What do you think?
Rate this book
Prophet
A tantalizing adventure fusing noir, sci-fi and a slow burn queer romance―set in a universe just one perilous step from our own. Adam Rubenstein and Sunil Rao have been reluctant partners since their Uzbekistan days. Adam is a seemingly unflappable American Intelligence officer and Rao is an ex-MI6 agent, an addict and rudderless pleasure hound, with the uncanny ability to discern the truth of things―about everyone and everything other than Adam. When an American diner turns up in a foggy field in the UK after a mysterious death, Adam and Rao are called in to investigate, setting into motion the most dangerous and otherworldly mission of their lives. In a surreal, action-packed quest that takes Adam and Rao from secret laboratories in Colorado, to a luxury lodge in Aspen, to the remote Nevada desert, the pair begins to uncover how and why people’s fondest memories are being weaponized against them by a spooky, ever-shifting substance called Prophet. As the unlikely twosome battles this strange new reality, Prophet’s victims’ memories are materializing in increasingly bizarre favorite games, beloved pets, fairground rides, each more malevolent than the next. Prophet is like no enemy Adam and Rao - or the world - have ever come up against. A tension-shot odd-couple romance, an unflinching send-up of corporate corruption, and a genre-bending tour de force, Prophet is a triumph of storytelling by a new writing duo with a thrilling future.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published August 23, 2023
424 people are currently reading
14092 people want to read
About the author
Sin Blaché
1 book68 followersSin Blaché is an author and musician. They have been writing horror and sci-fi stories all their life. Prophet is their first novel. Born in California, they live in the Northwest of Ireland and can be found obsessing over obscure folk instruments, being a reluctant savior to feral cats, and playing too many video games
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 789 reviews
June 28, 2023
I can’t overstate that this is Arthur/Eames fanfiction that I clocked on page 23. This is not a drill or a joke. This is fandom Arthur and fandom Eames in a soulbond AU, complete with 2010 fic banter, rife with italics, resplendent with a big concept that it cannot carry off because it never decides on the rules of its own game (because it is more interested in the ship than anything else). Did I read the whole thing? Oh yes. Did I screenshot dozens of passages in pure awe and share them with my friends? It was necessary. Is this a good book? It is not, although there are some key shining moments of creative horror that would have made a GREAT book. However, despite the faults in its premise and its weird obsession with calling one of its two female characters a diagnosed psychopath, it’s bracing to realize that you can professionally revisit the year two thousand ten with Grove Press.
Orig review:
Holy balls batman it is going to take me a while to compose my thoughts. Or I will compose them never. all i can say at this time is that H Is for Hawk could NOT prepare me for this. star rating withheld as i attempt to balance the universe in the palm of my hand.
Orig review:
Holy balls batman it is going to take me a while to compose my thoughts. Or I will compose them never. all i can say at this time is that H Is for Hawk could NOT prepare me for this. star rating withheld as i attempt to balance the universe in the palm of my hand.
Read
February 11, 2024A spy novel / super slow burn m/m romance / philosophical SF.
This starts absolutely spectacularly, and gave me the kind of tingles you get when you think you're about to read something utterly epic. It didn't quite fulfil that.
Part of the problem is, the plotting isn't up to the concept: for me, not enough happens. It's extremely static from about 40% on, in both the SF and the romance plots, and we don't ever really delve into either the relationship or the deeper meaning of Prophet. There's a lot of talking. Regrettably this exposes an authorial habit of all the characters addressing each other by name in close to 50% of the dialogue lines, which becomes incredibly obtrusive very fast. ("Is that right, Adam?" / "Yes it is, Rao" when they are the only people in the room.) Editor fail.
Eh. I loved the start so much I may have been over picky, but for me, the second half really needed a lot more development to live up to its huge potential. Clearly the authors were revelling in the super slow burn romance, but tbh I didn't find it as compelling as the Prophet storyline, and it gave me that vaguely uncomfortable feeling I was reading fanfic of something. Still definitely worth reading, with some truly lovely writing, and a line about how the world will end with people clutching toys that gave me chills.
This starts absolutely spectacularly, and gave me the kind of tingles you get when you think you're about to read something utterly epic. It didn't quite fulfil that.
Part of the problem is, the plotting isn't up to the concept: for me, not enough happens. It's extremely static from about 40% on, in both the SF and the romance plots, and we don't ever really delve into either the relationship or the deeper meaning of Prophet. There's a lot of talking. Regrettably this exposes an authorial habit of all the characters addressing each other by name in close to 50% of the dialogue lines, which becomes incredibly obtrusive very fast. ("Is that right, Adam?" / "Yes it is, Rao" when they are the only people in the room.) Editor fail.
Eh. I loved the start so much I may have been over picky, but for me, the second half really needed a lot more development to live up to its huge potential. Clearly the authors were revelling in the super slow burn romance, but tbh I didn't find it as compelling as the Prophet storyline, and it gave me that vaguely uncomfortable feeling I was reading fanfic of something. Still definitely worth reading, with some truly lovely writing, and a line about how the world will end with people clutching toys that gave me chills.
January 18, 2023
rep: British Indian bi mc, Jewish gay mc, Black side characters, Jewish side characters
tw: drug abuse, torture, past attempted suicide, body horror, implied conversion therapy
okay, two things. the romance? absolutely exquisite, everyone should write it like this. gorgeous!
everything else? guys, just don't start a sci-fi novel, if you can't plot it properly till the end. worldbuilding does, in fact, need sense & structure, & rules. questions need answers. you can't just purple-prose your way out of a plot-hole!
the writing is amazing, the characters are amazing, the initial mystery is amazing, and then you get to like the last hundred pages & it all crumbles before your eyes. what was the point.
tw: drug abuse, torture, past attempted suicide, body horror, implied conversion therapy
okay, two things. the romance? absolutely exquisite, everyone should write it like this. gorgeous!
everything else? guys, just don't start a sci-fi novel, if you can't plot it properly till the end. worldbuilding does, in fact, need sense & structure, & rules. questions need answers. you can't just purple-prose your way out of a plot-hole!
the writing is amazing, the characters are amazing, the initial mystery is amazing, and then you get to like the last hundred pages & it all crumbles before your eyes. what was the point.
September 16, 2023
3.5
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy
I was so excited when I started reading this. The concept is pretty awesome and felt very fresh. However, my interest waned towards the middle. It was almost hard to follow at times but the ending was great.
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy
I was so excited when I started reading this. The concept is pretty awesome and felt very fresh. However, my interest waned towards the middle. It was almost hard to follow at times but the ending was great.
April 16, 2025
Im only a sci-fi dabbler so always take my sci-fi reviews with a grain of salt, but this was actually such a solidly surreal and slightly spooky sci-fi adventure.
This was pitched to me as a queer X-Files, and while I can appreciate why that comparison was made, I don't think that's quite right. Honestly, it was giving me more Annihilation in vibes (the movie, I haven't read the books, I'm sorry!) but maybe a slight sprinkle of X-Files by way of shady government agencies and experiments.
Rao, while jokingly referred to as a psych investigator, has a rare ability to know the truth of things, he is essentially a human polygraph of people and objects. Rao is recruited by MI6 after he is discovered assessing forgeries at Sotheby's, and finds himself being utilised during interrogations during the war in the Middle East, the trauma of which leads him to addiction, suffering from PTSD due to what he has witnessed and whilst in the midst of a mental break down, attempting suicide.
A handful of months following his attempted suicide Rao finds himself assigned to a new and mysterious case by the American military in which nostalgic objects are randomly manifesting in remote parts of America and creating a mysterious draw between the object and the person who manifested them, with devastating and potentially lethal effects if they connect.
Rao and his military handler, Lieutenant Colonel Adam Rubenstein, are tasked with investigating the unnatural phenomenon and the mystery behind it.
I'll be completely honest, there were a few times in this when I found myself a little lost at what the fuck was happening, and without wanting to toot my own horn, it takes a fair bit for me to drop off my understanding, so take that as you will.
I realise now that some of that was intentional and by design, especially the flashbacks, however at the time, I found them to be a bit confusing as there was no clear delineation to changes in POVs or timelines and the reader just had to go along and pick it up as they read. Now though, upon reflection, I think those storylines were done fantastically.
I think the middle of this was a little floppy at times but, I tell you what, the last 20% of this this was pretty bonkers. Once I hit that build of that climax there was no chance of getting my kindle out of my hands.
There was a really amazing and emotional romantic subplot here (and I do mean subplot, DO NOT go in to this if you are craving a heavier romance plot) and the pay off was fantastic but I'm stuck between wishing there was more page time dedicated to Adam and Rao and also thinking their story arc was finished perfectly.
I feel like queer sci-fi hasn't quite kicked off to the same degree that queer fantasy has, so if you are looking for a queer, hard(ish) sci fi with some spooky and mysterious elements, this could hold some appeal!
And it’s just fun, talking with his old partner again like they’re normal— even if they are talking about how many blades one of them is lugging around at any given time.
“Calf, boot, waistband.”
“Three? Bloody hell. I didn’t know they were there.”
“That’s good. That’s what you want from concealed weapons.”
“No, but— Adam, you don’t even move like you’re armed.”
“Yes, Rao. Because if I did, then people would know that I am.”
“See, you are a scary fucker.” Adam hums before taking a bite out of his burger. He thinks while he chews. “You’re not scared,” he observes eventually.
“No, love,” Rao says, rubbing his cheek with the flat of one hand. “But in all honesty, these days I’m not exactly sane.”
This was pitched to me as a queer X-Files, and while I can appreciate why that comparison was made, I don't think that's quite right. Honestly, it was giving me more Annihilation in vibes (the movie, I haven't read the books, I'm sorry!) but maybe a slight sprinkle of X-Files by way of shady government agencies and experiments.
Rao, while jokingly referred to as a psych investigator, has a rare ability to know the truth of things, he is essentially a human polygraph of people and objects. Rao is recruited by MI6 after he is discovered assessing forgeries at Sotheby's, and finds himself being utilised during interrogations during the war in the Middle East, the trauma of which leads him to addiction, suffering from PTSD due to what he has witnessed and whilst in the midst of a mental break down, attempting suicide.
A handful of months following his attempted suicide Rao finds himself assigned to a new and mysterious case by the American military in which nostalgic objects are randomly manifesting in remote parts of America and creating a mysterious draw between the object and the person who manifested them, with devastating and potentially lethal effects if they connect.
Rao and his military handler, Lieutenant Colonel Adam Rubenstein, are tasked with investigating the unnatural phenomenon and the mystery behind it.
I'll be completely honest, there were a few times in this when I found myself a little lost at what the fuck was happening, and without wanting to toot my own horn, it takes a fair bit for me to drop off my understanding, so take that as you will.
I realise now that some of that was intentional and by design, especially the flashbacks, however at the time, I found them to be a bit confusing as there was no clear delineation to changes in POVs or timelines and the reader just had to go along and pick it up as they read. Now though, upon reflection, I think those storylines were done fantastically.
I think the middle of this was a little floppy at times but, I tell you what, the last 20% of this this was pretty bonkers. Once I hit that build of that climax there was no chance of getting my kindle out of my hands.
There was a really amazing and emotional romantic subplot here (and I do mean subplot, DO NOT go in to this if you are craving a heavier romance plot) and the pay off was fantastic but I'm stuck between wishing there was more page time dedicated to Adam and Rao and also thinking their story arc was finished perfectly.
I feel like queer sci-fi hasn't quite kicked off to the same degree that queer fantasy has, so if you are looking for a queer, hard(ish) sci fi with some spooky and mysterious elements, this could hold some appeal!
And it’s just fun, talking with his old partner again like they’re normal— even if they are talking about how many blades one of them is lugging around at any given time.
“Calf, boot, waistband.”
“Three? Bloody hell. I didn’t know they were there.”
“That’s good. That’s what you want from concealed weapons.”
“No, but— Adam, you don’t even move like you’re armed.”
“Yes, Rao. Because if I did, then people would know that I am.”
“See, you are a scary fucker.” Adam hums before taking a bite out of his burger. He thinks while he chews. “You’re not scared,” he observes eventually.
“No, love,” Rao says, rubbing his cheek with the flat of one hand. “But in all honesty, these days I’m not exactly sane.”
August 16, 2023
Sci-fi espionage thriller which boats an engaging premise and well-crafted tension between its two protagonists but ultimately fails to maintain interest.
Prophet opens with an unsettling mystery. A series of mysterious objects — ranging from motorcycle jackets to Beanie Babies to an entire American diner — have suddenly appeared on a military base in south-eastern England, seemingly connected to the unexplained death of a US airman. Ex-SIS agent Sunil Rao, gifted with a seemingly supernatural ability to discern fakes and forgeries, is brought in to investigate alongside his surly and silent former investigative partner, American Adam Rubenstein. What they discover is unnerving: a secretive research program, codename EOS Prophet, which is attempting to harness the powers of nostalgia for military purposes. As they try to work together, Rao and Rubenstein must also attempt to mend their own fractured relationship, damaged by the chaotic and tragic end of their last mission in Afghanistan. One thing is clear: in the wrong hands, memories can be deadly.
The premise of Prophet is engaging, and the mystery is well-maintained for the initial section of the book as we follow Rao and Rubinstein’s investigation and, through the use of flashbacks, also attempt to understand the dynamics of their own complex and interconnected pasts. Things start to go downhill, however, around the midpoint of the book as the scope broadens. it begins to become obvious that the plot is little more than a vessel for the unfolding of this relationship and the authors ultimately run out of road. The direct dialogue is peppered by the irritating overuse of character names and excessive sarcastic insults. More troublingly, fundamental questions raised by the opening remained unanswered, and the thinness of the worldbuilding is increasingly exposed. I have no issue with science-fiction novels which require a moderate suspension of disbelief, but I grew more and more frustrated with characters consistently underreacting to events which would lead somebody to question their entire worldview and conception of the fundamental nature of the universe. At points, the Prophet substance was little more than an ex machina device in the worst traditions of physics-defying sci-fi mysterious compounds/nanobots (see, for example, Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers - Die Schlafwandler for a particularly egregious example). These plot weaknesses undermined the emotional payoff of the ending.
It’s interesting to note that the acknowledgements page contains a thank you to ‘the fic writers of AO3 and the internet’, and I think the influence of fandom works is apparent in the SCP-like flavour of the central mystery and in the treatment of the main relationship between Rao and Adam. This isn’t a criticism, just an observation: there are many good things that writers can take from fandom works. It’s still (sadly) refreshing and unusual to read such a relatively main-stream sci-fi novel with a gay relationship at its centre. In this case, however, the focus on this (relation)ship rather than on the plot has left Prophet an unbalanced and ultimately underwhelming novel.
Prophet opens with an unsettling mystery. A series of mysterious objects — ranging from motorcycle jackets to Beanie Babies to an entire American diner — have suddenly appeared on a military base in south-eastern England, seemingly connected to the unexplained death of a US airman. Ex-SIS agent Sunil Rao, gifted with a seemingly supernatural ability to discern fakes and forgeries, is brought in to investigate alongside his surly and silent former investigative partner, American Adam Rubenstein. What they discover is unnerving: a secretive research program, codename EOS Prophet, which is attempting to harness the powers of nostalgia for military purposes. As they try to work together, Rao and Rubenstein must also attempt to mend their own fractured relationship, damaged by the chaotic and tragic end of their last mission in Afghanistan. One thing is clear: in the wrong hands, memories can be deadly.
The premise of Prophet is engaging, and the mystery is well-maintained for the initial section of the book as we follow Rao and Rubinstein’s investigation and, through the use of flashbacks, also attempt to understand the dynamics of their own complex and interconnected pasts. Things start to go downhill, however, around the midpoint of the book as the scope broadens. it begins to become obvious that the plot is little more than a vessel for the unfolding of this relationship and the authors ultimately run out of road. The direct dialogue is peppered by the irritating overuse of character names and excessive sarcastic insults. More troublingly, fundamental questions raised by the opening remained unanswered, and the thinness of the worldbuilding is increasingly exposed. I have no issue with science-fiction novels which require a moderate suspension of disbelief, but I grew more and more frustrated with characters consistently underreacting to events which would lead somebody to question their entire worldview and conception of the fundamental nature of the universe. At points, the Prophet substance was little more than an ex machina device in the worst traditions of physics-defying sci-fi mysterious compounds/nanobots (see, for example, Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers - Die Schlafwandler for a particularly egregious example). These plot weaknesses undermined the emotional payoff of the ending.
It’s interesting to note that the acknowledgements page contains a thank you to ‘the fic writers of AO3 and the internet’, and I think the influence of fandom works is apparent in the SCP-like flavour of the central mystery and in the treatment of the main relationship between Rao and Adam. This isn’t a criticism, just an observation: there are many good things that writers can take from fandom works. It’s still (sadly) refreshing and unusual to read such a relatively main-stream sci-fi novel with a gay relationship at its centre. In this case, however, the focus on this (relation)ship rather than on the plot has left Prophet an unbalanced and ultimately underwhelming novel.
dnf
August 20, 2023to be brutally honest i am amazed that this was published...the storytelling is trying to go for an erin morgenstern/neil gaiman vibe but something is off. i'm just not buying into it (be it the characters, the world-building, or the dialogues). it reminds me of that time i had to write a fantasy short story for a creative writing class and it sucked so bad because it wasn't a genre i was familiar or good at. but as we all know, ymmv so give don't let my vague review put you off from giving prophet a shot.
November 21, 2023
Oh my lord. This book hangover is going to last for days.
Prophet's ad copy is unusually long, which is because there's no way to set forth the premise or sketch the characters in a couple of sentences, so you might as well go read it. I'll be here.
*
Good, you're back. So, once I had finished this book and mopped up my tears and was on the subway, I started thinking of all the holes in the worldbuilding and all the questions left unanswered -- @AngelFire, I am laying down my bet now that you would hate this book. Here come some spoilers:
See? It's a lot. Nor -- and this isn't quite a spoiler -- does it really make sense, given Prophet's behavior to that point in the story, that it should perform the act that enables Adam and Rao to reunite.
And yet! And yet! Rao and Adam are so compelling. Rao is as described in the ad copy, but what the ad copy doesn't mention is that before the book opens he has tried to commit suicide because he's so horrified by his complicity in the interrogation/torture of prisoners in Afghanistan. Pretty much everything he does in Prophet is an attempt to expiate his guilt. As for Adam, Rao spends a lot of the book pretty sure that he's basically emotionless, but the authors supply a backstory for him that (a) made me sob helplessly (b) makes it quite clear why he has all his emotions and vulnerabilities on lockdown. Like Rao, he's lonely and alienated.
I love it when writers make me love morally compromised people. Look, I had to ding a star for all the holes I spoiler-tagged above, but in my heart of hearts I've given Prophet 10 stars.
Also, a word about the women characters: there are many and they are all interesting. Just saying.
Prophet's ad copy is unusually long, which is because there's no way to set forth the premise or sketch the characters in a couple of sentences, so you might as well go read it. I'll be here.
*
Good, you're back. So, once I had finished this book and mopped up my tears and was on the subway, I started thinking of all the holes in the worldbuilding and all the questions left unanswered -- @AngelFire, I am laying down my bet now that you would hate this book. Here come some spoilers:
See? It's a lot. Nor -- and this isn't quite a spoiler -- does it really make sense, given Prophet's behavior to that point in the story, that it should perform the act that enables Adam and Rao to reunite.
And yet! And yet! Rao and Adam are so compelling. Rao is as described in the ad copy, but what the ad copy doesn't mention is that before the book opens he has tried to commit suicide because he's so horrified by his complicity in the interrogation/torture of prisoners in Afghanistan. Pretty much everything he does in Prophet is an attempt to expiate his guilt. As for Adam, Rao spends a lot of the book pretty sure that he's basically emotionless, but the authors supply a backstory for him that (a) made me sob helplessly (b) makes it quite clear why he has all his emotions and vulnerabilities on lockdown. Like Rao, he's lonely and alienated.
I love it when writers make me love morally compromised people. Look, I had to ding a star for all the holes I spoiler-tagged above, but in my heart of hearts I've given Prophet 10 stars.
Also, a word about the women characters: there are many and they are all interesting. Just saying.
August 14, 2023
Thank the Book Fairies . . . my torture read is over.
I want to thank Penguin Random House South Africa for giving me a proof copy. All opinions are my own.
I don't - normally - read science fiction. I read Jurassic Park and am only starting with Star Wars to see how it goes. I also want to say; I watch a few science fiction series and movies because my husband is a massive fan of science fiction. I have watched X-files tv series, Terminator, Aliens, Star Wars and Jurassic Park.
The above-mentioned was a lot better than this novel. This a forgettable story with forgettable characters. This book was promoted as a science fiction thriller spy novel . . . honestly - I read a lot of thrillers that kept me turning the pages - but I only continued reading this book for the following: The interest in counting a few cuss words.
Please don't think me prejudiced - I cuss a lot but not meaninglessly.
Trigger warnings: Drug abuse, suicide attempt mentioned, prejudice, racism and absent parents.
After reading the first page, I realised the main character Rao is going to climb under my skin. He keeps cussing meaninglessly - every third or fourth word is fuck or a variant of it. He is an ex-MI6 agent - the American government brings in to help investigate objects appearing randomly. On page 100, I already forgot where the plot was going.
Adam teams up or rather plays Rao's babysitter. They start to investigate these objects and talk to citizens - to get information about a facility which they go to. The rest of the novel is a banter between Rao and Adam. There are also a few chapters mentioned before: this is what happened between Adam and Rao when they first met. (What happened to good old-fashion flashbacks?)
There are also chapters explaining one of the character's past - I guess to explain why he is like he is. (I guessed the character by the second chapter of these.)
Adam is as boring as watching the paint dry. Rao as mentioned just got under my skin due to cussing a lot making the story unenjoyable. The slow-burn romance between them is so slow that it becomes unbearably - boring.
Nostalgia as a weapon was an amazing concept - poorly executed.
Interesting tidbits: I am approximating these because I may have miscounted by ranting to my husband about how horrible this book is.
Fuck and all its variants - 404 times
Cunt - 13 times
Shit and all its variants - 140 times
To me, it felt Rao's complete vocabulary existed by these three words. Other cuss words are visible in the novel, but these take the cake. I also felt the book could have done 280 pages less than it is.
I want to thank Penguin Random House South Africa for giving me a proof copy. All opinions are my own.
I don't - normally - read science fiction. I read Jurassic Park and am only starting with Star Wars to see how it goes. I also want to say; I watch a few science fiction series and movies because my husband is a massive fan of science fiction. I have watched X-files tv series, Terminator, Aliens, Star Wars and Jurassic Park.
The above-mentioned was a lot better than this novel. This a forgettable story with forgettable characters. This book was promoted as a science fiction thriller spy novel . . . honestly - I read a lot of thrillers that kept me turning the pages - but I only continued reading this book for the following: The interest in counting a few cuss words.
Please don't think me prejudiced - I cuss a lot but not meaninglessly.
Trigger warnings: Drug abuse, suicide attempt mentioned, prejudice, racism and absent parents.
After reading the first page, I realised the main character Rao is going to climb under my skin. He keeps cussing meaninglessly - every third or fourth word is fuck or a variant of it. He is an ex-MI6 agent - the American government brings in to help investigate objects appearing randomly. On page 100, I already forgot where the plot was going.
Adam teams up or rather plays Rao's babysitter. They start to investigate these objects and talk to citizens - to get information about a facility which they go to. The rest of the novel is a banter between Rao and Adam. There are also a few chapters mentioned before: this is what happened between Adam and Rao when they first met. (What happened to good old-fashion flashbacks?)
There are also chapters explaining one of the character's past - I guess to explain why he is like he is. (I guessed the character by the second chapter of these.)
Adam is as boring as watching the paint dry. Rao as mentioned just got under my skin due to cussing a lot making the story unenjoyable. The slow-burn romance between them is so slow that it becomes unbearably - boring.
Nostalgia as a weapon was an amazing concept - poorly executed.
Interesting tidbits: I am approximating these because I may have miscounted by ranting to my husband about how horrible this book is.
Fuck and all its variants - 404 times
Cunt - 13 times
Shit and all its variants - 140 times
To me, it felt Rao's complete vocabulary existed by these three words. Other cuss words are visible in the novel, but these take the cake. I also felt the book could have done 280 pages less than it is.
August 7, 2023
I absolutely loved this one. It’s a sort of creepy sci-fi spy thriller mixed up with a satisfying, banter-filled, slow burn romance. Overall, an absolutely wild and fun ride.
This book is that perfect note of sci-fi lite, where it’s mostly set in our world, but something slightly strange is going on. The slightly strange being a new mysterious infectious agent called Prophet that causes people to manifest nostalgic items from their past (think GI Joe dolls or entire classic diners) and then kills them with it. The only people that could maybe save the world are Adam, a surly American military officer, and Rao, a sort of ex-MI6 spy who also functions as a human lie detector. Of course they have a sorted past, the likes of which is slowly revealed through flashbacks, but they are probably also inevitable if they can just save the world first.
Admittedly this did take me a little bit to get into because the early jumps from past to present were a little confusing but once this took off I found it impossible to put down. The plot is rather relentless and the stakes keep ramping up as Prophet continues to spread and evolve. And the ending! Absolute perfection.
Clearly I highly recommend this one. I’m still on the fence on whether this should be the start of a series or just remain a perfect standalone, but it is such an exciting and unique novel from this new writing duo. I’d love to see what they’d write next together.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book is that perfect note of sci-fi lite, where it’s mostly set in our world, but something slightly strange is going on. The slightly strange being a new mysterious infectious agent called Prophet that causes people to manifest nostalgic items from their past (think GI Joe dolls or entire classic diners) and then kills them with it. The only people that could maybe save the world are Adam, a surly American military officer, and Rao, a sort of ex-MI6 spy who also functions as a human lie detector. Of course they have a sorted past, the likes of which is slowly revealed through flashbacks, but they are probably also inevitable if they can just save the world first.
Admittedly this did take me a little bit to get into because the early jumps from past to present were a little confusing but once this took off I found it impossible to put down. The plot is rather relentless and the stakes keep ramping up as Prophet continues to spread and evolve. And the ending! Absolute perfection.
Clearly I highly recommend this one. I’m still on the fence on whether this should be the start of a series or just remain a perfect standalone, but it is such an exciting and unique novel from this new writing duo. I’d love to see what they’d write next together.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 9, 2023
actually i think this has changed the makeup of my brain irreversibly stick me in an mri you'll see
read my review on ig
Rep: British Indian bi mc, Jewish gay mc
CWs: drug abuse, torture, past attempted suicide, body horror, implied conversion therapy
read my review on ig
Rep: British Indian bi mc, Jewish gay mc
CWs: drug abuse, torture, past attempted suicide, body horror, implied conversion therapy
June 20, 2024
DNF @25%
Interesting concept - horrendous execution. The pacing is tediously slow, the sci ain't fying and it's obvious it's not going to get any better, ultimately, it's boring *shrug*
Moving on
Interesting concept - horrendous execution. The pacing is tediously slow, the sci ain't fying and it's obvious it's not going to get any better, ultimately, it's boring *shrug*
Moving on
February 22, 2024
Meine Gedanken zu "Der Prophet "
Da es hohe Aufmerksamkeit erfordert, den Zeitsprüngen, verschiedenen Orte, Hinweisen auf die Vergangenheit und den mysteriösen Ereignissen zu folgen, würde ich das Buch nicht als Pageturner bezeichnen.
Mystery bzw. ein surrealistischer Geheimagenten - Thriller vermischt mit einer Prise Horror sowie einer Liebesgeschichte - fast ein bisschen zu viel von allem, aber es ist
eine spannende, kreative, ungewöhnliche Mischung.
4 Sterne.
Da es hohe Aufmerksamkeit erfordert, den Zeitsprüngen, verschiedenen Orte, Hinweisen auf die Vergangenheit und den mysteriösen Ereignissen zu folgen, würde ich das Buch nicht als Pageturner bezeichnen.
Mystery bzw. ein surrealistischer Geheimagenten - Thriller vermischt mit einer Prise Horror sowie einer Liebesgeschichte - fast ein bisschen zu viel von allem, aber es ist
eine spannende, kreative, ungewöhnliche Mischung.
4 Sterne.
September 13, 2023
Weird. Amazing. Often inexplicable. (And then explicable.) With a full-on 'Alice in Wonderland' vibe X ten. (Or 'House of Leaves' X 100!) This book has it all...
A scifi-edge. With political undertones. And a romance, sort of. And spy stuff. And it's also a thriller and a mystery, too. I cannot place this book in any category I've ever read before, except for a book like 'Leaves,' maybe. (And I couldn't finish 'Leaves.') It's heavy, chunky, full of just 'stuff.' Dialogue, description, ideas, science, fun stuff, serious things, and that's how it's written, too. It kind of 'explodes' your head as you read it - or is it implodes?
The story of two intelligence agents, one plucked out of prison, the other just 'plucked,' and sent to figure out/interpret/explain/understand how an American, mid-century diner, fully complete, ended up in a muddy beet field in England. With toys and other bric-a-brac surrounding it. What IS it? Where did it COME FROM? WHAT does it all mean?
Well, there are over 400 pages to follow in which Adam, an impassive brute of a man who has skills that a Liam Neeson type might envy tries to find the answers. Colonel Adam Rubenstein is the bodyguard/handler/companion of Rao - and Rao, of Indian descent, just happens to be a savant. Rao can tell if a person is lying - or not. (He can can also detect 'fakes,' like art forgeries, etc.) This is not a 'magical realism' type thing. Everything which happens here is logically-explained within the weird perimeter - or parameters? - the two authors of the book have constructed.
Now, I'll be honest, because around page 50 or so I was ready to give up on this - the entire premise was wobbly and the road the writers were traveling down was worse than Alice's rabbit hole, (or the house which was bigger on the inside than on the out.) But suddenly the story evened itself out and began to make sense in its own peculiar way. It's like my brain had to get 'reset' in order to follow things and that's when...
Miraculously, I fell in love with the book! It's big, bold, bountiful, filled with ideas that stretch the 'little gray cells.' As for the two main characters, both of whom I didn't like at first, I started to love them, too!
(Yeah, love, deal with it.)
So five stars, one of the best books I've read this year so far. (In the top five, at least. Maybe No. 1.)
Five weirdly-wonderful, mind-imploding stars.
A scifi-edge. With political undertones. And a romance, sort of. And spy stuff. And it's also a thriller and a mystery, too. I cannot place this book in any category I've ever read before, except for a book like 'Leaves,' maybe. (And I couldn't finish 'Leaves.') It's heavy, chunky, full of just 'stuff.' Dialogue, description, ideas, science, fun stuff, serious things, and that's how it's written, too. It kind of 'explodes' your head as you read it - or is it implodes?
The story of two intelligence agents, one plucked out of prison, the other just 'plucked,' and sent to figure out/interpret/explain/understand how an American, mid-century diner, fully complete, ended up in a muddy beet field in England. With toys and other bric-a-brac surrounding it. What IS it? Where did it COME FROM? WHAT does it all mean?
Well, there are over 400 pages to follow in which Adam, an impassive brute of a man who has skills that a Liam Neeson type might envy tries to find the answers. Colonel Adam Rubenstein is the bodyguard/handler/companion of Rao - and Rao, of Indian descent, just happens to be a savant. Rao can tell if a person is lying - or not. (He can can also detect 'fakes,' like art forgeries, etc.) This is not a 'magical realism' type thing. Everything which happens here is logically-explained within the weird perimeter - or parameters? - the two authors of the book have constructed.
Now, I'll be honest, because around page 50 or so I was ready to give up on this - the entire premise was wobbly and the road the writers were traveling down was worse than Alice's rabbit hole, (or the house which was bigger on the inside than on the out.) But suddenly the story evened itself out and began to make sense in its own peculiar way. It's like my brain had to get 'reset' in order to follow things and that's when...
Miraculously, I fell in love with the book! It's big, bold, bountiful, filled with ideas that stretch the 'little gray cells.' As for the two main characters, both of whom I didn't like at first, I started to love them, too!
(Yeah, love, deal with it.)
So five stars, one of the best books I've read this year so far. (In the top five, at least. Maybe No. 1.)
Five weirdly-wonderful, mind-imploding stars.
September 10, 2024
I knew this had fanficcy origins, but I was curious what that could possibly be like from acclaimed literary memoirist Helen Macdonald. Answer: not great, Bob! Leaden Inception fic with the serial numbers filed off, this has all the charm of reading a self-serious story for a fandom of which you are not a part. The original world- or character-building is minimal and not terribly compelling. It also raises questions like: why are you making a main character Jewish -- or a person of color -- and then not incorporating that into their character at all? Why is there soooooooooo little sexual tension between these two guys, when imo that's the entire point of an exercise like this? It feels like Blaché and Macdonald skipped selling that they are in love, because fanon says they are in love. But those fanon-in-love guys aren't even these guys! Who are these guys? After almost 500 pages, we just don't know.
October 20, 2023
The one where Rao's superpower gets him pulled, against his will, back into the military and back into a partnership with Adam. It's grimmer than this sounds.
I should have known this wasn't going to be my kind of thing: it has a glossary of military terms in the back.
The plot here has that Marvel-movie scope, where first there's a mystery, and then it's a threat, and then it's the intentional work of a ruthless band of villains, and then it's an effort to Take Over The World!, and then it's cosmic and supernatural ... obviously a lot of people like Marvel movies, but sometimes I just want to watch people solve a problem while growing as human beings, without fielding a challenge to my picture of how the universe works.
My tastes are fannish. I want the plot to be the scaffolding that provides support for the characterization and relationships, not the other way around. Also, if you're going to challenge my world-picture, don't also tell me the brand name of the hero's cologne, thanks.
I clocked the fannish origin of the characters on about page 30, and I was relieved because it made sense of the character of Rao, whom I had been finding a little incoherent. Is he jaded, is he tortured, is he fifteen? -- oh, now I get it.
I should have known this wasn't going to be my kind of thing: it has a glossary of military terms in the back.
The plot here has that Marvel-movie scope, where first there's a mystery, and then it's a threat, and then it's the intentional work of a ruthless band of villains, and then it's an effort to Take Over The World!, and then it's cosmic and supernatural ... obviously a lot of people like Marvel movies, but sometimes I just want to watch people solve a problem while growing as human beings, without fielding a challenge to my picture of how the universe works.
My tastes are fannish. I want the plot to be the scaffolding that provides support for the characterization and relationships, not the other way around. Also, if you're going to challenge my world-picture, don't also tell me the brand name of the hero's cologne, thanks.
I clocked the fannish origin of the characters on about page 30, and I was relieved because it made sense of the character of Rao, whom I had been finding a little incoherent. Is he jaded, is he tortured, is he fifteen? -- oh, now I get it.
August 22, 2023
3.5 stars
hmmmmm. enjoyed the first half of this so much that i thought id rate it higher (the slowburn romance!!!!! 😭😭😭😭) but then the second half was very plot-forward in a way that detracted from the character work that the book had done so well in the first half. i was never in it for the plot--it was the characters that drew me in, and the characters that i think ultimately carried this book. (also i wouldve loved some more time to let the romance properly breathe in the end)
also, i feel like i cant not talk about the elephant in the room here: this book doesnt really address the fact that the US military is...bad? the extent of its critique is "sometimes the US miliary does unethical things" which is far from any kind of acknowledgement of the scope of its damage and corruption. i didnt expect the book to offer extensive critical analysis of the US military or anything, but it also more or less took the military at face value which is something i am just not capable of getting behind.
hmmmmm. enjoyed the first half of this so much that i thought id rate it higher (the slowburn romance!!!!! 😭😭😭😭) but then the second half was very plot-forward in a way that detracted from the character work that the book had done so well in the first half. i was never in it for the plot--it was the characters that drew me in, and the characters that i think ultimately carried this book. (also i wouldve loved some more time to let the romance properly breathe in the end)
also, i feel like i cant not talk about the elephant in the room here: this book doesnt really address the fact that the US military is...bad? the extent of its critique is "sometimes the US miliary does unethical things" which is far from any kind of acknowledgement of the scope of its damage and corruption. i didnt expect the book to offer extensive critical analysis of the US military or anything, but it also more or less took the military at face value which is something i am just not capable of getting behind.
January 15, 2024
So, this is Inception Arthur/Eames fic with the serial numbers filed off, and most of my problems with it boil down to that fact. This was a difficult book to give a star rating, because I did find it a very interesting read, and the plot took a weird and delightfully creepy turn towards the Annihilation-esque, but I don't think it's successful as a standalone novel. It feels like very good fanfiction of a canon I don't know. Like, the book references main characters Adam and Rao's time doing undisclosed missions in Central Asia, and it feels like that was the canon, like that would've been the TV show or movie, and this book is the post-season whatever or post-movie fic about that canon.
The thing is, the plot and the characters all hold up. I didn't feel like I was missing anything there. Adam and Rao are far, far more fleshed out than their obvious influences Arthur and Eames. They make sense as characters, they have motivations and flaws and backstories. The plot is weird at points, but it more or less holds together as long as you don't think too hard about Prophet, and the idea of the substance Prophet, which basically turns nostalgia into a weapon, is creepy and interesting. (Though I will say people seem to be totally underreacting to how weird and inexplicable and reality-bending that shit is.)
As an aside, while I read some Inception fic back in the day, a glance at the 22 fics I bookmarked on Pinboard for it was an exercise in "I have no memory of this place." (In comparison, I can look at SGA fics I bookmarked around the same time and I still have some memories of those fics.) One of my bookmarks said I found most Arthur/Eames fic "tediously generic" lol. So give this book credit where it's due, one thing it is not is "tediously generic" or unmemorable. Adam and Rao have specificity; they fit into fandom archetypes, but they're pretty fully realized characters.
Where the book totally failed for me was in at all selling their relationship, because the book has all the emotional intensity of a fic, with nothing underpinning in it. I was almost utterly unmoved by the relationship, because there might as well have been a void at the center of it. In fic, the void would have been filled by the canon. There is no other canon here. So there's just a central relationship where one of the characters has an "I love him" realization a third of the way in, and my only response was "...?" I simply did not buy the love story here, and had next to no emotional investment in these characters' relationship, because all of that relationship building happened off-page, other than a handful of flashbacks. Which is a pretty big problem, because a couple pivotal points of the plot pretty much hinge on these two being in love with each other. In fact, it becomes clear a little over halfway in that the book is far more concerned with the relationship than it is the plot, and that's all fine and dandy for fic but it doesn't work here because there's not enough there there in the relationship.
In conclusion, follow your bliss Helen MacDonald and Sin Blache, but maybe this should've just stayed an Arthur/Eames fic.
[2024 READING CHALLENGE: SLEEPOVER SHIFT]
The thing is, the plot and the characters all hold up. I didn't feel like I was missing anything there. Adam and Rao are far, far more fleshed out than their obvious influences Arthur and Eames. They make sense as characters, they have motivations and flaws and backstories. The plot is weird at points, but it more or less holds together as long as you don't think too hard about Prophet, and the idea of the substance Prophet, which basically turns nostalgia into a weapon, is creepy and interesting. (Though I will say people seem to be totally underreacting to how weird and inexplicable and reality-bending that shit is.)
As an aside, while I read some Inception fic back in the day, a glance at the 22 fics I bookmarked on Pinboard for it was an exercise in "I have no memory of this place." (In comparison, I can look at SGA fics I bookmarked around the same time and I still have some memories of those fics.) One of my bookmarks said I found most Arthur/Eames fic "tediously generic" lol. So give this book credit where it's due, one thing it is not is "tediously generic" or unmemorable. Adam and Rao have specificity; they fit into fandom archetypes, but they're pretty fully realized characters.
Where the book totally failed for me was in at all selling their relationship, because the book has all the emotional intensity of a fic, with nothing underpinning in it. I was almost utterly unmoved by the relationship, because there might as well have been a void at the center of it. In fic, the void would have been filled by the canon. There is no other canon here. So there's just a central relationship where one of the characters has an "I love him" realization a third of the way in, and my only response was "...?" I simply did not buy the love story here, and had next to no emotional investment in these characters' relationship, because all of that relationship building happened off-page, other than a handful of flashbacks. Which is a pretty big problem, because a couple pivotal points of the plot pretty much hinge on these two being in love with each other. In fact, it becomes clear a little over halfway in that the book is far more concerned with the relationship than it is the plot, and that's all fine and dandy for fic but it doesn't work here because there's not enough there there in the relationship.
In conclusion, follow your bliss Helen MacDonald and Sin Blache, but maybe this should've just stayed an Arthur/Eames fic.
[2024 READING CHALLENGE: SLEEPOVER SHIFT]
August 10, 2023
The idea for this was intriguing and compelling. Rao and Adam were an absolutely fascinating pair and although I tend to avoid military based stories, this one was a good exception. The pacing was a little off for me by the third quarter of the book. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
Read
August 18, 2023Co-created by sci-fi and horror writer Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald, author of the award-winning H is for Hawk, Prophet is a wonderfully strange and compelling blend of science fiction and thriller fiction.
The punch-happy, casually alcoholic, former MI6 agent Sunil Rao and the workaholic American military agent Adam Rubenstein (both queer) have been assigned a peculiar case to solve.
In a remote farmer’s field in Suffolk, an American diner has suddenly materialised. Stepping inside reveals that the place feels fake, like it was cobbled together by vague ideas of what a classic slice of Americana might look like.
Nearby, a soldier from a local airbase seems to have built a bonfire and set himself alight on it. These things are connected.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/best-sci-fi-b...
The punch-happy, casually alcoholic, former MI6 agent Sunil Rao and the workaholic American military agent Adam Rubenstein (both queer) have been assigned a peculiar case to solve.
In a remote farmer’s field in Suffolk, an American diner has suddenly materialised. Stepping inside reveals that the place feels fake, like it was cobbled together by vague ideas of what a classic slice of Americana might look like.
Nearby, a soldier from a local airbase seems to have built a bonfire and set himself alight on it. These things are connected.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/best-sci-fi-b...
September 27, 2023
"A medical student called Johannes Hofer coined a term for it: 'nostalgia.' It was a kind of homesickness. From the Greek 'nostos,' meaning a return to home, and 'algos,' meaning -"
"Pain," Rao says.
★
Despite being described as a thriller, Prophet was an incredibly boring book. When I first came across the premise I was very excited to get my hands on this debut, as Prophet sounded like it was going to be an emotionally charged narrative centered on memory and nostalgia. I should have known this wasn't going to be my cup of tea when I saw it more recently described somewhere as "Barbie meets Oppenheimer"...what??? I think my biggest issue with Prophet was that it is very obvious from how surface level the sci fi elements are and how depthless the plot is that everything is just set dressing for the romance. I felt like the authors definitely cared most about developing the relationship between the two main characters. Which is fine except that, even by the end of the book, Adam and Rao are about as interesting as a sack of potatoes. The authors failed at breathing any sort of life into these men. Rao's personality consists of being effusive + self destructive and calling people "love." He reminded me a bit of those old bisexual stereotypes, which is not a good thing.
Additionally, the narrative structure of Prophet was a huge mess, and the pacing was horrendous. By the time I got to the halfway mark I felt like we had not gotten anywhere in terms of the plot. There were so many portions of this book that could have been condensed or cut and really nothing would have been lost. This is also very nitpicky and specific, but I didn't like the way the dialogue was presented. There would be whole stretches of quotes from character without any breaks or dialogue tags in between so that sometimes we're just reading a whole page of just quotes that's meant to be a back-and-forth conversation between the characters. It all reads very much like amateurish writing.
I really wanted to find any reasons to rate this book higher but I just could not think of a single aspect of Prophet that I enjoyed. If you're looking to read an engaging sci fi this is definitely not it, and I can't even recommend it to people looking for a decent romance.
[Thank you to the publisher for the arc which I received through Netgalley. My review and thoughts on this book are entirely my own.]
March 25, 2023
At the start of this military thriller, set in 2010, a sergeant dies in a mysterious fire on a US base in the UK. Around the base, dozens of objects appear ranging from familiar, nostalgic childhood toys, to a full American style diner in the middle of an empty field. A pair of unique agents are called in to investigate these circumstances: reserved, rule following Colonel Adam Rubenstein, and chaotic Sunil Rao, unranked, pulled from rehab after an overdose attempt. Rao as the ability to spot fakes and forgeries at a glance, and also to tell when anyone is lying. Except Adam. Adam is the only person who confounds Rao's power, and the only one who can manage his unpredictable moods and whims. This unlikely team chase the threads of the mystery back to Colorado, into an experimental government lab, where they find a bizarre substance effecting people's psyches to produce physical objects linked to memory. Everyone seems to react to it in the same way... except Rao and Adam. The book is a little over long, but full of witty dialogue, very original, and the plot intrigue is underpinned by the emotional tension between the two leads, who are pulled together by curiosity, attraction, and increasingly, by real feelings. There were a few missed opportunities that I think could have ramped up the romantic stakes even farther, but still, I loved that a cautious queer romance formed the emotional core of the story.
October 31, 2025
edit: updated to 3 stars. whatever i still wish they had fucked nasty
maybe i’m just being a big meanie but if you’re going to write 2000s-era inception fanfiction and publish it in the year of our lord 2023, at the VERY least they should fuck nasty. But they don’t! They don’t even kiss until the last page of the book!!!! i genuinely just do not see the point. i don’t want to get too nitpicky because we’ll be here Forever, but the plot is so bad it’s not even worth talking about and the way it treats one of the two female characters is HEINOUS. I guess these crimes could be forgiven because it’s Literally Fanfiction if and ONLY if it delivered on the character dynamics (it does) and resolved everything in an interesting or horny manner (it doesn’t). yes, i’m still going to make Anna read this, everyone else just go watch Inception and make it gay in your mind 👍
maybe i’m just being a big meanie but if you’re going to write 2000s-era inception fanfiction and publish it in the year of our lord 2023, at the VERY least they should fuck nasty. But they don’t! They don’t even kiss until the last page of the book!!!! i genuinely just do not see the point. i don’t want to get too nitpicky because we’ll be here Forever, but the plot is so bad it’s not even worth talking about and the way it treats one of the two female characters is HEINOUS. I guess these crimes could be forgiven because it’s Literally Fanfiction if and ONLY if it delivered on the character dynamics (it does) and resolved everything in an interesting or horny manner (it doesn’t). yes, i’m still going to make Anna read this, everyone else just go watch Inception and make it gay in your mind 👍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2023
Rec. by: MCL
Rec. for: Nostalgia buffs and people who still want to believe
Aided by my local library's rather exciting spate of recent acquisitions, and a simultaneous urge to read a little more adventurously, I picked up Prophet despite both of its authors being new to me.
This turned out to be an excellent decision. Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald's novel Prophet grabbed me immediately with a mystery: the sudden appearance of an American diner (or something almost exactly like a real diner, anyway) in the middle of an English beet farmer's field near an American-run airbase.
Mystery alone is not enough, though. A huge part of the fun in Prophet is down to the dynamic between its central characters, a pair of investigators whose repartee reminded me a lot of the banter (and the will-they-or-won't-they sexual tension) between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in the early years of The X-Files.
We have Sunil Rao, a Brit whose libertine ways and relaxed attitude towards authority—he does not rebel so much as, catlike, ignore requirements—would land him in prison were it not for his unique ability to distinguish lies and falsehood. (In point of fact, the very first page of Prophet has Rao being "escorted from prison" because of a need for his talent.) Rao knows the "diner" that showed up next to RAF Polheath, along with a number of other anomalies, are all just... wrong, somehow, even if he can't tell how just yet.
And we have Adam Rubenstein, an American agent who's so tightly-wound and buttoned-down, so incredibly deadpan, that even Rao can't read him. They've been partners before, in Afghanistan, where they went through some shit together. But still, their relationship is strictly professional. Rao repeatedly tries to get a rise out of Rubenstein, and Adam repeatedly refuses to react. Their verbal exchanges are perfectly done—to the point that we, as readers, soon become more aware of the real and deep affection between them than even Rao and Rubenstein seem to be.
Another thing we see from the very first page is that this book is rife with milspec acronyms, a blend of British and U.S. tactical jargon for which I would've appreciated a Glossary while reading. (There is in fact just such a Glossary, but it's tucked away at the end of the book, and I didn't notice it until afterward. Don't you make the same mistake!)
Although Prophet seems very much like science fiction, especially to begin with, it quickly becomes obvious that this is more of a spine-tingler—almost but not quite a horror novel. Like Caitlin Starling's Last to Leave the Room, which I recently read, this novel plays with the structure of reality, layering surreal events one atop another until it becomes clear that we are dealing with an intrusion into our reality, an outbreak of the unexplainable—and Sunil (don't call him that!) and Adam are perhaps the only people who can push back effectively against that invasion.
Blaché and Macdonald make good collaborators, too, by the way. They write with a single voice, and I was pulled in—and kept in—by their seamless, propulsive prose.
Macdonald's publishing history (the memoir H Is for Hawk, in particular) also connects with my recent reading of Fonda Lee's novella Untethered Sky, by the way—although there's no hawking or falconry in Prophet.
I had a really hard time putting Prophet down, even briefly, while I was reading it—and that doesn't happen for me often these days. As far as I'm concerned, Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald's first collaborative effort was an absolutely rousing success.
Rec. for: Nostalgia buffs and people who still want to believe
Aided by my local library's rather exciting spate of recent acquisitions, and a simultaneous urge to read a little more adventurously, I picked up Prophet despite both of its authors being new to me.
This turned out to be an excellent decision. Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald's novel Prophet grabbed me immediately with a mystery: the sudden appearance of an American diner (or something almost exactly like a real diner, anyway) in the middle of an English beet farmer's field near an American-run airbase.
Mystery alone is not enough, though. A huge part of the fun in Prophet is down to the dynamic between its central characters, a pair of investigators whose repartee reminded me a lot of the banter (and the will-they-or-won't-they sexual tension) between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in the early years of The X-Files.
We have Sunil Rao, a Brit whose libertine ways and relaxed attitude towards authority—he does not rebel so much as, catlike, ignore requirements—would land him in prison were it not for his unique ability to distinguish lies and falsehood. (In point of fact, the very first page of Prophet has Rao being "escorted from prison" because of a need for his talent.) Rao knows the "diner" that showed up next to RAF Polheath, along with a number of other anomalies, are all just... wrong, somehow, even if he can't tell how just yet.
And we have Adam Rubenstein, an American agent who's so tightly-wound and buttoned-down, so incredibly deadpan, that even Rao can't read him. They've been partners before, in Afghanistan, where they went through some shit together. But still, their relationship is strictly professional. Rao repeatedly tries to get a rise out of Rubenstein, and Adam repeatedly refuses to react. Their verbal exchanges are perfectly done—to the point that we, as readers, soon become more aware of the real and deep affection between them than even Rao and Rubenstein seem to be.
Another thing we see from the very first page is that this book is rife with milspec acronyms, a blend of British and U.S. tactical jargon for which I would've appreciated a Glossary while reading. (There is in fact just such a Glossary, but it's tucked away at the end of the book, and I didn't notice it until afterward. Don't you make the same mistake!)
Although Prophet seems very much like science fiction, especially to begin with, it quickly becomes obvious that this is more of a spine-tingler—almost but not quite a horror novel. Like Caitlin Starling's Last to Leave the Room, which I recently read, this novel plays with the structure of reality, layering surreal events one atop another until it becomes clear that we are dealing with an intrusion into our reality, an outbreak of the unexplainable—and Sunil (don't call him that!) and Adam are perhaps the only people who can push back effectively against that invasion.
Blaché and Macdonald make good collaborators, too, by the way. They write with a single voice, and I was pulled in—and kept in—by their seamless, propulsive prose.
Macdonald's publishing history (the memoir H Is for Hawk, in particular) also connects with my recent reading of Fonda Lee's novella Untethered Sky, by the way—although there's no hawking or falconry in Prophet.
I had a really hard time putting Prophet down, even briefly, while I was reading it—and that doesn't happen for me often these days. As far as I'm concerned, Sin Blaché and Helen Macdonald's first collaborative effort was an absolutely rousing success.
May 11, 2024
“the whole memory is blue, like he can only see it through a thin film of grease. like he’s looking at it from far away or underwater. it feels hazy even though he can hear every single one of his fathers words to him clear as a bell in his head, he’ll always hear them”
“what would it be like to be so unconcerned by the words that leave your mouth, to not wonder if they were the right ones or if they should have been spoken at all”
“he’s tired, but this isn’t exhaustion. he feels old, like his bones are dust, but at the same time so new and terrible it’s like he’s been skinned, flayed and rolled in salt. every step is effort, wading upstream through a winter flood. he has no sense of time now”
“grief looks different on different people”
“loss makes us who we are”
“what would it be like to be so unconcerned by the words that leave your mouth, to not wonder if they were the right ones or if they should have been spoken at all”
“he’s tired, but this isn’t exhaustion. he feels old, like his bones are dust, but at the same time so new and terrible it’s like he’s been skinned, flayed and rolled in salt. every step is effort, wading upstream through a winter flood. he has no sense of time now”
“grief looks different on different people”
“loss makes us who we are”
June 24, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5 / 5
I flew through this book in a day, I just couldn't put it down.
📖 This is a Noir, Sci-Fi thriller following Sunil and Adam as they investigate strange occurrences surrounding Prophet. Prophet is a mysterious substance that manifests cherished memories, seemingly harmless at first, but ultimately used to harm individuals by overwhelming them with their own joy.
✨ Review ✨
I just absolutely adored this it was like X-Files meets Fringe meets Alias, and for me it just had the perfect nostalgic feeling having grown up with these shows. And then the fact that this explores the idea of weaponised nostalgia added such an interesting layer. It highlights the dangers of dwelling on the past and shows how fond memories can be used as a destructive force.
It questions the power of memory and the allure of the past and how it can be used against individuals or to distort reality. Not just on a personal level but also how corporate greed and governments can take our nostalgia and so easily manipulate it and almost reshape our own reality.
We see this so often with the way people romanticise certain periods in time, the whole make Britain/America great again is a good example of this because they have never been great. These are countries where the further back in time you go the more racist, misogynistic, homophobic and ableist these countries get.
This is a slow paced character driven book and I loved Sunil and Adam. They were such fun and interesting characters to sit with and I loved the slow burn romance between the two. I loved there complex dynamic, they really are the definition of opposites attract. The tension and banter between the two is great but they also had some sweet tender moments. I love them.
I loved this story, I will say though this is a story with multiple storylines. This isn't something I mind but I do wish it had been clearer because it took a second to realise but I very quickly got a grip on it and devoured this book.
I flew through this book in a day, I just couldn't put it down.
📖 This is a Noir, Sci-Fi thriller following Sunil and Adam as they investigate strange occurrences surrounding Prophet. Prophet is a mysterious substance that manifests cherished memories, seemingly harmless at first, but ultimately used to harm individuals by overwhelming them with their own joy.
✨ Review ✨
I just absolutely adored this it was like X-Files meets Fringe meets Alias, and for me it just had the perfect nostalgic feeling having grown up with these shows. And then the fact that this explores the idea of weaponised nostalgia added such an interesting layer. It highlights the dangers of dwelling on the past and shows how fond memories can be used as a destructive force.
It questions the power of memory and the allure of the past and how it can be used against individuals or to distort reality. Not just on a personal level but also how corporate greed and governments can take our nostalgia and so easily manipulate it and almost reshape our own reality.
We see this so often with the way people romanticise certain periods in time, the whole make Britain/America great again is a good example of this because they have never been great. These are countries where the further back in time you go the more racist, misogynistic, homophobic and ableist these countries get.
This is a slow paced character driven book and I loved Sunil and Adam. They were such fun and interesting characters to sit with and I loved the slow burn romance between the two. I loved there complex dynamic, they really are the definition of opposites attract. The tension and banter between the two is great but they also had some sweet tender moments. I love them.
I loved this story, I will say though this is a story with multiple storylines. This isn't something I mind but I do wish it had been clearer because it took a second to realise but I very quickly got a grip on it and devoured this book.
October 24, 2024
this book ate
was it an objective five star read? i doubt it
do i care? no! it was perfect for me. i indulged. this book was made for me specifically. i love whack crime and i love partner dynamics in crime novels and i love queer romance in them. weird shit happened all the time. i was vibing
was it an objective five star read? i doubt it
do i care? no! it was perfect for me. i indulged. this book was made for me specifically. i love whack crime and i love partner dynamics in crime novels and i love queer romance in them. weird shit happened all the time. i was vibing
November 9, 2023
Totally enjoyed the characters and the plot about them. The story points around prophet were a bit too complicated for me just now. HIghly recommend if the sysnopsis interests you at all.
Read
September 24, 2023Я чекала цієї книжки, бо в Гелен Макдональд є як мінімум один блискучий текст - мемуар "H is for Hawk" (мій відгук тут), а анотація в цієї книжки вогонь вогняний. Зав'язка теж чудова: уявімо, що в світі з'являється сполука, яка пробуджує в людях ностальгію. Уявіть, яка це знахідка для політиків і корпорацій у нашу епоху популістів, які апелюють до міфологізованого минулого з гаслами "make [insert country name] great again" - і плекають різні ксенофобії через образ внутрішнього ворога, що загрожує тій картинці минулого, якого й не існувало ніколи, бо насправді все було складніше. Природно, що з цією ностальгією як зброєю боротимуться ті, кому місця в ідилічній картинці не знайшлося б. So far, so good. На жаль, "Пророк" - це книжка, яку від читабельності і зв'язності відділяє щонайменше кілька місяців грунтовної структурної редактури (якої не відбулося).
World-building, such as it is, вичерпно підсумовує цей діалог:
"I think the substance in that vial got into people and made them create the objects.”
“Create them?”
“Yeah, I know. The physics makes no sense at all. But it fits. [...] Like I said, it makes no sense. Bear with me."
Я перечитала багато фентезі і сай-фаю і готова wave a lot of disbelief for the sake of a good metaphor, але воно буквально мейкс ноу сенс. При цьому сюжет повільний, як просування льодовика, тобто те, що авторки навіть не намагалися продумати якусь логіку, не замаскувати під феєрверками і спецефектами. Події нагромаджуються, але не зводяться в якусь структуру, не нагнітають напругу, не створюють саспенсу. Є один хороший момент evocative body horror, але цього недостатньо, щоб назватися триллером (якщо ви таки читатимете і дійдете до моменту з собачкою, то це він, краще вже не стане, можна кидати).
Все це гіпотетично могла би вивезти романтична лінія - припустімо, що сай-файний сюжет суто декоративний - але любовної лінії теж нема, ми всю дорогу спостерігаємо, як ці герої катастрофічно погано впливають один на одного, а потім на останніх 5% нам без жодних пояснень декларують, що це не катастрофа, а любов усього життя. Тримається це все на тропах soul-bonding фіків з ао3 і пафосних порівняннях штибу "[Головний герой] Expressive like that night with the vodka and missed chances. Expressive like half light in motel rooms after mental breakdowns" чи там "The only thing they both know for sure is that he’s a black hole. A cigarette burn in the fabric of Rao’s tapestry of truth." (Десь у відгуках було припущення, що це виглядає як Артур/Імз - не певна, мене Inception обійшов боком, але, між іншим, припущення виглядає переконливо, тож взагалі я книжку не рекомендую, але якщо конкретно це ваша чашка чаю, то можна і спробувати.)
З хорошого: там уб'ють персонажа, списаного з Ілона Маска. Це єдиний момент, коли я вголос сказала єссссс.
(Але як же нам пощастило, що в нас бодай гасла "make Ukraine great again" не проходять - попри війну, всі інші епохи в нас суттєво гірші, тож хоч-не-хоч, а мусимо бути націлені на майбутнє. Це ваше нагадування кудись задонатити на світле майбутнє, між іншим, якщо сьогодні ще не донатили.)
World-building, such as it is, вичерпно підсумовує цей діалог:
"I think the substance in that vial got into people and made them create the objects.”
“Create them?”
“Yeah, I know. The physics makes no sense at all. But it fits. [...] Like I said, it makes no sense. Bear with me."
Я перечитала багато фентезі і сай-фаю і готова wave a lot of disbelief for the sake of a good metaphor, але воно буквально мейкс ноу сенс. При цьому сюжет повільний, як просування льодовика, тобто те, що авторки навіть не намагалися продумати якусь логіку, не замаскувати під феєрверками і спецефектами. Події нагромаджуються, але не зводяться в якусь структуру, не нагнітають напругу, не створюють саспенсу. Є один хороший момент evocative body horror, але цього недостатньо, щоб назватися триллером (якщо ви таки читатимете і дійдете до моменту з собачкою, то це він, краще вже не стане, можна кидати).
Все це гіпотетично могла би вивезти романтична лінія - припустімо, що сай-файний сюжет суто декоративний - але любовної лінії теж нема, ми всю дорогу спостерігаємо, як ці герої катастрофічно погано впливають один на одного, а потім на останніх 5% нам без жодних пояснень декларують, що це не катастрофа, а любов усього життя. Тримається це все на тропах soul-bonding фіків з ао3 і пафосних порівняннях штибу "[Головний герой] Expressive like that night with the vodka and missed chances. Expressive like half light in motel rooms after mental breakdowns" чи там "The only thing they both know for sure is that he’s a black hole. A cigarette burn in the fabric of Rao’s tapestry of truth." (Десь у відгуках було припущення, що це виглядає як Артур/Імз - не певна, мене Inception обійшов боком, але, між іншим, припущення виглядає переконливо, тож взагалі я книжку не рекомендую, але якщо конкретно це ваша чашка чаю, то можна і спробувати.)
З хорошого: там уб'ють персонажа, списаного з Ілона Маска. Це єдиний момент, коли я вголос сказала єссссс.
(Але як же нам пощастило, що в нас бодай гасла "make Ukraine great again" не проходять - попри війну, всі інші епохи в нас суттєво гірші, тож хоч-не-хоч, а мусимо бути націлені на майбутнє. Це ваше нагадування кудись задонатити на світле майбутнє, між іншим, якщо сьогодні ще не донатили.)
May 21, 2025
Girl who's only ever read Natasha Pulley: I'm getting some real Natasha Pulley vibes from this.
Listen. I am willing to forgive any myriad of sins in a book if it's giving me a certain type of dynamic between two characters. It doesn't even have to be the same dynamic. It just needs to compel me.
And, boy howdy, are Adam and Rao compelling.
I loved every second of reading this! Always here for nonlinear storytelling and swapping POVs. Super character-focused, fast-paced, occasionally gets stuck in its boring exposition but who cares? Not me!
Chewing on these guys forever in my brain now, probably.
Listen. I am willing to forgive any myriad of sins in a book if it's giving me a certain type of dynamic between two characters. It doesn't even have to be the same dynamic. It just needs to compel me.
And, boy howdy, are Adam and Rao compelling.
I loved every second of reading this! Always here for nonlinear storytelling and swapping POVs. Super character-focused, fast-paced, occasionally gets stuck in its boring exposition but who cares? Not me!
Chewing on these guys forever in my brain now, probably.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 789 reviews