In Splinter Effect, Rabbit Ward is an experienced time traveling archaeologist who has made one too many mistakes in his past. A mentee, the impetuous young son of his founders, has been left in the past. A rival has stolen half of his treasures on his most recent visit to the past. He has one last chance to redeem his reputation. On this trip, he is looking for the Jewish menorah of the Second Temple in 535 BCE Constantinople. Rabbit will meet many famous people and have many adventures during his search for the artifact.
I loved the idea of mixing a Dan Brown history-based thriller with a science fiction plot. However, this book lagged quite a bit with long passages about ancient history that I personally didn’t care about at all. There was very little explanation of how the modern world discovered and regulated time travel. In fact, the present had almost no world-building at all.
As a science fiction fan, I wouldn’t recommend this book. It works for thriller fans who are willing to skip long paragraphs of historical data. Splinter Effect will suit historical fiction fans especially those interested in Ancient Greece and Roman history the best. For me, 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.