I think this might be my favourite Kingsbridge story so far. The formula is still as expected but there were a lot of things that set it apart for me. One of these is the time period. All the other books are set in times where I can imagine the social and political structures, they were not too removed from what I know. This one felt a lot more lawless and dangerous as it was interesting how the King’s reach could only extend so far. Logistics and communication networks just weren’t sophisticated enough yet to enable total rule. Also the very different names really helped it feel like a super different time period.
The other main thing was the characters were awesome. Unlike some of the other books, all three main characters were very reasonable and smart. They didn’t make rash decisions and they fully trusted each other. And they all never gave up hope and persevered. It was also an interesting love triangle too I guess. With each one being respectful about the others’ feelings. And I really loved how dedicated and loyal they were. Edgar in particular really stood out for his devotion to Sunni (in a a setting where men seemed completely controlled by lust). I feel like this set him apart from similar characters like Merthin. And although all three of them had a good idea of their roles and responsibilities, I really respected Ragna for her politicking. It would have been so much harder as a woman.
Another interesting aspect of this book was the big role played by a female villainess. While we never were told the story from Giltha’s point of view, she was very instrumental in the opposition to Ragna. And was so cold-hearted too when it came to dealing with Wilf, the rape of Ragna and the forced removal of Ragna’s son.
I also loved the solidarity shown between the women who were forced to live with Dreng. I especially loved how Blod finally ended up with happy living circumstances.
It was really fun reading how the small village ended up becoming a (soon to be) cathedral town. The way Edgar and Aldred made the best of the circumstances they were given/forced onto them. And of course, learning the origins of the name Kingsbridge was a lot of fun. As were seeing the familiar locations from the other books like the mention of St John in the Forrest, the nunnery and lepers island and the stone quarry (oh so important for building the churches and cathedrals 😁)
I think this book did quite a good job of constructing the tale such that the good deeds done by the main characters may have been disadvantageous at that point in time but eventually ended up helping their cause. Just like I guess the vices of the other characters contributing to their downfall (pride for Wilf, prostitution for Winstan and drink/rape for Wighelm). Which truly makes this fiction I guess. One scary thing about this novel is how the brothers were able to continually defy the king, twist the truth, sacrifice scapegoats and find ways to rationalise to the king why they should retain power despite all of the above. Not to dissimilar to current world events…
I’m a little sad that I’ve almost caught up with the series 😅 but heartened that the latest release was only a year ago. Here’s hoping for many more to come.
Categories: Book Reviews
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