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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
I just want to preface by saying Ken Follett is my favourite author and the Kingsbridge series is my favourite series but this book felt like there was something missing. It was still good by all means but the story didn't span over 40years like the previous ones so it felt shorter somehow with a bunch of filler. Still recommend it though if you're a fan of the series.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Unputdownable prequel: fans of medieval history must try this
History’s dark side, but also how advances happened.
I fell in love with The Pillars of the Earth early on, then loved the TV series. World Without End showed that Follett knew he was onto a winner with archetypes and structure but that didn’t matter, he creates winning good guys, appallingly hateable bad guys and gives us a visually immersive world that I’ve rarely seen explored in fiction before.
While this is technically a prequel to the series, you can read it as a stand-alone without foreknowledge of the characters or events of the others. In 997, an independently-minded noblewoman in Cherbourg falls for an older Englishman from the upper classes, thus changing her prospects. Over in England, Edgar and his family have the consequences of a Viking raid to live with, as lives and livelihoods are lost to the raiders. These two stories give us the story of a years-long plot that involves political machinations, intrigues, and the everyday lives of the poor and rich alike.
Edgar’s inspiration in the series can be easily seen in Tom Builder/Jack, and the boatbuilder and his sharp, problem-solving mind gives us a clue just how advances must have been made. For someone like me who isn’t technologically minded, I found the description if bridge- and raft-building just as intriguing as cathedral building was with Tom. And Ragna’s seemingly worlds-apart life journey, as newcomer, foreigner, new wife and authority figure is just as compelling as we get the chance to see the role of women in medieval society, and how they could influence events.
There are several strong female characters here, some wealthy and some from much more humble origins. They give a good account of themselves (even if some are motivated by less-than-honourable intentions) - it was clearly not a man’s world alone.
The origins of the class system are also very clear to see, as money is kept within families, power transferred, opponents and anyone likely to show promise and leadership removed, the influential family at the heart of these events always able to control proceedings from their vantage point. Not much changed even in a thousand years...
There is a fair amount of educational content here, facts about living conditions, health (“Ma and Pa had taught their sons to keep themselves fresh by bashing at least once a year.”), political systems, marriage, religion and how people thought and saw their world. Seeing out own from a distance and how we’ve moved on from our antecedents is just fascinating.
A dangerous world, a hard world to survive in, but a completely intoxicating glimpse, with the best of heroes and villains that you would hope for in a saga. I hope this too is transferred into a TV series, it’s perfectly set up to make a excellent historical drama.
800 pages flew by in just four days, I highly recommend this.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
History’s dark side, but also how advances happened.
I fell in love with The Pillars of the Earth early on, then loved the TV series. World Without End showed that Follett knew he was onto a winner with archetypes and structure but that didn’t matter, he creates winning good guys, appallingly hateable bad guys and gives us a visually immersive world that I’ve rarely seen explored in fiction before.
While this is technically a prequel to the series, you can read it as a stand-alone without foreknowledge of the characters or events of the others. In 997, an independently-minded noblewoman in Cherbourg falls for an older Englishman from the upper classes, thus changing her prospects. Over in England, Edgar and his family have the consequences of a Viking raid to live with, as lives and livelihoods are lost to the raiders. These two stories give us the story of a years-long plot that involves political machinations, intrigues, and the everyday lives of the poor and rich alike.
Edgar’s inspiration in the series can be easily seen in Tom Builder/Jack, and the boatbuilder and his sharp, problem-solving mind gives us a clue just how advances must have been made. For someone like me who isn’t technologically minded, I found the description if bridge- and raft-building just as intriguing as cathedral building was with Tom. And Ragna’s seemingly worlds-apart life journey, as newcomer, foreigner, new wife and authority figure is just as compelling as we get the chance to see the role of women in medieval society, and how they could influence events.
There are several strong female characters here, some wealthy and some from much more humble origins. They give a good account of themselves (even if some are motivated by less-than-honourable intentions) - it was clearly not a man’s world alone.
The origins of the class system are also very clear to see, as money is kept within families, power transferred, opponents and anyone likely to show promise and leadership removed, the influential family at the heart of these events always able to control proceedings from their vantage point. Not much changed even in a thousand years...
There is a fair amount of educational content here, facts about living conditions, health (“Ma and Pa had taught their sons to keep themselves fresh by bashing at least once a year.”), political systems, marriage, religion and how people thought and saw their world. Seeing out own from a distance and how we’ve moved on from our antecedents is just fascinating.
A dangerous world, a hard world to survive in, but a completely intoxicating glimpse, with the best of heroes and villains that you would hope for in a saga. I hope this too is transferred into a TV series, it’s perfectly set up to make a excellent historical drama.
800 pages flew by in just four days, I highly recommend this.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, War, Classism
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great read!
This was a monster of a book (915 pages), but well worth the read! Do not be intimidated by how large the book is, the story will keep your interest peeked.
This was a monster of a book (915 pages), but well worth the read! Do not be intimidated by how large the book is, the story will keep your interest peeked.