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A review by amelia3172
The Old Religion by Martyn Waites
4.0
This spins one of those blink and you’ll miss it books, but is something you can read so quickly you blink and it’s over. It is a really satisfying book, well written and unpredictable, Waites does a fantastic job of creating beautifully human characters, and brilliantly evil villains. This book had me hooked practically all the way, and I truly loved reading it.
Admittedly this is nothing what I expected it to be. I entered this book thinking more of it would be centred around the occult, and whilst we saw much of this it was by no means the predominant focus. Instead, a lot of this book looks into cartels and addiction, something it paints in an incredibly realistic light. Only it contrasts bizarrely with the setting of Cornwall, however, Waited manages to depict village life in a way so true to life it borders in hilarity.
The plot is well constructed and plays out at a pace that allows both plot and character to breathe, but I never found myself bored even for a moment. The characters are both realistic and enjoyable to read from their point of view, each voice felt distinct and this is a great trait. This is one of few books I’ve read in which the author makes brilliant use of multiple points of view, really adding to the story rather than as a lazy plot device to advance the organic flow of the plot.
My one major complaint is the extent to which it pushes the boundaries of reality. Namely to the degree in which pretty much everyone in the town of St Petrochemical seems pretty bloody eager to commit murder. But otherwise, I loved this book and anticipate the chance to read more from Waites..
Admittedly this is nothing what I expected it to be. I entered this book thinking more of it would be centred around the occult, and whilst we saw much of this it was by no means the predominant focus. Instead, a lot of this book looks into cartels and addiction, something it paints in an incredibly realistic light. Only it contrasts bizarrely with the setting of Cornwall, however, Waited manages to depict village life in a way so true to life it borders in hilarity.
The plot is well constructed and plays out at a pace that allows both plot and character to breathe, but I never found myself bored even for a moment. The characters are both realistic and enjoyable to read from their point of view, each voice felt distinct and this is a great trait. This is one of few books I’ve read in which the author makes brilliant use of multiple points of view, really adding to the story rather than as a lazy plot device to advance the organic flow of the plot.
My one major complaint is the extent to which it pushes the boundaries of reality. Namely to the degree in which pretty much everyone in the town of St Petrochemical seems pretty bloody eager to commit murder. But otherwise, I loved this book and anticipate the chance to read more from Waites..