Name: Between Two Fires
ISBN: 9781937007867

Christopher Buehlman

In 1348, after a young girl left orphaned by the Black Death predicts a coming apocalypse, Thomas, a disgraced knight, finds himself in the middle of a second war on heaven as angels fight demon.

Between Two Fires

“Buehlman…slips effortlessly into a different kind of literary sensibility, one that doesn’t scrimp on earthy humor and lyrical writing in the face of unspeakable horrors.”* The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found an orphan of the Black Death in a Norman village. An almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that the plague is only part of a larger cataclysm—that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on Heaven. But is it delirium or is it faith? She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across an apocalyptic landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission. There her true nature will be revealed. And there Thomas will confront an evil wrestling for the throne of Heaven, and which has poisoned his own soul. *Kirkus Reviews

finished this just in time for holy week 🙂‍↕️🙏🏻

˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

Loved it until the epilogue. Felt a bit rushed and some unresolved feelings lingered?

dagonet

Not the book I was expecting but in such a good way! Definitely would recommend even if it's not your usual vibe!

Soph

The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm—that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has fallen behind the lines of conflict. Is it delirium or is it faith? She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the righteous dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. -Amazon

An Epic Tale of Medieval Horror

marzipan♡

Man, I loved this book. Characters with such depth and vivacity--a total treat to read. Thomas was my favorite, but it's by a slim margin, since every character is multifacted, flawed, and an utter delight to read. They make messy, bad, human decisions that really carry this story.

And the scenes these characters inhabit, my goodness. Buehlman's descriptions are so evocative that you just sink into each moment, each bloody fight, each vulgar conversation, each nearly dreamlike encounter with the supernatural is crafted so well that you barely notice the words on the page for the images he makes with them. 

Plotwise there are some later aspects of the story didn't quite click for me-- :SPOILERES: Matthieu's final moments are written so well, but his death itself really felt unnecessary and flat? It wasn't the end I felt his character deserved. There are also a few scenes during the climax and resolution of the story that seem rushed or out of place. They felt like they were written in because Beuhlman decided they 

 to be, thematically, but they don't cohere nicely with the general vibe of the narrative and its characters, in my opinion.

Negatives aside, though, this book is still a treat. The demons are fascinating, as are the angels, as is every other nebulous monster introduced to the reader, human or otherwise. The fights are visceral, bloody, and enrapturing. I just loved loved loved this book.

Acadia

"A fucking hand!"

Man, I loved this book. Characters with such depth and vivacity--a total treat to read. Thomas was my favorite, but it's by a slim margin, since every character is multifacted, flawed, and an utter delight to read. They make messy, bad, human decisions that really carry this story.

And the scenes these characters inhabit, my goodness. Buehlman's descriptions are so evocative that you just sink into each moment, each bloody fight, each vulgar conversation, each nearly dreamlike encounter with the supernatural is crafted so well that you barely notice the words on the page for the images he makes with them. 

Plotwise there are some later aspects of the story didn't quite click for me-- :SPOILERES: Matthieu's final moments are written so well, but his death itself really felt unnecessary and flat? It wasn't the end I felt his character deserved. There are also a few scenes during the climax and resolution of the story that seem rushed or out of place. They felt like they were written in because Beuhlman decided they need to be, thematically, but they don't cohere nicely with the general vibe of the narrative and its characters, in my opinion.

Negatives aside, though, this book is still a treat. The demons are fascinating, as are the angels, as is every other nebulous monster introduced to the reader, human or otherwise. The fights are visceral, bloody, and enrapturing. I just loved loved loved this book.

What great, vivid details in the fights and gore!! Story is somewhat familiar territory, but still an extremely good time and well worth a read! I loved all the characters

Max Riley

Incredible start and finish. Lost me a bit in the middle.  Gritty emotional with a healthy sprinkle of angels age demon fantasy. 

Truman M Halladay

Sade A

👍
Thank you Thomas Stacey for this absolutely amazing rec. Again! Truly amazing.

This book was me stepping way out of my comfort zone. Honestly i thought of jumping ship simply because, this book is historical fiction and had a religious theme. Two things that would definitely guarantee me to tell a book:



  
    
"We all fall short of perfection. You. Me. Pere Matthieu. We all disappoint. Can we forgive only those who sinned against others"

  


🖤
The plot opens up in 14th Century France where Religion (read Catholic Church)is firmly entrenched in how society is governed. What impresses me about this book is that Buehlman doesn't try to instill bias against religion or even try to get preachy. It's simply a book that shows mythical creatures (for some) slagging it out, with earth and it's denziens caught in the middle. What epic fantasy doesn't have gods making humans pay for their squabbles i ask you.
So if you're not especially religious, you can read this book without fear that someone is trying to sway you over. If you are especially religious i would say, remeber that 14th century France was definitely way different from what what we have now and honestly, a physical manifestation of heaven and hell's denizens having a go at it would definitely be something people in that century would believe.

🖤🖤
That aside what finally settles this book for me as a favourite was definitely the prose and how Buehlman is able to make you care for the characters and their journey. The author weaves a story so compelling, so well written and out of the norm that honestly even you can't tell if heaven is going to win this.


  Would totally recommend this amazing novel.

Ewan

I was reticent to read this as I had issues with another of the author's books. I am glad I put those to one side , this is a great and dare i say Epic, adventure in the classic sense.

The setting of Plague ridden France during the 100 years war worked wonders and was excellently visualised, and the religious good vs evil themes just worked and kept the book going at a great pace.

And i may have almost cried at the end

B.H. Pitt

for fans of Dark Souls or The Green Knight

Russell Wolf

Unbelievable good book, dark plague-style horror with the main characters' humanity shining through despite their faults. Definitely gave me the feel of a Dark Souls game.