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Title details for A Column of Fire by Ken Follett - Available

A Column of Fire

#3 in series

by Ken Follett
John Lee
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Absorbing . . . impossible to resist.” —The Washington Post
As Europe erupts, can one young spy protect his queen? #1 New York Times bestselling author Ken Follett takes us deep into the treacherous world of powerful monarchs, intrigue, murder, and treason with his magnificent new epic, A Column of Fire. A thrilling read that makes the perfect gift for the holidays.
 
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.
 
Set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire is one of Follett’s most exciting and ambitious works yet. It will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and is the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Kingsbridge

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 12, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780525497172
      • File size: 873636 KB
      • Duration: 30:20:04

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 17, 2017
      Treasonous plots, family rifts, and international political intrigue abound in the third installment of Follett’s (Pillars of the Earth) Kingsbridge series of historical dramas. In the middle of 16th-century England, Kingsbridge Cathedral stands above a town divided by religious conflict. Queen “Bloody Mary” Tudor is killing Protestants. When 18-year-old nobleman Ned Willard loses his sweetheart Margery and his family’s importing business to Margery’s upward-climbing Catholic family after the queen condemns them for being pro-Protestant, he decides to join Protestant Princess Elizabeth Tudor’s secret service. Ned and Margery’s love for each other sustains itself despite decades and miles apart, but can it survive their ideological differences? This sweeping epic delivers suspense, history, and romance in equally satisfying, if sometimes heavy-handed, measures. Follett makes use of multiple winding plotlines and optimistic characters equipped to see any battle through to the end. The novel is an immersive journey through the tumultuous world of 16th-century Europe and some of the bloodiest religious wars in history. Follett’s sprawling novel is a fine mix of heart-pounding drama and erudite historicism.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator John Lee returns to Kingsbridge, the fictitious English city of Ken Follett's historical fiction epics based in the Middle Ages. Now in the shadow of Martin Luther's Reformation and Bloody Mary's persecution of heretics in the mid-sixteenth century, the Willard and Fitzgerald families find themselves on opposite sides of the struggle between Protestants and Catholics. Lee capably portrays a wide cast of characters--from the furiously righteous Rollo, who murders in the name of God, to the quietly confident French woman, Sylvie, who risks her life to distribute Bibles. But the most remarkable aspect of this intense historical novel is the narrative suspense created by Follett as disruption sweeps across Europe, and Lee's talent for crisp, rich narration does it justice. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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