New Pompeii

April 18, 2016
In this paradox-inflicted techno-thriller, all roads lead to Pompeii, or at least a modern recreation populated by original residents stolen from the historical city. Nick Houghton, a history scholar, takes a position with the mysterious Novus Particles corporation, which has the ability to snatch items and people out of the past. Its founders want Nick to join their latest project, New Pompeii, to infiltrate the populace and help maintain the fiction that it is still 79 C.E. Nick, already leery of Novus Particles, is further worried when he sees how the Roman “subjects” are learning to subvert the experiment. Debut novelist Godfrey puts in a lot of historical detail, comparing and contrasting the modern and ancient political schemers looking to turn situations to their own advantage. The ethics of time travel are also explored with intriguing results. Godfrey’s nuanced affection for all things Roman shines through, but readers will have to wait for the sequel to get the answers they seek.

May 15, 2016

A mysterious company called Novus Particles has developed a technology that can pull people out of the past and into the present. To avoid creating a paradox, they only draw forward those who are about to die. Historian Nick Houghton is brought on to a top-secret project run by the agency to re-create the city of Pompeii in Central Asia after its residents are rescued just as Mount Vesuvius erupts. But Novus seems to have little regard for the individuals they move about like puppets, and Nick is in over his head. Godfrey's first novel offers an intriguing concept that never gathers enough steam. Nick is a boring character, and the villainy of the antagonists is heavy-handed and makes no particular sense. Moreover, a parallel plot about a ghost takes too long to gel. VERDICT For a better take on an attempt to reconstruct a classical setting, try Jo Walton's The Just City.--MM

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2016
A global corporation comes up with a way to pull people out of the past and plunk them down in the now. The company builds a replica of Pompeii, reaches back to CE 79, and transports most of the citizenry to the present before they're killed in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. New Pompeii operates as a sort of historical experiment, allowing scholars and scientists the opportunity to see how ancient Roman life really operated, but as historian Nick Houghton discovers soon after he's recruited to be New Pompeii's historical advisor (the previous advisor left under curious circumstances), the corporation running the place seems to have a hidden agenda. Sure, some of this has been done beforethink Jurassic Park or Westworldbut the story is so intriguing, the pacing so smooth, the environment so interesting, and the characters so appealing that the novel feels fresh. The author creates a compelling mystery (What is the real purpose of New Pompeii?) and keeps us guessing at its solution until the very end. A smart, well-thought-out book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)