This isn't necessarily a criticism or a complaint, but more ruminating on typical practice in western publishing. When I was first looking to get this book, I peeped the synopses for both book 1&2, and saw that 2 takes place immediately after 1. Totally sick, no worries. But the series is only three books long :( which sounds biblically greedy when I say it that way, but when I cracked open To Shape A Dragon's Breath I wanted it to last for /years/ in story time. I wanted to follow Anequs and Kasaqua into adulthood. Completely mediocre displays of linguistic artistry are getting their 7th books, and I have to content myself with only three installments of one of my favourite fantasy series to date? If this is Blackgoose's only plan, I'll take it gladly. But all I'm saying is if she pulled a Cassandra Clare and came back later with ANOTHER three books I would chomp down on them so fucking ferociously.

I don't know. Halfway through the book and we're only in November. I'm enjoying every word! But I wonder if western lit isn't a little a little afraid of a story that keeps going instead of ending after an arbitrary length. And this world is so vast. I know that when authors do that it's an excuse to start a series in another part/in another time, but I'm greedy. I like Anequs and Kasaqua. I want to experience the world through THEM. I want to read them and their gaggle of friends navigating hardship between each other and with the world that punishes them for existence. Theod, Liberty, Marta, Sander--they're such exemplary non-MC protagonists that they could each get a book which focuses on their strife and I would adore every word. That's fucking hard to do! They're likeable with equally realistic and infuriating flaws given their backgrounds.

Sigh. Moniquill Blackgoose if you're reading this: you are soooooo fucking good at what you do. So good I'm preemptively upset about not getting more of what you're so good at.

Something I've noticed in this forum and reviews is that some readers didn't rate the book as high due to certain tropes. Such as hiding your sexuality, and the false pope's antisemitism. Now before you lose it on me, just stay with me for a moment longer. This is feudal, medieval EUROPE. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this stuff really happened. Gay men did join religious orders to escape persecution. If this is how you learn Catholic popes weren't all nice dudes, then the education system has failed (whichever one you attended). These things are all still happening, unfortunately. I read this book as an accurate description of this timeframe, with the addition of magic and monsters. I am not encouraging anyone to take this as a blueprint for the future (lets have some common sense here), but sometimes it irks me when people read historical fiction/stories with aspects of historical fiction and get mad when things they don't like happen. Could Buehlman been a little more chill with the negatively accurate historical facts? Absolutely. But that's not what Between Two Fires is about, in my opinion. It's the story of being lost, and then found.

Reading this book and liking it for the storyline does NOT mean you agree with what happened in the past that is depicted in this book.

It's probably my third attempt to read Stephanie Garber's book. 2-3 years ago I tried to finish OUABH and Caraval, but hadn't been able to finish either. It's such a letdown that I hadn't been able bring myself to finish since I read and heard many good things about Caraval and Stephanie Garber in general.

Sooo hopefully, third time's the charm🤞🤞