The Acolyte

By: Nick Cutter

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Jonah Murtag is an Acolyte on the New Bethlehem police force. His job is to eradicate all heretical religious faiths, their practitioners, and artifacts. Murtag's got problems - one of his partners is a zealot, and he's in love with the other one. Trouble at work, trouble at home. Murtag realizes that you can rob a citizenry of almost anything, but you can't take away its faith. When a string of bombings paralyzes the city, religious fanatics are initially suspected, but startling clues point to a far more ominous perpetrator. If Murtag doesn't get things sorted out, the Divine Council will dispatch the Quints, AKA Heaven's Own Bagmen. The clock is ticking towards doomsday for the Chosen of New Bethlehem. And Jonah Murtag's got another problem, the biggest and most worrisome: he isn't a believer anymore.

©2015 Nick Cutter (P)2015 Tantor

Didn't feel like a real world

Not exactly sure what was missing. i think the world building felt off. It also felt edgy for the sake of it. Too many lurid and unbelievably scandalous details. Felt gross without enough redeeming qualities to balance it.

A solid Dystopain

The Acolyte by Nick Cutter receives four stars from me. I enjoyed the parallels to modern day, the comment on religion, and the characters (well maybe a few I didn’t care for.)

This audiobook was read by Jonathan Yen. He’s reading was on par. I enjoyed his voices, and his interpretation of the novel. He is very subtle with his reading, with less acting, which I enjoyed.

The book. The plot is good, very engaging. The characters are good, except for the Quints, who I didn’t care for very much. I didn’t like them because I felt they needed more development. They felt contrived for me. However, the main character, Jonah, who is struggling with believing, I felt he was interesting. He does things like buys animals who should be sacrificed and then keeps them instead. I think he is constantly being faced with what he has been taught about the religion and what he sees as actually happening in the world. I enjoyed that.

The dystopian setting is also strong. The world is clear, the laws, the way of life—all clearly outlined, but not in a info dump way, sewn through the text.

Recommended: here I need to say that due to the violence, readers should read the back of the book before making a choice. However, as a dystopian novel, I thought it was nice.

Cutter is a rockstar!

Loved it! He has an awesome imagination that just does flitter on the edges of truth. Cutter uses adjectives and imagery to snap the perfect photo in the reader's minds while describing characters and setting. I would love to see Jonah, Porter, and the Quints back for another round! Please, Nick Cutter?!?

Good Time

Once again Nick Cutter brings the listener on a rollercoaster ride to a scary alternate future where Religion, State and Thriller all resides to make a fantastic story.
thanks again

wasn't looking forward to reading at all

this book was at the bottom of my list to read by this author. I was hooked within the first few chapters. I totally underestimated this book. this and Little Heaven have made their way into my top five favorite books of all time. not as gory and horrific (in the same ways) as his other popular books (The Troop. The Deep.), but was chilling in a league of its own.

love nick and loved this book

I really enjoyed this book but I thought the ending was uninspired. seemed like he was kinda just over it so stopped writing lol. great premise, vagueish theme and spectacular voice actor.

An Intensely Realized Tale

I really liked this, but it’s certainly not for everyone. Given the current state of American politics, I fear we’re closer to this in reality than is purely comfortable. Cutter always delivers, and this is no different.

Animal cruelty

I liked the religous dystopian twist but could not tolerate the animal cruelty theme repeatedly used for shock factor.

I was bored

I like Cutters work but though this was a different story and have have it a shot I just couldn't get into it. Which is a shame cause I enjoyed all of which IV read by author

Anti Christian diatribe

Little more than the musings of a uneducated, I'll informed bigot. Stale plot, stereotypical characters.