This next book is actually a prequel to a series I’ve already discussed with my previous reviews of A Column Of Fire and The Armor of Light. In between writing these two books the author, Ken Follett, traveled further back and wrote The Evening and The Morning which serves as a prequel to the entire Kingsbridge series. It opens in 993 with a Viking raid on a town called Combe, a small town in Southern England directly across the channel from Cherbourg in France. A young boatbuilder, Edgar, raises the alarm about the attack and manages to fight back against the Vikings. During the attack though Edgar loses the woman he wished to marry, his father, and the family’s entire stock of timber for building, in addition to the town itself being destroyed. His mother, two older brothers, and himself relocate inland to a small town called Dreng’s Ferry as they struggle to get by on their tiny new farm. Ragna is a noblewoman from Cherbourg, France who gets married to Wilwulf, the Ealdorman of Shiring, which covers both Dreng’s Ferry and Combe. She relocates to Shiring where she must navigate cultural differences and familial infighting amongst Wilwulf’s family. They both become friends with Alfred, a young monk at the monastery in Shifting, who is horrified by the depravities of the local clergy and crusading desperately to stop it. Together, their story is told, amongst others, as interconnects and separates for the next decade.
The book may only span a little over a decade in the lives of the characters but it feels like it should be longer. I say this because a lot happens to them and for them in the course of that time. By the end of the book it seems like they have already lived a lifetime. However, in that time a lot of depth is revealed about each of these characters, and many others as well such as the various bad guys. We really get to see and understand what makes them, them. For instance we watch as Edgar has to literally rebuild his life from the ground up with only a modicum of help from his family. At the same time he has to grieve his dead love, Sunni and genuinely feels like he may never love again. Ragna is a young woman who is swept up in the throes of young love when she first meets and then agrees to marry Wilwulf. However, she quickly finds out that love is not enough to sustain a relationship by itself and that life with Wilwulf is not what she expected. Nevertheless, she tries to hold on to her dignity and refuses to show her uncertainty as she struggles to hold onto her love for Wilwulf. Alfred is a young monk who genuinely takes great pride in his calling to serve God and the church and is horrified by those who vow to uphold those ideals but don’t. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that those who vow to serve the church actually do so. Together, they make a formidable trio that is willing to try and do the right thing, even at great personal risk. Watching their lives intertwine and grow, even as it parcelled the growth of Dreng’s Ferry into Kingsbridge, is a very compelling narrative and one that I couldn’t help but get lost in. Finally, learning the origins of Kingsbridge and its monastery was just as compelling as I feel like I have a more complete picture of the town. I am giving this book a full five stars.
Overall, it was a great story and definitely going on my favorites list, alongside the rest of the series. If you happen to enjoy historical fiction, especially epic length historical fiction, then I suggest you consider trying it. There are a few things to keep in mind before doing so. I said this was an epic length historical fiction and it really was as it was probably close to 800 or 900 pages total. Don’t expect to pick it up and read it all in one sitting. I struggle to do that. Another thing is this book is based at the tail end of the Dark Ages in Europe. This means that the societal and cultural standards are not what modern readers may expect. As such it contains a lot of mature content making it unsuitable for younger readers. It should probably be read by adults only. All of this being said, if you decide to try it feel free to share your thoughts on the comments and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.