About the Book:
Smithsonian archaeologist Rabbit Ward travels through time on sponsored expeditions to the past to secure precious artifacts moments before they are lost to history. Although exceptional at his job, Rabbit is not without faults. In a spectacular failure twenty years ago, he lost both the menorah of the second temple and his hot-headed mentee, Aaron. So, when new evidence reveals the menorah’s reappearance in 6th century Constantinople, Rabbit seizes the chance for redemption.
But from the moment he arrives in the past, things start to go wrong. Rabbit quickly finds out that his prime competition, an unlicensed and annoyingly appealing “stringer” named Helen, is also in Constantinople hunting the menorah. And that’s only the beginning. The oppressed Jewish population of the city is primed for revolution, Constantinople’s leading gang seems to have it out for Rabbit personally, and someone local is interested enough in the menorah to kill for it.
As the past closes in on him and his previous failures compound, will Rabbit be able to recover the menorah before it's once again lost in time? With new and old dangers alike hiding behind every corner, time might just be up for Rabbit’s redemption—and possibly his life.
My Review:
I like science fiction and time travel. I like the premise of a time when time travel is common and specific rules have been made made to cover it. I like the idea of competition where more than one person may be back to the same time, desiring the same artifact. I like exploring the concept of changing an act in the past causing history to splinter off.
I was not prepared for how much of this novel took place in 535 Rome. Many historical facts are shared in this section and I felt the momentum of the plot slowed down because of it. Readers who like historical fiction may like the novel, especially if they are interested in that Roman time. I would have liked more of the actual time travel experiences and perhaps a little of the technology involved.
My rating: 3/5 stars.
About the Author:
Andrew Ludington writes transportive adventure stories intended to make you forget your commute. He graduated from Kenyon College with a BA in English Literature and lives in Evanston, IL where he moonlights as a technologist for Northwestern University. Splinter Effect is his first novel. Photo credit: Jeremy Lawson
Minotaur Books, 320 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
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