Pilgrim – Mitchell Lüthi

5/5 stars

In all the years that I’ve been reading, I’ve never read anything as gripping and breath-taking as Pilgrim.

Pilgrim is absolutely beautiful. It’s so carefully written and researched, and you can tell that a lot of love and time went into this book. Mitchell has crafted a story with the makings of a true epic, and I haven’t been this moved by a book since reading The Odyssey or The Divine Comedy.

The horror elements take a bit of time to develop, but they’re so impactful and really pack a punch. It crept up on me, and I was suddenly full of anxiety and hopelessness without even realizing. Mitchell has a gift for writing horror reminiscent of the old days. He weaves despair into history, religion, and lore until you’re so entwined in it that you have to keep reading no matter what.

His characters are a diverse bunch with different theologies, but they all band together for their common goal. It’s a fascinating contrast, and reading how these people from different walks of life and different ideologies interact is a thing of beauty. I just couldn’t help but get attached to them (with one notable exception), and it made it so much worse as the story went on, and the group slowly dwindled.

Honestly, it’s hard for me to write this review. I’m totally speechless at the level of detail and care that I saw in Pilgrim. It’s a long read, but it’s a gorgeous piece of work and so so satisfying to read. It’s worth every minute spent on it and is one of the best stories I’ve ever read.