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mclean_watson's review against another edition
5.0
‘Townsville-Sir-Cunting-Town’
A sentence I laughed at on the first pages of this story, and by the end that same line actually brought me to tears.
‘Between Two Fires’ is a simple story of a pathetic disheveled knight (Thomas), an annoying little girl with heavenly premonitions (Delphine) and a priest who dabbles in alcohol and ass (Father Matthieu). And what an epic tale it is, it’s set in a medieval fantasy version of France, and in this story heaven and hell are waging war against each other, because god has disappeared. A plague sweeps the land and our characters go on an epic quest set out by the little girl.
There are over 100 reasons that I’d give this book 5 starts. But I’ll mention two here.
Firstly, the evil in the form of beasts. It’s just so much fun to read about these grotesque almost video game boss-like foes that stand in our crews way. I’ll list a few I particularly enjoyed; A black oily serpent 20 feet long with the head of a flattened frog, Bands of statues that come to life in the night and murder brutally, and my personal favourite, tentacled jelly like creatures that use dead human heads as brains and drag people into deep rivers with their stinging limbs.
And second, the relationships between our main 3 characters. At least for me in my reading journey so far, it’s rare to read a relationship and truly care for it as if it was real. But the second Thomas met the little girl I was immediately attached to the father-daughter thing that I felt brewing. And of course Father Matthieu was the uncle type character.
Overall this story has acted as a kinda wake up call for me, I’ve been so scared to put books down that I’ve started because I wanna just get through them. But this experience reminded me that I read because I enjoy reading. So I’m gonna put ‘Cage Of Souls’ back on the shelf and I may return to it later in the year.
A sentence I laughed at on the first pages of this story, and by the end that same line actually brought me to tears.
‘Between Two Fires’ is a simple story of a pathetic disheveled knight (Thomas), an annoying little girl with heavenly premonitions (Delphine) and a priest who dabbles in alcohol and ass (Father Matthieu). And what an epic tale it is, it’s set in a medieval fantasy version of France, and in this story heaven and hell are waging war against each other, because god has disappeared. A plague sweeps the land and our characters go on an epic quest set out by the little girl.
There are over 100 reasons that I’d give this book 5 starts. But I’ll mention two here.
Firstly, the evil in the form of beasts. It’s just so much fun to read about these grotesque almost video game boss-like foes that stand in our crews way. I’ll list a few I particularly enjoyed; A black oily serpent 20 feet long with the head of a flattened frog, Bands of statues that come to life in the night and murder brutally, and my personal favourite, tentacled jelly like creatures that use dead human heads as brains and drag people into deep rivers with their stinging limbs.
And second, the relationships between our main 3 characters. At least for me in my reading journey so far, it’s rare to read a relationship and truly care for it as if it was real. But the second Thomas met the little girl I was immediately attached to the father-daughter thing that I felt brewing. And of course Father Matthieu was the uncle type character.
Overall this story has acted as a kinda wake up call for me, I’ve been so scared to put books down that I’ve started because I wanna just get through them. But this experience reminded me that I read because I enjoy reading. So I’m gonna put ‘Cage Of Souls’ back on the shelf and I may return to it later in the year.
robotfanclub's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Cursing, Child death, Body horror, Blood, War, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Torture, Antisemitism, Vomit, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
readingis4chumps's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
wespm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
applelaney's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
a_gillie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Although it took me a dozen or so chapters to really get into, this book built so much momentum as it went on that I consumed the final 150 pages in an evening.
It is gruesome and horrifying, violent, brutal, and visceral, but all of that would be cheap if it wasn’t for the very real and very well played out relationship between our two central characters: the virtuous young girl and her gruff (and reluctant) protector knight.
Heaven and Hell collide spectacularly in a way which is neither gratuitous nor camp, striking with expert precision a balance between two writing fires. As a passionate lover of medieval history, and horror, this book ticked all my boxes.
It is gruesome and horrifying, violent, brutal, and visceral, but all of that would be cheap if it wasn’t for the very real and very well played out relationship between our two central characters: the virtuous young girl and her gruff (and reluctant) protector knight.
Heaven and Hell collide spectacularly in a way which is neither gratuitous nor camp, striking with expert precision a balance between two writing fires. As a passionate lover of medieval history, and horror, this book ticked all my boxes.
12rhys23's review against another edition
Very well written, but very long and my interest/library loan ran out.
The only complaint was it was very disjointed. It seemed like scenes strung together versus a single narrative leading to something.
3.5 stars for what I got through, about 20%.
The only complaint was it was very disjointed. It seemed like scenes strung together versus a single narrative leading to something.
3.5 stars for what I got through, about 20%.
kamreadsandrecs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
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.
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.
nveryl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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