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.
Started Reading – June 3, 2022
Finished Reading – July 27, 2022
Rating: 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!
Have you read, or do you plan on reading The Prism Affect? Did you like it? Why, or why not? What are some of your favorite sci-fi books or elements? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!
Little Bit of All That 
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[…] great departure from my typical reading choices, I acquired a copy of this novel through BookSirens and decided to give sci-fi a try. Following a cast of fairly unique characters and a fun storyline despite the dismaying themes of […]
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