Fabulous reads – Fates collide in Follett’s latest novel

A Column of Fire, Ken Follett, Pan Macmillan, ISBN: 9781509857159

KEN Follett’s captivating third novel in the Kingsbridge series, A Column of Fire, returns to the setting that began in the multi-million copy bestsellers, The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

The year is 1558 and a young Ned Willard returns home to Kingsbridge to find his world has changed.

The ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn by religious hatred. Europe is in turmoil as high principles clash bloodily with friendship, loyalty and love. The protagonist soon finds himself on the opposite side from the girl he longed to marry, Margery Fitzgerald.

Elizabeth Tudor takes the throne and all of Europe turns against England. The shrewd and determined monarch sets up the country’s finest secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions and invasion plans.

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She knows the headstrong Mary Queen of Scots lies in wait in Paris and is backed by a slew of supporters. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva.

The true battle will have those who believe in tolerance and compromise pitched against tyrants who would impose their ideals on everyone else.

This saga has enthralled millions of readers and Ken Follett aims to surpass his readers’ expectation with the third novel in the series.

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