Between Two Fires

Between Two Fires A young mother with her daughter escapes child trafficking in their home country Belarus just to end up in a refugee camp in northern Sweden. In her vulnerable situation she becomes a easy target for her surrounding. Soon enough she get put in front of extreme choices which turns her life to a nightmare. I had the chance to see this film months before its official release in Sweden, living in the town Kiruna where many scenes were shot, including some in my very own apartment block.

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But I did not like it for the fact that I recognise the pictures and some of the walk-ins. It really is a strong story, a good European drama story of world class. When the film was finished, the entire audience remained until the last title had been shown; a rare event in nowadays, proving that the film truly moves its audience. Marta flees from a village in Belarus after her boyfriend sells her child to organised crime. They escape and end up in a remote, isolated asylum centre in the extreme north of Sweden.

She is afraid of everybody, but does succeed to create friendships. She manages to contact a woman from her village living in town, but soon finds out that things are not as she thought them to be. Bad vibes come across the viewer long before they reach Marta, thrown between hope and fear, joy and sorrow, as her application process proceeds through the usual stages.

The film shows how many illusions newly arrived refugees have, and how little illusions are left as the harsh reality descends. In Between Two Fires, Agnieszka Lukasiak has created a moving story starting with a woman fleeing from a dark, dark threat to her young daughters life, and culminating in a choice so grim, so impossible, that it leaves the audience with a sense of shock. Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video. Start your free trial. Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your Watchlist and rate your favorite movies and TV shows on your phone or tablet!

Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Full Cast and Crew. Buehlman puts extreme emphasis on arguably one of the most-asked questions in religious history: Both have their merits, depending on the story being told. Steve West is the latter. The demons that rise from the depths of hell to bar their way are voiced with chilling cadence. So… that was different!

You could say that this is a book about a disgraced knight, an equally disgraced country-side priest and a really weird foundling trying to make their way to safety during the Black Death plague of But that would not be quite right, now would it? This is a moving and disturbing story about humanity, redemption, compassion and sacrifice. We like to romanticize the past, but really, the Mid 4 and a half.

We like to romanticize the past, but really, the Middle Ages were brutal: Perhaps a little too much so, if you have a weak stomach: Can you even call it living when you are surrounded by death wherever you go? When you feel all alone in a huge, scary, overwhelming world, how do you carry on? In this Hellish France, an errand knight-turned-brigand, Thomas, meets a delicate orphan girl who sees souls, angels and demons. She tells him the war and pestilence on Earth are simply a consequence of a much bigger war, of Hell against Heaven.

This is historical fiction, or rather alternate historical fiction, but with some of the creepiest horror elements I have come across in a long time scattered through the pages. Also, a lot of gore, blood, guts and excrement. The relationship that develops between Thomas and his innocent, waifish companion is touching, poignant and funny.

I now want to read everything Christopher Buehlman has ever written! But this, of course, is a work of fiction. I found it very thought-provoking and fascinating, but I can see how it would upset some people. View all 11 comments. Jun 08, Lisa rated it it was amazing Shelves: I went to check out what others thought of it on Goodreads.

This made me have some doubts. Surely if it was worth a read, someone would have read it by now. But, it sounded interesting, and it cost me nothing but a bit of time to check it out. But I never lost interest. Instead I was pulled in to what I first thought was going to be more of a Historical Fiction type of book with just a bit of Fantasy bend to it.

The story takes place in France, the year is and the land and people are ravaged with plague. Just the plague is horrifying enough. Then add in war and the cruelties of mankind. The book made it clear, this was quite a dreadful time and place to live. And then beyond the gore, there is also the daunting presence of something else, some otherworldly beings dipping their hand into the works, trying to control the affairs of men to serve who knows what hidden agenda.

This book is creepy. This book is violent. And no, not just because it is creepy and violent. It just seemed to find an excellent balance. This is also not a book for the faint of heart. I really enjoyed the character Thomas, a fallen knight that has been traveling with some quite despicable brigands. But, something about this girl is different. She sees things and knows things that are beyond explanation. I absolutely love the dynamic between Thomas and this girl. I hate to say too much more for fear of spoilers. This book was an unexpectedly wonderful and terrifying find.

Like I said before, if you are squeamish, or shy away from books with rape or graphic violence, put this book on your never read list. But for those of you like me that are fans of dark and gritty fantasy, definitely add this one to your list. It is well worth the read. And a quick mention for the audiobook format, it was excellent. The narrator did a marvelous job with the suspense and using just the right inflections on words to get across any dark humor. This book is hard to classify.

I've put it under fantasy definitely , Alternate-History sort of as it's full of supernatural happenings, maybe fantasy-history but I don't have a shelf for that , Horror yes plus terror and also gross-outs. I didn't put it on the Christian theology shelf though there are some lessons here and I think many Christians will find the book I went 4 stars here and it's in many ways very close to a 5 star read.

There are some thi This book is hard to classify. There are some things that keep me from going to the complete 5, but that doesn't mean the book isn't excellent. So, where'd the extra star or at least part of a star go? That will require a little discussion below but there are some basics I can make you aware of first.. Some readers this won't bother at all The book is full of foul language and that includes blasphemy. Note that the blasphemy is not frivolous, it's part of the story.

This book deals with a world in which the worst of humanity is the par and the rest is worse than par. Just be aware going in that you're about to embark on a journey where murder, theft, rape, and all that's evil, bloody, mucus smeared, stinking and dung covered is the norm. It's not a pleasant world. I mentioned Christian theology earlier. This book is about a second attempt of Satan the name Lucifer is used to overthrow heaven and at the same time to turn Earth into an annex of Hell. Okay first off advice I've given before Now, that said, there are some good lessons here.

For non-Christians this will obviously not be an issue.

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For Christians what you'll find here is a profound misunderstanding or maybe more likely a profound disregard of actual Christian theology. However I don't think the story itself will be a problem for most Christians. I'm a Christian an actual practicing one and I like the book On the up side the book actually brings up some interesting questions for thought and maybe discussion. Good book, but not a pleasant book. You need to be ready for that. It tells a complete story with complete characters and fills in it's gaps. It's thought provoking, enthralling and fairly original. I can highly recommend this one.

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. The story revolves around the rebellion of human kind as tied in with Satan's rebellion and the perception of humans, angels and demons that God has withdrawn Himself and can be overthrown. The book ties up with this being disproved and with repentance and redemption.

There is a view of Hell that owes more to Dante Alighieri than the Bible. There is a common misunderstanding of the Genesis story Apr 19, Kate Quinn rated it it was amazing. Four and a half stars. A curious, fascinating book that mixes fantasy, horror, and history in a deft, riveting blend. In the wasteland of medieval France, riddled by the aftermath of war and the horrors of the Black Death, a trinity of unlikely pilgrims come together: As she leads them on a quest to rediscover their own so Four and a half stars.

As she leads them on a quest to rediscover their own souls and bring an end to the plague, they battle earthly foes starvation, illness, mobs and unearthly ones demons, angels, and some truly hair-raising monsters. More than anything I am reminded of a Provencal ballad: This is a rollercoaster through demon lands and angel-scapes, and maybe not for everyone--both the violence and gross-out factor are fairly high--but I was spellbound to the end.

Nov 11, Ted rated it it was amazing Shelves: I never write reviews, ever. I feel that reading is subjective and not everyone can appreciate everything equally. That said, there are books you read from time to tome that are worth saying "WOW" and sharing it with others. This is a cross between Bernard Cornwell and Stephen King. The ending is superb IMHO. I have read all 3 of his books and liked them all but this one is one of my favorite books of all time. Nov 26, Rebecca rated it really liked it Shelves: To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what the hell I just read.

I think it was deeply profound and probably changed my life, but I'm not sure yet. I'll have to read it at least twice more before I understand what actually happened. Of course I followed the plot, so I got it, but I didn't "get" it. To follow a book and to understand it are not always the same thing, which was profoundly demonstrated here. This was very different from the author's first novel, Those Across the River.

It's so dif To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what the hell I just read. It's so different in style and pacing and plot that I would never have guessed that the same person wrote them if I didn't know better. There were brief bouts of horror that left me breathless and a little traumatized, then a short breather, and then once more into the breach. You may have noticed by this point that my review has said nothing substantive about the book itself.

That's because I haven't got a clue what to say.

It's intricately plotted, probably deeply profound, filled with hair-curling profanity and stomach-turning gore. I think I will see the images of some of those scenes in my sleep for the next twenty years, and if I ever taste wine that's even a hint off, I will throw it down and run screaming.

Actually, I take it all back. I do know what to say. It's like a literary Bosch painting. The longer you stare at it the more you want to scratch out your eyeballs, but the more you keep coming back. You will be sorry. You will be so very sorry. Jul 29, ijeoma Agbaje rated it it was amazing.

Can we forgive only those who sinned against others" The plot opens up in 14th Century France where Religion read Cath Thank you Thomas Stacey for this absolutely amazing rec. Can we forgive only those who sinned against others" The plot opens up in 14th Century France where Religion read Catholic Church is firmly entrenched in how society is governed. What impresses me about this book is that Buehlman doesn't try to instill bias against religion or even try to get preachy.

It's simply a book that shows mythical creatures for some slagging it out with earth and it's denziens caught in the middle. What epic fantasy doesn't have gods making humans pay for their squabbles i ask you. So if you're not especially religious, you can read this book without fear that someone is trying to sway you over. If you are especially religious i would say, remeber that 14th century France was definitely way different from what what we have now and honestly, a physical manifestation of heaven and hell's denizens having a go at it would definitely be something people in that century would believe.

That aside what finally settles this book for me as a favourite was definitely the prose and how Buehlman is able to make you care for the characters and their journey. The author weaves a story so compelling, well written and out of the norm that honestly even you can't tell if heaven is going to win this. Would totally recommend this amazing novel.

Apr 25, Ctgt rated it really liked it. France The Black Death stalks the land. What if God had turned away from humankind? What if the Devil stepped in to wreak havoc? Thomas, a disavowed knight turned bandit. Matthieu, a disgraced priest. And Delphine a young girl with a certain aura about her. The two men join together to escort Delphine to Avignon where she knows she has to go but does not know why.

Dark, brooding and heavy with atmosphere. Add nightmares and demons to a land already ravaged by the plague and you have an great mi France The Black Death stalks the land. Add nightmares and demons to a land already ravaged by the plague and you have an great mix of horror, history and fantasy.

Fanastic tale of dark versus light. A top notch read that meshes fantasy, horror and medieval history into an epic apocalyptic novel. Mid-fourteenth century France is as close to hell as any place on Earth. Starvation is a fact of life. B A top notch read that meshes fantasy, horror and medieval history into an epic apocalyptic novel.

Buehlman decides to use this chaotic era as a setting for a battle between angels and demons as God has obviously shunned this once affluent and proud nation. Across this land, 3 very different people undertake a journey that will lead to the very fate of the world. Our main character is Thomas de Givras, survivor of Crecy and fallen knight, excommunicated from the Catholic church, his lands and wife taken.

He has chosen a life of banditry to follow a road to revenge, until his path crosses with a young orphan girl, Delphine, who claims to have visions from God removing any doubt who this character was inspired by and he finds himself drawn to her curious path.

between two fires

Along their journey, they are also joined by a homosexual priest whose appetites seriously undermine his moral standing, forcing him to ponder his choice of profession. The story then takes on a more familiar fantasy track as the trio of unlikely heroes encounter giant river monsters, ghosts and demons, pirates, bandits, and undead. This is a fine novel, full of biblical allegory, beautiful and brutal description, and mind-blowing fantasy. My one problem with the book was the pacing at times. Occasionally following scenes of riveting action and horror, there were lulls of unexpected tranquility with more than a little descriptive prose that seemed uneven in the narration.

Also, the sudden juxtaposition of place and setting absolutely jarred me out of the story several times. But these are merely quibbles in one of the better novels I have read in a long time. Oct 25, Mia rated it it was amazing. It is set in the s, in a France ravaged by the Black Death. This book is haunting, disturbing, and gut-wrenching, with its in-depth exploration of the bleak landscape of poverty, famine, disease, anarchy.

Calamity has the potential to arouse virtue but more often gives rise to villainy, perversion and depravity. The calamity on the ground is mirrored in heaven where angels and demons battle and god seems nowhere to be found. While scavenging in a skeletal village with his band of brigands, former knight, Thomas, encounters the young girl, Delphine, and is inexplicably compelled to save her from assault by his cohorts. Thomas becomes Delphine's de facto companion, guardian and protector. Delphine is guided by an unseen, unknown force that directs her movements. Thomas senses an aura of holiness about Delphine and, against his better judgment, follows her lead at the risk of his own life.

Thomas is perhaps the most complex character-- secretive, possessing a wry, bitter but sharp humor, and a crass and unpolished exterior but a valiant, chivalrous core. He was raised from humble beginnings to noble status and then plumbed to such depths through the machinations of others. Christopher Buehlman begins with a mystery that continually grows in magnitude, complexity and consequence. He uses symbolism, metaphor, omens, among others, to sustain a sense of foreboding throughout, frugally parsing out details of the story.

The timeline of the story is not entirely linear, strategically moving from the present to the past as required, and even moving in a parallel manner. This novel is also not lacking in mystical and magical elements-- subversion of the rules of nature, prophecy, enchantments, reanimation and the conscription of the dead into a macabre army, among others. Buehlman also has a gift for succinct but profound description, such as this of a demon-- "Muscled and without need of muscle, ancient and exuberantly youthful, full again of the heat of stars and the patience of pushing mountains.

We all disappoint someone. Can we forgive only those who sinned against others? Stylistically, it requires an attentive reader, alert to the clues provided by chronology, battleground and language. Thematically, it tackles painful historical events, adds mythological components, and explores a wide spectrum of emotions, particularly base ones. It provides a comprehensive demonstration of the perceived wages of sin and the even greater and real wages of guilt.

Jan 07, Kris43 rated it it was amazing Shelves: Its kinda hard to define what exactly happened here.

between two fires

Because things where normal, just perfectly normal, until something small but terribly distorted happened that left me second guessing everything. Like, normal little things one moment, next moment they mix with reality and make it somehow horribly wrong! And the way its done, the charact Its kinda hard to define what exactly happened here. And the way its done, the characters don't always notice it, or not entirely, or don't connect it to something important that is left unsaid.

Just hanging there, in the air, making it heavy with possible meanings Its grotesque and frightening! Everything here is connected and has more meanings. Some of it is quite subtle and some explicit as only a living Hell can be. At its core, this reads very much as a historical fiction. Its a story of A knight honorably serves his master and falls, through no fault of his own.

A little girl is left all alone after witnessing the plague wiping out her entire estate and the death of her father. He is currently laying dead in his bed. And being dead for a few days now, he is all bloated and not nice to look at. She seeks help to bury him, and this is how they meet.

This is a superb literary historical horror, I totally recommend it. Oct 10, Michele rated it really liked it Shelves: A 14th century apocalypse, beautifully realized. It's difficult to get into the mindset of an earlier, less scientfically knowledgeable era but Buehlman does it, giving his main character a voice and a perspective that is almost flawlessly medieval.

One could argue, from the perspective of the 21st century, that some or even all of what Thomas experiences is hallucination, religious mania, fever dream or vision quest rather than real, but one cannot say it is not credible. The author has clearly A 14th century apocalypse, beautifully realized.

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The author has clearly done his research; the title itself comes from documentary sources, and at times I felt as though I were wandering through the margins of an illuminated manuscript, complete with slavering demons, winged beasts and strange creatures all around me.

A great read, a great adventure. Nov 05, Weez rated it it was amazing. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. But based on how much I enjoyed "Those Across The River", I decided to give this novel a chance despite the blurb on the back cover. This is not a typical horror novel by any means: It's and war, famine, pestilence, murderous brigands and even monsters ravage Europe. Could this be the end of days? Are these the signs of the apocalypse? Yes, obviously; and somehow these three protagonists have to stop it.

As in all good historical fiction, Buehlman doesn't bog the reader down with pointless discriptions and endless trivia - this is a narrative, not a textbook. The characters don't spend 5 pages thinking deeply about what to them would be common, everyday objects nor discussing the previous years of international politics leading up to the current state of affairs in order to "educate" the reader. This keeps the story moving along and gives the characters more believability. In addition to being an exciting story that kept me turning pages, I found parts of this book quite humorous as well, which was rather unexpected in a novel about demons from Hell waging a war against Earth and Heaven during the plague.

Jul 14, Ashley rated it did not like it. Travel back to 14th century Europe as the Black Plague runs rampant, wiping out entire towns and leaving only ruin and heartbreak in its wake. Now, add a disgraced knight, a failed priest, and a girl on a mission from God to severe the hold Hell has upon the population. While I was initially intrigued by this story's premise, I was actually quite disappointed; I thought this was going to be a fantasy about our heroic trio marching around, vanquishing demons and bringing peace to the land and, wh Travel back to 14th century Europe as the Black Plague runs rampant, wiping out entire towns and leaving only ruin and heartbreak in its wake.

While I was initially intrigued by this story's premise, I was actually quite disappointed; I thought this was going to be a fantasy about our heroic trio marching around, vanquishing demons and bringing peace to the land and, while that is the basic idea, it is constantly drowned in a battle of "what is right and wrong" that I was unable to give my full attention. I was constantly thrown off when the dialogue would segue, it being difficult to tell who was actually speaking and whether or not it was all real or if it was taking place in their heads or in the head of someone halfway across the globe, which it often was, the person of interest changing within the same paragraph.

The ending, while featuring the predictable battle between angels and demons, was confusing beyond belief, my mind having gone into "what in the world happened and how did it happen? The last few pages in the book includes a readers guide, which ends up being a list of discussion questions appropriate for a college lecture, which explains why this book was so dry in the first place. I would not recommend this to anyone looking for a good historical fiction.

May 18, Lee rated it really liked it Shelves: Once again Buehlman delivers a dark disturbing read. Having loved The Necromancer's House I was hoping that it wasn't a one off. Buehlman has a way to keep you on edge, he always seems to be able to push the line of uncomfortable creepy and then backs you away with some relief dialogue between characters. There is nothing soft and fluffy with this story, it is pure apocalypse, but 14th century France apocalypse. With a big religious back bone of good versus evil, long bow men, fi Once again Buehlman delivers a dark disturbing read.

With a big religious back bone of good versus evil, long bow men, fighting angels, buggering priests and fireplace crotch warmed zombies, oh and your not quite so typical Knight in somewhat rusty armour. As usual, the language can be feral, if you have read Necromancers House you'll know he doesn't hold back, it still has me squirming at times, but I do find that the use of language is always pertinent to the moment.

He doesn't waste profanity, it is there to build the scene and he does it very well. I have a shelf called dark fantasy, where I put this, but it isn't dark fantasy compared to what other books I rated as that. I should make a new shelf called 'horror fantasy', because this is how he writes. It can be disturbing, uncomfortable and utterly rewarding reading his books, because it puts me in a place I find different to almost all the other books I read and that has to be good!

Oct 02, David rated it it was amazing Shelves: It's a horror novel that's also a Christian parable. Devils assault heaven and have taken the Pope. We follow a girl that's either a witch or holy, a fallen knight and a gay priest on their dangerous journey to save the world. Nearly impossible to put down. I loved this novel. Oct 27, Jason Golomb rated it it was amazing Shelves: This wonderful book by Christopher Buehlman is part fairy tale, part fantasy, part horror and part historical fiction.

These individual parts blend to create a fulfilling whole in his Cantebury-an story of a fallen knight and spiritually lost priest who journey across France during the plague-ridden middle ages with an orphaned girl who's either an exceptionally special individual, a weird witch, or a gift literally from the heavens. The emotional plot and backdrop is a beautifully diverse fren This wonderful book by Christopher Buehlman is part fairy tale, part fantasy, part horror and part historical fiction.

The emotional plot and backdrop is a beautifully diverse french countryside, absolutely decimated, both mentally and physically, by the Black Death. Humanity has been abused and tortured so completely and without relief that the very reasonable question of "is there a god, and if so, why is this allowed to happen?

The three travel across France to follow the girl's very singular vision that she must get to Avignon, seat of the Pope during the years the papacy was moved from Rome.

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Their travels provide Buehleman the momentum and opportunity to build his narrative through flashback-propelled backstory. They also face trials that range from the supernatural and celestial to the physical and emotional, which build the plot, relationships, and put flesh on the bone of each character.

Redemption and renewal, faith and love are all key themes throughout "Two Fires". The struggles that orbit these themes are not always obvious, and while sometimes dealt with metaphysically, they're often enlarged, and as real as any armored first to the jaw. A beautiful, horrible and significant battle scene brings their journey to Avignon to an end: Buehlman paints this scene with audacious characterizations of demons, and brightly colorful descriptions of angels.

Within the context of the larger journey of discovery, the scene is realistic, and affecting. Imagine a demon transformer made from the remains of the dead; imagine something more than your typical Hollywood ending. I intensely enjoyed "Between Two Fires". The story is built uniquely, and falls just outside of any easily characterized genre.