Authors: Helen Macdonald and Sin Blachè
Published: 2023
Target Audience: Adults (Appropriate 17+)
In a remote field in England, random objects start appearing. A bouquet of flowers, board games, a toy dinosaur, a motorbike jacket, even a whole American diner. These items are bright and nostalgic, treasured mementos from people’s pasts. But looking closer, there’s something not quite right about these objects.
Then the deaths begin.
Sunil Rao is an odd choice for an investigator. He’s erratic, sarcastic, and still recovering from a deliberate overdose following a mission gone wrong. He’s the complete antithesis of Lieutenant Colonel Adam Rubinstein, a model military man and Rao’s assigned case partner. But Rao has a unique skill that makes him vital to this case - an impossible ability to determine truth from falsehood with absolute certainty. Yet as Adam and Rao delve deeper into the deaths, they realise the answers may actually lie in their shared past…
Fast-paced and compelling, ‘Prophet’ is a supernatural thriller about love, longing, and the dangerous lure of nostalgia.
Excerpt:
"No. You should look at these," Adam says, extending his arms.
It's a bunch of red roses.
"Appreciate the sentiment, love, but I've always preferred mimosas."
"Rao."
Rao takes the bag. The blooms are deep scarlet and highly scented [...]
They look like a bunch of roses. Although there's something about the space between the flowers that isn't quite - Rao frowns, pushes his fingers between the blooms, careful, exploratory.
Holy shit.
They're roses on the outside. But the inside is a monstrosity, a clumped mass of curled, soft, velvety-red vegetal tissue smeared with patches of glossy, veined green, as if leaves and flowers had melted together. Staring at it, Rao remembers a textbook photograph of a plant that had been exposed to gamma radiation and wrought itself into a growth of exuberant and incoherent horror. When he pulls his fingers back, the bouquet snaps shut strangely.
It looks like a bunch of roses.
Review:
As soon as I finished this book, I wanted to read it again. Incorporating elements from 'Inception', 'The X-Files', and Jeff Vandermeer's 'Annihilation', 'Prophet' hits the ground running with an impossible crime scene, unlikely buddy cop duo, and an entertaining dry wit that will have readers hooked immediately. The pace moves with impressive efficiency, presenting a gripping murder investigation while also cultivating a complex and compelling relationship between the two leads, Rao and Adam.
Rao is the personification of a bag of broken glass held together by coffee, sarcasm, and the inability to shut up. Ex-MI6 and barely holding it together after a bad mission, he has now been unwillingly brought on to work this new case. In contrast, Adam is an impassive American Intelligence officer, perpetually armed and nondescript, and one of the few people who know the truth of Rao’s ability. Two damaged people with a shared history, the heart of this book lies in the tumultuous connection between Rao and Adam as they investigate the strange deaths and inexplicably appearing objects.
Born from a friendship struck up online and co-written over social media during the height of the pandemic, 'Prophet' is a collaborative work between English author Helen MacDonald of 'H is for Hawk' acclaim and debut Irish author Sin Blachè. In an interview with The Washington Post, Macdonald and Blachè discuss how the pandemic intensified their craving for escapist entertainment, and lead to conversations about nostalgia and the romanticisation of bygone times. Originally intending to write a novella about the military weaponising memories, MacDonald and Blachè drew on their shared interests of video games, science fiction stories, movies, and particularly fanfiction to bring 'Prophet' to life.
As a result, the book has an unusual style and fresh feel, but also arguably deviates from its advertised premise. It starts as a plot-driven, sci-fi murder mystery with a romantic subplot, only to shift to a more character-focused tale centered on the friction between Adam and Rao, with the supernatural thriller backdrop becoming secondary. This reversal may alienate some readers, especially when coupled with the novel's inconsistent pacing. 'Prophet' is narratively balanced and well-paced for the first third, can feel slower and a bit repetitious in the middle section with a stronger emphasis on interpersonal turmoil, and then slams the accelerator for an action-packed final third. The novel's irregular pacing and genre-shifting will not appeal to all audiences. However, this is offset by the story's success at creating tension. Whether it be through mystery elements, emotional discord, or action scenes, 'Prophet' consistently raises the stakes and suspense, and makes for a fascinating and unique read.
This book is also a great example of how incorporating limitations to characters with exceedingly powerful abilities can foster stronger storytelling. By simply speaking, hearing, or reading a statement, Rao can instantly know if it is factually correct or not. He can identify fakes and forgeries at a glance, and run through a list of potential answers until the truth reveals itself to him. As a plot device, this ability adds a novelty to the story that will intrigue readers, but Macdonald and Blaché have also incorporated a number of drawbacks to balance out this supernatural element. Rao's power enables Adam and himself to uncover new avenues in their investigation, but also presents negative effects in the form of migraines, overstimulation, and an adverse impacts to Rao's mental health. Rao engages in unhealthy and self-destructive behaviours to cope, and also faces losing his freedom and autonomy should government bodies or other organisations discover the true extent of what he can do. He is vulnerable against those who can physically overpower him, confiscate his passport and other resources, and even manipulate him into abusive situations. By skilfully incorporating these detractions, 'Prophet' fosters riveting plot possibilities and compelling character interactions, while also successfully avoiding undermining the narrative stakes.
As certainty becomes less tangible, and answers only raise more questions, 'Prophet' presents an addictive whirlpool of intrigue and inevitability that will have you needing to know how it ends. If a genre-blending sci-fi mystery and slowburn queer love story strikes your fancy, then I cannot recommend this book enough.
