I loved this book as I have loved all of Ken Follett's historical novels. It is a large book (927 pages) but, as I have felt with all of Follett's historical novels, I didn't want it to end.
Follett's characters are somewhat 3 dimensional but not so much as to take away from the plot. He interweaves real historical characters and events with fictional ones, so it was difficult for me to tell what really happened and to whom, as opposed to the fictional characters and events. I was constantly googling people and events. There are small sections that were a little dry for me. When the author goes into detail about the politics of the area at that time I drifted a bit, but he doesn't stay with it too long and he goes quickly back to the "good stuff".
I highly recommend this book to anyone that has enjoyed the other Ken Follett historical novels and to anyone that enjoys a good, meaty historical novel.

was not able to complete reading novel- my apologies

Many thanks for the book! Review can be found here: https://thebookfeed.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/a-column-of-fire-ken-follett/

I was first introduced to Ken Follett back in 2009 when I took my first trip to London. I needed something long enough that I would not read it all by the time the flight was over and long enough that I wouldn’t have to buy another book while I was there.

One of my friends recommended The Pillars of the Earth. I wasn’t going to read it but she brought it for me and I felt bad saying no.

Ironically, all I remember of that trip was how much I loved that book! That book was fantastic. I loved everything about it. I remember staying up way too late reading it. Taking it with us on every single tour bus and reading every chance I got. I loved that book so much.

I didn’t read the second book in the series World Without End, because I honestly felt like there was no need to make this into a series. It was so good as a stand alone and when the first book ended–it ended. I didn’t think a follow up was warranted.

Over the years I have considered reading the second book but it was never really high on my priority reading list because I felt so strongly that this didn’t need to be made into a series.

So flash forward almost 9 years and here I am reading the third book in the Kingsbridge series, A Column of Fire. Did I ever read the second book—no. So why pick up this one? I have no real reason other than I know that Follett is an outstanding writer and I was willing to have a little faith.

In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love.

Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents.

The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost (summary from Goodreads).

So let’s get the bad out of the way first…..was this book as good as Pillars? No. Did I need to read the second book to follow along in the series? No. Did I feel like I missed anything by skipping ahead? No. This book was good by itself and read as a stand alone for me, but I just didn’t like it as well as I liked Pillars. The only reason I can think of was this…..I felt like I had read something like it before. I’ve read a lot of books set in the Tudor period and I just feel like it’s often an over done period. I think one of the things that drew me to Pillars was that it was more Medieval England rather than Tudor England.

I also felt like this book moved away from his earlier style…..this book seemed more about the religious conflicts than the lives of the Kingsbridge citizens. Follett address a lot of larger historical issues rather than focusing on the characters, which is fine in of itself but it was just a marked difference between his earlier book.

As I mentioned before, with Pillars, I felt like it was fine on it’s own and didn’t warrant a series….I still feel that way. However, about the only thing that gave this book away as a ‘series’ was the location and the some of the family names. I believe this could easily be read as a stand alone without any problems. So for me comparing this one to Pillars is natural and when done, I still place Pillar first–but yet when looked at in it’s own right–it is a great book with a tremendous scope and lots of things to love and drive the reader forward.

I happily read the entire book without feeling like it was daunting or boring (it came in at around 900 pages) which is hard to do when a book runs that long. Follett’s ability to keep me reading is a testament to his ability as a writer.

In the end I was happy that I decided to review this one. I actually felt inspired to go back and re-read Pillars and also read World Without End just because I love his writing and historical research so very much. If you haven’t read Ken Follett yet, you are truly missing out. His work is always well researched with someone for everyone…..romance, history, battles, and intriguing plots. I loved being immersed in his world. Start anywhere in the Kingbridge series and you will not be disappointed!

Book: A Column of Fire (Kingsbridge #3) by Ken Follett

Kindle Edition, 927 pages
Published September 12th 2017 by Viking
ASIN B01N1U8IB3
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 4 out of 5

Genre: British Lit, Tudor lit, Historical fiction

Memorable lines/quotes:

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity of reviewing this book from an author I highly admire - The Pillars of the Earth book broke my heart in a million pieces and I devoured it. However, upon starting A Column of Fire, I couldn't connect to the characters and the story, so after 200 pages I can say this story isn't for me. The historical background with the disputes of Christian and Protestant faiths is very interesting, but I felt the story fell into a pattern of his other books and I found myself losing interest as the story went on.

I have chosen not to continue reading this book, as it demands a lot of time to go through a story that didn't interest me and that would have gotten a lukewarm review. I am very thankful for the opportunity and wish the book, the author and the publisher much success!

Although I prefer Follett's contemporary historical fiction trilogy, this is a worthy addition to his compelling stories retelling world history.

Although A Column of Fire is listed as the third book of the Pillars of the Earth trilogy, it can easily stand alone too. Set during the tumultuous 16th century, the Catholic and Protestant struggles are featured prominently in this story. Unlike Pillars and World Without End, A Column of Fire has a much broader scope. There are a multitude of viewpoints spread between multiple countries. Many of the common themes of TPOTE and WWOE are recycled here (the star-crossed lovers, the despicable Kingsbridge enemies, etc) making parts of it rather predictable. Overall it's a great choice for fans of TPOTE, but it's far from being considered Follett's greatest work.

The Kingsbridge series has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me - It reads like a soap opera but can be justified as a sideways kind of history. I found this latest volume a bit long, probably because political intrigue and ships don't interest me quite as much as cathedral-building and medieval medicine. But it was still fun, I still learned a lot, and the pages flew by.

A lovely continuation of this beloved series will leave fans satisfied but yet still hoping for more despite the huge page count.

Third in the novels set in the fictional town of Kingsbridge in England. This novel goes ahead several centuries after the first and years after the publication of the first two books. The period encompassed is the reign of Elizabeth Tudor; (Elizabeth I) and brings the reader into the complex world of expanding imperialism and complex politics of the era.
Ned Willard is more or less the leading character whose life and adventures are central to the events Mr Follett describes during the book. We pick up Ned at a point where he is looking forward to what he will do with his life and wanting nothing more than to marry and raise a family with Margery Fitzgerald
But the lovers' plans are thwarted due to the gigantic divide in England and nearby Europe over the rise of Protestantism and the more prevalent Catholicism. Princess Elizabeth aspires to the throne of England and indicates that if she becomes Queen she will not have anyone suffer death due to their religious beliefs. In an age where execution, generally by burning at the stake, is a common answer to differences of religious opinion the apparent attitude of Elizabeth makes her a desirable candidate for ruling England.
Ned, in the meanwhile, is deprived of Margery's hand in marriage by her family because of the difference in religion between Ned and herself. The two are distant but are in contact throughout their lives as monumental events unfold. Margery involved with clandestine proceedings aiding the cause of militant Catholicism and Ned joining what becomes a secret service dedicated to protecting Elizabeth. Events around the known world at that time become part of the background of the book. We are brought into a Spain that is a world power and fosters an inquisition that is a massive force to be feared in the country. Events in France, Belgium and Holland juxtaposed against proceedings in England.
A section of the book details Spain sending an armada to conquer England and remove Elizabeth from the throne. The plans on both sides that shape this epic battle and the consequent rise of England as a mighty sea power with Spain being replaced are well delineated and shown as shaping the known world.
"A Column of Fire" is a lengthy book at more than 900 pages, but it is one that draws in the reader and makes him or her just stay with it and undoubtedly waiting for the next in the series when Mr Follett completes it.

Yay! Ken Follett returns to Kingsbridge, the setting of Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, but now it's during the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII closed the monastery, but if the Catholic Mary becomes queen what will happen? Once again an engaging tale of the different families of Kingsbridge and how their lives and fates intertwine.

Ken Follett is a master storyteller. Once again we are transported to the town of Kingsbridge, England. It is 1558; Bloody Mary reigns as Queen and is busy persecuting Protestants. This novel spands decades: 1558-1620, and during that time Elizabeth comes to reign as Elizabeth I; Mary, Queen of Scots is seen by many Catholics as the true heir to the English throne, and France struggles to find religious tolerance for both Catholics and Protestants. Machinations, greed, power, religion, and every day people struggling to worship as they believe fill this novel to the brim. Getting to know Ned, Sylvie, Margery, Rollo, Barney, and Pierre (some of these folks are quite nasty!) as they live, love, and for some--sell their souls for power and righteousness--made what might be an intimidating 928 pages fly by. You won't be able to put it down, and when you turn that last page, you will feel like you've come to the end of an epic journey. Highly recommend! You do not need to read Pillars of the Earth or World Without End to enjoy this novel.

The Kingsbridge series has to be my all time favorite books. I was so excited to see he added another book to this saga! I know the books are long, but they are worth every page!! This book is a must read!!

I. I'm only a quarter of the way through the book and I will add a more thorough review once I'm done, but for now let me just say if you enjoyed the first two titles in this trilogy, you won't be disappointed in this one. It's fabulous!