A review by ladymacbeth_1985
Prophet by Sin Blaché, Helen Macdonald
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
A sci-fi mystery with X-Files vibes and a queer romance, Prophet raises interesting questions about nostalgia.
This book is so hard to review because there are some things about it that are superb, but they are surrounded by distanced prose and a somewhat meandering plotline.
The aspect that really kept me reading was the romance subplot. This part of the novel is excellent in that it really keeps you on your toes. I loved the dynamic between the characters, the history they had together, the way the novel throws red herrings at you near the start regarding their love lives, and the passages of longing and care. I also liked the juxtaposition that these tough-as-nails military dudes are afraid to take risks in this aspect of their lives. I also love a chaotic + lawful / sunshine + grumpy dynamic. I shipped them so hard.
The concept behind the novel is also really interesting. Along with the kind of classic X-Files feel of the mystery, it also seems to be raising a point about how clinging to nostalgia can be harmful. Yet, while Prophet has a very strong start, it starts to peter off in the middle and then ends in a way I didn’t find satisfying.
The prose also didn’t really work for me. It kept me at a distance, and I often found there were long stretches that didn’t really say or do anything and then a few pages that went by too fast. The prose might work for some readers, but it just didn’t mesh with me.
Yet, it was an interesting and complex sci-fi with a very robust love story. People who like slower sci-fi thrillers, like Crighton’s Sphere, might enjoy this.
A sci-fi mystery with X-Files vibes and a queer romance, Prophet raises interesting questions about nostalgia.
This book is so hard to review because there are some things about it that are superb, but they are surrounded by distanced prose and a somewhat meandering plotline.
The aspect that really kept me reading was the romance subplot. This part of the novel is excellent in that it really keeps you on your toes. I loved the dynamic between the characters, the history they had together, the way the novel throws red herrings at you near the start regarding their love lives, and the passages of longing and care. I also liked the juxtaposition that these tough-as-nails military dudes are afraid to take risks in this aspect of their lives. I also love a chaotic + lawful / sunshine + grumpy dynamic. I shipped them so hard.
The concept behind the novel is also really interesting. Along with the kind of classic X-Files feel of the mystery, it also seems to be raising a point about how clinging to nostalgia can be harmful. Yet, while Prophet has a very strong start, it starts to peter off in the middle and then ends in a way I didn’t find satisfying.
The prose also didn’t really work for me. It kept me at a distance, and I often found there were long stretches that didn’t really say or do anything and then a few pages that went by too fast. The prose might work for some readers, but it just didn’t mesh with me.
Yet, it was an interesting and complex sci-fi with a very robust love story. People who like slower sci-fi thrillers, like Crighton’s Sphere, might enjoy this.