archeologist Rabbit Ward has made a name for himself by going back in time to retrieve priceless artifacts before they are lost to history. However, twenty years ago he lost his chance of obtaining a precious menorah. He also lost his mentee Aaron along the way, and both losses have deeply affected him ever since. The Smithsonian has called him back into action to finish what he started by retrieving the menorah again and rectifying the wrongs of his past.

Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington is a thrilling historical adventure novel filled with plenty of thrills, twists, and action. Being a fan of history myself, I was captivated by the story and seeing historically significant cities during the height of their prominence was incredible. There are plenty of obstacles that Rabbit has to contend with including a mysterious woman who seems to steal the artifacts away from him at the last moment. He also has to work against time as Constantinople’s gangs seem to be after him. This book felt like a science fiction Indiana Jones story and as someone who loves Indy, that was right up my alley!

Ludington also does an exceptional job with the characters. You really feel for Rabbit who is still filled with regret for losing Aaron all those years ago, and you get the sense that he’s a man who will do anything for his friends and loved ones.

If you love historical adventure stories or time traveling tales, you’ll really enjoy Splinter Effect! I hope there are more in the series, I want to see where (and when) Rabbit will travel to next!

Review: This novel takes off like a rocket into a past rich in historical fact married to the fiction of the moment.

I loved the detailed history coupled with constant movement as Rabbit and his hottie pard wend their way through the past to secure a religious artifact. This novel left me wanting more. The characters all play off of each other in a well rendered display that builds depth and attachement.

If you love history and time travel that is better than Dr. Who by a long shot, GET THIS!

Publisher: There is an error where Rabbit refers to Aarons relationship to his Uncle as father and son.

This rip-roaring action packed adventure takes archaeologist Rabbit Ward back in time to retrieve a historically important menorah from 6th century Constantinople for the Smithsonian. He isn't the only time-traveller there on a mission which adds more layers of suspense. Laws, natural and politcal, that regulate time travel also play a part. Thoroughly entertaining, I'm sad I can't start handing it to folks who want to read this type of exciting escapism tomorrow, instead having to wait until NEXT MARCH when it will be published. It is a terrific readalike for fans of the Raiders of the Lost Ark movies and fans of the Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly.