An Epic Medieval Horror Story

Two years ago, I read Christopher Buehlman's "Between Two Fires," and I quickly fell in love with historical horror. That novel remains one of the most thrilling literary experiences of my life. 

That's why I was so excited to get my hands on Mitchell Luthi's medieval fantasy tale, "Pilgrim." I had heard wonderful things about this novel from fans of Buelhman's work, and I'm happy to confirm that we have a real contender for Buehlman's blockbuster. 

"Pilgrim" offers a sweeping journey into history and horror. The novel is remarkably well-researched and well-written, which is major kudos to its author. Weighing in at 700+ pages, this is an ambitious project similiar to Stephen King's longer epics. Still, I tore through this behemoth book in 2 weeks, and I haven't had this much fun in a long time.

In the story of "Pilgrim," we follow the tale of a band of misfit Crusaders escorting a holy relic to Antioch. They set off on the road from Jersalem, where they are beset by a fierce desert storm. When the dust settles, they find themselves in a nightmare landscape laden with hellish monstrosities. Their odyssey then becomes a dark journey through an Arabic version of hell.

The landscapes themselves are fascinating. The story presents a true cultural melting pot with western and eastern tradition. The heroes journey from wooded temples to cursed cities to tempestuous seas, all of which have some bearing in Middle Eastern culture. In these strange places, they encounter bloodthirsty monsters from Arab and Islamic mythology. The influence of Dante's "Inferno" is evident here, but Luthi also leans heavily on elements of "cosmic" Lovecraftian horror and even “Dark Souls”-like aberrations. 

If you're a history nerd, this book will teach you a few things about the Crusades. But if you're just looking for violent and disgusting monsters--or you're just curious about the darker parts of Middle Eastern mythology--this book won't disappoint you, either.

For new readers, I would note that early novel moves quite slowly. I found the first 7 chapters of the book overwhelmingly dense and descriptive -- and I can't say I loved all the details packed in here. The tone and pacing of the story rapidly changes around Chapter 8, so I would encourage you to stick with it!

"Pilgrim" is available on Amazon and audio book.

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*Disclaimer : I do not get paid or compensated for promoting fictional works. All reviews on this webpage are written of my own accord.