Back in September, I was in one of the worst reading slumps in recent memory. The colder weather made for a perfect reading atmosphere, and yet nothing was capturing my attention.
Finally, I spotted the vibrant, striking cover of Salvatores. The vivid colours and intriguing, piercing red eyes broke through my disinterest, as did the brief yet mysterious blurb, and I decided to start reading.
Salvatores, the debut novel by Neil Morris, a Brighton-based piano teacher, is a sci-fi mystery following the enigmatic Daniel Piper. When the protagonist reaches his fiftieth birthday, his true purpose on Earth is revealed to him. He begins to experience extraordinary changes: his eyes change colour, he can hear thoughts, and he can even levitate.
However, Daniel is not the only unearthly being experiencing this sudden evolution. Six other men and women are also part of this ancient mission, and Daniel captures each one of them at the novel’s start. Although all are initially terrified, they soon realise the seven of them — all recently turned 50 — are bound together, and their subconsciouses call to one another.
The group eventually starts to trust Daniel and works with him to complete their calling, which is kept under wraps until the novel’s conclusion. The plot moves at breakneck speed while Daniel is gathering his companions, keeping you desperate to uncover the group’s true mission.
Meanwhile, Morris adds depth to his world through Operation Condor. An investigative team comprised of top government officials, such as an MI5 leader and a police commissioner, alongside ‘psychic phenomena’ experts, the Condor investigators pose a threat to Daniel and his crew’s mission, whilst also blurring the reader’s sense of who the true heroes of the story are.
An even more concerning threat emerges in Viktor Cherenkov, a member of The Guardians of True Earth, an organisation tasked with destroying ‘beings with mind-altering powers that would attempt to mould the planet in their own image’. Like Operation Condor, The Guardians muddle the narrative’s sense of morality, forcing the reader to question why the Salvatores are truly on Earth.
Morris’s character work is endlessly intriguing. Daniel flits between protagonist and antagonist throughout the novel — at the beginning, he briefly appears in scenes that leave the reader questioning his true intentions. A particularly grisly incident during a televised psychic-debunking show is haunting to read, and plants a scene of doubt as to whether we should be rooting for this strange man with disturbing supernatural abilities.
Although there are many characters in the novel, Morris manages to make each of them feel important and fleshed out. Jessica, another Salvatore, is a woman bored by her current life who becomes more confident in her abilities and herself as the novel progresses. Mateo Fuentes, a CIA operative sent to investigate the psychic occurrences in the UK, is easy to root for, quick-thinking, and charming. Navigating so many different perspectives can be difficult to pull off, but Morris does so with ease.
Aside from his engaging writing, the short chapters, which tend to switch POVs each time, keep the pacing from feeling stale. Morris weaves in beautifully descriptive writing among short, punchy sentences that propel the plot forward. Despite being over 400 pages, the novel flies by, its sharp pacing and shifting perspectives keeping the reader constantly invested.
Salvatores is an addictive read, keeping the reader hooked until the very last page. Although the novel is full of characters, all of them are interesting and multi-faceted, and the ongoing mystery surrounding the Salvatores’ mission unfolds in a truly unexpected but compelling way.
Ultimately, Salvatores succeeds as both a gripping narrative and a thought-provoking exploration of morality, heroism, and the dangerous allure of power. Morris is currently writing the sequel, so readers won’t have to wait long to discover how the story progresses.
If you’re struggling to finish a book, you’ll fly through this one in no time at all.
Words by Emily Nutbean