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The PRISM Conspiracy
An incredible job. An exasperating android. An all-too-human secret.
Fresh out of art school, Abigail Huntley gets the chance of a lifetime working for Sphinx Architecture. Her remarkable talent has also landed her a remarkable work partner: a cutting-edge android named Rory, who appears so completely human that Abigail struggles to remember he’s just a machine. If only his stiff interactions and coldly logical approach to everything didn’t stifle her creativity.
As time goes by, however, Rory shows subtle changes in behavior, making Abigail wonder if he has achieved self-awareness. Despite her reservations, she finds herself warming to him, even attracted to him. Then an accident crashes Rory’s programming—and leaves him bleeding, with human memories of a medical experiment inflicted by the mysterious organization, PRISM.
Abigail races to recover Rory’s identity and find justice. But without his neurological programming, Rory suffers from a dangerous health condition that slows them down and threatens them both. Only a jaded doctor and his enigmatic assistant stand between Rory and the organization that stole his humanity—the organization that will do anything to keep him silent.
Fresh out of art school, Abigail Huntley gets the chance of a lifetime working for Sphinx Architecture. Her remarkable talent has also landed her a remarkable work partner: a cutting-edge android named Rory, who appears so completely human that Abigail struggles to remember he’s just a machine. If only his stiff interactions and coldly logical approach to everything didn’t stifle her creativity.
As time goes by, however, Rory shows subtle changes in behavior, making Abigail wonder if he has achieved self-awareness. Despite her reservations, she finds herself warming to him, even attracted to him. Then an accident crashes Rory’s programming—and leaves him bleeding, with human memories of a medical experiment inflicted by the mysterious organization, PRISM.
Abigail races to recover Rory’s identity and find justice. But without his neurological programming, Rory suffers from a dangerous health condition that slows them down and threatens them both. Only a jaded doctor and his enigmatic assistant stand between Rory and the organization that stole his humanity—the organization that will do anything to keep him silent.
- GenresScience Fiction
244 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2020
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 29, 2020
Age Appropriate For: 10 and up for thematic elements
Best for Ages: 15 - 30
Wow! This novel kept me up late and I didn’t want to do anything else the next day until I finished it. It’s fast-paced, took some major turns, and left me feeling giddy with pleasure that only a stratifying story can. The writer? Steller! Some of the best I’ve read.
Before I get to deep into this review, I want to let many of those who read my reviews know that this is not an overtly Christian book. While clean, and a couple of mentions of someone praying, it’s more geared for the general market then strictly Christian. Also, some of my readers will want to know that the use of the words gosh and crap are sprinkled throughout and one mildly bad name for someone was used twice. Because this is not under a strictly Christian umbrella, It didn’t affect my rating. I will say that morality was very good.
The characters in this book were gold. Abigail is a sweet and spunky artist. Unlike most artists I’ve read about lately, she isn’t broody or using her art to escape from her painful past. She’s a person who was mostly happy and full of life who loves art. I loved that about her. Rory is…well the opposite. He’s exactly like one would expect from an android – emotionless, not much personality, and analytical. In many ways, he reminded me of Data from Star Trek: Next Generation (which made me happy) yet he came into his own and ended up being very, very different.
The setting, in the not too distant future I feel, was well done. It felt like there were enough futuristic advances to make the plot work, yet not so far in the future that I didn’t have a feel for the world. It was fun, inventive, yet also familiar.
The story kept me on the edge of my seat from page one. At first, it was because the characters so captured my heart, but then the excitement and intrigue swept me away. I wanted to read it in one sitting, but I had to sleep (sadly) but I finished it the next day. It was a great ride.
There is a romance in the book and I have to say it was really sweet. I loved every moment of it. It was sweet, clean, and realistic. There is one kiss in the story and I thought it was done well.
I highly recommend this book to those that like stories set in the future, great writing that makes you want to keep reading, and books that also make you think.
Best for Ages: 15 - 30
Wow! This novel kept me up late and I didn’t want to do anything else the next day until I finished it. It’s fast-paced, took some major turns, and left me feeling giddy with pleasure that only a stratifying story can. The writer? Steller! Some of the best I’ve read.
Before I get to deep into this review, I want to let many of those who read my reviews know that this is not an overtly Christian book. While clean, and a couple of mentions of someone praying, it’s more geared for the general market then strictly Christian. Also, some of my readers will want to know that the use of the words gosh and crap are sprinkled throughout and one mildly bad name for someone was used twice. Because this is not under a strictly Christian umbrella, It didn’t affect my rating. I will say that morality was very good.
The characters in this book were gold. Abigail is a sweet and spunky artist. Unlike most artists I’ve read about lately, she isn’t broody or using her art to escape from her painful past. She’s a person who was mostly happy and full of life who loves art. I loved that about her. Rory is…well the opposite. He’s exactly like one would expect from an android – emotionless, not much personality, and analytical. In many ways, he reminded me of Data from Star Trek: Next Generation (which made me happy) yet he came into his own and ended up being very, very different.
The setting, in the not too distant future I feel, was well done. It felt like there were enough futuristic advances to make the plot work, yet not so far in the future that I didn’t have a feel for the world. It was fun, inventive, yet also familiar.
The story kept me on the edge of my seat from page one. At first, it was because the characters so captured my heart, but then the excitement and intrigue swept me away. I wanted to read it in one sitting, but I had to sleep (sadly) but I finished it the next day. It was a great ride.
There is a romance in the book and I have to say it was really sweet. I loved every moment of it. It was sweet, clean, and realistic. There is one kiss in the story and I thought it was done well.
I highly recommend this book to those that like stories set in the future, great writing that makes you want to keep reading, and books that also make you think.
January 5, 2021
I enjoyed this story a lot and liked the way it blended heart-racing, heart-wrenching, and heart-melting into a really well-done combination! Abigail's random, laid-back, creative personality was so much fun, but she had a very caring heart underneath, and the way that she just couldn't help trying to make friends even with her "android" partner was really sweet. And then when she was plunged into situations way beyond her depth, she never stopped caring and giving and trying to help as much as possible--yeah, I really loved her. <3
And then Rory... <3<3<3 He was kind of adorable in his clueless, robotic state, but the flashes we had of the kind and caring person he was beneath the mask were infinitely more so! Also, once he came back to who he really was, I loved him just as much if not more--and also loved some of the things that stayed constant. And he got the one scene that actually made me tear up...
The side characters were really well done, and I loved them so much. Also, the action and trying to piece together what was going on definitely kept me on my toes. While there weren't any overt faith threads to the story, I did like the focus on the delicacy and uniqueness of the human brain as well as on what sets the human condition apart from, say, an artificial intelligence.
Content--a few instances of rude language ("crap", "screwed", "jackass", etc.); a few uses of "gosh", "heck", "dang"; a few uses of "hell" in expressions (e.g. "a snowball's chance in hell"); one kiss (not descriptive); mention of wounds and blood; mentions of medical procedures and ethically questionable experiments, including resulting death and disability; ; one unintentionally awkward comment that gives the impression that a man and woman are living together (they aren't); one very brief mention of a girl imagining the problems involved in having a romantic relationship with an android, including the impossibility of getting married and sleeping together
And then Rory... <3<3<3 He was kind of adorable in his clueless, robotic state, but the flashes we had of the kind and caring person he was beneath the mask were infinitely more so! Also, once he came back to who he really was, I loved him just as much if not more--and also loved some of the things that stayed constant. And he got the one scene that actually made me tear up...
The side characters were really well done, and I loved them so much. Also, the action and trying to piece together what was going on definitely kept me on my toes. While there weren't any overt faith threads to the story, I did like the focus on the delicacy and uniqueness of the human brain as well as on what sets the human condition apart from, say, an artificial intelligence.
Content--a few instances of rude language ("crap", "screwed", "jackass", etc.); a few uses of "gosh", "heck", "dang"; a few uses of "hell" in expressions (e.g. "a snowball's chance in hell"); one kiss (not descriptive); mention of wounds and blood; mentions of medical procedures and ethically questionable experiments, including resulting death and disability; ; one unintentionally awkward comment that gives the impression that a man and woman are living together (they aren't); one very brief mention of a girl imagining the problems involved in having a romantic relationship with an android, including the impossibility of getting married and sleeping together
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January 12, 2023The Prism Conspiracy was really engaging, and honestly, far too short.
I was expecting a more heavy dystopian story, and was kind of confused when that didn’t happen. But when I finally saw the actual concept the author had in mind, play out, I wanted another two hundred pages to solidify the details. I mean, the idea of using advanced tech to correct medical conditions in the body and then in greed, the government taking it a step further, having the human test subjects for said experiments become actual androids for monetary and political gain was…intriguing.
Character wise, I really liked Rory and Abigail’s friendship/relationship, even though it happened at breakneck speeds to fit the length of the book. (Though I suppose the ending attempted to make up for that.) But I felt they were way too young to be like thirty—they came across as early twenty-something’s. I also wish there was more time spent delving into Dr. Colster, Meghan, and “security guard” Bruce, because they were really interesting.
There was a **small bit** of language I wasn’t a fan of, and a couple mentions of “sleeping together” (which never happens with anyone), but beyond that it was a super clean read. And overall I did enjoy it. :)
I was expecting a more heavy dystopian story, and was kind of confused when that didn’t happen. But when I finally saw the actual concept the author had in mind, play out, I wanted another two hundred pages to solidify the details. I mean, the idea of using advanced tech to correct medical conditions in the body and then in greed, the government taking it a step further, having the human test subjects for said experiments become actual androids for monetary and political gain was…intriguing.
Character wise, I really liked Rory and Abigail’s friendship/relationship, even though it happened at breakneck speeds to fit the length of the book. (Though I suppose the ending attempted to make up for that.) But I felt they were way too young to be like thirty—they came across as early twenty-something’s. I also wish there was more time spent delving into Dr. Colster, Meghan, and “security guard” Bruce, because they were really interesting.
There was a **small bit** of language I wasn’t a fan of, and a couple mentions of “sleeping together” (which never happens with anyone), but beyond that it was a super clean read. And overall I did enjoy it. :)
June 28, 2022
Enjoyed the science fiction parts but didn’t care for the romance parts.
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September 8, 2023Abigail has landed her dream job. She’s a designer at Sphinx, a famous architectural design company. At Sphinx, everyone designs in pairs, but her creativity is so extreme that her selected counterpart is an android, Rory. At first, everything is wonderful. Abigail sketches dazzling designs, and Rory brings them to life…but then things take a darker turn. Is Rory really an android? If he isn’t, why is he now the property of the PRISM company? And if he is, Abigail might be developing feelings for a robot…
At first I wasn’t sure what to think of this book. Was it sci fi, or romance? It turned out to be sci fi romantic suspense, light on the romance and with a fast-paced plot.
Abigail is quirky and exactly what I would imagine a creative person to be like. Rory is strong and brilliant, but also endearing. He reminded me a lot of Commander Data from Star Trek. There are also some interesting side characters and more than one twist that I didn’t see coming. It doesn’t have any overt references to religion other than the occasional “Thank God”, but God is never disrespected and the perspective will likely feel comfortable to someone with a Christian worldview.
There were a few things that I didn’t like as much. There were a couple of times the plot slowed down too much for me, but those were also the sections that focused on romance, which is not my favorite genre. There were a couple of places where I wondered why a certain plot item had not been thought of before. If you are a reader who really likes romantic suspense, I think you will love this book!
Ratings:
Heat: Two kisses, but they are brief. A fair amount of clean romantic thoughts.
Profanity: None
Violence: Mild, which is quite an accomplishment for a suspense book.
Age Recommendation: 16+ due to the romantic content.
This book is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Powells.com and several other locations as well.
Author’s website: https://maryschlegelauthor.com/
This review first appeared on H. Halverstadt Books. https://hhalverstadtbooks.com/the-pri...
At first I wasn’t sure what to think of this book. Was it sci fi, or romance? It turned out to be sci fi romantic suspense, light on the romance and with a fast-paced plot.
Abigail is quirky and exactly what I would imagine a creative person to be like. Rory is strong and brilliant, but also endearing. He reminded me a lot of Commander Data from Star Trek. There are also some interesting side characters and more than one twist that I didn’t see coming. It doesn’t have any overt references to religion other than the occasional “Thank God”, but God is never disrespected and the perspective will likely feel comfortable to someone with a Christian worldview.
There were a few things that I didn’t like as much. There were a couple of times the plot slowed down too much for me, but those were also the sections that focused on romance, which is not my favorite genre. There were a couple of places where I wondered why a certain plot item had not been thought of before. If you are a reader who really likes romantic suspense, I think you will love this book!
Ratings:
Heat: Two kisses, but they are brief. A fair amount of clean romantic thoughts.
Profanity: None
Violence: Mild, which is quite an accomplishment for a suspense book.
Age Recommendation: 16+ due to the romantic content.
This book is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Powells.com and several other locations as well.
Author’s website: https://maryschlegelauthor.com/
This review first appeared on H. Halverstadt Books. https://hhalverstadtbooks.com/the-pri...
February 22, 2021
This book is awesome!
It has scifi, a bit of a thriller-type feel, a bit of a twisty romance, and absolutely compelling characters. Especially Abigail. Abigail is awesome and hilarious and she just made me grin the whole time I was reading the book. She just feels so real and relatable, and the way she reacts to things feels like…well…like a normal human would react. And Rory…aaaaaaah. I love him. So much. That is all.
The setting is interesting because it’s definitely the Earth we know, but with a bit of technological advancement factored into everyday life. The author does a good job of making it feel futuristic yet relatable—hinting at advances in technology that feel natural based on what we have now.
The thing that struck me about the scifi aspect is that it almost felt understated, and I mean that in a good way. It blended so naturally with the setting and the story that when I stopped reading, I found myself surprised to realize that I didn’t, in fact, live in a world in which complex computer augmentation to human brains and microchips as key-cards could exist. The thing I kept thinking to myself is that it felt like it was scifi written for people who don’t usually read scifi. Technological concepts were touched on and developed just enough for the story, but never filled with technobabble or tons of detail; the focus was more on the characters and the way all these events affected them, leaving a lot of scientific detail up to the reader’s imagination to fill in. And yet the concepts never felt contrived or fake.
All in all, I was totally drawn in and really enjoyed this story!
It has scifi, a bit of a thriller-type feel, a bit of a twisty romance, and absolutely compelling characters. Especially Abigail. Abigail is awesome and hilarious and she just made me grin the whole time I was reading the book. She just feels so real and relatable, and the way she reacts to things feels like…well…like a normal human would react. And Rory…aaaaaaah. I love him. So much. That is all.
The setting is interesting because it’s definitely the Earth we know, but with a bit of technological advancement factored into everyday life. The author does a good job of making it feel futuristic yet relatable—hinting at advances in technology that feel natural based on what we have now.
The thing that struck me about the scifi aspect is that it almost felt understated, and I mean that in a good way. It blended so naturally with the setting and the story that when I stopped reading, I found myself surprised to realize that I didn’t, in fact, live in a world in which complex computer augmentation to human brains and microchips as key-cards could exist. The thing I kept thinking to myself is that it felt like it was scifi written for people who don’t usually read scifi. Technological concepts were touched on and developed just enough for the story, but never filled with technobabble or tons of detail; the focus was more on the characters and the way all these events affected them, leaving a lot of scientific detail up to the reader’s imagination to fill in. And yet the concepts never felt contrived or fake.
All in all, I was totally drawn in and really enjoyed this story!
October 7, 2020
I knew I had to get a copy of this book the moment it was available, it was worth waiting for! Really liked Abigail from the start, in most cases she reacted and responded exactly as I would have. In some of her panic moments, I both related to her emotions but I also would have relied more on my faith. The writing made me feel like I was RIGHT next to her as the plot intensifies so I was well pleased with that. This is a speculative read, but it's clean and even though kind of slow paced at first but then later picks up.
Rory is perfectly written in this story. You just don't know what to expect from him from one moment to another. He is extremely dry at first, but then he slowly develops a personality that makes him more likable. He's logical and a gentleman throughout and I liked that also, he was very well suited for Abigail's personality. When Abigail starts her first day on the job and it's explained to her that she scored SO HIGH on their test they had to match her with an android, that would've also thrown me but would have also flattered me immensely.
Dr. Colson and Megan were GREAT minor characters, also both well written. The only thing I would've have liked changed were for one more more court scenes drawn out instead of summarized. I would have liked to see how Williams responded to his verdict and that agent guy also. I truly loved that Rory's favorite color is purple and how this is referenced in the plot. All in all, a fabulous debut and I'm definitely interested in what book is next for Schlegel!
Rory is perfectly written in this story. You just don't know what to expect from him from one moment to another. He is extremely dry at first, but then he slowly develops a personality that makes him more likable. He's logical and a gentleman throughout and I liked that also, he was very well suited for Abigail's personality. When Abigail starts her first day on the job and it's explained to her that she scored SO HIGH on their test they had to match her with an android, that would've also thrown me but would have also flattered me immensely.
Dr. Colson and Megan were GREAT minor characters, also both well written. The only thing I would've have liked changed were for one more more court scenes drawn out instead of summarized. I would have liked to see how Williams responded to his verdict and that agent guy also. I truly loved that Rory's favorite color is purple and how this is referenced in the plot. All in all, a fabulous debut and I'm definitely interested in what book is next for Schlegel!
September 24, 2020
Really intriguing take on a scifi-ish/futuristic setting with androids and the question of humanity. It's got all the elements you'd expect from a story like this, but in a fun and fresh way. Abigail was a fun heroine and Rory was super sweet!
The medical side of things made me very happy, and I found the plot line of Rory's medical condition and the way that played into everything to be really interesting and a bit of a different spin on things than I'd anticipated. But also scarily plausible in a lot of ways?
Really fun story. Read it all mostly in one sitting. Some parts seemed a little abrupt, but overall didn't detract from the storyline and did not keep me from flipping on my kindle. Very much recommend if you like sci-fi/light futuristic thrillers!
The medical side of things made me very happy, and I found the plot line of Rory's medical condition and the way that played into everything to be really interesting and a bit of a different spin on things than I'd anticipated. But also scarily plausible in a lot of ways?
Really fun story. Read it all mostly in one sitting. Some parts seemed a little abrupt, but overall didn't detract from the storyline and did not keep me from flipping on my kindle. Very much recommend if you like sci-fi/light futuristic thrillers!
December 15, 2022
3.5--mostly because I feel like I got duped into reading a clean, entertaining romance novel. Romance wasn't at the forefront but it was an undercurrent throughout and it was too much for my preferences. If it hadn't been so present this would be 4 stars.
But otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed The PRISM Conspiracy, had a hard time putting it down, and I loved the contrast between Rory and Abigail, and the characters in general (Bruce was my favorite). There's also a couple of great plot twists.
But otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed The PRISM Conspiracy, had a hard time putting it down, and I loved the contrast between Rory and Abigail, and the characters in general (Bruce was my favorite). There's also a couple of great plot twists.
February 11, 2024
This book revived my interest in Science Fiction. The romance wasn’t cheesy feeling, it felt appropriate and felt natural. The SciFi elements were well grounded in reality, and the concept of brain chip interfaces was so well described it made my skin crawl (in a good way!!).
Also it is obvious the author either had dealt with epilepsy or did insane amounts of research into it.
Also it is obvious the author either had dealt with epilepsy or did insane amounts of research into it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2020
Review to follow in Lorehaven.
November 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this sci-fi thriller about an artist and an android engineer. Part medical thriller and part love story, this book is full of ethics.
2021 colour reading challenge-rainbow (prism)
2021 colour reading challenge-rainbow (prism)
January 14, 2023
What a fun story! Loved the characters, the intrigue, and even the resolution!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews