Christopher Buehlman (2012)
[AUDIO ONLY -- no image]
(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)
This was a semi-random audiobook selection. At least one person listed on their reading list on Tik Tok and the cover was intriguing enough that I looked for it on Libby.
This is the Google AI summary of the book: a medieval horror-fantasy novel set in 1348 during the Black Death, following a disgraced knight, Thomas, who escorts a young girl, Delphine, across a plague-ridden France to Avignon, as she claims to be on a divine mission to confront evil in a second war between heaven and hell. The story blends grimdark fantasy, historical fiction, and religious mythology, featuring a journey through a depraved landscape filled with angels, demons, and the risen dead, exploring themes of faith, redemption, and the struggle for humanity's soul.
I didn't give it the best of chances because there were many times that I listened for less than 15 minutes at a shot, so I was sometimes a little lost when I started again. The narrative also shifts between current day and events in the past, and I sometimes wasn't sure where I was supposed to be. When the final conflict happened, I was a little confused as to what was going on.
Still, I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll get around to actually reading it (I have a bunch of things that I need to get to) but I might suggest this one the next time it's my turn to pick books for the book club. (Other books are likely to be Dragon Teeth and The Fourth Consort, which will be reviewed soon).
If I had a favorite scene that I think would play well on a big screen (or streaming as a series), I would pick when the fallen knight meets up with the man who took his land (and who even has his horse with him). This happens not long after the knight found a bunch of French fighters who are momentarily helpless and he backs out of the room without killing or harming any of them. The knight's battle with the lord and his men is interrupted by French attacking and massacring everyone on the field. One of the Frenchmen finds Thomas and is about to kill him when he recognizes him. He hollers to all the combatants while pointing his sword, "NOT HIM!" Thomas is the only one to survive.
I'd like to read this one.
If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical foursome of flash fiction and short stories.
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