rainbowreckoner reviewed Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Dark, deft, devoured.
I've enjoyed both of the other books I've read by this author, but left this one sitting quite a while. I wasn't sure I'd dig it, what with the clearly heavy religious themes. The first page or two was quite Bible-like, and I struggled a bit, but I was soon immersed in the story and raced through. Like his other books, quite graphic and at times pretty unsettling, with deft writing, flawed and compelling characters, and touches of black humor. The religious aspect, while of course Catholic in name (it's Black Plague era France, after all) is treated with a lens that sort of blurs together the sardonic and the creepily supernatural, which was fine by me. There's some queer content (His books typically have a straight protagonist, usually male, but women and queer people exist and are fully realized characters). A good read.
I've enjoyed both of the other books I've read by this author, but left this one sitting quite a while. I wasn't sure I'd dig it, what with the clearly heavy religious themes. The first page or two was quite Bible-like, and I struggled a bit, but I was soon immersed in the story and raced through. Like his other books, quite graphic and at times pretty unsettling, with deft writing, flawed and compelling characters, and touches of black humor. The religious aspect, while of course Catholic in name (it's Black Plague era France, after all) is treated with a lens that sort of blurs together the sardonic and the creepily supernatural, which was fine by me. There's some queer content (His books typically have a straight protagonist, usually male, but women and queer people exist and are fully realized characters). A good read.
