The Savior

by Marvin Werlin

Christopher McKenzie had youth, grace, beauty...and the unearthly power to know the unknowable, to heal, to command. But for every miracle, for every saintly act, there was the mounting satanic frenzy, the dark, unspeakable price---to be paid in blood...

Genres: Horror, Fiction

380 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

What was it about the 70s that produced so many horror books with a psychic power theme? In The Savior, Werlin ran with the trope of a psychic healer with powers that often got away from him. Our lead, one Christopher, starts the novel off in Scotland. His mother, Susan, came from Ireland, but relocated to Inverness when her parents died. She met, fell in love with a merchant sailor, and Christopher came into being. Werlin takes us to the early days of Christopher, when he was able to summon his mother for feeding without making a sound; some kind of mind power.

Anyway, Susan and Christopher (after the death of her husband) come to Philly to work basically as a seamstress for a wealthy family there. In the slow burn pacing of the novel, Werlin takes us through the growing up of Christopher and the manifestations of his talents; not only can he use a form of mind control, he can also heal and 'find people' by touching their belongings. His mother Susan wants him to keep this a big secret, for she knows if it 'gets out', his life will never be the same; hell, he might become some subject in a covert government lab! When Christopher reaches 21 however, events come to pass that make keeping a lid on his talents impossible...

I liked this, but found it pretty predictable after a little while. What would a horny teenager do if he had the mind power Chris had? Even better (in a way), the people he controls have no memory of what transpired while he made them do whatever. Overall, a bit of a classic in that it helped construct a new psychic trope in horror fiction in the 70s, but nothing to really write home about. 3 saving stars!!

[Grady Hendrix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did you know that the average human brain does not stop growing until the early 20's? On an MRI, a teenager's brain more closely resembles a broken drawer full of dirty socks and filthy underwear than an adult brain. That is why no one was suggesting that any teenager be given the power to heal the sick or resurrect the dead, until Marvin Werlin (and his brother Mark) wrote this book. Things end in a sedate orgy of self-destruction, but you saw that coming anyways.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book twenty years ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. Although there were some serious writing issues about it, the concept was very engaging.

Read my full review: https//www.mybookabyss.com

[Irina Starodubtseva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found "The Savior" in the book shop "Chodasevisch". It specialises in the old, rare editions. The interior of the shop reminds one of a country cellar or attic, where generations of inhabitants were collecting the books they bought. The atmosphere is cozy and they play rock-n-roll at the background. The thrill of brousing in this shop is that you never know what you will find. Usually I threw my money on complete trash, but this time I was lucky to read "The Saviour".
The jenre of the book is a romanthic thriller, not particularly my favorite, but I couldn't keep away from the book until I've read it all. The beauty of the narration is in the complexity of characters. For example, Christopher - is amazing and fearsome at the same time. He has power to heal and sight, but is unaware of its nature. The people close to him want to make money on the guy, but they don't seem to notice, that he is unready for the fame. The story has compelling descriptions of the beautful and the ugly events and passion. The reader seems to be on the rollercoasters of the story, as he doesn't know, where the next turn will lead.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book 20 years ago and it still is with me.

[Sean Heisler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Were all books written in the 70s this horny?

[Tosha Sisler · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the worst book that I have ever read. I actually finished it, but only because I kept waiting for the story to redeem itself; it was such a good idea. Unfortunately, the father-and-son team who wrote it were more interested in outdoing each-other's debauchery than developing the story.