Between Two Fires

It’s like the Witcher if the Witcher was bad and about Jesus

I had high hopes for this medieval horror book mostly due to all the praise this one has received, but unfortunately Between Two Fires fell short for me. 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 through 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 ca 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.

Have you ever read a book that once finished, you aren't sure what to do next. You just stare at the wall and quietly whisper 'Damm' to yourself. That's this book.

Beautifully crafted characters and a really interesting read

Very light spoilers below: The premise of this book is so extremely up my alley. Love when an author can make Christian Lore pop off. There were some genuinely suspenseful moments, and as a horror girlie, this was really exciting for me. I find a lot of horror outside of games just doesn't hit. I have two complaints about this book and they are very much just my opinion. First, I think there were portions of this book that dragged and could have been cut. I get that we are exploring the idea of 7 deadly sins or the circles of hell, but it didn't always work. I also really found myself uncomfortable in the ways Delphine was sexualized. Like it didn't feel incorrect, but it was juuuust a little much at some points. It's an easy 7/10 for me. I'd love to read more books from Buehlman in the future.