Just wanted to get a little discussion going about this book.

First and foremost, YES I would recommend this book. It retreads all the familiar ground from previous novels but in it's own unique way. The novel explores Anglo-Saxon England's technology, culture, religion, war, politics and social norms through the eyes of 4 main characters; a beautiful and intelligent noblewoman, a gifted engineer, a benevolent monk-turned-prior, and a self-serving, conniving, cruel bishop.

A few comments: conspicuously absent from this book are some of Ken Follett's signature long introspective passages and heavy exposition. Honestly, for the most part I didn't miss them. The prose is neat and effective, and the story moves by much faster than previous novels in the series.

One of the main characters proved to be significantly duller than the other three. My favorite of them all is probably Lady Ragna, as she sees the most action in the series, and goes through the most intense and interesting arc.

My other main complaint about this series is probably the romance. I'm used to Follett's breeding pairs having a high amount of drama and conflict, but in this series our central couple barely have any time together and it's just a bit of a tease. I really liked these two in particular.

Overall though, I found this novel immersive and well thought out, with likeable, relatable characters. It's highly character driven, but with a substantial enough plot to keep you from getting bored. I give it a 4.5/5.