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3martini's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jslamas's review against another edition
4.0
Between Two Fires is a captivating journey through the heart of medieval Europe, beautifully woven with elements of fantasy and horror. Buehlman's storytelling prowess shines in this atmospheric masterpiece.
The characters are both endearing and flawed, particularly Thomas, the tormented knight at the center of the narrative. As he navigates a world besieged by plague and supernatural forces, you can't help but become emotionally invested in his struggles and triumphs.
Buehlman's prose is rich and evocative, immersing the reader in a world of dark magic and existential dilemmas. The vivid descriptions of the landscapes and the horrors lurking within them send shivers down your spine.
The plot is a slow burn, which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who appreciate intricate world-building and character development, it's a rewarding experience. The blending of historical accuracy with supernatural elements is masterfully done, creating an eerie and immersive atmosphere.
My only critique would be that the pacing occasionally lags in the middle of the book, but the gripping climax makes up for it. Overall, Between Two Fires is a must-read for fans of historical fiction with a dark and fantastical twist. Buehlman's unique voice and storytelling talent make this a memorable journey into the abyss.
The characters are both endearing and flawed, particularly Thomas, the tormented knight at the center of the narrative. As he navigates a world besieged by plague and supernatural forces, you can't help but become emotionally invested in his struggles and triumphs.
Buehlman's prose is rich and evocative, immersing the reader in a world of dark magic and existential dilemmas. The vivid descriptions of the landscapes and the horrors lurking within them send shivers down your spine.
The plot is a slow burn, which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who appreciate intricate world-building and character development, it's a rewarding experience. The blending of historical accuracy with supernatural elements is masterfully done, creating an eerie and immersive atmosphere.
My only critique would be that the pacing occasionally lags in the middle of the book, but the gripping climax makes up for it. Overall, Between Two Fires is a must-read for fans of historical fiction with a dark and fantastical twist. Buehlman's unique voice and storytelling talent make this a memorable journey into the abyss.
tululu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
r0ry34's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
thebiggestboy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
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