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archaicrobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The writing style is abrupt and brash which suits the story and the setting, but it does make connecting with the characters at first a little hard, or at least it was for me. I found it hard to feel attached to anyone until more than halfway too the book and at that point it’s too late.
The story itself is interesting and my favorite part was all the crazy demons they encounter but something was missing for me. Between Two Fires is a well written story and you can tell the writer is knowledgeable but I was never intrigued enough to want to pick this one up. I honestly don’t understand all the hype behind this novel. It’s fine, but not great.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
avalete's review against another edition
- 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
This is some of the best writing I have ever read. All of it. This book is horrifying and I love it so, so much. The war waging in heaven, the plague claiming France, the people trying desperately to survive. Thomas, Delphine, and Matthieu’s relationship to another and religion. The literal demons of hell they have to face along the way.
It feels truly hopeless and that God has abandoned man.
And yet.
I can’t in good conscience recommend this book without also warning that there’s a long, long list of content warnings to go with it. Just about anything one can think of is mentioned in this book in some capacity.
Still, this is an excellent book and I loved every moment spent reading it, and every moment I’ll spend thinking about it after.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Incest and Cannibalism
sean_davy's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
marthadude's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Heavy emphasis on plague. There’s also a lot of near misses of pedophilia/sexual assault of a minor. It doesn’t end up happening but the mentions/threat of it are brought up pretty frequentlypotatonell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, and War
zachbrumaire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mixed feelings on this one
the first 3 parts functioned really well as environmental/climate fiction, the portrayal of society from the mundane to the metaphysical under the pressure cooker of the Black Death
part 4 was bold and weird and reorinted the narrative to more interpersonal papal court politics at the same time a shift from magical realism to a more ordered clash of capabilities and powers, and something was lost that made the first parts so weird and great.
the end, especially the detentmont, was very neat and tidy, very just so, and while some of the surreal poetry of the earlier parts of the work reemerged the impression was one of a shift from the horrors of a heaven and earth abandoned by God to one micromanaged by him just-cause.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
jomojobo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Antisemitism
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Pedophilia
garrettcz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The characters and dialogue were the best parts.
It had a lot more horror tropes than I expected. Very dark in places.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
darkpizza's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, and War
flintk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic