Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

31 reviews

mori431's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Murder, Homophobia, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, Cannibalism, Cursing, War, Grief, Torture, Vomit, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

anewlens's review

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Genocide, Sexism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Death, Gore, Alcoholism, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault

hgraham98's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Body horror, Grief, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Animal death, and Body horror

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

jess_xen's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Between Two Fires" turned my stomach more than once. A masterpiece of horror, Buehlman has managed to wrote some of the best descriptions of Hell I've ever had the pleasurable displeasure of reading. 

The characters were so lovable, and when anything bad threatened to happen to them, I felt a visceral anxiety. The relationship between Thomas and Delphine reminded me of Geralt and Ciri from the Witcher series, but somehow placed in a more terrifying setting. 

Definitely worth a read for anyone who loves descriptive horror & medieval settings. Buehlman knocks it out of the park. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Gore, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cannibalism, Animal death, and Cursing

colleen_corleone's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wasn't aware how much I loved these characters until the last 35% of the book where I started crying during different emotionally charged scenes.

The humor is wonderful and much needed as more horrific events unfold. I love their banter. I want to use cunting more often in sentences going forward. It's such a fun word to help break up the normal American swearing I do.

I love going into a book relatively blind, but for anyone who needs more context:

There is a cunting lot of gore, assault, death, dismemberment, cannibalism, unintentional necrophilia. That's in most chapters and part of the ever-present background of the world.

The relationship between Thomas and the young girl (whose name you learn later) is beautiful and bittersweet. He takes good if reluctant care of her.

For a general spoiler

Thomas and the girl make a friend whose death was the first time I cried, surprising myself. I didn't realize until that moment how much I loved loved these characters.

I cried three other times during deaths and hard battles. The general feeling of dread and/or terror keeps a low hum that built when I least expected it.

I am buying a physical copy to reread in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Excrement, Alcohol, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Grief, Animal death, Antisemitism, and Vomit

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, and Self harm

vynna's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a very dark and brutal novel that started off strong, but gradually lost me by its conclusion. The story is set in the 1300s following a disgraced knight, a priest, and an orphaned girl. They set out on a journey through plague ridden France to essentially save the world from demons.
I was really intrigued by this premise and thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the main characters as well as the author’s imagery. I was often scared by the vivid detail used to describe the horrors that these characters experienced.

The stone statues in Paris and the scarecrow in the abandoned convent will stick with me for awhile.

The book felt really epic and cinematic at parts too, and I think it could make a wonderful series due to the episodic nature of the chapters.
I would’ve rated it higher, but sadly the weak plot, confusing narration, and underwhelming ending took away from my enjoyment.
They go on this great journey, but it feels hollow as they just bounce from town to town not exactly sure what they’re doing, just fighting monsters. It was fun to read, but left me wanting more. It isn’t until the last third of the book that it seems like the characters have a plan, but their actions and the aftermath of the big finale didn’t really make sense to me.
Definitely take heed of content warnings before reading as there is a lot of death, violence, strong language, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Cursing, Violence, Rape, Child death, Death, Self harm, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, and Homophobia

nashley's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Religious bigotry, War, Violence, Sexual content, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Death, Physical abuse, Child death, Antisemitism, Murder, Excrement, Body horror, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Cannibalism, and Blood

keds's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Murder, Antisemitism, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Child death, Gore, and Grief

silea's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

An unusual novel. The Black Death permeates every element of the story but isn’t the focus. Supernatural abominations are just one of the many challenges the people face. The stakes are huge but also small and personal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Body horror, Grief, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Death, Cursing, Antisemitism, and Blood

Moderate: Islamophobia, Classism, Sexual assault, Torture, Death of parent, and Excrement

Minor: Miscarriage, Classism, Excrement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, and Child abuse

carodunn's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, Cursing, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Excrement