The Desolation by Andrew Gillsmith

In a future Holy Land, shattered and rendered uninhabitable by a mysterious scourge, pilgrims come to die. Their reasons vary. Some come out of despair. Others to make a holy death or simply to lay down the burden of living. Some few come seeking either illumination or penance. The Desolation is a tale told in three parts: The Jerusalem Passage, The House of the Four Last Things, and The Eight Sacrament. It follows the stories of several pilgrims, each led by a strange wanderer who is somehow immune to the effects of the plague afflicting the Holy Land. A blend of Lovecraftian horror and the raw metaphysics of Dostoevsky, the book asks more questions than it answers. What are the limits of divine and human mercy? Are some sins unpardonable? Can grace transform even an undead conscience? For fans of Gene Wolfe, Mary Doria Russell, and CS Lewis.

Adult • Fantasy/Dark