Set in 1348, the narrative follows Thomas, a disgraced knight turned brigand, as he wanders a France decimated by the Black Death. He encounters Delphine, a young girl who claims to see angels and believes the plague is a literal extension of a celestial war between heaven and hell. Accompanied by a drunken priest, they travel toward Avignon to confront the papal authorities. Along the way, they face physical manifestations of biblical horrors, including skinless monsters and sapphire-eyed demons that occupy the depopulated countryside.
This book is for readers of gritty historical fiction and medieval horror who prefer visceral, grotesque imagery over sanitized depictions of the Middle Ages. It attracts those interested in the junction of Christian mythology and bleak realism. Readers walk away with a vivid perspective on the psychological toll of catastrophe and a detailed visualization of fourteenth-century theological fears made flesh. It serves as a study in redemption through violence and the endurance of human loyalty during a perceived apocalypse.
Balanced in tone; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2012
- Language
- EN
