Life Remains does almost everything right, even though its portrayal of vampires is far away from what I prefer. I like vampires to be about death. These ones walk in daylight, eat normal food, run society, and spend a lot of time talking about coexistence. 

The story follows several connected threads. Mabel, whose parents were killed by vampires, is forced to live under the protection of Frederick, one of their leaders. Ken, a human hunter (and Frederick’s lover), tries to help people without starting a war. Luke and Clint are two boys caught in the middle, owned by vampires who decide their fate without asking. Secrets, latent powers, old connections, and shifting loyalties slowly push everyone toward conflict even though most of them would really prefer to avoid one.

From a craft perspective, there’s little to complain about. The book is well paced, clearly structured, and easy to read. The chapters move quickly, action scenes are clean and understandable, and the story never gets bogged down in exposition. Characterization is solid across the board. 

That said, the plot rarely surprises. The intrigue is competent but most twists are easy to see coming. If you’re waiting for a moment that genuinely changes the game, it never arrives.

Overall, Life Remains is a well-written, dark urban fantasy with vampires who are more interested in control, politics, and relationships than blood and death. To be fair, they don't experience emotions the way people do. A good pick if you want a smooth, fast read and don’t mind your vampires being civilized.

As a fan of dark fantasy and cosmic horror, I was stoked to check this one out. And it delivered.

Pilgrim is set in 12th-century Jerusalem, at the tail end of the Crusades. Dietmar, a broke and grieving German knight, is hired to smuggle a holy relic back to Europe. That’s the plan, anyway. Instead, a sandstorm drops him and his companions into a nightmare road trip through lost cities, ancient gods, and places that feel fundamentally wrong.

I can't imagine the amount of research that went into it. Lüthi is clearly a scholar, and it shows. Pilgrim pulls from Christian, Islamic, Arabic, and pre-Christian traditions and smashes them together. 

The vibe is bleak. Monsters show up often, but the real horror is existential and theological. It shows faith breaking down, reality bending, and the sense that God might not be what anyone thinks He is. Any moment of safety gets erased fast and hope is in short supply by design.

That said, it’s long. Like, 700 pages long. And you feel it. The structure starts to repeat: arrive somewhere strange, encounter a horrifying mythological entity, people die horribly, survivors move on, repeat. Not every encounter feels necessary, and some conversations circle the same questions about faith and evil without really moving things forward. I liked the ideas being explored, but there were stretches where it felt like a lot of words to cover familiar ground.

The characters are interesting, but not always fully developed. Dietmar’s grief and guilt drive the story, but his motivations feel a bit muddy. Razin, on the other hand, is fantastic. Lüthi’s knowledge of Islamic philosophy really shines through him. Still, it can be frustrating that Razin, who clearly understands more than anyone, constantly withholds insight. I get that uncertainty is a theme here, but sometimes I just wanted someone to try and put the pieces together on the page and for people to communicate.