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A review by callandor19
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Right up my alley. The French side of the Hundred Years' War and the apocalyptic perception of life during the Plague were both interesting new perspectives to me. The "lone wolf and cub" setup has the potential to be obnoxiously saccharine or tropey, but I think Buehlman strikes a good balance here. Brutal and horrifying as fits the setting, plus an extra layer of brutality and horror due to the overt supernatural stuff, but the latter doesn't feel like it comes at the expense of stakes or credulity.
RE: Bingo, the POV character is a brigand who has deserted from the French army after the battle of Crecy. Even though the world is generally lawless after the plague's outbreak, he and his companions are definitely still considered criminals.
RE: Bingo, the POV character is a brigand who has deserted from the French army after the battle of Crecy. Even though the world is generally lawless after the plague's outbreak, he and his companions are definitely still considered criminals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Cannibalism