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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Column of Fire in Books

Aug 6, 2020

A Column of Fire

Ken Follett | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

127 of 200
Book
A column of fire ( Kingsbridge 3)
By Ken Follet

Christmas 1558, and 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, and Ned soon finds himself on the opposite side from the girl he longs to marry, Margery Fitzgerald.

Then Elizabeth Tudor becomes queen and all of 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.

Elizabeth knows that alluring, headstrong Mary Queen of Scots lies in wait in Paris. Part of a brutally ambitious French family, Mary has been proclaimed the rightful ruler of England, with her own supporters scheming to get rid of the new queen.

Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed, as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. With Elizabeth clinging precariously to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents, it becomes clear that 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 the cost.

Ken Follet and this series has completely stolen my heart I love these books! I’m a huge fan of historical based fiction and I think he just does it so well!! I did find some parts were a little rushed but it was still an amazing book. The characters were as usual full of life, I have loved and hated them he has a way of hooking you into these peoples lives. If I had one issue it was this one spent a lot of time away from kingsbridge I think the characters weren’t as linked to the city as they were in other books! I’m looking forward to to the new kingsbridge book!

Kudos

ClareR (5916 KP) rated The Keeper in Books

May 29, 2020

The Keeper

Jessica Moor | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I usually try to avoid books where there's violence directed against women, particularly spousal abuse. I just find it too uncomfortable. I seem to be feeling braver as I get older, and I'm so glad that I read this book. It's an interesting insight into the lives of women who find safety in Women's Refuges. It shows how hard it is for women to make their ways there, how many of them arrive nothing but the clothes on their backs - and the same goes for their children. It shows how hard the people who run these refuges work, and how undervalued they are - in fact, they're often a target for hate themselves. And we also get to see how some women return to abusive partners, and the ramifications.

Katie Straw's body is pulled from the river, and it looks as though she has committed suicide. However the women at the refuge that she worked at are adamant that she was murdered. The detectives who are put on her case really do seem to thoroughly investigate Katie's death, even though the older of the two is very much on the side of suicide (and he is a bit of a dinosaur). As they investigate though, it looks more and more likely that this is the case.

I found the lives of the women in the refuge fascinating, and I could easily have read more about them. To be honest, the older of the tow detectives was really interesting as well - it was like I was looking at the attitudes of a police officer from another age.

Near the end of the book, there's a fascinating twist - I didn't see it coming at all (I should say that I'm very much a reader who is along for the ride. I tend not to try and guess whats going to happen). I'm a big fan of unresolved endings too, and this certainly delivers (so there's a warning for those who DON'T like an unresolved ending!). You're left wondering what's going to happen next.

This was a really satisfying read, that I very much enjoyed!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Kudos

Debbiereadsbook (1478 KP) rated Elias in Books

May 12, 2020

Elias

Amy Aislin | 2020 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

wonderfully warm and fuzzy and too stinking cute read

Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Elias is plodding along, not particularly happy, as such, but getting by. He has a good job, and will be making VP shortly. Then he meets Ty and all bets are off. Ty brings something out in Elias, and Elias in Ty, and they just have to get past their *initial* thoughts about each others jobs.

SO!

I am ALL about my books feelings and this book right, hits a whole damn lot of them! I have not had such a cute story, that left me with so much warm and fuzzies in a long damn time! And I really REALLY enjoyed it!

Both Elias and Ty have a say, in the third person. So we get all the things Elias was thinking about when he meets Ty and Ty tells him off for putting his rubbish in the wrong bin. We get all of Ty's emotions when he realises how much more than friends he wants to be with Elias. We get it all.

It's not especially explicit, but damn, it's hot! There is chemistry, right from the start, between these two and it burns bright and hot the whole way through.

It's a bit emotional in places, when Elias is talking about his family and his past, and I was tearful at that point. Ty's family is great at taking Elias in as one of there own though.

There is no violence, no nutty ex, no major break up. And THAT, my book friends, is what I LOVED most about this book. The fact that; yes they fall out; but it's such a minor, silly thing, and it's resolved pretty quickly, but it's not relationship-break-up material, you know? It's a falling out over the choice of words one of them used, and everyone is happy after they talked it out.

They get their Happy Ever After in a very, almost fairy-tale like way, and I really REALLY enjoyed it!

4 wonderful stars (Can't quite stretch to 5 and most of the webistes don't do halves!)

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**