Pilgrims

By: M. R. Leonard

Narrated by: Jeff Hays, Justin Thomas James, Gary Furlong, Annie Ellicott

Latin was a dead language—until the aliens arrived.

Out-of-work Latin teacher and borderline alcoholic Austin DeSantis is determined to spend his final days in the arms of a prostitute—that is if the aliens don’t exterminate humanity first.

But when the aliens land at the Vatican, begin speaking Latin, and reveal themselves to be Catholic, the world turns upside down.

Pressed into service as a translator and thrust into the center of humanity's first contact with a cryptic alien race, Austin must uncover their true intentions before religious turmoil rips the planet apart. But with Austin caught between the Catholic Church, the US military, and an enigmatic alien AI, he'll have to decide where his loyalties lie as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

PILGRIMS is a sci-fi retelling of Augustine's Confessions, mixing a high-concept premise à la Children of Time with the ceaseless pacing and rich characterization of Red Rising.

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©2024 Blue Castle Press (P)2024 Soundbooth Theater

Simply amazing

Such a beautiful meld of science fiction and faith. The story of redemption brought me to tears. You could easily put this up next to A Canticle for Leibowitz

A beautiful Catholic scifi retelling of Confessions

The book market is severely lacking in sincere, faith inspired stories of this quality. This was a powerful piece of fiction, thoroughly entertaining, and filled with a talented voice cast that delivered! Most importantly it was a story of substance. It leaves you with lasting substance to chew on.

Very pleasant surprise

I was primarily attracted by the theology, and I’m anything BUT a Sci-Fi aficionado, and I found the story compelling and the conclusion satisfying.

Absolute Gem

Man! I bought this on a whim and I loved evey second of it. I love religion but don't like it when it's preached. This meshes religion and science fiction perfectly I really couldn't put it down.better be a a follow up !!

A solid sci-fi tale without the moral gray

Recently, it seems like there's a lot of moral gray in the popular sci-fi and fantasy. Hopefully Pilgrims is the start of a trend in the other direction. If you want a solid story without the moral ambiguity, do consider giving Pilgrims a shot.
In terms of the audiobook version, the quality was top notch. I'd call it more of an audio drama than a traditional audiobook. I hope for more like this in the future.

Tremendous

I couldn't wait to hear the next chapter. Will definitely recommend to my family and friends!

Excellent Story, Voice Acting, and all of the above!

If you like sci-fi, church history, and geopolitics, then this book is for you! Amazing writing from M.R. Leonard. A book that kept me hanging onto every word, eager to hear what happens next. Looking forward to so much more from this author!

Must Listen

This story was very well written and creative! The character development is great and the themes it explores make you think even after you’re done reading! Cannot recommend enough!

I couldn’t put it down

I highly recommend this for anyone who loves lots of suspense and a great ending with a twist. I heartily enjoyed it!

Sci Fi meets Apologetics

While this is billed as a loose adaptation of Augustine’s confessions it is much more than that. It is a riveting sci fi thriller, with some interesting speculation on alien life forms and
excellent apologetics mixed in.

For someone curious about Catholicism this would be a great first choice. The conversations between Austin and Fr Ambrose go over some classic apologetics and the overall emphasis on the centrality of love will appeal to those left cold by appeals to morality (goodness) or reason (truth). I’ve recommended it to everyone I know who is interested in Catholicism and or Sci Fi.