The Evening and the Morning: The Prequel to The Pillars of the Earth, A Kingsbridge Novel

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While she assumes that she will be able to rule alongside her husband, nothing could be further from the truth.

Ragna: Daughter of Count Hubert of Cherbourg, travels to England to marry Ealdorman Wilwulf of Shiring. Pillars' remains the high water mark of this series -- none of the others has been quite so dense with historical veracity, and perhaps that's actually a mark in favor of the other books for some readers who aren't as fond of said density as I am.Whether this is your first foray into the Kingsbridge series or you're a diehard fan, then you won't be disappointed. From master storyteller Ken Follett, The Evening and the Morning is a historical epic that ends where The Pillars of the Earth begins.

I still have yet to read the third book in the trilogy and reading the prequel has made me want to read it for sure.From the bestselling author Ken Follett, The Evening and the Morning is a historical epic that ends where The Pillars of the Earth begins. After an argument, Wigelm takes their son away from Ragna and gives him to his girlfriend and his mother to raise. My third novel by Follett offered up everything I've come to expect from the author; an excellent story full of clumsy writing, bite-sized chapters peppered with cheesy dialogue, and a wonderful setting that's filled to bursting with pantomime villains, sweeter-than-saccharine heroes, and a whole host of damsels in distress. A monk dreams of transforming his humble abbey into a center of learning that will be admired throughout Europe. At the time of the book, he is shown as a middle-aged, experienced king who can use his limited power effectively.

As usual, I enjoyed the historical details—although, as Follet notes in the afterword, “The Dark Age left few traces.

We follow the lives of 3 main characters, a Norman/English noblewoman, a shipbuilder/craftsman and an abbot. This is a harsh world, full of chaos and bloodshed, and the King has only a fragile grip on his country. There is a bit of everything, and I find myself constantly switching my mind on what could happen because the author just shocks us with how evil some characters can be. If this is Ken Follet at his usual level of work, then fans of his will definitely be justified in their anticipation of his latest book. A vivid, absorbing and dark historical fiction tale of good versus evil, love and hate and a time when corruption and injustice was the norm.