Between Two Fires

It is a very difficult book to classify and assign a genre, and that by itself gains kudos in my book. It will appeal to those that like historical fiction, a flourish of fantasy and possibly horror. On this one I urge you to read far better reviews to see if this is your cup of tea, but the writer is certainly a capable one.

I rushed to write this review immediately after I finished the book, which is about the highest of acclaim I can give to a piece of art.

Following a hero journey through 14th-century Black-Death-stricken France, the story blends terror with peace, despair with hope through each chapter and each city.

I am incredulous of how Buehlman paints the most horrific ecclesiastical imageries I've known using the calmest of prose. Reading the book makes you feel like you can miss it without proper attention, but the moment you catch it, it appears so vivid, so cruel, and so gripping, you can never excise it off your mind.

A tremendous success.

One of my favorite [a: Christopher Buehlman 4712375 Christopher Buehlman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1350057325p2/4712375.jpg] books, up there with [b: The Lesser Dead 20893407 The Lesser Dead Christopher Buehlman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396375462l/20893407.SY75.jpg 40236397], though a very different story. [b: Between Two Fires 13543121 Between Two Fires Christopher Buehlman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623049449l/13543121.SY75.jpg 19107416] is a dark apocalyptic quest set in medieval France. God has gone missing, the angels can't find him, and Hell has opened its doors to the world, ushering in a devastating plague and other, more terrible, things, including the devils themselves. So who is tasked with saving the day? A depressed, disgraced fallen knight, a newly orphaned pre-teen girl, and a priest with an insatiable thirst for wine. This group will need to traverse the French countryside to find...well, they're not entirely sure, before they arrive at Avignon, where they will...they don't really know that either. The set-up sounds like a comedy, but it isn't. They are being hunted by demons and whatever is guiding them, isn't telling them much. And if that isn't bad enough, desperation has turned the surviving humans somewhat less humane. This is a dark tale of love and redemption set against the bleakest possible backdrop. In Buehlman's capable hands, that equals a tremendous story that will linger long after you turn the last page.

Wow! Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman is a harrowing and poignant work of contemporary medieval horror. I first read Buehlman's writing in his forward for the anthology Howls from the Dark Ages (HOWL Society Press), which was perfectly fine but paled so far in comparison to this novel that I was able to plod along in ignorance of Buehlman's extraordinary literary skill, allowing this book, which I do not mind referring to as a masterpiece, to hibernate on my TBR for far too long. It was the release of Midworld Press' special edition which motivated me to finally read (listen) to this work, and it was truly outstanding. From the very beginning this story seemed to capture style and genre with authenticity and grace, and developed highly compelling characters. I found myself setting aside other, good, books I had already begun because I wanted to know what would happen. Between Two Fires seems to combine fantasy, horror, and religion together into something that reads as both fantastical and honest. Horrifying, but also beautiful. Probably my favorite book this year so far. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

GodsDAMN this was good! Strange in parts but GOOD! 

This is really interesting to read given the way the world is right now - not least because we???re still not quite out from under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic (not that it really ended). While the portrayal of the Black Death in this book might read a bit more grotesque than might seem realistically possible, I think the exaggeration is meant to capture how it felt to be caught in the moment of the plague. It???s easy to forget how far we???ve come in terms of our understanding of science and medicine, compared to the medieval period. (This just makes it even MORE annoying that anti-vaxxers exist; all that advancement, and for what?)

It???s also interesting how the novel doesn???t start out as supernatural at all, or at least doesn???t give that impression. Initially I thought the hints of supernatural activity were more a representation of the worldview of people from that specific historical period, but it soon became VERY clear that the supernatural was indeed at work, and it is very definitely nightmarish. The author certainly knows how to create truly horrific monsters, setting up encounters in an episodic manner as the characters travel towards Avignon. Two in particular stand out: the first monster in the river, and the monsters in Paris.

Speaking of the characters, I think they are the heart of this novel, moving it forward as much as they themselves are moved by the plot. They share echoes with other, similar characters from the Canterbury Tales and the Decameron, but especially the latter, since the Decameron???s frame story is about a group of people fleeing the Black Death in Italy. But they???re also well-drawn characters in their own right, as opposed to roughly-drawn sketches; Thomas of Givras, in particular, is a standout, and the young girl who accompanies him will quickly bring Joan of Arc to mind, while also being entirely unique in her own way.

As for the overall structure of the plot, it shares some parallels with the Arthurian questing tales, and even to literature from later periods like Paradise Lost, the Divine Comedy, and Pilgrim???s Progress. It???s clear the author???s drawing from a deep literary well here, and those who???ve read those works will be rewarded by finding their dark shadows in this novel. Readers who are expecting something more straightforward might find this novel a bit slow, but readers who enjoy a slower burn will not find this a problem.

One of the most visible themes a reader might be able to uncover in this novel is how difficult it is to do the right thing, especially when one???s own survival is at stake. The world got (continues to get) a glimpse of how this works in real time during the recent (ongoing) pandemic, and this book, published in 2012, makes it clear just what people are willing to do - and what they???re willing to ignore - when survival, or personal comfort, for that matter, is at stake. But this book makes clear that, even when conditions are harsh, it is still possible to be good, to be kind, to be generous. It won???t be EASY, but being good and kind and generous when the world is harsh and deadly is not just possible, it is absolutely necessary.

But what if one can???t do any of that? We are all only human, after all; when crisis hits, survival is top of mind. Surely one can be forgiven for not being as good and kind and generous as one would normally be in times of safety and plenty? Surely one can be forgiven for not having the strength of will to continue to be good in the midst of extraordinary hardship? And this book says: yes, yes one can be forgiven for such things, and maybe even worse besides (there???s a scene towards the end of the book that, in my opinion, drives this point home). Forgiveness is a vital theme in this novel: both being a giver of, and recipient thereof. It???s hard forgiving others, of course, and the way this book goes, that forgiveness definitely has to be earned. But it???s just as hard accepting forgiveness too - especially when one is convinced that one does not deserve it. Forgiving is hard, but accepting it can be just as hard.

Overall, this is a horror novel that definitely has many scary moments, but those moments hide a core of gentleness that shines through via the characters and their interactions with each other and the world they inhabit. Some readers might not take well to the story???s slower pace compared to other novels in the same genre, but the pace enhances both the horror and the characters??? development in very good way.