BOOK REVIEW | DAYTIDE | CHRIS PANATIER

ABOUT THE BOOK

Death comes to those who live.
The Longing is here: a ruthless psychological pandemic that only ever ends one way. Most find relief in a bullet or a blade. Kaya Sinh chose fire.
With Kaya gone, her friend Adam has only the support group they’d attended to keep him going. He’s at his lowest when a priest named Hayle Carnoth appears at group one night, claiming to have discovered a cure for the Longing. Thinking it a crude effort by the priest to seek members for his dwindling congregation, Adam drives him off.
But he keeps coming back.
With the Longing closing in, Adam agrees to let Father Carnoth share what he’s discovered. They visit a nearby cathedral, where something has appeared inside the steeple.

REVIEW

How do you describe a book like Daytide? A book about faith, belonging and Angels that get pissed on Turpentine and like cosplaying as famous people from history whilst going around and having loads of argy bargy.

Well, the best way to describe it is that it is a proper fibbertijibbet of a book. A real will – o – the wisp.

Does it work? Not all the time, but it is one of those books where you can’t help but like it because it is so proper out there.

At times the book sags, particularly in the middle, but does that matter? Not really! However, can a book just coast on concept alone. Well, we all know that the answer to that is a resounding no, and that is where Chris Panatier’s writing comes in. He fills it with characters that force themselves into your brain and set up squatting rights (although sometimes it must be said that sometimes the side characters do become lost in the story and it can be difficult to keep track of them). It’s chock full of one liners that you can’t help but laugh at. Not only that,  he throws all but the kitchen sink in in terms of plot but somehow, it works.

Now this could be a bit of a marmite book and I can imagine some people just hating it, But me? I thought it was great!