A seemingly perfect all-American diner appears overnight in a remote British field. Its lights are on, and it is warm and welcoming, but there are no powerlines, no water connections, and no real connection to the real world. Just a slice of American nostalgia plonked down in a British field. It is not the only such item to appear. Toys, fairground rides, books, pets and more, a seemingly random collection of objects. Their only connection is that they seem to be things from people's memories.

Soon the items go from bizarre in appearance to sinister. They start killing the people they are connected to. Memories are coming to life, then killing the owner of said memory with the joy of reliving the memory. Someone has to figure out what is going on, and fast before it spreads any further.

Enter Sunil Rao. He is taken from prison with no explanation and brought to see the items. He is a former agent, with a special talent - nobody, and nothing can lie to him. He can tell when a person is not telling the truth, or when an object is just wrong and doesn't belong where it is. Rao knows immediately that these objects are all completely wrong. Rao is paired with his previous handler, Colonel Adam Rubenstein. Rao thinks Rubenstein is the definition of a military man, by the book, straight-laced, boring, and yet utterly intriguing to Rao, because Rao can’t read him, and can’t tell when he is lying. He is the only person that Rao has ever encountered that he can’t get a read on. Rao and Rubenstein are thrown into the investigation and have to try to figure out how to stop - whatever this is.

I completely enjoyed this book. Rao is complicated, messy, and dysfunctional, a recovering drug addict, who is not sure he wants to be off the wagon. Rubenstein is just as dysfunctional, but in a very repressed manner. Their friendship is continually bouncing from one extreme to another, with neither of them ever sure where the other is emotionally, nor what they want from the other.

The story itself is complicated, with the plot twisting, the timeline jumping back and forth, and from character to character. The dichotomy between Rao and Rubenstein, and between what is real and what is not twists, until we are not sure who is sane, and what is real, and when we are. This mind-bending journey was thoroughly enjoyable, as I felt that we really were along on the same discombobulated adventure as our leading men, trying to untangle what was going on. The story is full of action, drama, romance, and sci-fi twists. I loved every weird, off-kilter moment of it. Not a book for everyone, but if it is a book for you, then you will love it!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

Free courtesy of Netgalley

This is one of the most complicated books I think I have ever read. It has taken me weeks to get through it and that is not like me. I am still not sure what happened but I do understand some of the why. It is a sort of sci-fi Love story.

It is hard to describe the book, it is more of how it makes you feel. I didn't want to stop reading it because it was difficult as I wanted to know how it ended. It does jump quiet a bit and I wasn't sure why they were in the places they were at times.

I thought it would be a sort of spy novel from the blurb but that was not what it was.

You will have to read it, I suppose to try and understand my frustration of trying to describe it.

3.5
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.

This book explores the impact of scientific and technological advances on society, set in futuristic and alternative worlds. The author has done a fantastic job of dealing with themes such as time travel, space exploration, artificial intelligence, extraterrestrial life, and the human condition.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This was intriguing if a little slow. I feel like I'm on the fence on whether I liked it or not but I'd definitely pick something up by Macdonald again.

I guess I’m on the fence with this novel. The characters were great, the plot okay, the pace meh. It’s weird as I went in expecting a great sci-fi novel, weird things happening in a field, weaponising memories - sounded like a page turning good time. However, this plot fell to the wayside as there began a burgeoning romance that, for me, was actually the best part. So, if you’re going in expecting a sci-if novel then you’ll get that, albeit in a long-winded and slightly non-sensical plot hole filled way. Go in expecting some sci-fi but great chemistry then you’re definitely ready for this. I’m intrigued to see what the authors do next, especially if they lean more into what, for me, worked.

Rao is a chaotic ex addict who is release from prison because of his unique ability to distinguish the truth from fiction. He is recruited by US intelligence under the eye of his former partner, Adam and told to investigate the appearance of strange objects at a US military airfield. A brightly lit American diner has appeared in a field and the man who seems to have created it soon dies a grisly death. Prophet is a substance which causes people exposed to it the create objects related to nostalgia, they bond with the object then fall into a trance; if separated from the object, they die. Who's behind this, and what is if for? Can it be stopped.? Its an action packed thriller with an intriguing sci-fi thesis.

There are some confusing aspects to this novel, largely because of the highly unreliable protagonist, and the curious mix of genres this novel strays into. That's not a criticism, at all. Oddly, all that and the sense of time shifts and the supernatural elements work, narratively, but only because of the quality of the writing. As a reader, this is novel that keeps you on your toes, and if you like (as I do) an eerie, weird, slightly off-whack kind of premise, then you'll like this novel. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is a highly unusual book. It imagines a world where a material has a mind of its own and can be used as a weapon. So much for the theory, but in reality it behaves in ways that no one can imagine, as the affected start to suffer from nostalgia and create items to match.

Into this mid comeSunil and Adam, a man who can see the truth and Adam the intelligence handler. While one is supposed to be looking after the other, this change in unexpected ways.

A very interesting concept with a fantastic relationship between the main characters. I loved their interaction and the psychology of the developing situation. It was, however, a bit slow and didn't always keep my attention.

As a lover of science fiction and mystery novels, I was excited to dive into "Prophet" by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blache. The premise of the novel was intriguing, as it dealt with the idea of memories being weaponized and used against innocent people. However, upon reading the book, I found myself feeling somewhat underwhelmed.

The book starts off with an interesting concept - an all-American diner appearing in a remote British field, filled with nostalgic objects from the past. As more and more objects materialize, innocent people start dying in strange ways that seem to be linked to their happiest memories. The two main characters, Sunil Rao and Colonel Adam Rubenstein, are tasked with investigating the source of these deaths and the creation of this memory-manipulating weapon.

I found the characters to be well-developed, with Sunil Rao in particular being an intriguing protagonist with a unique ability to distinguish truth from lies. However, I felt that the plot was a bit slow-moving, and it took quite a while for the story to gain momentum. While the idea of memories being weaponized was intriguing, I felt that it wasn't fully explored and that the authors could have delved deeper into this concept.

One aspect of the book that I did enjoy was the relationship between Sunil and Adam. Their dynamic was interesting to follow, and their history together added depth to their interactions. The authors did a good job of showcasing the complexities of their relationship and how they relied on each other to solve the case.

Overall, while I did enjoy "Prophet," I found myself wanting more from the story. The concept was interesting, but it felt like it could have been more fully fleshed out. The characters were engaging, but the plot took a while to really get going. That being said, I still think it's worth a read for fans of science fiction and mystery novels, as the authors bring some unique ideas to the table.

In conclusion, "Prophet" by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blache is a solid book that will appeal to fans of science fiction and mystery novels. While the concept is intriguing and the characters are engaging, the plot takes a while to really gain momentum, and the book feels like it could have delved deeper into the idea of memories being weaponized. However, if you're looking for an interesting read with a unique concept, "Prophet" is definitely worth a shot.

Absolutely brilliant. So wonderfully weird and clever. I adore weird sci-fi and this was just brilliant. It sucked me in from the beginning. I loved the way the main characters talked to each other it felt real. The story felt plausible. I liked everything about it. Only thing I would change would be put the glossary at the front but as I was lucky enough to receive an ARC it might be different when published. I will definitely read this again.

A great first chapter which really grabs your attention and American diner found suddenly in the middle of a English winter field
The novel is surprisingly Witty and the writing intelligent the author has a clear, easy read pro style, and the novel is a an entertaining read

I was a bit confused initially, but in a good way, . I didn’t understand the main character with his ability to tell the truth. What is the truth and what isn’t I found this weird, and
supernatural
Initially the story jumps a bit in time, which confused me but I quickly began to like the way that the man’s memories of childhood, which seem rather extraneous to begin with ultimately come to make more sense as the story evolves .
I loved the relationship between the two main characters. Is it love or is it friendship? As a reader, this relationship held my attention throughout the novel.
I loved the creepiness of all the manifested objects from people’s childhoods in the abandoned nuclear testing facility particularly when the objects half fuse with people
This was highly visual, and I think would make a great filmI’m sure the rights will be wrapped up quickly
I really loved the ending, which had a surprising twist. The novel is finished in a highly satisfactory way.
I felt that there were a lot of similarities between this novel and the works of Stephen King Stephen King fan. I think you would really love this novel.
I read an early copy on NetGalley UK, the book is published in the UK on 24th of August 2023 by Random House UK.

This review will appear on NetGalley, UK, good reads, and my book fbog, bionicSarahsbooks. wordpress.com

I did not enjoy this book. Really struggled to finish it and wished I hadn’t bothered. Didn’t like the characters and the language is terrible. Virtually every page has bad language. I won’t be reviewing this author again.

This was not really the book for me. I understand that this is meant to be 'out-of-the-box' and a bit weird but it just didn't seem to draw me in. I do think their will be an audience for this but it wasn't me sadly.