At a glance
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers of historically grounded horror or dark medieval fiction who want a theologically serious, structurally ambitious quest narrative — and can stomach sustained, explicit violence in service of a story about faith, devastation, and costly hope.
Worth it if
You're drawn to fiction that treats medieval Christian cosmology as a genuine dramatic engine, values morally complex characters, and can engage with graphic horror as structural rather than decorative.
Skip if
Skip it if you prefer horror that builds dread through atmosphere alone — the graphic accumulation of violence (torture, dismemberment, demonic possession) is relentless enough that SFFWorld compares it to a medieval Saw film at its most intense.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews gave the novel a positive notice, calling Buehlman "an author to watch" and praising his ability to balance "earthy humor and lyrical writing in the face of unspeakable horrors." HorrorDNA praised the richness of Buehlman's prose, describing it as "rich and prosaic" and noting that he "paints a picture of a living and breathing land."
Ask LuvemBooks
Was this helpful?
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers drawn to historically grounded horror, medieval settings, or fiction that takes religious cosmology seriously as a dramatic engine, Between Two Fires operates at a high level — Kirkus Reviews' early designation of Buehlman as 'an author to watch' has aged into confirmation, and its Tor Nightfire reissue speaks to the novel's durability. The trio of Thomas, Delphine, and Father Matthieu carries genuine dramatic weight, and the novel's structurally ambitious quest earns its operatic scale. The key caveat is the sustained graphic violence: torture, dismemberment, and demonic possession are explicit and relentless, and SFFWorld noted these elements risk tipping into the gratuitous for some readers. Those who prefer horror built from atmosphere rather than graphic accumulation may find the balance harder to sustain.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to Between Two Fires are well served by several of the curated titles on this page. Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose shares the medieval setting and theological seriousness, offering a mystery steeped in monastic scholarship and religious intrigue. Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth provides similarly rich historical immersion in the medieval world, though with considerably less horror. For those drawn to the literary horror angle, Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts delivers modern domestic dread with comparable thematic weight. Gene Wolfe's Latro in the Mist offers another example of literary fantasy rooted in historical atmosphere and myth. Buehlman's other novels — Those Across the River and The Lesser Dead — are natural next reads for those who want to explore his range further.
- Who should read this?
- Between Two Fires is best suited to readers who want historically grounded horror that takes religious cosmology seriously as a dramatic engine — not as backdrop, but as the structural spine of the narrative. Fans of medieval settings, quest narratives with morally complex protagonists, and fiction that engages with theodicy (why God permits catastrophe) will find the novel operating at a high level. It is equally likely to reward readers of literary horror and serious historical fiction, a cross-audience appeal documented by its BookTok following and Tor Nightfire reissue. Readers who prefer horror built from atmosphere rather than graphic accumulation, or who are sensitive to sustained depictions of torture, dismemberment, and demonic violence, should approach with caution.
- About Christopher Buehlman
- Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, Christopher Buehlman has carved out a distinctive niche as a master of literary horror who brings an uncommon depth to the genre.
- What are the main themes?
- Redemption and renewal are the novel's central themes, alongside the theological question of why God permits catastrophes like the Black Death — concerns that are, as critic Jason Golomb notes, not decorative but structural, organizing the entire quest. Thomas's arc from excommunicated brigand to reluctant instrument of divine will, Father Matthieu's quiet dignity in the face of his congregation's rejection, and Delphine's role as a vessel of hope in a landscape of total devastation all serve Buehlman's engagement with medieval Christian cosmology. One reader at mypagebypaige.com observed that the themes of hope and redemption remain true to biblical lore even as the horror intensifies — a balance the novel works hard to maintain. At its core, the review describes Between Two Fires as 'a story about what hope costs in the worst of all possible worlds.'
- What are the content warnings?
- Between Two Fires carries significant content advisories for adult readers. SFFWorld documented sustained, explicit depictions of torture, decapitation, amputation, demonic possession, and graphic violence throughout — comparing the density of gore at its most relentless to a medieval Saw film. The novel also depicts sexual assault (Thomas rescues Delphine from assault at the novel's opening) and the persecution of a gay character (Father Matthieu is ostracized by his congregation after being discovered with another man). These elements are not incidental but structural, and readers with sensitivities to any of these areas should be fully aware before proceeding.
Summarize this book
Follow up
Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review
Press Enter to ask. Answers come from our editorial Q&A — start typing to see related questions.
Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Content to know about
Best for: Adults only — sustained graphic torture, dismemberment, demonic violence, and sexual assault make this unsuitable for younger readers.
Skip if you prefer horror built from atmosphere and dread rather than explicit, sustained graphic violence.
Editorial Review
Originally published in 2012 and now reissued by Tor Nightfire, Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires is a historical horror novel set in plague-ravaged 1348 France, following disgraced knight Thomas, a visionary girl named Delphine, and a guilt-ridden priest named Father Matthieu on a harrowing journey from Paris to Avignon — a road where demons walk openly and God appears to have abandoned creation. Kirkus Reviews praised Buehlman as "an author to watch," citing the novel's blend of earthy humor and lyrical writing, and Barnes & Noble has named it a BookTok sensation. It is a serious, structurally ambitious piece of historical horror fiction that fuses medieval theology, apocalyptic dread, and hard-won redemption into a single relentless narrative.
Read the Full ReviewBooks like Between Two Fires
Curated picks for readers who enjoyed Between Two Fires, with our reasoning for each match.
