Pilgrim

A Medieval Horror

By: Mitchell Lüthi

Narrated by: Alan Turton

Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in 12th-century Jerusalem, Pilgrim follows the treacherous journey of a German knight and his companions as they return home after seven arduous years battling for God in the Holy Land. Within this sprawling tale lies a tapestry of medieval horror, intertwining history and folklore, encompassing both a metaphysical and literal odyssey.

Inspired by a rich blend of Arabic, Christian, and pre-Islamic traditions, Pilgrim delivers a pulse-pounding story of action, adventure, and bone-chilling horror.

©2023 Sentinel Creatives (P)2024 Sentinel Creatives

…dang…

Amazing read. It took me awhile to recover from the cosmic despair. As soon as I recovered I want through it a second time. Just as good the second read if not better.

An even greater story than I had hoped for

I’ve been searching for another medieval horror book ever since I listened to “Between Two Fires” by Christopher Buehlman and have had very little success. There’s been some short stories and a few decent short novels, but nothing that was REALLY what I was searching for. Then out of the blue this book came out and I randomly stumbled upon it. It sounded really interesting and I dared to hope it might finally be what I’ve been looking for. It turned out to be even better than that. More than just an action horror story, Pilgrim goes deep into the historical events taking place at the time, really putting in the work to set the stage for the story and the characters in it. Because it is also the characters that really add to the story. Mysterious, haunted, but with redeeming qualities, each character truly adds something to the overall experience throughout the journey.
I’m not going to talk about the story itself, because it is better not knowing what to expect, but I will say that it is a long arduous journey with many different people, places, dangers, challenges, and mysteries. It was one of the rare 20+ hours books that I didn’t want to end. Please give this book a try if you have any interest in historical fiction with a touch of the fantastic or appreciation for horror both seen and unseen.

A Medieval Horror Masterpiece

Lüthi's debut novel is a vast and impressive entry into the emerging 'medieval horror' genre: richly detailed, eerie, cerebral, and unexpectedly heart-wrenching at times. Alan Turton truly shines here: his warm, expressive baritone and versatility is a perfect match for this modern epic.

Excellent narration, engrossing story, highly recommend

I have a special place in my heart for historical horror and this book check all the boxes. I would absolutely recommend.

Uneven but very good.

There’s a big part of me that wishes this had been a lean, mean novella. The middle third of this book is so weighted down by an ouroboros of theologizing that it’s easy to forget the tight, brilliant character work that bookends it. Don’t. It’s a worthwhile read that might tread a lot of the same ground as Buehlman’s outstanding Between Two Fires but also does some fresh things with it. I look forward to the Luthi’s next outing.

incredible narration

it is a serviceable novel, and by that I do not mean it sets out to be serviceable. it tries and at times comes awfully close to its lofty ambitions, but at the end of the day it doesn't quite make purchase. A few too many meanderings, a few too little desire to create a thorough and thoughtful conclusion. It is, when boiled down, solid. Some may have better wear on it, some may even hate it.

But I doubt many will argue the narration is great. I kept going largely because of it. Characters that lack a heavy hand in personalization are given interesting and varied voices that do wonders to break up the flow and keep everything (and everyone) straight. It isn't a confusing novel but any stretch, but it is just rough enough here that it would have been a far worse read otherwise.

Would recommend to any horror buff, but temper expectations and really levy the page count. It is every last bit of its 700 pages.

I wanted to love this book but…

It has long moments of incredible dullness, punctuated by perfect storytelling. It is very slow in the beginning as the story is very heavy on the history and political climate of 12th century Jerusalem. However, just when you think you have must have picked up a historical fiction book by mistake, it takes a crazy turn into some really wild and original horror fiction!
There is so much in this book to love, and I really wanted to love it, but I found myself zoning out so often I lost the thread and had to throw in the towel 3 hours before the end. I intend to try again in the future, but for me at least, this isn’t a book you can listen to as you go about your day; rather one you have to often stop and consider certain concepts and really apply those active listening skills at times.
While the narration is superb, I feel that this one might be better consumed via physical book.