The Stygian Project

by Juliette Trott

Some memories should stay buried. Some minds were built to break.
Norah Vale wakes from another nightmare with a single phrase etched in her They lied to you. Diagnosed with panic disorder and guided by a trusted therapist, Norah’s always questioned her past—until a stranger on a subway mouths two chilling I remember. That’s when everything begins to unravel.
Julian Marrick was a government strategist for Project Stygian—a secret program designed to weaponize children’s minds. He thought it ended years ago. But when he sees Norah’s face in a classified file, he realizes the ghosts of the past are waking—and he may be one of them.
Together, Norah and Julian uncover the horrifying they weren’t just subjects of the experiment—they were its blueprint. Its warning.
With their identities fracturing, a perfected clone on their trail, and time running out, they must face the what if the real enemy isn’t the system that created them… but the person they’ve become?

259 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2025

About the author

Juliette is an engineer by training. She loves writing and reading psychological thrillers. She aims to write the best psychological thrillers for her readers to enjoy. She has a husband and two grown kids. She enjoys traveling worldwide and learning different cultures.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm not usually a fan of science fiction, this book kept me turning pages faster than ever! Norah has a dream of a boy and the phrase, "They lied to you," but when she awakens it feels like so much more than a dream. Dr. Evelyn, her psychiatrist, tells her to "find Caleb." What does that mean?? But when she begins to uncover the truth, she's drawn into a web of intrigue and craziness that makes her determined to figure out what the Stygian Project really is. And when she does she is awestruck!
Thanks to the author for this ARC!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chilling thriller that revolves around Norah and Julian. Norah has many issues and nightmares and treatment doesn't seem to be working. Norah is convinced "they lied to" her but who they are is the question. Julian worked for the government on the Stygian Project which was supposed to have ended. However Julian finds a photo of Norah in a classified file and realizes that the experiments that had been in the Stygian Project are waking up. Both Norah and Julian realize that horrifically that they weren't the subject/experiments for this project but the blueprint. So who is the real enemy that needs to be taken out? The people behind the project? Or Norah and Julian? The reader is grabbed right at the beginning of the book and never let go until the ending. Absolutely chilling!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mandy Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unputdownable Thriller
​From the chilling premise—"Some memories should stay buried. Some minds were built to break."—to the shocking end, this book is an adrenaline rush that grabs your attention instantly. The story of Norah and Julian uncovering the truth about Project Stygian moves at an electric, exciting pace that keeps you perpetually on your toes. This is a genuinely thought-provoking thriller that forces you to constantly ask: Who can you trust when no one is who they seem? A must-read!

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Norah gets a cryptic message 'they lied to us'. She finds out that the sender is Julian. On contacting him she makes some startling revelations about their childhood and its connection to The Stygian Project. Were their identities erased? Are they clones? Worse still, the project is still active and their lives are in danger. A chilling techno thriller which highlights the dangers of scientific research using innocent children as subjects.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that keeps you on your toes. Who can you trust? This book had you trying to figure out and kept you thinking. It kept me reading at an excited pace.

This was an ARC read I left an unbiased review for.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this thriller, which kept me turning pages. This was a quick read and I will be looking for more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melinda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a gripping story line that pulls you in and keeps you reading until the end. Great twists. Interesting characters. A must read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.