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sinriel's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Animal cruelty
eatingfiction's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Ken Follett is a master at bringing history to life. In A Column of Fire, we are immersed into the political upheaval during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The central events are ones I know fairly well. Mary Queen of Scots was one of my favourite historical figures to study after all, and we get to see her story play out in intimate detail. It's breathtakingly detailed, horrific, and thought-provoking. The familiar setting of Kingsbridge takes a backseat as we go across Europe and dine with royalty, smuggle illegal goods, wage war on the high seas, plot treason & uncover conspiracies.
The cast of characters, both real and fictional, is sprawling. Their lives interweave with the wider politics and their internal dramas -- but they are always the backdrop to the historical setting. This is not an epic character saga in the same way that Pillars is, and that is to its detriment. Ken Follett's storytelling truly shines when the characters are sharply drawn and the reader becomes tangled in the drama of their lives. But the characters in this novel never grow beyond the page.
The star-crossed romance is described at one point as "bittersweet", but to me it only tasted bitter. The ending of this book felt so deeply tragic, and maybe that was the point, but gaahhh. Nothing will ever compare to Pillars of The Earth.
The cast of characters, both real and fictional, is sprawling. Their lives interweave with the wider politics and their internal dramas -- but they are always the backdrop to the historical setting. This is not an epic character saga in the same way that Pillars is, and that is to its detriment. Ken Follett's storytelling truly shines when the characters are sharply drawn and the reader becomes tangled in the drama of their lives. But the characters in this novel never grow beyond the page.
The star-crossed romance is described at one point as "bittersweet", but to me it only tasted bitter. The ending of this book felt so deeply tragic, and maybe that was the point, but gaahhh. Nothing will ever compare to Pillars of The Earth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Murder, Torture, and Racism
Minor: Animal cruelty
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