I have been wholeheartedly invested in a Book series based on historical fiction since the start of 2021. Before that, if anyone had asked me if I would read a book about building a cathedral, I would have raised an eyebrow and said a polite 'no, thank you'. But it is a good thing that the book came heavily recommended so I sat down to see what it was about. This was soon followed by a furious googling of the terms 'transepts', 'nave' and 'choir' along with a dozen other architectural terms. I am so glad I overcame my initial skepticism because what followed was something quite special indeed!

For decades, Welsh novelist Ken Follett was best known for his bestselling thrillers, beginning with Eye of the Needle (1978) which cemented his reputation as a master of the spy-thriller genre. A decade later, he took a sharp detour and indulged his long-standing passion for the architecture of classic European cathedrals when he published Pillars of the Earth (1989), the first instalment of the Kingsbridge series. 

Ken Follett's best-selling Kingsbridge novels namely Pillars of the Earth, World Without End (2007) and A Column of Fire (2017), are much loved around the world for their historical detail and gripping plots. Both Pillars of the Earth and World Without End have even been made into television mini-series. A fourth novel, The Evening and the Morning published in 2020 is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth. 

Ken Follett is a fantastic story-teller and in a short span of time has become one of my favourite authors. I have read 10 of his novels so far and have loved all but one. I'm determined to read everything he has written! I thoroughly enjoyed reading his Century trilogy and I enjoyed the Kingsbridge just as much, if not more. No matter what the genre, his recurring themes of star-crossed lovers, diabolical villains and delayed comeuppance definitely works for me!