Between Two Fires

By: Christopher Buehlman

Narrated by: Steve West

Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

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, demons, saints, and the risen dead - and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man.

Christopher Buehlman is a writer and performer from St. Petersburg, Florida. The winner of the 2007 Bridport Prize for poetry, he is also the author of several plays and the acclaimed horror novel Those Across the River. He lives with his wife and his rescued dog, Duck.

©2012 Christopher Buehlman (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Having made a huge bloody splash with Those across the River, Buehlman returns with a book set in 1348 Europe…It’s intriguing that Buehlman has leapt so far from the mid-century Southern setting of his first novel, just as intriguing that he’s also an award-winning poet. Expect demand.” ( Library Journal)

short review

thoroughly enjoyed this book in every way. the characters are compelling, the storytelling - medieval events through a fantasy lense - was very entertaining, and the choice of narrator was near perfect. so glad a friend turned me on to this book!

Spellbinding, gruesome yet earnest

It’s a hard book to classify - historical fiction, horror, dark fantasy, hard to say! But the story is gripping, the dialogue is lively, and it’s hard to put down.

Amazing

Thrilling sad and beautiful all
three things needed for a great book and this one had all thank you for sharing with us this amazing story.

I don’t know what I just read & I love it

There’s a lot of theology & Christian (specifically Catholic) mythology at work in this fantasy-horror-revelations story. I could add on another description but it would be a spoiler. The narrator was fantastic. The story was bizarre but also spot-on and satisfying. Read all the way to the end after the end.

Loved this book

If you like history and apocalyptic horror mixed with angels and demons, this is the book for you.

This book is phenomenal

At its heart, this is a beautiful story about relationships: between each other, between hope and grief, and between the gulf of expectation of faith and reality. It is at once a simple story of a man, a girl and priest, and then a story of the cosmic struggle of fanatic devotion to misguided causes and the simple truths that unmask them all. The prose is precise and sometimes breathtaking. It is a simple tale that manages the conceit of all of human and divine history in the singular trappings of living in a world that isn’t fair. But in the struggle against all that abrades is a beautiful tale of finding love in forgiveness and forgiveness in love. This is one of the best stories I have ever heard.

Excellent in Historical Fiction

The narrative was great, made you feel like you were living through the Black Death

Such a amazing story

Honestly a book that will stick with you for years. I absolutely love the author, he’s beyond brilliant. This is the 3rd book I’ve read by him and I’ve not been displeased yet.

Very imaginative

At times it was a bit difficult for me to track how we had arrived at certain points so i would have to do some back tracking no big deal. When you’re listening you really need to be paying attention at every moment for this one. I thought the book started strong until about 3/4s through it felt like it lost some momentum in my opinion. However I like the way everything tied up at the end. Interesting book and definitely worth a listen or a read through. If that doesn’t sell you this book was available to download without spending a credit!! Prior to this book I listened to a book where I had to pay a credit and between two fires was far more entertaining!!

Berserk-like, but without Guts’ super strength

This book was an incredible story through hell on earth for three extremely different companions. Gripping at every turn, and it still manages to capture your heart.