Prophet

Eye of the Beholder #3

by Sarah Tarkoff

In a near future society in which morality is manifested through beauty and ugliness, a young woman will imperil her future and her world to expose the global shadow network that uses its power to play God and control humanity.

A decade ago, Grace Luther’s life was changed by the Revelations: the moment when Great Spirit “saved” humanity and transformed the world into a place where pious behavior is rewarded with beauty, and wrongdoing results in ugliness and even death.

Now, at eighteen, Grace knows that everything she believed about the Revelations is a lie—a myth constructed by the government of the Prophets to force its citizens into model behavior . . . and one that led to her mother’s death. She is determined to expose the deception and bring down the Prophets, even if it means aligning herself with the resistance, a group she doesn’t entirely trust.

After insinuating herself into Prophet Joshua’s inner circle, the double agent gets ever closer to fulfilling her mission to destroy his mind-influencing nanotechnology. But a shocking discovery has her questioning her path, and sends her hunting for answers about her past.

Grace isn’t alone on this odyssey. Zack, the secretive government agent who is sometimes an enemy and sometimes a friend has been shadowing her every move. Is he protecting her—or hunting her? And Jude, her first love, has returned from hiding to aid her—a task complicated by their history.

In a dangerous world filled with lies and betrayals, Grace can’t trust anyone. And the choices she makes will either save her friends, the resistance, and the hope of attaining free will—or secure the Prophets’ power and ultimate control.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fiction, Science Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2020

About the author

Sarah Tarkoff has written for the CW series Arrow. Other TV writing credits include ABC’s Mistresses, Lifetime’s Witches of East End, and the animated series Vixen and The Ray.

She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in screenwriting (hence all the screenwriting), and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Sinless is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Dystopian, Young Adult
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

Prophet is the third and final installment in author Sarah Tarkoff's Eye of the Beholder trilogy. This story picks up right where Restless left off. 10 years ago, a world wide phenomena called the Revelation, united the entire world under one Universal Theology. So called Prophets rose to prominence. Almost everyone believed that those like Joshua are a direct mouthpiece of the Great Spirit. Thanks to a network of tiny nanobots in everyone's brains, there have been no wars or large scale conflicts for 10 years.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Silanur]

Read this as a sensitivity read, so I won't be rating/reviewing.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read—not quite as enjoyable as Sinless (book #1 in the trilogy), but on the same level as Fearless (book #2). Overall, the writing is fantastic and there are few grammatical/proofing/editing issues. The one negative aspect: the pacing; the most important action doesn't really hit until toward the end of the book (this might have been intentional). Don't get me wrong, plenty of events happen throughout the entire book... it just becomes better and more fun toward the end. I couldn't put the first book down (read it in one sitting), whereas books two and three required more reading sessions.

What I most love about this trilogy: the characters and how they evolved throughout the story. I may not be completely happy with how the story ended, but I was entirely satisfied. I wish there was more to read in this series and I look forward to reading future works by this author—I enjoy her style and tone so much.

[Joe Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll need to read the first two books in this series first, but I recommend that you do that because they're good.

I'll wait right here.


Hey! See, what'd I tell you? Good stuff.

This one is about a woman fighting against a government conspiracy that convince people that the Great Spirit saved humanity and now we're living in a post-salvation world where you toe the line or you get got (I'm paraphrasing.)

Author Sarah Tarkoff has done this style of awesomeness before and I did not know it until after I had finished the series -- Tarkoff wrote for some of my favorite things: The TV show Arrow and the Arrowverse cartoons The Ray and Vixen.

The story is mind-bending and thrilling, with deeply detailed characters. Book 3 is cathartic and exhilarating, a worthy conclusion and a terrific, satisfying finale.

(Review from an advance copy).

[Laura Herb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome ending to the Eye of the Beholder trilogy by Sarah Tarkoff! I flew through all three of her books (Sinless, Fearless, Ruthless) and cannot recommend them enough. They are especially great for anyone looking for a dystopian YA book series that actually feels unique to all the other ones out there. Ruthless, and the entire series, still delivers on all of the things you want out of a good YA book (A.K.A. it has a killer love triangle - one that gets resolved in this final book) while also hitting on some really fascinating philosophical themes and presenting futuristic but totally believable scientific advancements, all of which definitely set it apart from the flock. A hidden gem!

[David Pomerico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book in a really fun, really interesting dystopian series. Borders between YA and adult in a good way. I can understand if you aren't looking for dystopia right now, but remember: most dystopia is about fighting against it, and these books do exactly that. So there's light at the end of the tunnel, and while I'm biased, I think this series is definitely worth checking out.

[Christina Belt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this series overall, though I thought they went downhill after the first book. The protagonist felt progressively immature and impulsive, you could spot her missteps before they came. I also felt annoyed by the overplayed love triangle dynamic and how the characters got distracted by their feelings in crucial moments. But it kept me interested enough to read to the end, so a solid three stars it is.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book of this incredible trilogy! Just like the first two books, I read it all in one sitting -- it felt impossible to put down. If you're looking for complex characters set in a vividly written dystopia, thought-provoking sci-fi, and one of the best goddamn love triangles of the 21st century, this series is for you!

[RLR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to see that the last book in this series is finally here! It has page-turning plot twists and interesting ideas, plus a surprising and satisfying ending. If you're looking for a book that makes you think and keeps you riveted, Ruthless delivers. Be sure to read the first two books in this series, Sinless and Fearless, as they all go togther.

[Marissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tfw you read a 346pp novel in 5 hours bc it is absolute fluff.

Not a thrilling conclusion to the trilogy. Not even thrilling. May have the highest ratio of deux ex machinas per chapter of any book I've ever read, though?

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't' like this one as much because it dragged on it felt like it was stuck in the same scene over and over.