Nine To Noon Book review: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Mar 19, 2026
Jack McConnell, bookseller and reviewer from Unity Books Auckland, gives a lively take on Christopher Buehlman’s Between Two Fires. He recounts its 2012 obscurity and online resurgence leading to a NZ reprint. He situates the story in plague-era France, teases a disgraced knight and saintly girl on a perilous journey, and highlights its blend of historical grit, supernatural horror and redemption.
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Slow Burn Publication Story
- The book had a tiny 2012 US print run and remained obscure until a sudden online surge in 2025.
- Jack notes the author kept rights and circulated the book until Hachette New Zealand picked it up for local publication.
Plague War Setting Amplifies Modern Resonance
- Between Two Fires blends gritty historical fiction with supernatural horror set in 1348 France during the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death.
- Jack McConnell highlights how plague, war, and exposed self-interested lords create an atmosphere that resonates post-2020.
Moral Arc Rebuilds Chivalry Amid Collapse
- The book's moral focus centers on Thomas learning to be a knight again, juxtaposing chivalric ideals with the brutality of war and plague.
- Jack argues this moral arc and visible societal collapse expose leaders' selfishness and feed the novel's contemporary appeal.
