A Column of Fire is the third in the Kingsbridge series, the first two of which have been instant 5 star reads for me. Just like The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, A Column of Fire can be read as a stand alone, although fans of the series will notice the occasional nod to the past and the characters who built the cathedral or the bridge etc.
It's 250 years since World Without End and A Column of Fire begins in our favourite town of Kingsbridge although spends little time there throughout the 750 pages. Instead the scope is extended as far as France and Spain to take in a global and politically charged plot that reads more like a Philippa Gregory novel.
Set between the years 1558 - 1606 and the reign of Elizabeth I, the novel captures the political turmoil of the time and the religious debate between Protestants and Catholics. The cover art features a ship and the scenes involving the Spanish Armada were some of the best I've ever read on the topic in historical fiction.
However, where I mourned the ending of World Without End and wanted it to continue forever, I was at peace with the ending of A Column of Fire.
Follett cleverly reminds the reader of the relationship between characters (and who's who) and I imagine if you put the book down for a few weeks, you could easily fall back into the story despite the complexities. Naturally I would never put down a Ken Follett novel and in fact I maintained a strictly monogamous reading schedule until I'd finished this great chunkster of a book.
Highly recommended.
My rating = *****
Carpe Librum!
Highly recommended.
My rating = *****
Carpe Librum!
I never read any Follett but this sounds good. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBest review on the book I am reading in quite a time. I read the book a long time ago and I can profoundly say that it was best at that time and I recommend it also.
ReplyDeleteThanks Davida, I can definitely recommend it.
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