It's Not A Cult is an adult horror fiction novel by Joey Batey. It was published October 23, 2025, by the publisher Raven Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. This is Batey's debut novel, though he has said he had been writing for about seventeen years prior to its release.
The story follows the characters Callum, Melusine, and Al. The three of them are in a band with no name that hasn't reached more than 97 subscribers in several years. Their band features tales about gods, or Solkats, who represent the minute things in life.
Currently, the audiobook can only be purchased within the UK, but the physical book is available worldwide. The Broken Binding is selling a special edition copy, which are signed and have painted edges of the Solkats.
Summary The three main characters in It's Not A Cult bring the spirit of the band together. While their music is described as amateurish at times, Mel, Callum, and Al are so involved in their art and the creation of the Solkat stories to give up trying.
Callum began the stories of the Solkats when he was still in art school. Eventually he found that music was the best way to tell these stories, and without Mel, the stories probably wouldn't have been told at all. When Al eventually joins the band, they begin to grow an online presence because of her help with recording their performances.
Solkats There are twenty-four Solkats in total. +PhotoNameTitleBizenThe Witch, Solkat of children's liesHadawaySolkat of rust and texts at three in the morningFastSolkat of cold calls and blighted cropsCannySolkat of betting shops and unheard jokesMarraThe Companion, holder of hands and pintsWhishtSolkat of red wine stains and noiseCowp and CreelsThe Tricksters, Solkat of stubbed toes and fateful meetingsSkinchiesThe Luck Monger, Solkat of bus stop fights and fearNebSolkat of falling petals and looking at someone else's phoneWar LassThe Last Word You'll Hear, Solkat of one too manyBelterWielder of the Thyrsus, Solkat of neon wristbands and punishmentRadgeThe Cripple, Solkat of masks and mortarSneckSolkat of thumb prints and blurted thoughtsYemThe Mother, Solkat of empty bedsHaporthSolkat of lost coins in pocket holes, charity shops and memoryScranSolkat of bar tabs, reckonings and squanderSpelkThe Muzzled Hound, Solkat of cramps and forgotten bruisesHackiesSolkat of breath, side-eyes and nightmaresClartySolkat of smudged lipstick, mud and changeHockleThe Antecedent, Solkat of spit and nervous momentsMonkey's BloodSolkat of aftertaste and imagined conversationsThe BlatherskiteVoluble Purveyor of Nonsense, Solkat of perversion, politics and escapeThe BagsiesThe Wild Sisters, Solkat of promises and paymentBonnieThe Wind on Windows, Solkat of fairy lights, flirting and falling References