Between Two Fires

by Christopher Buehlman

Overview

His extraordinary debut, Those Across the River, was hailed as "genre-bending Southern horror" (California Literary Review), "graceful [and] horrific" (Patricia Briggs). Now Christopher Buehlman invites readers into an even darker age-one of temptation and corruption, of war in heaven, and of hell on earth... And Lucifer said: "Let us rise against Him now in all our numbers, and pull the walls of heaven down..." The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm-that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has fallen behind the lines of conflict. Is it delirium or is it faith? She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the righteous dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission: to confront the evil that has devastated the earth, and to restore to this betrayed, murderous knight the nobility and hope of salvation he long abandoned. As hell unleashes its wrath, and as the true nature of the girl is revealed, Thomas will find himself on a macabre battleground of angels and demons, saints, and the risen dead, and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798662731349
Publisher:	Independently Published
Publication date:	10/02/2012
Pages:	438
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.97(d)

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER BUEHLMAN is an author, comedian, and screenwriter from St. Petersburg, Florida, whose books include The Blacktongue Thief, The Daughters' War, and Between Two Fires. He spent his youth touring renaissance festivals in the US, performing his cult-favorite comedy act, Christophe the Insultor. As of this writing he lives in Ohio with his aerialist wife, Jennifer, an ancient rescue dog named Duck, and two cats who just showed up, as they do.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Cormac McCarthy's The Road meets Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in this frightful medieval epic...Buehlman...doesn't scrimp on earthy horror and lyrical writing in the face of unspeakable horrors...an author to watch."—Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Those Across the River

“One of the best first novels I’ve ever read.”—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“What a treat. As much F. Scott Fitzgerald as Dean Koontz. A graceful, horrific read.”—Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Beautifully written…with a cast of Southern characters so real you can almost see the sweat roll down the page. The ending is exceedingly clever.”—Boston Herald

“Wonderfully eerie from start to finish—a novel sure to enthrall readers of all stripes.”—Grant Blackwood, New York Times bestselling author

“An unsettling brew of growing menace spiked with flashes of genuine terror—do not miss this chilling debut.”—F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Fatal Error

“Lures you into a different era, seduces you with eloquent prose and sensual period details, then clamps down on your jugular…an outstanding debut.”—Hank Schwaeble, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Diabolical

“Buehlman’s lyrical prose vividly captures a landscape made familiar by William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor. A delightfully genre-bending juxtaposition of supernatural horror and gothic drama.”—California Literary Review

“A horror story that manages just the right balance between building dread and suspense and delivering action.”—The A.V. Club

Reading Group Guide

INTRODUCTION

"Buehlman...slips effortlessly into a different kind of literary sensibility, one that doesn't scrimp on earthy humor and lyrical writing in the face of unspeakable horrors." — Kirkus Reviews

The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found an orphan of the Black Death in a Norman village. An almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that the plague is only part of a larger cataclysm-that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on Heaven. But is it delirium or is it faith?

She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across an apocalyptic landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission. There her true nature will be revealed. And there Thomas will confront an evil wrestling for the throne of Heaven, and which has poisoned his own soul.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Between Two Fires is the title of the book. What are the literal and figurative "two fires" of the story?
• Delphine is a French name that refers to the Greek town of Delphi, home to the oracle of Apollo of Greek mythology. Why, therefore, is this an apt choice of name for the young girl?
• Of all the characters who needed redemption in this book, whose was the most satisfying? Why?
• Père Matthieu dies saving Delphine from the devil in the river. Why is this important? Would it have been any different if he had died saving her somewhere else?
• Whenever tragedy or disaster occurs, religion seems to be a focal point. In Between Two Fires, many people ask why God has abandoned them, while others ask when God will save them. Religion can also be used to justify actions despite the results, such as the Crusades. What are some examples of how religion is used to justify actions in today's society?
• In the chapter titled "Of the Marriage on the Bank and the Visitation in the Stable," a woman inflicted with the plague performs a marriage ceremony with an unconscious Thomas after he battles the monster in Père Matthieu's town. What do you think is the significance of this "wedding"?
• The author makes it clear that over the course of the story, Delphine has grown from a girl into a woman. Why is this important?
• What is the role wine plays throughout the story?
• In the chapter about Thomas's marriage, we come to discover that the Comte de Givras is probably Thomas's real father. How does this revelation about Thomas's parentage change your view of Thomas? How does his relationship with his father impact the relationship he has with Delphine?
• Thomas doesn't ever seem to fully comprehend who or what Delphine is. While preparing to rescue the true pope, Thomas again asks her what she is. She replies, "Two things, I think. But soon I'll be just one." (Page 390) What do you think Delphine means by this answer?
• Chapter 40, "Of the Coming of the Host," ends with: "Forgiveness, then, was possible even for the worst." (Page 425) Do you agree? From whom do the characters seek forgiveness? To whom do they need to grant it?
• The first chapter and last chapter mirror each other. Discuss the similarities and differences of what occurs in each. Does the final chapter make you rethink any of the events in the story?

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Between Two Fires:

"Breathlessly paced and fiercely cinematic.”—Joe Hill, New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box

"A harrowing, haunting, heartfelt journey into darkness."—Joe Abercrombie, New York Times bestselling author of The Devils

"A beautiful nightmare that grips you from start to finish. It is incredible, I really loved it."—Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Red Queen series

“Between Two Fires is an absolute masterpiece.”—Grimdark Magazine

"A fine book. Read it immediately!"—Mark Lawrence, author of The Broken Empire trilogy

Praise for the works of Christopher Buehlman:

“Dazzling.”—Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of the Farseer Trilogy

"Buehlman has a real gift for writing complicated, endearing characters trying to do their best in a complicated, fully lived-in world. I can’t wait for his next book."—Kelly Link, bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Get in Trouble

“Buehlman takes the well-worn tropes and weaves them into a new and vibrant tapestry.”—Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Song

“Christopher Buehlman’s worldbuilding is second-to-none… Grimly evocative.”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

From the Publisher

Cormac McCarthy's The Road meets Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in this frightful medieval epic about an orphan girl with visionary powers in plague-devastated France. The year is 1348. The conflict between France and England is nothing compared to the all-out war building between good angels and fallen ones for control of heaven (though a scene in which soldiers are massacred by a rainbow of arrows is pretty horrific). Among mortals, only the girl, Delphine, knows of the cataclysm to come. Angels speak to her, issuing warnings--and a command to run. A pack of thieves is about to carry her off and rape her when she is saved by a disgraced knight, Thomas, with whom she teams on a march across the parched landscape. Survivors desperate for food have made donkey a delicacy and don't mind eating human flesh. The few healthy people left lock themselves in, not wanting to risk contact with strangers, no matter how dire the strangers' needs. To venture out at night is suicidal: Horrific forces swirl about, ravaging living forms. Lethal black clouds, tentacled water creatures and assorted monsters are comfortable in the daylight hours as well. The knight and a third fellow journeyer, a priest, have difficulty believing Delphine's visions are real, but with oblivion lurking in every shadow, they don't have any choice but to trust her. The question becomes, can she trust herself? Buehlman, who drew upon his love of Fitzgerald and Hemingway in his acclaimed Southern horror novel, Those Across the River (2011), slips effortlessly into a different kind of literary sensibility, one that doesn't scrimp on earthy humor and lyrical writing in the face of unspeakable horrors. The power of suggestion is the author's strong suit, along with first-rate storytelling talent. An author to watch, Buehlman is now two for two in delivering eerie, offbeat novels with admirable literary skill.

Kirkus Reviews