A Column of Fire

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett            Audio Book:  30 hours 30 mins    Hardback Book:  928 pages               

I did not realize this book was part of a series and the third book in that series to boot, however, I have to say this book stands alone as a great story in the same category as “A Game of Thrones.”    I am going to have to check to see which author wrote their series first because these are definetly along the same lines.   I kept waiting for a flying firebreathing dragon to appear as I was reading this one.   Kenneth Follett sticks with actual historical characters and events with no dabbling in the magical realm and does it brilliantly though I confess to loving the magical happenings of my beloved addiction, “Game of Thrones.”  J   Having said that, I also became a fan of Ken Follet’s writing and while I am waiting on George R.R. Martin to come out with more of his eye candy on the page (or ear candy on Audio Book) I will now be a devotee of his Kingsbridge series.     I must have a thing about the number 3 because for some reason when I pick up a tome that turns out to be part of a series it tends to be the third one (ie. the Twilight Series picked up “Eclipse,” etc. ).    Truly this story in the Kingsbridge Saga stands alone as an excellent story complete with Mary, Queen of Scots who I had my eyes opened about – I had thought she was a kindly, misued winsome character who turns out to be a Protestant burning at the stake kind of gal.  YIKES!   You will learn so many historical facts with a bit of author’s license to create conversation from noted events that actually transpired but maybe the conversations that took place may or may not have been quite as printed.  That’s o.k.    The reader gets the gist of the situation and we can forgive Ken Follett for his daliances into what they might have said.  Really enjoyable read here.   I highly recommend it to anyone who loves, “Game of Thrones,”, anyone who loves history and anyone who is into the swashbuckling thing.    Lots of action, lots of love scenes, love and lost scenes, love and lost with interesting twists and turns and he kills people off just as quick as George R.R. Martin does and no one is safe just like on “Game of Thrones.”    I site so many comparisons here because the first thing I was struck with was that there are similar character names, from there Ken Follett overcame my skepticism and won me over as a fan of his writing.   If you prefer your historical fiction pure and sans fantasy – Ken Follett is your guy.   Well done.