A Column of Fire - Ken Follett

A Column of Fire

By Ken Follett

  • Release Date: 2017-09-12
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 2,852 Ratings)

Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Absorbing . . . impossible to resist.” —The Washington Post

As Europe erupts, can one young spy protect his queen? #1 New York Times bestselling author Ken Follett takes us deep into the treacherous world of powerful monarchs, intrigue, murder, and treason with his magnificent new epic, A Column of Fire. A thrilling read that makes the perfect gift for the holidays.

 
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.
 
Set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire is one of Follett’s most exciting and ambitious works yet. It will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and is the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett.

Reviews

  • Takes the easy way out

    2
    By Rynedc
    A couple of plot choices toward the end were supremely disappointing. Follett has always taken the easy way out in this series but this one went too far. Also, gets some history wrong at the very end, too.
  • Great book. Impossible to put down.

    5
    By Reading to sleep
    Follett mixed fact with fiction in a fabulous blend. He fashioned a book that is both informative and exciting ..
  • Love this story in context of real historical events

    4
    By Mirbagg
    Connected me to a part of history I’ve learned about in school but didn’t understand. This story puts the schism into context and I better understand the violent past of Christian civil wars.
  • Excellent

    5
    By rickalb
    n excellent end to this very interesting trilogy. I will look for add to more books by this author.
  • Never a dull moment!

    5
    By lprcno
    Fantastic writing; exciting page turner! Thanks!
  • Follett’s worth reading

    4
    By read1st
    Follett always come thru with just a good good read.
  • Better than the second book but…

    3
    By serpenssapiens
    Rather a mashup of several odd plots that feel forced together and either under developed or over developed and don’t quite come together at the end. To call this the third book of the trilogy is a misnomer. Kingsbridge gets lost in trying to insert characters into a historical timeline. I’m actually sad the way this trilogy turned out because the first book was so good, then the unfortunate second which was essentially a rewrite of the first just with different names and dates. With this one Follett doesn’t make that mistake again but overshoots the mark by limiting the inclusion of Kingsbridge, yet still including yet another rape scene. What is it with him and rape???
  • Another brilliant book...

    5
    By Ptvogelzang
    Love this author, his storytelling brilliance, and his research of history.
  • Classic Follett!!! Great read!

    5
    By LF Girl
    Loved the history intertwined with fiction.
  • An underdeveloped spy novel

    2
    By eidrunner247
    I’m a huge fan of the other earlier books in this series. However, this third installment drifts far from the moorings which made the earlier novels so great. This reads as an international spy craft novel, not as a natural evolution of Kingbridge and its inhabitants. As a result, this novel was a disservice to spy novels and the denizens of Kingbridge. This novel incorporates several historical figures into a fictional plot. But it’s written from a birdseye view of France and England that it’s characters don’t resonate with the depth and quality that we’ve seen with the early novels.

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