Listen to a sample
It's Not a Cult
- Author
- Joey Batey
- Narrator
- Joey Batey
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 23 October 2025
- Run Time
- 11 hours 33 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
'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…
Critics Review
-
Fierce, freewheeling piece of modern folk horror that thrums with originality
Financial Times
-
An incredibly fun read … Joey Batey has pulled another arrow out of his creative quiver and hit a bullseye
GRIMDARK
-
Vigorous, lurid, page-turning
LOCUS
-
Batey writes confidently, leaning into the mordant comedy, while also committing fully to the book's disturbing premise
SFX
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Fabulously mad … I loved it straightaway … So convincing that I’m a little bit worried that somehow I too will end up living in a disused water park with purple hair and weird chalk symbols on the door. Usually, I’d say, oh, if people like this book or this book then they’ll love this, but actually, I can’t here: It's Not A Cult genuinely isn’t like anything else. But if you love characters so vivid you feel like they might be lurking in your wardrobe right now, wicked-clever jokes, and a brilliantly cynical take on the music industry (and death cults): this is fully for you
Natasha Pulley, bestselling author of THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET
-
Gloriously over-the-top and under-the-skin. In his enthusiasm for an ornate turn of phrase and Gothic levels of grubbiness, Batey evokes shades of early Angela Carter and Nicola Barker
Oskar Cox Jensen
-
Batey writes with fierce intelligence, delivering a terrifying and piercing exploration of fandom, fame and authenticity. It’s Not a Cult is a rich and provocative read that invites the reader into the world of Al, Melusine and Callum and the strange Solkats of which they sing
The Bookseller
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Joey Batey
- Narrator
- Joey Batey
- Duration
- 11 hours 33 minutes
- Release Date
- 23 October 2025
- ISBN
- 9781526676825
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Musicians, singers, bands and groups, Contemporary horror, ghost stories and supernatural fiction, Magical realism, Comic (humorous) fantasy
Synopsis
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 DEATHCallum, 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…
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.