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Skylight #1
The Prism Effect
Just beyond Earth’s atmosphere, orbiting like a shining beacon of hope, is the celebrated Skylight University and only the brightest students are accepted into its hallowed halls.
Jet Stroud can hardly believe it when he receives his acceptance letter. After all, who would want a kid with glowing eyes and a deadly disease called ‘The Youthful Death’ on their campus? Thanks to his rare condition known as ephebus mortem, Jet has always been avoided. Legend also claims he will die before his twenty-fourth birthday.
Undeterred, Jet seeks out the remaining students with ephebus mortem. Despite their differences, the small group develops a shaky friendship and begins a quest for a cure.
But not all is as it seems at Skylight University. Mysterious shadows lurk in the hallways and bizarre visions haunt Jet’s dreams. While reading the obituary of a former student with ephebus mortem, Jet discovers several strange clues. As the group follows these breadcrumbs, their quest takes a deadly turn.
Could these clues hold the cure for the strangest disease ever known? Can Jet unravel the mysteries of ephebus mortem in time? In the end, he discovers something so profound that it will change his life forever.
Jet Stroud can hardly believe it when he receives his acceptance letter. After all, who would want a kid with glowing eyes and a deadly disease called ‘The Youthful Death’ on their campus? Thanks to his rare condition known as ephebus mortem, Jet has always been avoided. Legend also claims he will die before his twenty-fourth birthday.
Undeterred, Jet seeks out the remaining students with ephebus mortem. Despite their differences, the small group develops a shaky friendship and begins a quest for a cure.
But not all is as it seems at Skylight University. Mysterious shadows lurk in the hallways and bizarre visions haunt Jet’s dreams. While reading the obituary of a former student with ephebus mortem, Jet discovers several strange clues. As the group follows these breadcrumbs, their quest takes a deadly turn.
Could these clues hold the cure for the strangest disease ever known? Can Jet unravel the mysteries of ephebus mortem in time? In the end, he discovers something so profound that it will change his life forever.
Unknown Binding
First published May 3, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
April 18, 2022
Jet has always felt like an outsider. He has a rare condition that leaves his eyes glowing, and legend has it that he’ll be dead by the time he’s 24. It is also believed that his condition is contagious and that he’ll begin hallucinating and becoming delusional as he grows older, so people give him a wide berth. But when he reaches the Skylight Academy, he begins to research and learn more about his condition. He meets other students like him and learns that his hallucinations may not be singular to him. What exactly will he learn about his condition? What do certain rare paintings have to do with it? And will he be able to survive the upcoming years?
This is a difficult one for me to review. I enjoyed the concept – it was unique and felt like it should be really interesting. I loved the idea of a condition that ostracized a group of people and enjoyed watching them learn the reality behind their condition. But though the concept was great, it fell flat for me.
The characters were lacking. They didn’t have much depth, and there wasn’t much to really draw me in to their stories. There was no emotional connection with them at all. The book was also a little sports-centric towards the beginning. Though I don’t mind sports, I don’t tend to like books that do a play-by-play of sports matches like this one did
I listened to the audiobook version of this work. In all honesty, I disliked the narrator. There wasn’t much differentiation between characters’ voices, which made it difficult to feel like they had unique personalities. I think this added to the disconnection and the lack of relatability I felt towards the characters. There were also sound effects included throughout the narration – some of these were fun, but there were many instances where the sound effects didn’t match up with the story, so overall they detracted from the narrative.
I didn’t enjoy this work. I have a feeling that it may due to the audio narration, so I may try reading a written copy of it instead. If you’re interested in dystopian fiction, science fiction, or overcoming the odds, this is probably a good read for you. But I don’t recommend the audiobook version.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is a difficult one for me to review. I enjoyed the concept – it was unique and felt like it should be really interesting. I loved the idea of a condition that ostracized a group of people and enjoyed watching them learn the reality behind their condition. But though the concept was great, it fell flat for me.
The characters were lacking. They didn’t have much depth, and there wasn’t much to really draw me in to their stories. There was no emotional connection with them at all. The book was also a little sports-centric towards the beginning. Though I don’t mind sports, I don’t tend to like books that do a play-by-play of sports matches like this one did
I listened to the audiobook version of this work. In all honesty, I disliked the narrator. There wasn’t much differentiation between characters’ voices, which made it difficult to feel like they had unique personalities. I think this added to the disconnection and the lack of relatability I felt towards the characters. There were also sound effects included throughout the narration – some of these were fun, but there were many instances where the sound effects didn’t match up with the story, so overall they detracted from the narrative.
I didn’t enjoy this work. I have a feeling that it may due to the audio narration, so I may try reading a written copy of it instead. If you’re interested in dystopian fiction, science fiction, or overcoming the odds, this is probably a good read for you. But I don’t recommend the audiobook version.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
April 10, 2024
A Mystery of Time and Space
When Jet is accepted into Skylight University, he thinks his life has taken a change for the better. All his life, he has been an outcast, not the least because he has the mysterious disease Eusebe Mortem, where individuals like him are guaranteed to die before they turn 24.
Arriving at Skylight University, Jet finds that his pal, Cutter, is his roommate in the dorms. Although he is happy to see him because they share a tumultuous childhood, Cutter can never understand what having eusebe mortem is like.
Both boys are in awe of the construction of Skylight University and the off world ring design that saved humanity when the Earth became too polluted to live on. They wander around, riding public transportation and marveling at the huge capacity for people and the University as well.
Jet's first class is with Professor Sylvant Alexander and he recognizes her as the sister of a famous person who had eusebe mortem, Solan Alexander. Jet speaks to her at the end of class, to realize that she is wary of talking of her sister.
Meanwhile, Jet and Cutter both go out for the University Blaze team, knowing it will be a long shot to qualify. Practice is a bear, Jet received quite a beat down just because of his disease. But Cutter keeps standing up for him. When Jet calls him on it, Cutter says he just doesn't want to see anyone unfairly picked on.
Jet reveals his plan to gather all of the students with eusebe mortem and try to find out what is behind the deaths, look for a cure and band together. Cutter is highly doubtful at the possibility of success but agreed to participate.
The Prism Effect is a wonderful weaving together of mysterious conspiracies. The lush prose and descriptive language create a unique world that entices your imagination to follow every clue, to smell the environment and to feel the different temperature zones within Skylight.
The plot within plot within plot will keep you scrambling to figure out the meaning of the symbols each of the characters are presented with. I adored reading The Prism Effect.
When Jet is accepted into Skylight University, he thinks his life has taken a change for the better. All his life, he has been an outcast, not the least because he has the mysterious disease Eusebe Mortem, where individuals like him are guaranteed to die before they turn 24.
Arriving at Skylight University, Jet finds that his pal, Cutter, is his roommate in the dorms. Although he is happy to see him because they share a tumultuous childhood, Cutter can never understand what having eusebe mortem is like.
Both boys are in awe of the construction of Skylight University and the off world ring design that saved humanity when the Earth became too polluted to live on. They wander around, riding public transportation and marveling at the huge capacity for people and the University as well.
Jet's first class is with Professor Sylvant Alexander and he recognizes her as the sister of a famous person who had eusebe mortem, Solan Alexander. Jet speaks to her at the end of class, to realize that she is wary of talking of her sister.
Meanwhile, Jet and Cutter both go out for the University Blaze team, knowing it will be a long shot to qualify. Practice is a bear, Jet received quite a beat down just because of his disease. But Cutter keeps standing up for him. When Jet calls him on it, Cutter says he just doesn't want to see anyone unfairly picked on.
Jet reveals his plan to gather all of the students with eusebe mortem and try to find out what is behind the deaths, look for a cure and band together. Cutter is highly doubtful at the possibility of success but agreed to participate.
The Prism Effect is a wonderful weaving together of mysterious conspiracies. The lush prose and descriptive language create a unique world that entices your imagination to follow every clue, to smell the environment and to feel the different temperature zones within Skylight.
The plot within plot within plot will keep you scrambling to figure out the meaning of the symbols each of the characters are presented with. I adored reading The Prism Effect.
June 2, 2025
The Prism Effect is the first in the writer J.Wint’s sci-fi fantasy series, the author adding an amazing twist to the end of the first book that I didn’t see coming. The main character of the series (and also the first book), Jet Stroud, has a certain date with death approaching, because no one with his affliction- the ephesus mortem- has lived past the age of twenty four, meeting certain death in all kinds of ways.
Despite all of this, Stroud has been accepted to Skylight University, which totally shocks him. However there, he meets others with the same very noticeable bright glow to their eyes (which is the way others know those who have the ephesus mortem) and Jet convinces them to join up and seek out information about their mysterious and certain death disease. Maybe if they can find out why everything is so mysterious surrounding their illness, they might be able to stop it in some way.
There is a great (but small) cast of students who join Jet, most with the same affliction he has- and a few who join to support the friends they have made with the ephesus mortem. The group begins to look at the past students who had their affliction and the mysterious information they left behind. Plus, Jet can't help but notice that some of these past students are showing up on his electronic map- but Stroud doesn't know how that's possible- because they’re supposed to be dead! But are they?
J. Wint creates a strange world that soon begins to share its mysteries- when Jet finds out the truth behind his affliction- but has he been told all of it? Stroud has spent his entire life living with a lie and now it's like another world is unfolding before him. Though it all sounds very dangerous, though Stroud has lost friends, in finding out the truth- what is unfolding before Stroud is his destiny- and he seems to have no choice in it- or does he? Can Stroud change his own fate, or is written in the stars and unalterable?
Readers will have to open The Prism Effect to find out what the deep mystery is behind the ephesus mortem- as it was a real shock, when Jet heard the truth unravel (and a shock to me, as a reader too ;). When the truth is laid bare- the story only gets way more dangerous, the real adventure begins- and the mysteries only deepen- as there is so much more to the “glowing eyes” than just a disease and an early death (if that isn't bad enough).
J. Wink has created an entertaining series that, as much as I wanted to be able to predict what would go on (in the story)- I couldn't. And as I ended the first book, closed it and put it away, I went right to the second. I can’t seem to leave Jet Stroud until I found out the whole mystery- which only deepens after finding out so many answers. I’m so glad J. Wint has continued with several more books in the series!
Happy Reading!
Despite all of this, Stroud has been accepted to Skylight University, which totally shocks him. However there, he meets others with the same very noticeable bright glow to their eyes (which is the way others know those who have the ephesus mortem) and Jet convinces them to join up and seek out information about their mysterious and certain death disease. Maybe if they can find out why everything is so mysterious surrounding their illness, they might be able to stop it in some way.
There is a great (but small) cast of students who join Jet, most with the same affliction he has- and a few who join to support the friends they have made with the ephesus mortem. The group begins to look at the past students who had their affliction and the mysterious information they left behind. Plus, Jet can't help but notice that some of these past students are showing up on his electronic map- but Stroud doesn't know how that's possible- because they’re supposed to be dead! But are they?
J. Wint creates a strange world that soon begins to share its mysteries- when Jet finds out the truth behind his affliction- but has he been told all of it? Stroud has spent his entire life living with a lie and now it's like another world is unfolding before him. Though it all sounds very dangerous, though Stroud has lost friends, in finding out the truth- what is unfolding before Stroud is his destiny- and he seems to have no choice in it- or does he? Can Stroud change his own fate, or is written in the stars and unalterable?
Readers will have to open The Prism Effect to find out what the deep mystery is behind the ephesus mortem- as it was a real shock, when Jet heard the truth unravel (and a shock to me, as a reader too ;). When the truth is laid bare- the story only gets way more dangerous, the real adventure begins- and the mysteries only deepen- as there is so much more to the “glowing eyes” than just a disease and an early death (if that isn't bad enough).
J. Wink has created an entertaining series that, as much as I wanted to be able to predict what would go on (in the story)- I couldn't. And as I ended the first book, closed it and put it away, I went right to the second. I can’t seem to leave Jet Stroud until I found out the whole mystery- which only deepens after finding out so many answers. I’m so glad J. Wint has continued with several more books in the series!
Happy Reading!
December 19, 2021
I was granted eARC access to The Prism Affect via the publisher by way of NetGalley and subsequently offered audio ARC access by the author through Author's Direct. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
I'll start by saying I started with the eBook, remembered I had access to the audiobook, switched to that for a bit, and then finished with the eBook, so I got a good feel for both formats. I don't normally switch twice (or at all, normally if I've got the audio I only use the audio) so I'll address why when I get to the format-specific part of the review.
The Prism Effect is a fascinating story about scholastically elite youth who have earned their admissions into Skylight University, an elite school in the outer atmosphere of post-apocalyptic Earth. Jet and a few of the students and faculty he's about to meet have one dreadful thing in common: a disease called ephebus mortem. No one identified to have lived with the disease makes it past 24. But why? Jet soon finds that those deaths weren't exactly natural. What's really going on?
I absolutely loved the premise of this book, I was 100% with Jet and his gang of unlikely allies, and I love where the plot ended up going. I didn't see it coming quite the way it played out but I'm eager to learn more. Please tell me there's more coming soon!
When NetGalley presents its myriad of ARCs and backlist review titles to us, the genre information we get is limited. Books in the broader "Science Fiction and Fantasy" category are just that, SF&F, no further details unless the blurb cares to elaborate. It turns out this is one of those true Science-Fantasy books that blurs the line between the two sides of the category. Is it a scifi first? Is it more a fantasy? Impossible to say, really. It's both. It's also mystery, and without giving too much away I think people who enjoy action thrillers like The Kingsman, or perhaps avid readers of dark academia, will enjoy this flavour of SFF with a mystery element.
In terms of the audiobook, I wish I could say I liked it because I prefer to listen to books (I can listen faster than I can read) and nothing beats a great narrative performance. Alas, in this case, I prefer the robotic way Alexa reads my Kindle editions. When I was reading this book for myself or letting Alexa read it to me, each character was distinct, the dialogue was enjoyable, and lines that were internalized thoughts were clearly not dialogue. Normally when all of that is in place in the text, the narrator is set up for a great performance. Somehow, however, this one didn't work out. Every character sounded exactly the same, internalized thoughts and spoken dialogue became indistinguishable, and something about the narrator's inflection on questions really irked me. I went back to the mobi file when the plot got really twisty so that I could focus better.
Overall this is a really good book and a great start to what seems like a promising series. I love this dark future world, I love the mystery behind ephebus mortem, and I want to know more! If you're an SFF reader, I think you'll enjoy it, too.
I'll start by saying I started with the eBook, remembered I had access to the audiobook, switched to that for a bit, and then finished with the eBook, so I got a good feel for both formats. I don't normally switch twice (or at all, normally if I've got the audio I only use the audio) so I'll address why when I get to the format-specific part of the review.
The Prism Effect is a fascinating story about scholastically elite youth who have earned their admissions into Skylight University, an elite school in the outer atmosphere of post-apocalyptic Earth. Jet and a few of the students and faculty he's about to meet have one dreadful thing in common: a disease called ephebus mortem. No one identified to have lived with the disease makes it past 24. But why? Jet soon finds that those deaths weren't exactly natural. What's really going on?
I absolutely loved the premise of this book, I was 100% with Jet and his gang of unlikely allies, and I love where the plot ended up going. I didn't see it coming quite the way it played out but I'm eager to learn more. Please tell me there's more coming soon!
When NetGalley presents its myriad of ARCs and backlist review titles to us, the genre information we get is limited. Books in the broader "Science Fiction and Fantasy" category are just that, SF&F, no further details unless the blurb cares to elaborate. It turns out this is one of those true Science-Fantasy books that blurs the line between the two sides of the category. Is it a scifi first? Is it more a fantasy? Impossible to say, really. It's both. It's also mystery, and without giving too much away I think people who enjoy action thrillers like The Kingsman, or perhaps avid readers of dark academia, will enjoy this flavour of SFF with a mystery element.
In terms of the audiobook, I wish I could say I liked it because I prefer to listen to books (I can listen faster than I can read) and nothing beats a great narrative performance. Alas, in this case, I prefer the robotic way Alexa reads my Kindle editions. When I was reading this book for myself or letting Alexa read it to me, each character was distinct, the dialogue was enjoyable, and lines that were internalized thoughts were clearly not dialogue. Normally when all of that is in place in the text, the narrator is set up for a great performance. Somehow, however, this one didn't work out. Every character sounded exactly the same, internalized thoughts and spoken dialogue became indistinguishable, and something about the narrator's inflection on questions really irked me. I went back to the mobi file when the plot got really twisty so that I could focus better.
Overall this is a really good book and a great start to what seems like a promising series. I love this dark future world, I love the mystery behind ephebus mortem, and I want to know more! If you're an SFF reader, I think you'll enjoy it, too.
December 20, 2023
The Prism Effect by J. Wint is set in a future post-apocalyptic Earth (or, rather, on some belt structures orbiting the now almost uninhabitable Earth) and it follows the main character Jet through the beginning of his university career. He's not a normal university student, though, he has a rare condition that makes his eyes glow and renders him an outcast - a condition about which not much is known, except that there is no cure. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the first 2/3 of it when it focused on the mystery of the condition and Jet dealing with it and making connections with others on campus.
The slow pursuit of more information about this condition and the way that's woven in with his university life (which is mostly sport-focused) is well done. I'm not the biggest sports fan or anything, but I found the way that was done realistic and I never felt it overwhelmed the story. It allowed us to see some aspects of Jet's day to day without having to go too deeply into the lessons he would be learning, which I'm sure wouldn't make sense to us as this is in a very different world far in the future!
The aspect I liked the most was Cutter's whole character and the way he interacted with the main character. Other characters are also slowly brought in and I really enjoyed the formation of the main cast around the mystery. Without giving too many spoilers, it worked well to see them each deal with the condition in their own ways and to watch Jet try to get answers through bringing them together.
In the last part of the book there's a drastic shift that didn't go smoothly for me. This is the first book in the series and it makes sense to leave things open, but I felt that more of the personal character arcs/relationships should have been addressed at this point. Instead, the author chose to focus on revealing aspects of the history and mysteries around the condition in a way that changed the tone of the book without providing enough answers for me. It would have been a much stronger ending if some of the personal issues had been resolved or explored more deeply at the end, leaving the bigger picture to be dealt with more slowly over the remainder of the series.
You're not going to be able to predict some of the reveals from this later part of the book and if you enjoy that kind of "everything is not as it seems" twist you're sure to enjoy this last portion more than I did, but I'll cut this short before I start spoiling things!
A final note on world-building. As you know, world-building is one of the things I enjoy quite a bit and I felt that this world was unique and it's hard to pin down a specific sub-genre for this book. There are a lot of elements of some great sub-genres all rolled into one and I think it worked well.
Overall, a great book that had me hooked, but failed to give me a satisfying enough ending. I may very well go back and finish the series, because it really was well-written and I have faith that the author has planned the rest of it well, but you should go into it knowing it's very much a first in series and you will need to read on to get real answers.
This is the last of my team's Quarterfinalists that I'll be reading and reviewing for SPSFC3 as part of team Peripheral Prospectors and I'm glad I could end this first phase of the contest with such a gripping book! This review is only my own opinion on the book. The decision will be made on whether to move the book forward in the competition or not as a team once we've all read and discussed the books! I look forward to discovering and sharing more great books in the next phase of the competition.
The slow pursuit of more information about this condition and the way that's woven in with his university life (which is mostly sport-focused) is well done. I'm not the biggest sports fan or anything, but I found the way that was done realistic and I never felt it overwhelmed the story. It allowed us to see some aspects of Jet's day to day without having to go too deeply into the lessons he would be learning, which I'm sure wouldn't make sense to us as this is in a very different world far in the future!
The aspect I liked the most was Cutter's whole character and the way he interacted with the main character. Other characters are also slowly brought in and I really enjoyed the formation of the main cast around the mystery. Without giving too many spoilers, it worked well to see them each deal with the condition in their own ways and to watch Jet try to get answers through bringing them together.
In the last part of the book there's a drastic shift that didn't go smoothly for me. This is the first book in the series and it makes sense to leave things open, but I felt that more of the personal character arcs/relationships should have been addressed at this point. Instead, the author chose to focus on revealing aspects of the history and mysteries around the condition in a way that changed the tone of the book without providing enough answers for me. It would have been a much stronger ending if some of the personal issues had been resolved or explored more deeply at the end, leaving the bigger picture to be dealt with more slowly over the remainder of the series.
You're not going to be able to predict some of the reveals from this later part of the book and if you enjoy that kind of "everything is not as it seems" twist you're sure to enjoy this last portion more than I did, but I'll cut this short before I start spoiling things!
A final note on world-building. As you know, world-building is one of the things I enjoy quite a bit and I felt that this world was unique and it's hard to pin down a specific sub-genre for this book. There are a lot of elements of some great sub-genres all rolled into one and I think it worked well.
Overall, a great book that had me hooked, but failed to give me a satisfying enough ending. I may very well go back and finish the series, because it really was well-written and I have faith that the author has planned the rest of it well, but you should go into it knowing it's very much a first in series and you will need to read on to get real answers.
This is the last of my team's Quarterfinalists that I'll be reading and reviewing for SPSFC3 as part of team Peripheral Prospectors and I'm glad I could end this first phase of the contest with such a gripping book! This review is only my own opinion on the book. The decision will be made on whether to move the book forward in the competition or not as a team once we've all read and discussed the books! I look forward to discovering and sharing more great books in the next phase of the competition.
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October 11, 2023(star rating to come once SPSFC scores are posted)
On the surface, this book doesn't look like one that would hold my interest nearly as well as it actually did. Looking at the list of things that I listed for recommending this book, the only thing that stands out as "my kind of book" at the moment is the science fiction mystery part. The YA book with a university setting and—especially—the sports sub-plot are not the kinds of thing that I've been looking for in my books lately, so I was pleasantly surprised when the SF mystery part caught me up enough that the rest of it didn't matter.
The part of the book that annoyed me the most—and this is 100% personal preference—was all the sports. There's a game in this future world called blaze, which as I recall evolved from American football, and it's a big part of MC Jet's life. He's a blaze player, and so there are several scenes where the game is described in detail. And I... well. I don't much care for sports, in real life or in my fiction. And so I glazed over a bit during those scenes. I didn't enjoy the book as a whole as much as I could have as a result, but that's completely a case of the topic not being my thing. And it didn't annoy me to the point where I ever considered quitting reading! It just got old for me after a while. Sports fans might have a different opinion.
By contrast, the thing that I was most interested in was the mysterious illness, ephebus mortem. I was curious to know more about it, to know what caused it, etc. I can't explain any of what the book revealed about it, since that was all in the last quarter or so of the book, but it fascinated me enough to keep reading. For anyone worried about medical content being described in their fiction, I will say that there's really no medical aspect discussed here. The illness comes with a mysterious countdown: the victims will all die before their 24th birthday. But aside from that—and the glowing eyes—there are no other symptoms really shown. Everything else is more or less gossip.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I read this book as part of the judging process for the 3rd Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), and while I was provided a review copy for judging purposes I read the book using the version available on Kindle Unlimited. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of my SPSFC3 team or the competition as a whole.
On the surface, this book doesn't look like one that would hold my interest nearly as well as it actually did. Looking at the list of things that I listed for recommending this book, the only thing that stands out as "my kind of book" at the moment is the science fiction mystery part. The YA book with a university setting and—especially—the sports sub-plot are not the kinds of thing that I've been looking for in my books lately, so I was pleasantly surprised when the SF mystery part caught me up enough that the rest of it didn't matter.
The part of the book that annoyed me the most—and this is 100% personal preference—was all the sports. There's a game in this future world called blaze, which as I recall evolved from American football, and it's a big part of MC Jet's life. He's a blaze player, and so there are several scenes where the game is described in detail. And I... well. I don't much care for sports, in real life or in my fiction. And so I glazed over a bit during those scenes. I didn't enjoy the book as a whole as much as I could have as a result, but that's completely a case of the topic not being my thing. And it didn't annoy me to the point where I ever considered quitting reading! It just got old for me after a while. Sports fans might have a different opinion.
By contrast, the thing that I was most interested in was the mysterious illness, ephebus mortem. I was curious to know more about it, to know what caused it, etc. I can't explain any of what the book revealed about it, since that was all in the last quarter or so of the book, but it fascinated me enough to keep reading. For anyone worried about medical content being described in their fiction, I will say that there's really no medical aspect discussed here. The illness comes with a mysterious countdown: the victims will all die before their 24th birthday. But aside from that—and the glowing eyes—there are no other symptoms really shown. Everything else is more or less gossip.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I read this book as part of the judging process for the 3rd Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC3), and while I was provided a review copy for judging purposes I read the book using the version available on Kindle Unlimited. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the thoughts of my SPSFC3 team or the competition as a whole.
October 14, 2021
This book has been provided by the editor via NetGalley for the purpose of a review.
All right, when I requested this book, I was somewhat misled by the blurb and therefore expecting a dystopian novel with a light magical twist rather than a SciFi-cum-Fantasy novel with a mystery twist. That doesn’t mean I was disappointed (all this genres and subgenres are right up my alley), but I sure was surprised. So if you are looking forward to reading thrilling descriptions of disasters and humankind’s (almost) ultimate seconds, be warned—you won’t get more than what is written in the blurb. Yet you should pick up a copy of this book, anyway, because thrilling it sure is.
Jet Stroud is a young orphan and has been an outcast all his life because of the taboo disease he suffers from, which is called ephebus mortem, the Youthful Death. A very strange disease: nobody seems to know much about it, neither where it comes from nor what causes it. It doesn’t even manifest itself outwardly or organically; the only sign someone has it are the person’s eyes, which always glow like neon beams. Those who are afflicted know, however, that more likely than not, they’ll be dead by the time they reach the age of twenty-four, after a short period where they’re haunted by bizarre visions and hallucinations. And people tend to believe that to hang out with ephebus mortem candidates is bad luck, so in addition to their disease, those afflicted are also shunned by their peers.
When Jet arrives at Skylight University, he doesn’t even know that little, though. His roommate, strangely oblivious of the taboos surrounding the illness and their bearers, is the one who forces Jet to find out more. But the path is long, paved with obstacles and weird apparitions, mostly fog-like ghosts that are following the young student around campus. Despite all this, he manages to gather the four other students suffering from ephebus mortem around him, and together, they try to unravel the secrets surrounding their mysterious ailing. That endeavour soon turns into a race for their survival…
Despite a few unnecessary word repetitions, the book was well written and so perfectly paced that I almost finished it in one sitting. I don’t exaggerate—the mysteries were as thick as the morning fogs the author describes more than once. Kudos for the world-building, too. I cannot claim I could see the Skylight System as clearly as I see my real surroundings, but sometimes less is more, and the important element is atmosphere, of which there was plenty, in this book. No worries, that doesn’t mean lengthy, detailed descriptions of sceneries and landscapes, but always intense moods, tones, and vibes, which made me feel the main characters state of mind at any given moment. I was drawn in immediately and was turning the pages with bated breath, wanting to discover what would happen next and who, why, where, when…
As thrilling and coherent the first four fifths of the book were, I found the revelation of the who, why, where toward the end of the story a little bit underwhelming. Not disappointing per se (nothing in this book was disappointing), but after all the secrets and mystery unexpected twists and turns, I felt a teensy bit let down. Yet, and this is a good point, I can see how exactly this element might be turned into new mysteries, new thrilling adventures, new questions and new quests, which we can certainly expect as this is only the first instalment of a whole series. I for one cannot wait for the next books to be published in order to experience how everything turns out. As for this book—recommended!
All right, when I requested this book, I was somewhat misled by the blurb and therefore expecting a dystopian novel with a light magical twist rather than a SciFi-cum-Fantasy novel with a mystery twist. That doesn’t mean I was disappointed (all this genres and subgenres are right up my alley), but I sure was surprised. So if you are looking forward to reading thrilling descriptions of disasters and humankind’s (almost) ultimate seconds, be warned—you won’t get more than what is written in the blurb. Yet you should pick up a copy of this book, anyway, because thrilling it sure is.
Jet Stroud is a young orphan and has been an outcast all his life because of the taboo disease he suffers from, which is called ephebus mortem, the Youthful Death. A very strange disease: nobody seems to know much about it, neither where it comes from nor what causes it. It doesn’t even manifest itself outwardly or organically; the only sign someone has it are the person’s eyes, which always glow like neon beams. Those who are afflicted know, however, that more likely than not, they’ll be dead by the time they reach the age of twenty-four, after a short period where they’re haunted by bizarre visions and hallucinations. And people tend to believe that to hang out with ephebus mortem candidates is bad luck, so in addition to their disease, those afflicted are also shunned by their peers.
When Jet arrives at Skylight University, he doesn’t even know that little, though. His roommate, strangely oblivious of the taboos surrounding the illness and their bearers, is the one who forces Jet to find out more. But the path is long, paved with obstacles and weird apparitions, mostly fog-like ghosts that are following the young student around campus. Despite all this, he manages to gather the four other students suffering from ephebus mortem around him, and together, they try to unravel the secrets surrounding their mysterious ailing. That endeavour soon turns into a race for their survival…
Despite a few unnecessary word repetitions, the book was well written and so perfectly paced that I almost finished it in one sitting. I don’t exaggerate—the mysteries were as thick as the morning fogs the author describes more than once. Kudos for the world-building, too. I cannot claim I could see the Skylight System as clearly as I see my real surroundings, but sometimes less is more, and the important element is atmosphere, of which there was plenty, in this book. No worries, that doesn’t mean lengthy, detailed descriptions of sceneries and landscapes, but always intense moods, tones, and vibes, which made me feel the main characters state of mind at any given moment. I was drawn in immediately and was turning the pages with bated breath, wanting to discover what would happen next and who, why, where, when…
As thrilling and coherent the first four fifths of the book were, I found the revelation of the who, why, where toward the end of the story a little bit underwhelming. Not disappointing per se (nothing in this book was disappointing), but after all the secrets and mystery unexpected twists and turns, I felt a teensy bit let down. Yet, and this is a good point, I can see how exactly this element might be turned into new mysteries, new thrilling adventures, new questions and new quests, which we can certainly expect as this is only the first instalment of a whole series. I for one cannot wait for the next books to be published in order to experience how everything turns out. As for this book—recommended!
April 30, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was hard to follow for me, maybe because I listened to it instead of reading a paper copy. The main thing I picked up on was that there's a group of people that have glowing eyes that always die before turning 24. The main group of characters is trying to figure out why these people are dying.
This was hard to follow for me, maybe because I listened to it instead of reading a paper copy. The main thing I picked up on was that there's a group of people that have glowing eyes that always die before turning 24. The main group of characters is trying to figure out why these people are dying.
June 22, 2022
Free book. I really enjoyed the book. The pace was good and the plot kept you guessing.
May 16, 2022
This is not the full review. For the full review and video go here Reading Is My Drug
I feel like I’ve been starting a lot of my reviews this way but I went into this excited. Like this book is everything I could use in my life right now. A strange and rare condition that kills people before their 24th birthday. A mystery that’s attached to this so who knows, maybe none of them are actually crazy after all. And having to find out if the hallucinations, which are part of the symptoms are actually that or something only people with the condition can tap into. Honestly, there is just so much win here. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting big things. Suspense, mystery, and impending doom are very high up on the must-read list. This one is YA though so that brings certain tropes with it. Which is fine. I read a lot of that as well. But in this case, it just came with the things I don’t like which is unfortunate.
I only got a quarter in but I’m sure what I’ve written is in the grey area of plot spoilers especially since there’s 75 percent more to go.
For starters, I find it very hard to believe that not only is Jet with a condition he knows nothing about but no one has told him. How do they all know and treat him differently because of it and not bring this up? Furthermore, how does his best friend know and not tell him? Being cursed to die before age 24 is rare but it is not so rare no one knows. Everyone at Skylight University knows. Enough people have fallen prey to it to be a thing even if there aren’t enough people for Jet to have bumped into one during his lifetime. Not knowing is convenient for the plot but it’s exceptionally hard to believe that no one, not even the people at the home as he is an orphan, would have told him.
Then there are other things like Jet always making the wrong decisions. I’m just going to roll with this one and might not bring up other issues I had because this one was the most prevalent. For instance, when his only friend suggests that he probably talk to the other students at the school that have it he gets all defensive in a ‘Who do you think you are to tell me what to do’, kind of way. It’s a good suggestion and Jet has already admitted to himself he wants to know more yet hasn’t bothered to ask around or seek others out. So, when his friend offers up a perfectly logical solution to help him, a friend who was also an orphan from his same town, his reaction is dismissiveness and anger. And then, to top it all off, he ends up following up on the suggestion and doesn’t apologise for shutting down the help from his one and only friend. There's another incident with this same friend but for that you'll have to go to my goodreads review.
It doesn’t end here. Apparently, someone who went missing ten years ago is guiding him. Through this guidance, he’s led to her tablet. Something that shouldn’t even exist seeing as she supposedly fell prey to the affliction. He can’t break into this tablet but her younger sister is a lecturer. She might be able to crack into it. So they meet in secret and instead of him doing what a normal human would do handing it over to see if she could hack into it and make sense of the information he found during the process of being led to the tablet, he pretends he doesn’t have it. Gives the teacher some stories and it is supposed to seem like his tricking her in some cunning way to help him but it’s more annoying than anything else. Her very reason for being in the school is to find out more about her sister’s disappearance. They are on the same mission. He doesn’t need to convince her so why is he playing mind games? Furthermore, the information he needs could be on the tablet and he can’t get into it. Pretending he doesn’t have it almost to the point where she wants to get up and leave makes no sense when she went out of her way to meet him and is willing to help and he needs her more than she needs him. It was just an extremely frustrating scene to read especially when he ends up handing it over like he should’ve from the start. Honestly, I would’ve respected her more if she did leave and Jet had to deal with the fact he was handling this badly.
So far Jet gets angry when he receives genuine help and plays mind games with people who already have committed to helping him and all this is just adding up to making him seem stubborn and arrogant instead of smart and resourceful. There's more with the teacher but, again, you'd have to go to the GoodReads version of this.
This type of attitude doesn’t end here. There’s one more person with the affliction that he can’t find. She doesn’t want to be found and on more than one occasion before he even started the school she has made this clear. A loner by choice which is her right. So for weeks, maybe months, even though he has a teacher a friend and two others ready to dig in and do some research he keeps them all waiting so he can find this girl. The problem here is before 24 is just that, before. The other students are older than him so are closer but for all we know they could disappear any time before 24. Jet himself is already hallucinating, maybe, we don’t know yet. But instead of getting to work on something that is this important he is keeping people who don’t have to help but chose to waiting, because he has to get this last person on the team. The fact this goes on for so long devalues the importance of the mission because clearly it can wait for days and days, and also proves again it’s all about Jet. Since he wants this person the actual job of getting answers is now unimportant because what he wants he wants.
When faced with her no Jet, because no one says no to Jet, then threatens to reveal her secret hiding place. This was when I gave up. The blatant disregard of personal boundaries, compiled with him keeping the others waiting to get to her and she says no like they all said she would, on top of all the other things I’ve said was the last ‘This is all about Jet’ moment I could take when he made her come by force. I couldn’t help but think if he had been doing things with the others while looking for her he would’ve had collateral to offer, information, things to entice her to come along for the cause. As it was he had nothing but stubborn will and then, much like he did with the teacher when he pretended not to have the tablet, he resorts to forcing people to do things and it’s supposed to come across as clever. She said no, life sucks, move on.
So much was spent on making him seem clever but for me, it just came across as stubborn and dismissive of the other cast’s feelings. And I liked all the subtle hints to the plot that got sidetracked for weeks so he could get this girl on the team. They definitely gave good hints to what might really be going on. The problem there, of course, is that Jet never wants to reveal anything. He doesn’t have answers and at least three other people are experiencing the same thing as him. One is even connected to someone who died. Why is he holding on to things as if the answers will manifest on their own? Everything about the way Jet behaved seemed to hinder the ultimate goal of solving the mystery of this disease, virus, affliction or whatever it is he has and I found this to be frustrating and odd both in character development and as a plot moving device. The mystery was what kept me reading, and I tried but I had to step back and make a choice on how much more of this stubborn, I make all the decisions and you have to follow me, decision making I could put up with for the greater good of finishing a novel. I obviously quit. The scene with him blackmailing the girl and essentially taking away her freedom was the last straw.
Overall I was just triggered by Jet and wanted the things he saw, and hopefully the things other people saw to be discussed and researched and dug into but for the first quarter of the book he wasted a lot of time holding on to things, ignoring advice then doing the same thing he ignored, and keeping the team waiting to find someone instead of taking action and moving forward. And instead of it giving slow burn feels his choices, as I’ve said already, felt counterproductive and that kind of slow was more grating than exciting. I just couldn’t attach to him and I felt I might have liked the other characters if they were more developed. It was a rough read for me so I had to just accept that and move on.
I feel like I’ve been starting a lot of my reviews this way but I went into this excited. Like this book is everything I could use in my life right now. A strange and rare condition that kills people before their 24th birthday. A mystery that’s attached to this so who knows, maybe none of them are actually crazy after all. And having to find out if the hallucinations, which are part of the symptoms are actually that or something only people with the condition can tap into. Honestly, there is just so much win here. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting big things. Suspense, mystery, and impending doom are very high up on the must-read list. This one is YA though so that brings certain tropes with it. Which is fine. I read a lot of that as well. But in this case, it just came with the things I don’t like which is unfortunate.
I only got a quarter in but I’m sure what I’ve written is in the grey area of plot spoilers especially since there’s 75 percent more to go.
For starters, I find it very hard to believe that not only is Jet with a condition he knows nothing about but no one has told him. How do they all know and treat him differently because of it and not bring this up? Furthermore, how does his best friend know and not tell him? Being cursed to die before age 24 is rare but it is not so rare no one knows. Everyone at Skylight University knows. Enough people have fallen prey to it to be a thing even if there aren’t enough people for Jet to have bumped into one during his lifetime. Not knowing is convenient for the plot but it’s exceptionally hard to believe that no one, not even the people at the home as he is an orphan, would have told him.
Then there are other things like Jet always making the wrong decisions. I’m just going to roll with this one and might not bring up other issues I had because this one was the most prevalent. For instance, when his only friend suggests that he probably talk to the other students at the school that have it he gets all defensive in a ‘Who do you think you are to tell me what to do’, kind of way. It’s a good suggestion and Jet has already admitted to himself he wants to know more yet hasn’t bothered to ask around or seek others out. So, when his friend offers up a perfectly logical solution to help him, a friend who was also an orphan from his same town, his reaction is dismissiveness and anger. And then, to top it all off, he ends up following up on the suggestion and doesn’t apologise for shutting down the help from his one and only friend. There's another incident with this same friend but for that you'll have to go to my goodreads review.
It doesn’t end here. Apparently, someone who went missing ten years ago is guiding him. Through this guidance, he’s led to her tablet. Something that shouldn’t even exist seeing as she supposedly fell prey to the affliction. He can’t break into this tablet but her younger sister is a lecturer. She might be able to crack into it. So they meet in secret and instead of him doing what a normal human would do handing it over to see if she could hack into it and make sense of the information he found during the process of being led to the tablet, he pretends he doesn’t have it. Gives the teacher some stories and it is supposed to seem like his tricking her in some cunning way to help him but it’s more annoying than anything else. Her very reason for being in the school is to find out more about her sister’s disappearance. They are on the same mission. He doesn’t need to convince her so why is he playing mind games? Furthermore, the information he needs could be on the tablet and he can’t get into it. Pretending he doesn’t have it almost to the point where she wants to get up and leave makes no sense when she went out of her way to meet him and is willing to help and he needs her more than she needs him. It was just an extremely frustrating scene to read especially when he ends up handing it over like he should’ve from the start. Honestly, I would’ve respected her more if she did leave and Jet had to deal with the fact he was handling this badly.
So far Jet gets angry when he receives genuine help and plays mind games with people who already have committed to helping him and all this is just adding up to making him seem stubborn and arrogant instead of smart and resourceful. There's more with the teacher but, again, you'd have to go to the GoodReads version of this.
This type of attitude doesn’t end here. There’s one more person with the affliction that he can’t find. She doesn’t want to be found and on more than one occasion before he even started the school she has made this clear. A loner by choice which is her right. So for weeks, maybe months, even though he has a teacher a friend and two others ready to dig in and do some research he keeps them all waiting so he can find this girl. The problem here is before 24 is just that, before. The other students are older than him so are closer but for all we know they could disappear any time before 24. Jet himself is already hallucinating, maybe, we don’t know yet. But instead of getting to work on something that is this important he is keeping people who don’t have to help but chose to waiting, because he has to get this last person on the team. The fact this goes on for so long devalues the importance of the mission because clearly it can wait for days and days, and also proves again it’s all about Jet. Since he wants this person the actual job of getting answers is now unimportant because what he wants he wants.
When faced with her no Jet, because no one says no to Jet, then threatens to reveal her secret hiding place. This was when I gave up. The blatant disregard of personal boundaries, compiled with him keeping the others waiting to get to her and she says no like they all said she would, on top of all the other things I’ve said was the last ‘This is all about Jet’ moment I could take when he made her come by force. I couldn’t help but think if he had been doing things with the others while looking for her he would’ve had collateral to offer, information, things to entice her to come along for the cause. As it was he had nothing but stubborn will and then, much like he did with the teacher when he pretended not to have the tablet, he resorts to forcing people to do things and it’s supposed to come across as clever. She said no, life sucks, move on.
So much was spent on making him seem clever but for me, it just came across as stubborn and dismissive of the other cast’s feelings. And I liked all the subtle hints to the plot that got sidetracked for weeks so he could get this girl on the team. They definitely gave good hints to what might really be going on. The problem there, of course, is that Jet never wants to reveal anything. He doesn’t have answers and at least three other people are experiencing the same thing as him. One is even connected to someone who died. Why is he holding on to things as if the answers will manifest on their own? Everything about the way Jet behaved seemed to hinder the ultimate goal of solving the mystery of this disease, virus, affliction or whatever it is he has and I found this to be frustrating and odd both in character development and as a plot moving device. The mystery was what kept me reading, and I tried but I had to step back and make a choice on how much more of this stubborn, I make all the decisions and you have to follow me, decision making I could put up with for the greater good of finishing a novel. I obviously quit. The scene with him blackmailing the girl and essentially taking away her freedom was the last straw.
Overall I was just triggered by Jet and wanted the things he saw, and hopefully the things other people saw to be discussed and researched and dug into but for the first quarter of the book he wasted a lot of time holding on to things, ignoring advice then doing the same thing he ignored, and keeping the team waiting to find someone instead of taking action and moving forward. And instead of it giving slow burn feels his choices, as I’ve said already, felt counterproductive and that kind of slow was more grating than exciting. I just couldn’t attach to him and I felt I might have liked the other characters if they were more developed. It was a rough read for me so I had to just accept that and move on.
April 29, 2022
Received as a review copy from NetGalley (2021), this is an honest review. This is an absolute harrowing journey. What kind of legacy can a person leave behind when they'll be dead by the time they're twenty-four? For Jet Stroud and all of the unfortunate individuals that have Ephebus mortem ( the Youthful Death); time maybe short but that doesn't means they cannot leave a mark they existed. Getting into Skylight University, Jet finds others who are like himself and for once maybe a piece of hope: to find a cure to this destructive disease. The only things that stand in their way are secrets deeply personal and an unworldly being that is haunting to those that encounter it. Beautifully written and poignant... highly recommended.
June 15, 2022
Triggers: death, abuse, violence, discrimination, prejudice
When the rain from the school’s atmosphere begins to subside, it creates thousands of tiny rainbows, looking like a splash of spilled paint in the sky, it’s the Prism Effect.
The Prism Affect by J. Wint is the first in The Skylight Series and an awesome sci-fi exploration. When Jet goes to university, Skylight University, he is met with gazes and whispers for being different. He happens to have a terminal disease called Ephebus Mortem which will kill him by the time he turns 24. On his first day of school, he meets a few new friends and some teachers. One of the friends tells him about his disease because he never knew anything about it. Once he found out he was on a timer, he decided to make sure he found a cure. He enlists the help of a teacher whose older sister died from the same disease 10 years earlier, his new friends and fellow schoolmates who have the same disease to find a cure. But what they end up finding changes everything!
I loved the tiny details that were dispersed within the whole story. There was so much in your face but so subtle that you didn’t fully understand what was happening until it was fully revealed. I love a good mystery that makes me focus on everything and think about what’s going on. This was so beautifully written and had me from the first line.
Other areas that made the story even better was the fact that it was located at a university in space, which set up an entire world like no other. I liked that there was room for Jet to grow into his own but still maintain an almost full sense of self. So much so, that he was bothered as much by the way people treated him, like a bad omen. His curiosity and determination to make sure he stays alive opened the doors and eyes to everyone around them and to things that others were never supposed to know. Even though Jet was different he still made a name for himself and went out for sports just like any other athlete would. He didn’t let anything hold him back from doing what he wanted and living the way he wanted. He was such a strong character.
There were lots of tough themes in the story as well. Such as prejudices, death, abuse, violence, discrimination, loss, grief, acceptance, facing adversity, and ostracizing. Just that alone, there’s a lot to take in and so much more to unfold throughout the series! Also, even though there was so much happening, the pace was smooth.
The only issues spotted were some misspellings here and there, but it could’ve been purposely done due to the type of story that this is. So, it was nothing big.
This is for anyone who likes time travel, sci-fi, magic, a school setting, a mystery to solve, and some good old fun.
This pulled me in so much, I’m diving right into the next book: The Skylight Fallout
*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of The Prism Affect from J. Wint via BookSirens
When the rain from the school’s atmosphere begins to subside, it creates thousands of tiny rainbows, looking like a splash of spilled paint in the sky, it’s the Prism Effect.
The Prism Affect by J. Wint is the first in The Skylight Series and an awesome sci-fi exploration. When Jet goes to university, Skylight University, he is met with gazes and whispers for being different. He happens to have a terminal disease called Ephebus Mortem which will kill him by the time he turns 24. On his first day of school, he meets a few new friends and some teachers. One of the friends tells him about his disease because he never knew anything about it. Once he found out he was on a timer, he decided to make sure he found a cure. He enlists the help of a teacher whose older sister died from the same disease 10 years earlier, his new friends and fellow schoolmates who have the same disease to find a cure. But what they end up finding changes everything!
I loved the tiny details that were dispersed within the whole story. There was so much in your face but so subtle that you didn’t fully understand what was happening until it was fully revealed. I love a good mystery that makes me focus on everything and think about what’s going on. This was so beautifully written and had me from the first line.
Other areas that made the story even better was the fact that it was located at a university in space, which set up an entire world like no other. I liked that there was room for Jet to grow into his own but still maintain an almost full sense of self. So much so, that he was bothered as much by the way people treated him, like a bad omen. His curiosity and determination to make sure he stays alive opened the doors and eyes to everyone around them and to things that others were never supposed to know. Even though Jet was different he still made a name for himself and went out for sports just like any other athlete would. He didn’t let anything hold him back from doing what he wanted and living the way he wanted. He was such a strong character.
There were lots of tough themes in the story as well. Such as prejudices, death, abuse, violence, discrimination, loss, grief, acceptance, facing adversity, and ostracizing. Just that alone, there’s a lot to take in and so much more to unfold throughout the series! Also, even though there was so much happening, the pace was smooth.
The only issues spotted were some misspellings here and there, but it could’ve been purposely done due to the type of story that this is. So, it was nothing big.
This is for anyone who likes time travel, sci-fi, magic, a school setting, a mystery to solve, and some good old fun.
This pulled me in so much, I’m diving right into the next book: The Skylight Fallout
*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of The Prism Affect from J. Wint via BookSirens
July 30, 2022
During his first year at Skylight University, Jet Stroud is plunged into a new life where he discovers the reason behind the glowing eyes he's always had: ephebus mortem, a rare condition that kills its victims by the age of twenty-four.
Along with his unafflicted roommate and friend, Cutter, and Sterllar Sylvant, a young professor who lost her older sister to E.M., Jet is determined to gather all of the other students sharing his condition to find a cure. Through this, he must also maneuver the ostracization he faces due to E.M.'s taboo nature whilst his state worsens with encroaching hallucinations and delusions.
3.5 stars!
This sci-fi story is engaging with its snappy pace, determined protagonist, and the gradual revealing of disguised inner workings. Following Jet, we see his diligence and hope for a better future for himself and people like him, making him a strong-willed main character. In this, however, while it may not be that the other characters are underdeveloped, we don't get to spend as much time with them to develop a relationship between reader and character. Along with this, some events throughout the story feel like they don't get enough time to settle for proccessing's sake, making it difficult to experience significant plot points' due impact.
With that being said, the story's setting is fresh: the University is built on one of the nine metal belts in the Skylight System with air skiff transportation and temperamental weather. I don't always pick up science fiction, but I found I enjoyed this world quite a lot.
While I had been following and invested throughout the bulk of the story, my comprehension wavered a bit during the final act. With big reveals and twists in the plot, I had a harder time keeping up with what was going on as it grew a little convoluted and abrupt. (However, this very well may be on me more than the book itself!) The flavor of the story shifts a bit towards the end but sets a solid foundation for a second installment which I'm looking forward to picking up and seeing how the ongoing adventures pan out.
I'd recommend this novel to general fans of science fiction looking to follow a determined, optimistic protagonist on his journey to not only ensure the safety and well-being of himself and his friends but to also uncover the secrets plaguing the truth of his condition and the mysterious deaths tied to it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!
Along with his unafflicted roommate and friend, Cutter, and Sterllar Sylvant, a young professor who lost her older sister to E.M., Jet is determined to gather all of the other students sharing his condition to find a cure. Through this, he must also maneuver the ostracization he faces due to E.M.'s taboo nature whilst his state worsens with encroaching hallucinations and delusions.
3.5 stars!
This sci-fi story is engaging with its snappy pace, determined protagonist, and the gradual revealing of disguised inner workings. Following Jet, we see his diligence and hope for a better future for himself and people like him, making him a strong-willed main character. In this, however, while it may not be that the other characters are underdeveloped, we don't get to spend as much time with them to develop a relationship between reader and character. Along with this, some events throughout the story feel like they don't get enough time to settle for proccessing's sake, making it difficult to experience significant plot points' due impact.
With that being said, the story's setting is fresh: the University is built on one of the nine metal belts in the Skylight System with air skiff transportation and temperamental weather. I don't always pick up science fiction, but I found I enjoyed this world quite a lot.
While I had been following and invested throughout the bulk of the story, my comprehension wavered a bit during the final act. With big reveals and twists in the plot, I had a harder time keeping up with what was going on as it grew a little convoluted and abrupt. (However, this very well may be on me more than the book itself!) The flavor of the story shifts a bit towards the end but sets a solid foundation for a second installment which I'm looking forward to picking up and seeing how the ongoing adventures pan out.
I'd recommend this novel to general fans of science fiction looking to follow a determined, optimistic protagonist on his journey to not only ensure the safety and well-being of himself and his friends but to also uncover the secrets plaguing the truth of his condition and the mysterious deaths tied to it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!
August 15, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A story where the normal people dictate the narrative of their society, because everyone who is not, will become an outcast.
As Jet and Cutter enter Skylight University, it is clear that they are coming from the same district. Soon Jet learns that his strange glowing eyes condition is terminal. According to legend, most people die around 24 years old and people who come in contact with them will experience bad luck. Strangely, this is so specific, he thinks there is more involved than meets the eye.
Trying to find a cure, he encounters the most unlikely people with the same condition as him. Between university and sports, there is little time to investigate this intriguing mystery. They encounter strange paintings with embedded codes and shadows that are following them. When Jet and his reluctant friends start to encounter many strange things, it seems the end is near. His friends disappear and the University declared them dead before they were found. He tries to get to the bottom of this but nothing has him prepared for his own upcoming end as Jet.
An intriguing story that revolves around Skylight University and the mystery behind the founder of this school. It's a game of following the puzzle pieces and the closer they come… crazy things start to happen. It's a mystery combined with magical abilities, science fiction, action, conspiracies, and a sense of adventure. Even though they are reluctant to form a group to investigate, slowly they start to appreciate each other in the little things. There are some good plot twists, has a nice flow to it, and is an incredibly high voltage story. I cannot wait to read the follow-up story.
A story where the normal people dictate the narrative of their society, because everyone who is not, will become an outcast.
As Jet and Cutter enter Skylight University, it is clear that they are coming from the same district. Soon Jet learns that his strange glowing eyes condition is terminal. According to legend, most people die around 24 years old and people who come in contact with them will experience bad luck. Strangely, this is so specific, he thinks there is more involved than meets the eye.
Trying to find a cure, he encounters the most unlikely people with the same condition as him. Between university and sports, there is little time to investigate this intriguing mystery. They encounter strange paintings with embedded codes and shadows that are following them. When Jet and his reluctant friends start to encounter many strange things, it seems the end is near. His friends disappear and the University declared them dead before they were found. He tries to get to the bottom of this but nothing has him prepared for his own upcoming end as Jet.
An intriguing story that revolves around Skylight University and the mystery behind the founder of this school. It's a game of following the puzzle pieces and the closer they come… crazy things start to happen. It's a mystery combined with magical abilities, science fiction, action, conspiracies, and a sense of adventure. Even though they are reluctant to form a group to investigate, slowly they start to appreciate each other in the little things. There are some good plot twists, has a nice flow to it, and is an incredibly high voltage story. I cannot wait to read the follow-up story.
May 30, 2025
Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
What the plot is generally about: This book followed a young adult male main character who is on a path to find a cure for ephebus mortum a mysterious ailment or disease and gains friends with and without the same ailment or disease along the way who join on this race to find the cure, as those with Ephebus Mortum are fated to mysteriously die by the time they hit 24 years old.
Review: The book was a bit slow as I started getting into it but, the mystery and suspense kept me riveted through out the whole book. This was book was tense and had you following the mystery along side these characters and coming up with your own theories along the way. Turns out my theories were only partly right, and this mystery is just beginning. This one isn't like any that I've read before, which isn't surprising since Sci-Fi isn't my typical genre. I get excited when I find one I like. Even with my minimal experience with Sci-fi, this is different that others and leaves me at a loss for words on how to explain how I feel at the completion of this book. This is the first in a trilogy, that I recommend for others to try. Even if it isn't your typical genre, don't let that intimidate you (It isn't a very long book and perfect for those who want to dip their toes into the Genre). If you decide to give this a try, I highly recommend you have book 2 on hand and ready to go once you finish. It isn't a cliffhanger (kind of). But it does leave you wondering what happened and I can guarantee your theories won't be correct. Below I have listed content warnings (I might have missed some), be sure to read those ahead of time.
Content Warnings: Grief, Death, Bullying, Violence, Blood, Fear, and Terminal Illness.
What the plot is generally about: This book followed a young adult male main character who is on a path to find a cure for ephebus mortum a mysterious ailment or disease and gains friends with and without the same ailment or disease along the way who join on this race to find the cure, as those with Ephebus Mortum are fated to mysteriously die by the time they hit 24 years old.
Review: The book was a bit slow as I started getting into it but, the mystery and suspense kept me riveted through out the whole book. This was book was tense and had you following the mystery along side these characters and coming up with your own theories along the way. Turns out my theories were only partly right, and this mystery is just beginning. This one isn't like any that I've read before, which isn't surprising since Sci-Fi isn't my typical genre. I get excited when I find one I like. Even with my minimal experience with Sci-fi, this is different that others and leaves me at a loss for words on how to explain how I feel at the completion of this book. This is the first in a trilogy, that I recommend for others to try. Even if it isn't your typical genre, don't let that intimidate you (It isn't a very long book and perfect for those who want to dip their toes into the Genre). If you decide to give this a try, I highly recommend you have book 2 on hand and ready to go once you finish. It isn't a cliffhanger (kind of). But it does leave you wondering what happened and I can guarantee your theories won't be correct. Below I have listed content warnings (I might have missed some), be sure to read those ahead of time.
Content Warnings: Grief, Death, Bullying, Violence, Blood, Fear, and Terminal Illness.
February 12, 2025
Story begins with the Skylight university. This university is situated on the 1st belt of the core, circling the Earth just below the moon's orbital path. (Yes, story doesn't take place on Earth. Scientists develop a core and 9 belts to live upon after Earth's destruction).
The main theme of a story is a disease called ephebus mortem or E.M. It's a rare and incurable with side effects, like hallucinations, dementia, and insanity. Everyone who has been diagnosed with it has died before the age of 24. There’s a rumor that it can infect others with bad luck, but that’s never been proven. Currently, there are only 6 known cases of this disease, four of which attend Skylight University and Academy. One case, Myranda Mason, was recently killed at the university.
Jet, Bo, Vail, and Cord are all students at Skylight University, and they all have E.M disease. Because of E.M, they face a lot of prejudice and are treated badly by others. This shared experience brings them together, and they become good friends (including Cutter). The first case of this disease was murdered on her 24th bday. Dead bodies of some E.M victims were never found. They decide to work together to find out everything they can about E.M, whether this disease is a reality or a conspiracy. Their Professor Sylvant helps them with their investigation. She has a personal reason for wanting to know the truth about E.M. as her younger sister died from the same disease.
Page-turner story, all major characters have emotional depth. The suspense about this disease buids with each chapter, making it impossible to put the book down.
The main theme of a story is a disease called ephebus mortem or E.M. It's a rare and incurable with side effects, like hallucinations, dementia, and insanity. Everyone who has been diagnosed with it has died before the age of 24. There’s a rumor that it can infect others with bad luck, but that’s never been proven. Currently, there are only 6 known cases of this disease, four of which attend Skylight University and Academy. One case, Myranda Mason, was recently killed at the university.
Jet, Bo, Vail, and Cord are all students at Skylight University, and they all have E.M disease. Because of E.M, they face a lot of prejudice and are treated badly by others. This shared experience brings them together, and they become good friends (including Cutter). The first case of this disease was murdered on her 24th bday. Dead bodies of some E.M victims were never found. They decide to work together to find out everything they can about E.M, whether this disease is a reality or a conspiracy. Their Professor Sylvant helps them with their investigation. She has a personal reason for wanting to know the truth about E.M. as her younger sister died from the same disease.
Page-turner story, all major characters have emotional depth. The suspense about this disease buids with each chapter, making it impossible to put the book down.
October 15, 2022
When I came across this book I found its concept really cool and knew I just had to check it out!
The plot that intrigued me from the synopsis was just what I expected and was just as cool of a concept as I thought it would be when I first found this book. I also really appreciated the characters in this book as they are all unique and had their own stories to share with the reader. I enjoyed the detail that seemed to be given to each character even if they were just secondary characters. I wanted to stop the story and spend much more time learning about each character's background because they all felt real. The pacing of this book was great as it made me not want to put the book down. I just wanted to keep reading and so I ended up flying through this book in 2 sittings
One thing for readers to be aware of is just how much time was spent talking about sports in this book. It felt like I was reading a sports novel at a couple of points which is not something I particularly enjoyed but managed to get through those sections to get to the parts that I found more interesting. I also found myself confused at the beginning of this book because it seemed to be lacking in a bit of worldbuilding. I felt as though I was just being thrown into it without any knowledge of what was going on which was a struggle but as the book progressed I managed to get a grasp on the world.
Overall, if you enjoy sports and science fiction, I think that you would enjoy this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The plot that intrigued me from the synopsis was just what I expected and was just as cool of a concept as I thought it would be when I first found this book. I also really appreciated the characters in this book as they are all unique and had their own stories to share with the reader. I enjoyed the detail that seemed to be given to each character even if they were just secondary characters. I wanted to stop the story and spend much more time learning about each character's background because they all felt real. The pacing of this book was great as it made me not want to put the book down. I just wanted to keep reading and so I ended up flying through this book in 2 sittings
One thing for readers to be aware of is just how much time was spent talking about sports in this book. It felt like I was reading a sports novel at a couple of points which is not something I particularly enjoyed but managed to get through those sections to get to the parts that I found more interesting. I also found myself confused at the beginning of this book because it seemed to be lacking in a bit of worldbuilding. I felt as though I was just being thrown into it without any knowledge of what was going on which was a struggle but as the book progressed I managed to get a grasp on the world.
Overall, if you enjoy sports and science fiction, I think that you would enjoy this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 27, 2023
The Prism Effect by J. Wint was my fourth full read from SPSFC-3 assigned books. This one caught my interesting in our first pass through all of our reads and I knew I wanted to return to see where things continued on to. As always with these SPSFC reads, the below is strictly my own opinion and does not reflect the overall rating from Team Peripheral Prospectors.
The most surprising aspect to me from this read was the fact that a large portion of the story revolves around a school or university. For anyone following along with my reads this won't be anything new but for those new to my reads and reviews, I struggle with younger characters and especially school themed stories. This was contrary to that for some reason. I think the author did a good job in keeping the school theme in the background while other aspects shined. It worked well for me.
The pacing worked really well for me throughout this read. I didn't really come across many editing issues or vocabulary to trip me up either. I also didn't have any moments where I thought things slowed down and make me feel like I was slogging through to the next interesting scene.
The world building was uniquely entertaining to me. I always mentioned the school setting that somehow seemed to work for me. Another thing I wanted to point out so that this world continue to open up as I read on. It starts off rather limited at the school but things begin to spread as piece after piece unfolds with this story.
The character development was solid in book one. I phrase it that way because as this one wrapped up it felt like some missed opportunity for some characters but I have a feeling that is mostly due to laying the foundation for the next book(s) in the series. Jet's character development has quite the road throughout book one. We see a lot of changes with him as he struggles with his own situation as well as his new friends.
All in all this turned out to be a stronger read than I thought initially going in. It seemed polished from my first sampling but I thought it would end up more of a not my style kind of read. The ending was more than a bit of a surprise for me which has me wanting to see where the series goes from here.
The most surprising aspect to me from this read was the fact that a large portion of the story revolves around a school or university. For anyone following along with my reads this won't be anything new but for those new to my reads and reviews, I struggle with younger characters and especially school themed stories. This was contrary to that for some reason. I think the author did a good job in keeping the school theme in the background while other aspects shined. It worked well for me.
The pacing worked really well for me throughout this read. I didn't really come across many editing issues or vocabulary to trip me up either. I also didn't have any moments where I thought things slowed down and make me feel like I was slogging through to the next interesting scene.
The world building was uniquely entertaining to me. I always mentioned the school setting that somehow seemed to work for me. Another thing I wanted to point out so that this world continue to open up as I read on. It starts off rather limited at the school but things begin to spread as piece after piece unfolds with this story.
The character development was solid in book one. I phrase it that way because as this one wrapped up it felt like some missed opportunity for some characters but I have a feeling that is mostly due to laying the foundation for the next book(s) in the series. Jet's character development has quite the road throughout book one. We see a lot of changes with him as he struggles with his own situation as well as his new friends.
All in all this turned out to be a stronger read than I thought initially going in. It seemed polished from my first sampling but I thought it would end up more of a not my style kind of read. The ending was more than a bit of a surprise for me which has me wanting to see where the series goes from here.
October 24, 2023
can they stop the disease in time?
This book takes sci/Fi and supernatural and blends them beautifully. It is book one in a series and it keeps you intrigued from the beginning to the end and desperate for book two. Just when you think you know what is happening things flip and you get a whole new story.
Set in a distant future. Jet is cursed with a disease that makes his eyes glow. When he gets to Skylight University he finds out that everyone who has had his disease has died by the age of 24. He and the three others like him at the university are desperately looking for a cure. Can they, with the help of a few friends, find the answers before they all succumb to the inevitable?
The setting is very cool and futuristic without being unrecognizable to the reader. Though it is written mostly from Jet’s point of view we get a great glimpse into each main character. It is easy to identify with so many of these interesting people. You desperately want to help them. I also liked the mystery aspect of the story. It is so much more in depth then just finding a cure. By the end you don’t know who to trust and what will happen next. Does what happened in the past need to repeat itself or can a different outcome happen by who you befriend now?
All in all this was a fun read. If you are looking for a new series that is intriguing and keeps you guessing then I highly recommend this one. I’m going to get book two and continue on this journey.
This book takes sci/Fi and supernatural and blends them beautifully. It is book one in a series and it keeps you intrigued from the beginning to the end and desperate for book two. Just when you think you know what is happening things flip and you get a whole new story.
Set in a distant future. Jet is cursed with a disease that makes his eyes glow. When he gets to Skylight University he finds out that everyone who has had his disease has died by the age of 24. He and the three others like him at the university are desperately looking for a cure. Can they, with the help of a few friends, find the answers before they all succumb to the inevitable?
The setting is very cool and futuristic without being unrecognizable to the reader. Though it is written mostly from Jet’s point of view we get a great glimpse into each main character. It is easy to identify with so many of these interesting people. You desperately want to help them. I also liked the mystery aspect of the story. It is so much more in depth then just finding a cure. By the end you don’t know who to trust and what will happen next. Does what happened in the past need to repeat itself or can a different outcome happen by who you befriend now?
All in all this was a fun read. If you are looking for a new series that is intriguing and keeps you guessing then I highly recommend this one. I’m going to get book two and continue on this journey.
May 2, 2022
Jet Stroud is a new student at Skylight University. He lives with a rare condition known as ephebus mortem, also called the "youthful death", which is expected to kill him before he turns 24. With the help of the few other EM students, Jet is determined to find a cure. What he does uncover stretches into the past farther than he ever imagined.
As the clues to this mystery were placed and discovered, the reader is able to piece together their own theories of what is happening. I loved the use of art as information, they mysterious artist long dead and unfamiliar to the rest of the characters in the book. As each piece of the conspiracy is uncovered, the reader is pulled one step closer to the solution, the next step.
I thought the world building for this story was a little weak. I often felt like the unfamiliar environment did not add to the story: it would have been just as well told in a familiar setting with the addition of a mysterious disease. The space element was unnecessary. Maybe it comes in to play more in subsequent installments?
And... maybe I missed this, or am too picky...? or something, but "affect" is a verb. "Effect" is a noun. Shouldn't this title be The Prism Effect?
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
Rating: PG for a little language, violence, age of characters
Recommend: students who enjoy sci-fi / fantasy mystery stories.
As the clues to this mystery were placed and discovered, the reader is able to piece together their own theories of what is happening. I loved the use of art as information, they mysterious artist long dead and unfamiliar to the rest of the characters in the book. As each piece of the conspiracy is uncovered, the reader is pulled one step closer to the solution, the next step.
I thought the world building for this story was a little weak. I often felt like the unfamiliar environment did not add to the story: it would have been just as well told in a familiar setting with the addition of a mysterious disease. The space element was unnecessary. Maybe it comes in to play more in subsequent installments?
And... maybe I missed this, or am too picky...? or something, but "affect" is a verb. "Effect" is a noun. Shouldn't this title be The Prism Effect?
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
Rating: PG for a little language, violence, age of characters
Recommend: students who enjoy sci-fi / fantasy mystery stories.
June 12, 2022
Set in a world where the environment has been shattered and civilisation changed, in the 23rd Century, the chief character is Jet, and in part, it is the story of this one young man who is "different" endeavoring to be accepted into society. Jet's difference from others is that he suffers from a condition that is reputed to result in death before twenty four years of age, and to cause all around to have bad luck. Its visible manifestation is glowing eyes which make others keep their distance from him.
The action takes place on one of the Skylight belts which are artificial creations high above the earth. Jet has been accepted into the Skylight University but even there he seems to be setting up to be as shunned as everywhere else. But as he learns more about his condition and starts to experience hallucinations he makes a few friends, especially connecting with the few other sufferers of the same disease, and decides that he will find a cure. He is normally unstoppable when he makes up his mind, but will he succeed in this case?
This book is as much Young Adult as anything, and is well recommended for young people as its underlying message is important, as well as being wrapped in an exciting story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The action takes place on one of the Skylight belts which are artificial creations high above the earth. Jet has been accepted into the Skylight University but even there he seems to be setting up to be as shunned as everywhere else. But as he learns more about his condition and starts to experience hallucinations he makes a few friends, especially connecting with the few other sufferers of the same disease, and decides that he will find a cure. He is normally unstoppable when he makes up his mind, but will he succeed in this case?
This book is as much Young Adult as anything, and is well recommended for young people as its underlying message is important, as well as being wrapped in an exciting story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 8, 2023
What was left of the Earth was a far distance away. Civilization now resided out here in space, which was where he was. Ailing with an illness with no cure, he was determined not only to make the best of his situation, but to find the cure that had alluded everyone before him. He glanced out at endless space, the moon glowing bright, and set out to be the first.
The Prism Affect is the first book in a YA Sci-Fi series, following Jet. Jet is attending university, determined to make a place for himself, but with his terminal illness people tend to shy away from him. But when he finds former students that have his illness have all wound up dead… he feels something darker is going on.
An entertaining sci-fi read, this book had me invested as I walked alongside Jet to figure out what was going on. The futuristic setting, and the fun cast of characters… I was intrigued. The world building was fun, the sport similar to football was interesting to read about, and the mystery surrounding multiple student’s death had me extremely curious. Definitely want to see how this series continues.
Read this if you’re a dark academia fan, enjoy books like Legendborn/Bloodmarked, and like futuristic space/sci-fi books!
CW: Murder, Terminal Illness (fictional illness), Death, Grief, Bullying, Physical Violence.
The Prism Affect is the first book in a YA Sci-Fi series, following Jet. Jet is attending university, determined to make a place for himself, but with his terminal illness people tend to shy away from him. But when he finds former students that have his illness have all wound up dead… he feels something darker is going on.
An entertaining sci-fi read, this book had me invested as I walked alongside Jet to figure out what was going on. The futuristic setting, and the fun cast of characters… I was intrigued. The world building was fun, the sport similar to football was interesting to read about, and the mystery surrounding multiple student’s death had me extremely curious. Definitely want to see how this series continues.
Read this if you’re a dark academia fan, enjoy books like Legendborn/Bloodmarked, and like futuristic space/sci-fi books!
CW: Murder, Terminal Illness (fictional illness), Death, Grief, Bullying, Physical Violence.
November 10, 2023
Jet Stroud is nineteen years old with a very rare condition, Ephesus Mortem, which gives him bright, glowing eyes…and he’s just started his first year at Skylight University. Though ostracized by the general population his entire life, Jet hopes to find new beginnings in his new life, that is, until he finds out he’s going to die before he makes it to twenty-four. Determined to find answers, Jet teams up with a group of fellow students, three who share his same affliction, and even a professor in an attempt to find a cure to their condition. Turns out not all is as it seems at Skylight University…
After reading the Prologue, I expected this book to have a very similar feel to “I Am Number Four.” However, after completing the first novel of the Skylight series, I find it had too much of a fantasy aspect for the two to be compared. The writing is decent. There was a lot of repetition, but I tried to remember that this is written for YA, and they may require such a technique in order to help with comprehension. I did struggle a lot with understanding the layout of almost every setting described, including the description of the game of Blaze. I’ve read plenty of fantasy and high fantasy and am very used to reading about world building, a but it was really hard to understand the environment or the way things looked in this book from the given explanations.
I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it either. The concept is really interesting and fun to read, and I enjoyed the “secret society” vibe and scavenger hunt the core group had to go on, not to mention I was wide-eyed during the entire ending. However, I found the story moved too slow for my taste, and there was a lot of filler that didn’t really do much to develop the characters, causing me to skim more of the book than I’d like. Majority of the plot occurs in the last 20% of the book, including a godforsaken amount of information being revealed. In my opinion, this information should’ve been spread out over the 300pg novel (instead of the last 50pgs) and could’ve been done without getting rid of anything that was already written. It would’ve helped to hold my interest during the entirety of the book instead of only at the end. It’s all about placement.
From what I’ve read in other reviews of this book, “The Prism Effect” is the weakest of the series—which is understandable considering the first book in any series serves to simply set up the story. I was intrigued enough by the ending, and the storyline itself, to continue to the second book (and have already started it actually), yet I’m worried that all the world building and character relationships created and mentioned in the first book won’t roll over to the next. So far I really like Cord and Vail and am very interested to see how the “friends to enemies” trope will be developed in the next book. And I love love LOVED that each chapter had an illustration to go with it.
After reading how Wint enjoyed watching cheesy sci-fi movies while growing up, I was able to understand the style of his writing so much better. He was definitely able to achieve his goal of creating such an atmosphere in “The Prism Effect,” and also maintained an interesting premise and the fun of a “secret society” in an academia setting. All in all, I give “The Prism Effect” three stars. It’s a great introduction to sci-fi and light academia to any reader new to the genre, but I find it’d be best recommended to those ages 11-13.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
After reading the Prologue, I expected this book to have a very similar feel to “I Am Number Four.” However, after completing the first novel of the Skylight series, I find it had too much of a fantasy aspect for the two to be compared. The writing is decent. There was a lot of repetition, but I tried to remember that this is written for YA, and they may require such a technique in order to help with comprehension. I did struggle a lot with understanding the layout of almost every setting described, including the description of the game of Blaze. I’ve read plenty of fantasy and high fantasy and am very used to reading about world building, a but it was really hard to understand the environment or the way things looked in this book from the given explanations.
I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it either. The concept is really interesting and fun to read, and I enjoyed the “secret society” vibe and scavenger hunt the core group had to go on, not to mention I was wide-eyed during the entire ending. However, I found the story moved too slow for my taste, and there was a lot of filler that didn’t really do much to develop the characters, causing me to skim more of the book than I’d like. Majority of the plot occurs in the last 20% of the book, including a godforsaken amount of information being revealed. In my opinion, this information should’ve been spread out over the 300pg novel (instead of the last 50pgs) and could’ve been done without getting rid of anything that was already written. It would’ve helped to hold my interest during the entirety of the book instead of only at the end. It’s all about placement.
From what I’ve read in other reviews of this book, “The Prism Effect” is the weakest of the series—which is understandable considering the first book in any series serves to simply set up the story. I was intrigued enough by the ending, and the storyline itself, to continue to the second book (and have already started it actually), yet I’m worried that all the world building and character relationships created and mentioned in the first book won’t roll over to the next. So far I really like Cord and Vail and am very interested to see how the “friends to enemies” trope will be developed in the next book. And I love love LOVED that each chapter had an illustration to go with it.
After reading how Wint enjoyed watching cheesy sci-fi movies while growing up, I was able to understand the style of his writing so much better. He was definitely able to achieve his goal of creating such an atmosphere in “The Prism Effect,” and also maintained an interesting premise and the fun of a “secret society” in an academia setting. All in all, I give “The Prism Effect” three stars. It’s a great introduction to sci-fi and light academia to any reader new to the genre, but I find it’d be best recommended to those ages 11-13.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
February 22, 2025
Its pretty much interesting and different from others. It has been amongst the most unique YA science fiction books I read in ages. It talks about Jet whose abnormality is something that shines through the color of his eyes, which gleam like no other human being has. One lives in the world after the world has collapsed and has built a new world. Then, when Jet finally goes to college, where he meets other people with similar condition, he starts to figure out the truth about his condition, and he has until the 24th birthday to live through it.
He meets people that are similar to him and discovers that they have secrets in common that can be discovered to help him survive.
Doom was the tone that left an echoing impression as well as an interest inside me. The characters are what I thought needed a bit of emotionality for me to connect with them on a deeper level. Yet, despite these critiques from me, I felt that the plot had moved quite fast with respect to the overall flow of the story, making it an interesting and worthwhile read.
The best thing about the plot is that you're actually kept in the dark about what goes on. The plot was also quite original, and the book was well written. To discover what happens with Jet and his new life, I'm going to read this book again.
He meets people that are similar to him and discovers that they have secrets in common that can be discovered to help him survive.
Doom was the tone that left an echoing impression as well as an interest inside me. The characters are what I thought needed a bit of emotionality for me to connect with them on a deeper level. Yet, despite these critiques from me, I felt that the plot had moved quite fast with respect to the overall flow of the story, making it an interesting and worthwhile read.
The best thing about the plot is that you're actually kept in the dark about what goes on. The plot was also quite original, and the book was well written. To discover what happens with Jet and his new life, I'm going to read this book again.
August 30, 2023
I read this in two sittings! I throughly enjoyed the concept, and I’m invested! At *times* I felt a little in over my head science-math-complex-sci fi-world wise, but I was able to keep up for the majority of this novel despite it not being my go to comfort genre. The prologue hooked me immediately and I thought the world building and pace were totally my speed. I’m a big sports person, but I will say that the Blaze scenes early on were the only “annoyance” I had with the pacing. (In fairness, those scenes also maybe felt slow to me simply because I was so eager to get back to the primary plot!) I loved Cutter and loved the little found family that was formed. Without spoiling anything, I’ll also say that I’m hopeful most (?) of these characters will make appearances in the next books…hopefully. The second book has already been published and I have until September 25th to read it because that’s when the third book comes out. As soon as I finish this review I’ll be ordering it; while the end was a tad overwhelming, I trust the author and writing of the first 320 pages enough to believe it’s
allllllll going to come together and continue being a fun ride! (Thanks for putting this series on my radar Red Clover Digital!)
allllllll going to come together and continue being a fun ride! (Thanks for putting this series on my radar Red Clover Digital!)
February 17, 2025
Jet has glowing eyes and a strange fatal sickness called Ephebus Mortem (EM). He gets admission into the most prestigious Skylight university. The university is floating in the space. He finds out that few other students have the same glowing eyes and the same sickness. They become close friends as they shares the same pain and search for cure. (Jet, Vain, Bo, Cord and Cutter except for Cutter who didn't have the disease but still becomes a good friend of all & decides to help them also the girl Vain likes him) They're all scared because the disease is dangerous and they're being told that the victims of this disease didn't survive after the age of 24.
So, they start trying to find out what's wrong with them and if there's a cure. They look everywhere at Skylight, like they're detectives. But as they look, they find clues that something weird is going on. Skylight isn't just a school; it's hiding big secrets. Meanwhile Bo dies before hitting 24.
Now, Jet and his friends have a double problem. They have to find a cure for their sickness, and they have to figure out what's really happening at Skylight. It's like a big puzzle, and some of the pieces are missing, and some of the pieces are full of conspiracy.
So, they start trying to find out what's wrong with them and if there's a cure. They look everywhere at Skylight, like they're detectives. But as they look, they find clues that something weird is going on. Skylight isn't just a school; it's hiding big secrets. Meanwhile Bo dies before hitting 24.
Now, Jet and his friends have a double problem. They have to find a cure for their sickness, and they have to figure out what's really happening at Skylight. It's like a big puzzle, and some of the pieces are missing, and some of the pieces are full of conspiracy.
February 22, 2025
I actually read this in two sittings! I totally loved the idea and was completely in it! There were some moments where I felt like maybe I was going to get lost in science-math-sci-fi-world kind of way, but most of the time, I actually managed to keep up with this book even though it wasn't exactly my comfort heartwarming genre. I was addicted from the prologue, and I just felt the world-building really worked for me and the pacing was just perfect. I'm a big sports fan, but I will admit that the initial Blaze scenes were my sole pacing "irritation." (Fairness aside, it may have just seemed slow to me because I was so desperate to escape those scenes and return to the main story!) Cutter was great, and I enjoyed the small found family it had going on. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say I hope all (?) of these characters will be appearing in the next books.here's hoping. The second book is already out, and I have until September 25th to read it since that's when the third one is released! Right after posting this review, I'm ordering it; and while the ending was a teensy bit too much, I trust the author and writing of the first 320 pages so completely that I think it's alllll going to work out and still be a fun ride!
May 20, 2022
The book is very interesting and unique. It has definitely been one of the most unique science fiction YA books I have read in a long while. It tells the story of Jet who has a rare condition that can be visible through the color of his eyes, as they shine unlike normal humans. The world he lives in is after the world as we know it collapsed and a new world had to be built. As he goes to college and finds others like him, he starts uncovering the truth about his condition and that he only has until his 24th birthday to survive.
Meeting others like him a long the way he sees that there are secrets that he needs to uncover if he wants to survive.
The tone of doom was really evident and interesting. The characters is the only thing that I felt needed more emotion for me to feel a deeper connection. However, I felt the plot really made the whole story move in such a pace that was interesting and worth while to read.
The best part of the storyline is that you really never know what is going on. I was really impressed with the writing and how unique the whole plot was. Will definitely continue reading this book to see what happens to Jet and his new life.
Meeting others like him a long the way he sees that there are secrets that he needs to uncover if he wants to survive.
The tone of doom was really evident and interesting. The characters is the only thing that I felt needed more emotion for me to feel a deeper connection. However, I felt the plot really made the whole story move in such a pace that was interesting and worth while to read.
The best part of the storyline is that you really never know what is going on. I was really impressed with the writing and how unique the whole plot was. Will definitely continue reading this book to see what happens to Jet and his new life.
May 29, 2022
This book seemed promising for me, a lover of sci fi. The beginning opened fast paced and interesting. The plot seemed well thought out and mysterious. But around 1/3 of the way in, it fell off for me.
Jet meets other people with EM (his strange disease) and one non EM-friend. There’s very little background on the characters so it’s hard to form a connection to any of them. I wasn’t really upset when they were killed off.
Other issues i had with this book were the sports references. These futuristic college students play a game called Blaze, which the book focused on way too much, (think Harry Potter and quidditch but not as interesting). Too much time spent in a play-by-play that i totally zoned out on.
And the ending…I’m confused. So confused. I just barely understand. Maybe you’ll have better luck.
Also, i didn’t love the narrator of this audiobook. I’m not sure why they choose a British narrator for an American author. The differentiation between character voices was hard for me to follow, non-American or not, the narrator just didn’t do it for me.
Thank you netgalley for a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
Jet meets other people with EM (his strange disease) and one non EM-friend. There’s very little background on the characters so it’s hard to form a connection to any of them. I wasn’t really upset when they were killed off.
Other issues i had with this book were the sports references. These futuristic college students play a game called Blaze, which the book focused on way too much, (think Harry Potter and quidditch but not as interesting). Too much time spent in a play-by-play that i totally zoned out on.
And the ending…I’m confused. So confused. I just barely understand. Maybe you’ll have better luck.
Also, i didn’t love the narrator of this audiobook. I’m not sure why they choose a British narrator for an American author. The differentiation between character voices was hard for me to follow, non-American or not, the narrator just didn’t do it for me.
Thank you netgalley for a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2022
This book seemed promising for me, a lover of sci fi. The beginning opened fast paced and interesting. The plot seemed well thought out and mysterious. But around 1/3 of the way in, it fell off for me.
Jet meets other people with EM (his strange disease) and one non EM-friend. There’s very little background on the characters so it’s hard to form a connection to any of them. I wasn’t really upset when they were killed off.
Other issues i had with this book were the sports references. These futuristic college students play a game called Blaze, which the book focused on way too much, (think Harry Potter and quidditch but not as interesting). Too much time spent in a play-by-play that i totally zoned out on.
And the ending…I’m confused. So confused. I just barely understand. Maybe you’ll have better luck.
Also, i didn’t love the narrator of this audiobook. I’m not sure why they choose a British narrator for an American author. The differentiation between character voices was hard for me to follow, non-American or not, the narrator just didn’t do it for me. With so many characters, two or more narrators would have been clearer for me
Jet meets other people with EM (his strange disease) and one non EM-friend. There’s very little background on the characters so it’s hard to form a connection to any of them. I wasn’t really upset when they were killed off.
Other issues i had with this book were the sports references. These futuristic college students play a game called Blaze, which the book focused on way too much, (think Harry Potter and quidditch but not as interesting). Too much time spent in a play-by-play that i totally zoned out on.
And the ending…I’m confused. So confused. I just barely understand. Maybe you’ll have better luck.
Also, i didn’t love the narrator of this audiobook. I’m not sure why they choose a British narrator for an American author. The differentiation between character voices was hard for me to follow, non-American or not, the narrator just didn’t do it for me. With so many characters, two or more narrators would have been clearer for me
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