I received this ebook for free through NetGalley

I loved the premise of this book and how unique it was. Definitely glad I came across it. Thanks for the read and looking forward to what happens next.

This book was everything it promised! Entertaining, in the near future, elements of “Red Rising” and “the Visitors”.

I really enjoyed my time with this book a lot! The perfect beach read for anyone in love with science fiction space stories.

When I initially read a description of this book, I was instantly intrigued. First contact with aliens and they're Catholic? Sign me up! Having read Pilgrims I have to say I was not disappointed. A fast-paced, well written story, that at it's heart is a story about faith: in yourself, in life and in your fellow man. The perfect blend of sci-fi, religion and (I'll call it) "philosophy". Overall, I'd give the book 4 out of 5 stars. Would definitely be interested in hearing about what the author comes up with next.

I'd call it speculative scifi & when i describe it it sounds ludicrous.

Earth is under oppressive martial law awaiting a coming alien invasion.

The aliens land. The aliens are devout Catholics.
Sounds like satire. It is not.

Our main character is a Latin teacher that discovers studying Classics in college was a crackerjack major after all.

From there you're on your own, readers!

I really enjoyed the premise of the book. It had me interested throughout the entire story. Such a unique plot and I loved how the author created such a unique story. The prologue grabbed me and lured me in. I loved reading along to discover why the scenario took place like it did. Highly recommend.

When I chose this book on NetGalley, it was based on the amazing book cover. I didn’t even bother to read the description. So I had to laugh when my request was approved, and I discovered the significant Catholic theme to the story - aliens arrive and they are Catholic! But I am non-religious. So it doesn’t give me any more cause for concern to read about Catholic aliens than it does to read about Darth Vader.

I had to look up Augustine’s Confessions. It is one of the first known auto-biographical works. Augustine’s Confessions consist of 13 books written between 397 and 400 CE. The first nine are Augustine’s confessions of his sins before becoming a Christian. The last four books are more philosophical nature.

And so first and foremost Pilgrims is a redemption story. When the book begins, Austin is a mess. An “out-of-work Latin teacher and borderline alcoholic Austin DeSantis is determined to spend his final days in the arms of a prostitute.” But due to his dire circumstances and ability to speak Latin - the language the aliens use - Austin becomes the pawn of a cynical, American general. And this allows him to get to know Virgil, an ambassador of the aliens.

The author, M. R. Leonard is a very good writer. The varied main characters - Austin, the general, a Catholic priest, and Virgil - are multi-faceted, believable, and interesting. It’s easy to follow each turn of events, and the author left no plot holes. Lastly, the story was fun and a real page turner. It’s an incredible first book.

So why just a rating of 4 and not 5? While I was able to suspend disbelief and enjoy the premise that the aliens were Catholic, I rather doubt that religious, non-Christians would feel the same way. Intentionally or not, Pilgrims was not written for everyone. And while it could be argued that no book is - horror books will not appeal to those who dislike reading horror - it is the reader who decides whether they will read horror or not. But Pilgrims selects its readers by eschewing non-Christians in the premise. Now, I can’t know the author’s intent. Did he just think a modern retelling of Augustine’s Confessions would be a fun book to write? Or is he truly writing for primarily Christians alone? There is no way for this reader to tell.

Here is the bottom line, if you’re not put off by the religious theme, this is a fun sci-fi read.