Fan Disservice: The stags in the Pope's feast, who are all voluptuous young women wearing nothing but stag masks. They're undead and rotting from the inside, with maggots crawling in their genitals. Emissary from the Divine: Delphine has visions of angels and saints throughout the story that help her fight against the demons the characters encounter. The demons themselves are unsure exactly what she is. The ending implies that her divine aspect is the second coming of Christ.

Between Two Fires: Buehlman, Christopher: 9798662731349

Breather Episode: Chapter 13 is a mostly humorous segment where the protagonists pass the time by telling stories. Hilarity Ensues when Delphine tries to finish a tale Mathieu didn't know the ending of, and grows increasingly more exasperated with Thomas when he keeps interrupting her with sarcastic quips. It brings a bit of levity to the story among all the tragic and horrific events its nestled between. Buehlman έχει μια ενδιαφέρουσα λίστα από βιβλία που κανέναν δεν μοιάζει με το άλλο, αλλά όλα όμως μοιράζονται μια κλίση προς το σκοτεινό και το βίαιο. Κάτι που επιβεβαίωνε αυτό το ευανάγνωστο κράμα μεσαιωνικού μυθιστορήματος με φανταστική λογοτεχνία που είχα ξεκινήσει να διαβάζω. Ο Buehlman μπορεί να αποπροσανατολίσει τον μέσο αναγνώστη: είναι άγνωστο από που εφορμά – του αρέσουν ο Άρχοντας των Δαχτυλιδιών; Ή μήπως προτιμά το Όνομα του Ρόδου; Η γραφή του και η προσέγγισή του μου θύμισε τον Ken Follet από το Pillars of the Earth, με αρκετή δόση προσεγμένου χιούμορ. Ή αυτό που εγώ προσλαμβάνω ως καλή αίσθηση της πραγματικότητας και του τσίρκου που αποκαλούμε ζωή. Ο μεσαίωνας του Buehlman είναι πραγματικά ζωντανός, η βρωμιά και η εξαθλίωση, ο μαύρος θάνατος που αποδεκατίζει σαν ραπανάκια τον πληθυσμό της Ευρώπης – μια ζοφερή πραγματικότητα που ο συγγραφέας παρουσιάζει με αξιοθαύμαστη λεπτομέρεια αλλά και εξόχως λεπτεπίλεπτη εγκράτεια. Η ερευνά του –οι σύντομες ευχαριστίες στο τέλος καλύπτουν ένα τεράστιο έυρος που καταμαρτυρά έναν πραγματικό ερευνητή και άνθρωπο με ποικίλα ενδιαφέροντα- είναι ενδελεχής αλλά εξυπηρετεί μόνο την υπόθεση. Κάπου σε όλη την ταραχή κλιμακώνεται η επικυριαρχία των έκπτωτων άγγελων επί της γης. Ένας ξεπεσμένος ιππότης και μια κοπελίτσα που φαίνεται να είναι κάτι παραπάνω από αυτό που δείχνει, ακολουθούν έναν ασαφή σκοπό για να σώσουν τον κόσμο. Αυτή είναι συνοπτικά η υπόθεση και αν θέλει κανείς παραπάνω να διαβάσει το βιβλίο. Lisa Taylor (1 July 2016). "Interview: Christopher Buehlman". Speculative Herald. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021 . Retrieved 13 July 2022. I mentioned this in my reading progress notes, but I will mention it here again. I have a very strong feeling that the different places our characters pass by correspond to the 9 circles of hell. It is extremely subtle and I might be wrong, but it's so brilliant! We see our three heroes facing lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery not only in other people but in themselves as well. The only circle missing I think is the first one - Limbo (phew, that would've been awkward...) Some Christians may be a bit annoyed at some of the liberties taken here. Our protagonist, the little girl is also internally Jesus. Now while that has some obvious flaws it also can be argued that Christ lives in Christians through the Holy Spirit. I'm not sure if this plot point will bother many or not.There is no magic 'rule' against the devils. They can reach out and take a human being apart. There is no guardian angel to save you. But they are terrifying not because of how they look or whom they kill, but what they incite humans to do. They know the darkness is there. They just have to stoke it and direct it. The court of the damned is luridly written and haunting. Rutger's preachings are frightening in how true they might still ring, for the devils’ aim to set brother against brother, anger humans for the differences between them and promise a counterfeit salvation if they will only hate the right person. Bring My Brown Pants: Delphine urinates herself in terror when she comes face to face with a living statue of the Virgin Mary that is anything but holy and protective.

Between Two Fires Anyone Up for Some War, Famine, and Plague? Between Two Fires

Buehlman makes France, as it is overrun by disease and demons alike, a sheerly awful place. There can be little doubt that Hell is making Europe over in its own image. What makes this effect all the more potent is how immersed the reader becomes in the worldview and mindset of its medieval Christian characters. The Church is central to their life, and in many ways it is the demons’ primary target.

The details in this book, the depth of the absolutely terrifying scenarios, truly scared me. And I'm an old hand at horror. I am fine with gross-outs and thrillers. This one took me down another path. It gave me no escape and dragged me through hell. Rugged Scar: Thomas has a very noticeable one on his cheek where he took an arrow to the face at Crécy. Book Genre: Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Medieval, Paranormal