The Zealot

The Plagueborne Trilogy #2

by Mitchell Lüthi

Greater Virren teeters on the brink of collapse...
The continent writhes in the throes of a deadly plague. Great cities have fallen into ruin, and bands of godless marauders stalk the lands unopposed. As the survivors emerge, it seems the whole world has taken one final breath before the plunge into darkness absolute.

The Whispered Words of a Witch...
Far afield from the fires of Lunburrow, its intended victim vanished, Katarina and Tannhauser bear west in search of “the source.” With the stakes higher than ever, they must contend with cunning members of the provinces’ crumbling upper crust, the threat of infection, and forces altogether more ancient and powerful than they can as yet conceive.

The Wolf at Their Heels...
Wrenched from the jaws of death, Ezekiel lives. With renewed vigour, and an unlikely companion, he dogs their every step in relentless pursuit of vindication—and vengeance.

The sequel to The Ritual, the gripping inauguration of Mitchell Luthi's Plagueborne Trilogy, The Zealot builds upon the intrigue, suspense, and gritty realism that made the debut so enjoyable. The latest addition to an exhilarating fantasy series, The Zealot is a must-read for fans of character-driven stories and heart-racing action sequences.

Genres: Fantasy

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2019

About the author

The Pilgrim Illustrated Limited Edition Kickstarter is launching in September 2024! Check it out here: https://t.ly/xsNeh

The limited edition includes 12 full-page illustrations by artist Tyrone Le Roux, 9 character illustrations by Filipe Pagliuso, full-colour book ends by Alicja Tereszczenko, an illustrated slipcase by Anthony Ventura, custom interior design, medieval chapter drop caps, metallic rose gold on the front, spine, and rear, gold-edged pages, and a ribbon bookmark.

Mitchell Lüthi is a writer and producer based in Cape Town, South Africa. He has written a number of scripts, short stories, and radio plays. "Pilgrim" is his first full-length novel.

In addition to his writing, Lüthi produces and scores the Sentinel Creatives Podcast. With a passion for storytelling, Lüthi has established himself as a versatile writer who can create compelling narratives across various genres.

His short story, "The Bone Fields", received an honorable mention in the 2020 L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Competition. The story is available in the Write Like Hell: Kaiju anthology.

Reviews

[Pradeepa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adventurous ride!

The second book of The Plagueborne trilogy started as a continuation from where it was left in the first one.

Katarina and her friend Tannhauser going on their adventurous journey, encounters various hurdles on the way. With their past catching up so fast and some of whom they have deceived to manage an escape and yet moving forward on their plan to uncover the truth and find a solution to protect her beloved province, Rothenberg!

My rating: 4/5

[Scott Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly three times the length of the trilogy’s introductory novelette, “The Zealot” picks up where “The Ritual” left off, and takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through the various cities and outposts of a continent under siege from a plague of unknown origin, the effects of which on the society, and psyche of those in various states of infirmity, are rendered beautifully here -- and what a ride it is! I can’t gush enough about the scale and nuance Lüthi has yet again delivered -- from the precise armaments and regalia of a variety of men-at-arms -- the combat scenes in which they feature will make your jaw drop -- to the artfully composed cast of complex characters, both new and old, meticulous attention has been paid in evoking a world that feels living and breathing. I can’t imagine what Lüthi has in store for the third and final act, but I cannot wait.

[Carol 27 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the story picks up where The Ritual left off, we find Katarina and Tannhauser on their quest to find the true source of the plague that threatens humanity. Hot on their trail is Ezekiel, steadfast in his beliefs and determined to bring them to justice. When all is said and done after several challenges and many hardships … seeing really is believing – except for those things that once seen can’t really be believed and furthermore can’t be unseen. I suspect we’ve only had a taste of what’s yet to come. The story is well written, gritty and compelling, with a well-paced plot and features interesting, distinct characters. There’s plenty of action, adventure, suspense, and some mystery. I really enjoyed this second installment and I’m very much looking forward to the conclusion of the story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hollyann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt right at the end there that this story might have some potential to go somewhere. The unfortunate truth is that up until the final battle, I was a little disappointed. There's so much character and worldbuilding that we are just on the verge of but never quite reach. I want to be immersed in the story and the characters, and unfortunately this time I wasn't. The next book might still have more, and even maybe a satisfying conclusion. I'm interested in seeing its end.

[Derek Roday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm patiently waiting for the audiobook version of this!
Ezekiel's development has been fascinating to read, though I feel Katarina has been neglected somewhat? I know it's only the second part of the trilogy, but I'd love to see her flourish more in the final instalment!

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast paced and wonderful second book in this series. There are three different stories intertwine with the other. You will enjoy this read

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[bibliophilic_existentialist · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐
Brilliant ending! Ezekiel is a bastard..an intelligent one. So sad that I can't find the third book's possible release date and also that the books are not in print because I'd buy them in a heartbeat. Again...the cover art is just 👌

[Karis!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have lots of feelings about this mini-series, but my biggest complaint is I was just starting to really get into the story and characters and then it ended. I thought this was a finished duology ;__; things were just starting to get super interesting!

[Trevor Reichardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much improved over the prior book in terms of plot. I wish the final part of the story was available