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It's Not a Cult

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It's Not a Cult

By: Joey Batey
Narrated by: Joey Batey
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About this listen

 Bloomsbury presents It's Not a Cult, written and read by Joey Batey.

'I loved it straight away ... characters so vivid you feel like they might be living in your wardrobe right now' NATASHA PULLEY, author of THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET

'Gloriously over-the-top and under-the-skin [with] shades of early Angela Carter' OSKAR JENSEN, author of HELLE AND DEATH

Callum, Melusine and Al play in a band with no name, baffling audiences in terrible pubs across the northeast of England with their ‘sound’. Their songs tell the stories of the Solkats: fictional northern gods of small things, of mishap and mayhem. Absolutely no one knows what they’re on about. But they believe in their music, and in each other. And they’re happy.

That is, until an act of violence at a pub gig goes viral, they catch the eye of a disillusioned influencer and suddenly go from having a cult following to having a cult, following.

All the Solkats want, Callum insists, is to have effect on the world. But as fans from LA to Australia flock to Northumberland, and each gig becomes larger and more lawless than the last, this effect starts to feel scarily… real. Which poses the question: if the Solkats really do exist, which is it more dangerous to anger: a wayward group of elder gods, or your biggest fans?

Because gods and cults both demand sacrifices. And one way or another they’re going to get one…©2025 Joey Batey (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Fantasy Horror

Critic reviews

Fierce, freewheeling piece of modern folk horror that thrums with originality (James Lovegrove)
All stars
Most relevant
A really enjoyable listen! Joey Batey’s performance elevates the story. The perspective of the narrator (Al the drummer in the band) is fascinating, quiet, observational, and subtly unreliable, leaving you constantly questioning how much of what you’re being shown can be trusted. Is it supernatural or psychological? It’s a smart, unsettling exploration of toxic fandom, social media, and how easily art and belief can blur into something more dangerous. I will be looking out for Batey’s next novel.

Really enjoyable listen!

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This novel benefitted greatly from Joey Batey narrating it. I always feel that you hear it how it’s meant to be read when an author does this, and it doesn’t hurt that Joey has a voice I could listen to all day.
The characters are three dimensional, with both egotistical quirks, odd bravery and desolate fatalism. They’re not easy to like when you consider that, yet I found myself doing so despite it. They are just so very human.
The story is written to an unusual tempo, which is unsurprising given the musical theatre Joey produces with Madeline Hyland for their band: The Amazing Devil. (Check them out if you haven’t already, their sound is a musical smorgasbord). The novel is a damning commentary on celebrity, social media and parasocial relationships, that shines harsh light on the potential pitfalls of stardom and fanaticism. Come for the weird, stay for the prose: simply beautiful.

As weird and wonderful as expected

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This is the first book I’ve read in a decade that makes me feel the way reading a new Terry Pratchett book used to feel. It’s not a thematic similarity, but there’s the same sort of depth of feeling, if that makes sense. There’s the same sort of annoyed, exasperated compassion for humanity and how stupid we can be as a collective. I bought a hard copy too, but I wanted to hear the songs as well as read them. Good call, as it turns out. It’s a beautifully written book, Funny, harrowing, bittersweet, weird. I loved it.

I loved it so much I bought it twice

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It's narrated brilliantly, I loved the switches between Al and other characters. And the range between the funny and the heartbreaking! You think you expect what will come next, but you really don't — every plot turn ends up being much more than what you anticipated.

I also loved all the little details and mannerisms of the characters and how, again, the characters that you think you know manage to surprise you — the unexpected moments of kindness or courage from some of such characters were among the most powerful bits of the book for me.


Great work, really. Lowkey hoping for a companion music album now :)

Touching, thought-provoking, and wonderfully narrated

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I honestly can’t think of a better way of describing this book than sincere. It can be funny, moving, disturbing, and so many more things, but overall it feels sincere and genuine. I’ve just finished it, and I think this a book that will stay with me for a long time

Touching, moving, funny, weird, wonderful, and sincere

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