Jaclyn’s Review: A Column of Fire by Ken Follett (DNF)

A Column of Fire (Kingsbridge #3)
written by Ken Follett
published by Viking, 2017

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Did I enjoy this book? NO! Oh, this made me so sad! I read Pillars of the Earth and loved it. Then the author wrote a sequel, and I enjoyed that as well. This book has been highly anticipated as the third in the series, and I was excited to pick it up. I barely made it 5% through the book before I had to put it down. I can’t even comment on whether the plot is any good because the writing is AWFUL! The writing is one of the things I liked most about Pillars of the Earth. In this installment, it reads as if the author subcontracted the writing out to a 13-year-old kid. The sentence structure is rudimentary with the most basic, low-level vocabulary possible. I simply could not continue to read it.

No rating – DNF

Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. Read Pillars of the Earth, read World Without End. Stay very far away from this book. It’s AWFUL!

 

 
What others have rated this book: According to Goodreads, the average rating for A Column of Fire is 4.22. A majority of the ratings on multiple online retailers was 5 stars. Just because I didn’t finish this book doesn’t mean you won’t.
 

About the book – from Goodreads: 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.

 

 
 

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** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on April 23, 2019.