Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook to review.

This was such a wild ride. This book is phenomenal. The slow burn is real, so if you’re interested in a much speedier romance I would look elsewhere; but the wait is so worth it. The characters are the star of the show here. The plot is great and Prophet as a plot-driver was beautifully unsettling, but the characters…fantastic.

I was interested in this book the instant I saw the cover, and I’m very pleased to say that the contents lived up to the intrigue. If you like the game Disco Elysium, this is the book for you. It’s surreal, feels a bit dreamy in some areas, but the characters are well-grounded and will reel you back in when you begin to feel like the plot is getting a little too weird. (I reached out to the authors on Twitter and as it turns out, Sin Blaché has played and loves Disco Elysium LOL.)

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators were fantastic. It actually took me a few chapters to realize the narrators were different people switching from POVs, because the voices they used for the characters sounded so similar. So it wasn’t jarring in the least. The plot was great, but there were a few parts that seemed a bit too convenient (or that made me want to shake the character’s shoulders to demand what the hell they were thinking). Overall, this was an extremely solid read and I think I’ll be buying a physical copy.

As much as I tried, I could not get into this audiobook. I am wondering if I would have engaged more with the physical book...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly it was just pretty boring for me. It had a really interesting concept, but it dragged on for way too long. So much of the Rao/Adam banter was back and forth and very repetitive. I finished feeling confused but glad to be done.

***This review, expressing my honest opinion, is voluntary, and I extend my gratitude to RB Media, Recorded Books and NetGalley for providing the Audio ARC of "Prophet".***

Regrettably, the novel in question falls far short. Marketed as a science fiction thriller spy novel, it ultimately delivers a forgettable narrative with uninspiring characters. Despite promises of gripping thrills, the plot failed to enthrall me, and the characters lacked depth. The excessive and gratuitous profanity, especially from the main character Rao, diminished the overall enjoyment.

Rao, an ex-MI6 agent enlisted by the American government to investigate mysterious events, is introduced in the novel. By the 100th page, the plot loses its direction, and the partnership between Rao and his companion, Adam, devolves into tedious banter. Flashbacks attempt to provide background but come off as clichéd, and the slow-burn romance adds little excitement.

While the concept of using nostalgia as a weapon had potential, the execution fell short. Unnecessary details in certain chapters contributed to the book's bloated length. The rampant profanity, with hundreds of instances of the word 'fuck,' further detracted from my enjoyment.

Despite an intriguing premise, the pacing was sluggish, causing my interest to wane rapidly. I opted to stop listening at 10%, as the story failed to engage me.

Lastly, the narrator was like listing to nails on a chalkboard. They picked the wrong narrator. Such a disappointment overall. DNF.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I enjoyed this but didn't connect with it as much as I would have liked. It took me a bit to even get into it and then kept getting lost, it was a little too drawn out at times. Still very interesting and I would read it again some time. The narrators did a good job.

I’m not sure if this book was just over my head or if the writing just wasn’t able to connect the dots of the plot. It felt like it got lost and off track in the middle and then remembered what was going on at the very end.

Wow, this was an incredible disappointment! I was very eagerly awaiting this title but the pacing is too slow. There is way too much backstory that I just didn't care about. The characters felt too one-dimensional and it was a slog to read. I'm bummed.

Neil Gaiman said it was fabulous. I don't usually read science fiction, fantasy, or romance. I couldn't resist that book blurb. Plus, I am a well-known sucker for audiobooks with (1) multiple narrators; and (2) narrators with British accents. Prophet features both.

I enjoyed the book, but some aspects definitely more than others. The romance was heartbreakingly beautiful-- I teared up a little at the end. Boy, did it take a while to get to the end, though. I wasn't sure what purposes all of the sections served, like the conversations between Rhodes and De Witte, for example. It's a large book and it felt large. I stuck it all out, and suddenly arrived at an ending that left me with unanswered questions. It's like, you've got all of this world-building going on, then, whoomph, all of a sudden, the book is over. I didn't really care, because it was an epic ending. I'm a sucker for those, too.

Some aspects of the book I would give two stars, but others I would give five. Prophet made me think about nostalgia and hyperspace. It reminded me of the movie The Watcher in the Woods. The average of it is 3.5. I more "liked" it than "really liked" it, hence my ultimate rating. That said, I would appreciate the opportunity to read more from this author collaboration-- just not a direct sequel. I could handle another book in the same world or even a prequel. When you have an ending like Prophet's, you need to leave it alone. Touching it would ruin the magic. I would like to thank RB Media for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook.

I had access to the audiobook version of this novel thanks to NetGalley. I feel like I probably would’ve enjoyed this more in its written format though so I might reread it later down the line and see how I feel then.

The premise sounded really unique and that’s what suckered me into this book. I think the story lived up to my expectations I just found it a bit hard to follow some parts of the action through the audiobook.

The main thing that put me off about this book wasn’t the book itself, it was actually the way it was narrated within the audiobook. I felt at times it was quite robotic so hard to relate to the character and the voice actor for Rao just bothered me. I feel like it probably works a lot better written out but he just sounded so stereotypically British in a way you’d expect a different country to portray us?

Anyway, the story itself I did enjoy I just feel like there were aspects of it I would’ve got better written out. I was happy with the ending and while it’s definitely not the main plot, there is a VERY slow burn romance within the book too which was interesting. A lot of the books I tend to read don’t have that so it was a change!

“Prophet” by Helen MacDonald and Sin Blaché is an interesting read. It defies genres by incorporating aspects of science fiction, romance, action, and a bit of mystery into the story.

I felt fully engrossed through the first half of the book before it started to feel slightly cumbersome, to me, at times in the second half. All in all, I would recommend this book because it has the power to grip the reader.

Thank you NetGalley, Helen MacDonald, Sin Blaché, and Grove Press for this ALC.

Special thanks to RB Media, Recorded Books and NetGalley for the audio version of this book.

This book is so strange. I loved it in audio, especially the character Sunil Rao. I think listening in audio is best for this book bc Rao is extremely funny and I think it would come across better to here his voice.

Rao is ex-MI6 in jail, and pulled out of jail for his skills, mostly the one where he is a human lie detector. His partner Adam is an American Intelligence officer and hid dry humor bounces quite nicely off of Rao's accent.

Prophet is what secret labs in the government are calling this metallic colored substance that when it's injected or even sinks into the skin has the ability to use a person's fondest memories as a weapon against them. So to explain better if your fondest memory was your Teddy bear, Prophet makes the person somehow materialize it into the world but it's not quite the same as their own Teddy bear and they wind up very different people. Some kill themselves, some are not satisfied so they do the weirdest things. Also it doesn't work on Rao exactly or Adam for that matter but this duo are in it for the long haul. Also they seem to have a love/hate relationship with a heavy emphasis on the love.

I really enjoyed listening to it and I loved the two characters above.

It took a little bit to get into but I love this x-file-esque mood of Prophet. The dialogue between characters were well developed and I appreciated the speculative nature of this book. Our committee members are definitely reading this book to see if we can push it to recommendation list c:

The deadliest weapon - something is taking people's happiest memories and having them materialise in reality only to cause death and destruction. This is a stunning sci-fi thriller premise, fuelled with two fascinating protagonists - a former MI6 ageni Suni Mao and military agent Adam, both representatives of LGBTQIA with killer chemistry, yet the story does slow in the middle. The duo tracks the mystery, but somehow are the only ones who can resist its power. Despite the slower pace midway, this book is well narrated with lots of witty dialogue and an original plot, along with the dynamic relationship between Adam and Rao. #prophet #helenmacdonald #sinblachè #netgalley

Prophet is a very creative look at the power of truth as it connects the mind to the real world. A no-nonsense, military-grade, strong silent type detective is paired with his apparent foil -- a hard-partying man with an innate ability to determine if statements are true or not. They need to investigate the sudden mysterious appearance of numerous nostalgic objects -- including a diner! -- and disappearances of several people.

Their evolving partnership and investigation takes many twists and turns, from mysterious past and compounds with evolving effects on people and murky research purposes.

This is a very entertaining and engaging novel, though there was also definitely some repetition in some of the stages - but excellent mix of characters and situations.

A pesar de no conocer previamente ni a Sin Blaché ni a Helen Macdonald, al leer la sinopsis de Prophet sentí un gran interés. Utilizar como arma la nostalgia, ese sentimiento definido en el siglo XVII, me parecía una poderosísimo punto de inicio para una novela de ciencia ficción. Aunque desde el principio la novela toma derroteros más de thriller que especulativos, no por ello pierde interés la parte más creativa de la obra.


Sunil Rao es un detector de mentiras humano, pero con tal capacidad que es capaz de saber si cualquier frase es real o no, independientemente de lo que piense quien lo pronuncie, de si la frase se refiere al presente o al pasado. Incluso puede saber si un objeto es real o una copia. Pero hay un punto ciego en su radar, el coronel Adam Rubenstein, su compañero y “cuidador”. Cuando en una remota zona del Reino Unido comienza a aparecer de la nada objetos de mayor o menor complejidad, asociados normalmente al pasado de la gente que ha pasado por allí, los envían a la zona a investigar. Todo se vuelve más truculento cuando se descubre que estos objetos normalmente acaban acarreando la muerte de su “creador”.

A les autores de la obra no les duelen prendas a la hora de mostrar de forma muy descarnada cómo la investigación de Prophet, la sustancia que provoca estas alteraciones, pasa por encima de todas las cortapisas morales y éticas que podamos tener para sacar un provecho armamentístico. La intervención de distintas agencias gubernamentales estadounidenses no hace si no reafirmarnos en la convicción de que está dirigidas por psicópatas incapaces de la más mínima empatía.

La pareja protagonista tiene una química muy especial y creo que esto es lo que mantiene y da coherencia al libro, porque las dos premisas de las que parte (la capacidad de Rao y la existencia de Prophet) resultan demasiado descabelladas para llevar el peso de toda la obra. Y el worldbuilding así como las explicaciones coherentes al respecto, lo cierto es que flojean.

Los saltos temporales hacia el pasado para ir contando la infancia de los protagonistas descolocan un poco al principio, ya que suceden sin avisar, pero luego ya te acostumbras a ellos. Es posible que estoy sea por la reproducción del audiolibro, mientras que en forma físico o ebook se puede distinguir con más facilidad la diferencia entre párrafos.

No he encontrado al narrador del audiolibro, porque en la portada solo pone narrado por TBO y no sé lo que quiere decir. Lo que sí he notado son algunos fallos en la producción del propio audiolibro, como si al corregir algunos pasajes o frases dentro de la locución no se hubieran grabado en las mismas condiciones que el resto del libro, resultando en un momento de extrañeza mientras se pronuncian esta palabras.

A futuristic sci-fi thriller. Rao is an ex-MI6 agent, pulled out of prison to help with a special investigation. An American diner has appeared out of nowhere in a UK field, it is not the first item like this. No one knows where they came from or how they came to be here, but all have turned up near a US army base. Rao is tasked with helping solve the mystery and is placed under the observation of his ex army colleague Adam.

Rao is somehow able to tell the difference between what is true and what is not true. He doesn’t know how he knows, but this skillset makes him invaluable to all government agencies. Working together Rao and Adam must get to the heart of what is causing these strange items to appear and how.

*SPOILERS*

They soon discover there is private testing going on of drug called prophet, which causes the subject to think a nostalgic item of matter into being. 

I felt like this was a really interesting premise, but a little disjointed in places. This could be because it’s quite a complex idea based in ‘physics’ and the characters themselves aren’t quite sure what’s going on, so it gets very confusing when the drugs become involved. I felt like a little more explanation between them being tailed and going to the lab could have happened, or at least some further explanation at the lab. It felt like it was assumed the reader knew certain things which we didn’t. I did appreciate the touches on string theory and things of that ilk though.

I thought the complex relationship between Rao and Adam was really well written and enjoyed the jump in timelines with both characters backstories, also that it was easy to assume that one characters backstory was in fact the others which added a nice twist. It gave the characters a lot more depth.

Most of the action happened in the last 15% of the book which was excellent, but I would have like a little more of the ‘weird stuff’ throughout. This book really has so much potential to be amazing. I felt like there was a flavour of Adrian Tchaikovsky in there at times, who I love.

Great narration, but unfortunately there were a lot of strange and obvious edits to the audio, which broke the flow of the book and made it hard to become immersed. It was clear that the recordings were with different equipment and/or different rooms and did not run together smoothly (It seems to resolve itself after the first 30%?) This has resulted in me deducting 1 star from my rating as it impacted my enjoyment. I would suggest reviewing the first third of the recordings for inconsistencies.

I loved about 80% of Prophet. It’s a slightly creepy sci-fi thriller with a slow-burn romance between the two leads. The end kind of went off the rails for me, but I liked Rao and Adam enough for it not to matter. Wonder if they could get a sequel?

Prophet is set circa 2010, in more or less our world, but a sergeant has died in a mysterious fire on a US base in the UK. Around the base, dozens of objects appeared ranging from familiar, nostalgic childhood toys, to a full American-style diner in the middle of an empty field. Enter Adam, a surly American military officer, and Rao, a sort of ex-MI6 spy pulled out of rehab who can tell what’s true, whether it be if something’s real and not a forgery or if a statement is true – a power that conveniently doesn’t work where Adam’s concerned. It’s up to them to figure out what’s going on. Oh, and neither of them is affected by Prophet in the same as 99% of the rest of the population – surprise.

Rao and Adam have a history, as becomes apparent as the book progresses. Under the sarcasm and insults, they clearly care about each other. They do, both in their own ways, go over the line to downright mean, which I’m not a giant fan of, but does fit their personalities and backstories.

The plot is interesting, even if I wasn’t a huge fan of how part of it was resolved. The book, in a lot of ways, was more about Rao and Adam’s relationship than the potentially apocalyptic Prophet.

I listened to the audio and while I don’t usually like multiple narrators, it worked well here. I was able to keep track of whose viewpoint we were seeing things from. The narrators did a great job at pulling out the characters’ personalities, too.

This book is like being trapped in a nightmare with your bestfriend.

This genre-defying story takes cues from sci-fi, horror and thriller to create a truly unique reading experience. What elevates this story is depth and dichotomy of the characters. Rao has a unique gift of being able to tell when something is true or real, however when he is recruited by the British military, he copes with sarcasm, drugs and alcohol. Rao is paired with Adam, a straight-laced, Jason Bourne-type US Intelligence officer and the two are tasked with figuring out what is causing mysterious items to appear out of thin air, which are then connected to equally mysterious deaths.

The book jacket description of the two characters set up expectations of the story to be plot focused, but unlike other sci-fi/action books, the action takes a backseat to the relationship between our two main characters. There are some great action scenes, but we spend a lot of time seeing how it affects them individually and as partners. At times this causes the pacing to slow, so set expectations to more around vibes and atmosphere, which is where the story thrives.

If you are an avid audiobook listener, I highly recommend listening to this story. Jake Fairbrother and Ryan Forde Iosco voice our main characters and do such an amazing job with accents, emotion and pacing. I immediately felt like I was sitting in the motel room with them, drinking a beer as they discussed the most nightmare inducing responses to Prophet.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this advanced listener copy.

This book is best read while hugging your favourite childhood stuffed animal, but not too tight, because you don't want it to bleed all over you.

Prophet
Helen Macdonald, Sin Blache
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. My reviews are my unbiased opinion.
A diner suddenly appears in a field in Britan. The diner appears to be warm and welcoming, but something isn’t quite right. There are no toilets, no water, no power. There is a juke box and it plays Sinatra. Other objects a begin to appear, animals, board games, stuffed animals, toys and other precious reminders of long ago.
A short time later comes death. Something is using people’s happiest memory to kill them. But why and who?
Sunil Rao is asked to investigate; he is hectic and erratic. Colonel Adam Rubenstein is the definition of military; he is assigned to work with Rao. They make unusual partners. Rao has a distinctive skill; he can recognize fact from fiction. He will know if you are lying. He can tell if an object is fake. Sunil and Adam have worked together previously.
What I liked:
The relationship between Adam and Sunil. They worked well together.
The premise of using someone memory of their happiest moment to destroy them. It is unique.
What I didn’t like:
References to X-Files, Sculley and Mulder. X-Files was a great show most of the time. There were a few bad episodes, but it was usually good. I loved Sculley and Mulder; they were well fleshed out.
The language. Why was there so much foul language when it wasn’t necessary.
The past relationship between Sunil and Adam was aluded too but not really defined.
The plot had great possibilities, but it just doesn’t make it.

Prophet follows two investigators, one of whom has the supernatural ability to tell if a statement is undeniably true or not. Adam and Rao are tasked with investigating a series of mysterious appearances of objects that aren't quite right. Before they know it, they are up against an oligarchy of billionaires seeking to control an unknown substance that preys on people's nostalgia until they are comatose. It's a slow-burn queer romance amid a science fiction thriller.

The anchor of this story is the relationship between Adam and Rao. They are loners, having each grown up in difficult circumstances, though we see far less of Rao's childhood than Adam's, making Adam the more fleshed-out character. And yet their bond is unflappable. Their slow burn doesn't feel like a will-they-won't-they question. It's one of Rao's undeniable truths. It just is. That is the book's greatest achievement.

The sci-fi elements are strongest in the beginning when mystery still shrouds their peculiar qualities. Once more is known, they veer into kitsch. This could've been avoided with more focus on the nature of nostalgia and how it can be tied less to an object than a time. However, the sci-fi element, the substance, creates objects, making that tie very black-and-white.

In general, Prophet is a very enjoyable read and though my hunger for it waned towards the end, I gobbled up the finale all the same. I had to know what happened to Adam and Rao, after all.