My thoughts on Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman; This one left me emotionally concussed.
The book is set in war-torn, plague-infested France during the Black Death. Our main duo: a dishonored, excommunicated knight and a mysterious little girl wandering through a countryside that feels genuinely abandoned by God and actively invaded by demons. And honestly? The setting is phenomenal. Bleak, apocalyptic, medieval hellscape energy. Extremely fascinating, extremely cursed. 10/10 atmosphere.
Now.
This book was insane. And I cannot comfortably recommend it to anyone. Like at all. 😭
I like my books dark, gritty, and realistic, clearly, since I loved Red Rising and Sun Eater, but this one was pushing it. Hard.
The violence? Brutal.
The imagery? Nightmarish.
The vibes? “Do you need to talk to someone after this chapter?”
And then there’s the content. Racist. Homophobic. Misogynistic. And more.
I understand it’s intentional. I understand it reflects the time period. I understand it’s part of the horror and the ugliness of the world. But good damn, it was a lot to sit through. This book does not ease you into anything, it just throws you into medieval hell and says “good luck, sinner.”
That said… I’m glad I read it.
Despite everything, it’s incredibly well written. The theological horror, the moral weight, the slow crawl toward something almost resembling hope, it works. It really works. And the relationship between the knight and the girl ends up being surprisingly touching in a story that otherwise wants to traumatize you.
Final verdict:
Brilliant. Disturbing. Unhinged.
Would I reread it? Absolutely not.
Am I glad I experienced it? Yes.
now need something wholesome before I sink into depression?
by Caffeine_And_Regret
3 Comments
I finished it a few months ago. I liked it quite a bit too but idk something wasn’t quite right about it. I wouldn’t reread it again either but I’d also only give it a 3/5 or maybe a 3.5/5
I categorically refuse your request for something wholesome and urge you instead to read other Christopher Buehlman books. Between Two Fires was also my first of his.
This book had me fixated on a genre I didn’t know I needed: Religious Horror. I loved this book.
I would also suggest: Pilgrim: A Medieval Horror by Mitchell Lüthi