Revelator

A Novel

By: Daryl Gregory

Narrated by: Reagan Boggs

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

The dark, gripping tale of a 1930s family in the remote hills of the Smoky Mountains, their secret religion, and the daughter who turns her back on their mysterious god - from the acclaimed author of Spoonbenders. 

“Gods and moonshine in the Great Depression, written with a tenderness and brutality … this is as good as novels get.” (Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians)

In 1933, nine-year-old Stella is left in the care of her grandmother, Motty, in the backwoods of Tennessee. The mountains are home to dangerous secrets, and soon after she arrives, Stella wanders into a dark cavern where she encounters the family's personal god, an entity known as the Ghostdaddy.

Years later, after a tragic incident that caused her to flee, Stella - now a professional bootlegger - returns for Motty's funeral, and to check on the mysterious 10-year-old girl named Sunny that Motty adopted. Sunny appears innocent enough, but she is more powerful than Stella could imagine - and she’s a direct link to Stella's buried past and her family's destructive faith.

Haunting and wholly engrossing, summoning mesmerizing voices and giving shape to the dark, Revelator is a Southern gothic tale for the ages.

©2021 Daryl Gregory (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

“Revelator is a thing of beauty, brutal in the vein of Cormac McCarthy, a novel in the Southern Gothic tradition that is fresh and deeply disturbing.” —Danielle Trussoni, The New York Times

“Revelator is a brisk work of Southern Gothic horror and an intriguing, female-centric portrait of a family in conflict. It’s funny, too . . . [Stella is] a complex character, a pleasure to follow for 300-plus pages . . . An intrafamilial battle ensues, fueling the book’s eventful closing chapters and solving some mysteries surrounding the god.” —Kevin Canfield, San Francisco Chronicle

“In Revelator, Gregory has constructed a twisty, unnerving story that reveals its secrets [judiciously] . . . [Gregory] has a talent for writing outcasts, for conjuring empathy and sympathy for those left to toil in the margins. That talent is certainly on display in Revelator, where it’s damn near impossible not to root for Stella but also for the family of choice she finds along the way . . . Revelator is a book of few heroes and many villains, but more than anything, it’s a book for the people — mostly women — who get caught in the path of both.” —Nicole Hill, Tor Nightfire

Very Unusual

This was very interesting and very unusual. The supernatural element of this story was not apparent from the beginning and the way that the author exposed that to the reader was subtile and very well done. The narration was excellent and overall I was well entertained for all 11 hours and 35 minutes. I had forgotten that I had read another novel by Mr. Gregory (The Spoonbenders)... also a very good read, unique subject matter. Good stuff, highly recommended.

if you like Old Gods of Appalachia you'll love it

excellent story read by an excellent narrator with a realistic Appalachian accent. highly recommend

Truly a revelation

My goodness. what a book. Possibly the best I've read this year. A true masterpiece of Southern Gothic horror, with a touch of Cosmic horror. I enjoyed every moment.

horror? more like borer.

I'm sorry but nothing happens in the 1st 80% and I don't understand what other people see in this book and why they're rating at so highly.

Daryl Gregory does it again!

I have been a fan of Mr. Gregory since discovering him several years ago. I have enjoyed all of his work. He has a knack for taking a well worn topic and spinning a new and exciting tale. From zombies to superheroes to gods, his perspective is always new and his story telling is always engaging. I am always excited when I see he is releasing a new title.

Reagan Boggs does an outstanding job of telling the tale. Her presentation is wonderful! I will look for more of her work.

Repetitive and Empty

Repetitive story that goes nowhere.
Nothing really happens until the last couple of chapters, the “twists” you can see coming a mile away. The cult is a complete joke and unthreatening. Complete misfire.

Great read!

A lot of reviews I have seen for this book describe it as both interesting and strange. I can attest to this. It was definitely unique and a bit twisted. There wasn't a dull moment for me. I would describe it as atmospheric, creepy, and horrific, yet mesmerizing and imaginative, with a small touch of gothic. I enjoyed this book. It is what I was looking for in a horror book. There are too many horror books that do not deliver in setting, story, and mood. Revelator gave me what I was asking for.

Lovecraftian Moonshine

If you like reading cosmic horror while sipping a nice bourbon, this is the book! Enjoyed every second of this story, which was SO beautifully narrated…one of those books I was glad to have read with my ears rather than my eyes. So much compelling stuff going on here, but I was particularly engrossed by how deftly Gregory explores the ways that women’s voices are silenced and excluded in religious life. Mix in a scary monster, and it makes for a terrific and thoughtful read.

Really good book

Love the narrator great story excellent listen. I was craving it every day until I could listen

An Appalachian Folktale Like No Other

Old as those ancient mountains we call Appalachian or Smoky, are the many folklores their inhabitants have spoken, written, and lost to time. This is, by far, one of the best Appalachian tales I’ve heard in a very long time. Split between decades, we are guided down an unseen path, through hidden caves, moonshine stills, and generational curses. I enjoyed every minute of this mystical yet engagingly and endearingly heart wrenching path. The mountains are calling, and I must go.