The most expensive part of building is the mistakes

I read The Pillars of the Earth the first time around when it was just a standalone. I enjoyed it, it was well written and the story lines made sense to me. I still loved it, the others not as much, but they are still okay.

Book Review: Kingsbridge trilogy by Ken Follett

Rating:

Title & Author: Kingsbridge trilogy by Ken Follett
Genre: History, Romance
Release date: 1989
Series: Kingsbridge
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Synopsis

The Pillars of the Earth
As a new age dawns in England’s twelfth century, the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral sets the stage for a story of intrigue and power, revenge and betrayal. It is in this rich tapestry, where kings and queens are corrupt – and one majestic creation will bond them forever.

World Without End
 Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroads of new ideas—about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death.

A Column of Fire
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.

I give the entire Kingsbridge trilogy by Ken Follett four out of five hearts because I thought they were well written and had good story lines but I enjoyed the later two less than the first one. This is a trilogy consistent of three books set in and around the same village but in different time periods. It is interesting to see how the town has it ups and downs through out the years.

The characters are diverse and each have their own character. In World Without end are characters mentioned of The Pillars of the Earth.

In The Pillars of the Earth I loved Jack and his mother Ellen because they were so different from the others. They lived in the forest before they moved in with Tom Builder and his family. I also liked Aliena because she is a fierce girl who know what she wants but sometimes she is a little spoiled in that sense.

In World Without End I loved Caris the most because she is fierce and wants to be a doctor, but the age doesn’t allow for it and her battle to figure out how to get where she wants to be. All four of the main characters were interesting but I find Caris the best.

I didn’t have any favourites in A Column of Fire because in my eyes it mostly centered around the politics of England in that time period. Yes there was the romance, but I get turned away by that.

Overall I think Ken Follett is a genius writer, his works are vibrant pieces of history and I like that about his novels. But they are big and there for long. Not something I am going to reread anytime soon unfortunately.

Let me know what you thought of this book!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.

For now, let books enrich your life!

The Pillars of the Eart
World Without End
A Column of Fire
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