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The Armor of Light

A Novel (Kingsbridge, Book 5)

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The Armor of Light

Written by: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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About this listen

The long-awaited sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armor of Light, heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond.

The Spinning Jenny was invented in 1770, and with that, a new era of manufacturing and industry changed lives everywhere within a generation. A world filled with unrest wrestles for control over this new world order: A mother’s husband is killed in a work accident due to negligence; a young woman fights to fund her school for impoverished children; a well-intentioned young man unexpectedly inherits a failing business; one man ruthlessly protects his wealth no matter the cost, all the while war cries are heard from France, as Napoleon sets forth a violent master plan to become emperor of the world. As institutions are challenged and toppled in unprecedented fashion, ripples of change ricochet through our characters’ lives as they are left to reckon with the future and a world they must rebuild from the ashes of war.

Over thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Now, with this electrifying addition to the Kingsbridge series we are plunged into the battlefield between compassion and greed, love and hate, progress and tradition. It is through each character that we are given a new perspective to the seismic shifts that shook the world in nineteenth-century Europe.

©2023 Ken Follett (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Historical Fiction Fiction War Young Adult England France
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What the critics say

"Narrated skillfully by Golden Voice John Lee, the latest Follett novel offers superb dialogue, fascinating relationships, and characters from varying religions, classes, and political perspectives. The glue that holds the audiobook together is Lee, who is adept at defining every aspect of the story. Whether he is delivering subtly nuanced tones, intensity borne of political desperation, or verbal frustration from employees who know that their bosses care not a whit about them, Lee masterfully presents each character and event, allowing personalities to emerge and highlight the struggles that eventually lead to political, personal, and business transformations." (AudioFile; winner of AudioFile Earphones Award)

"Ken Follett a master storyteller . . . His works of historical fiction have made him a legend. . . . Follett’s latest marks the end of a storytelling journey that spans a thousand years. The Armor of Light is also the final entry in his Kingsbridge series." —Jeff Glor, CBS

"We can’t stop turning the pages. . . . it is Follett’s generosity and adeptness with historical detail and nimble depictions of technical matters that set this book, like its predecessors, above mere historical melodrama." —The Washington Post

"This epic canvas holds a mélange of relationships which all work out exactly as they should while Follett brings Kingsbridge up to the Regency era." Booklist

What listeners say about The Armor of Light

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed. Falls short of others books in the series.

I love the Kingsbridge Series, listened numerous times. But this book isn’t nearly the same calibre. The characters are flat and the plot is dull.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

Since Key to Rebecca, I’ve read almost every novel by Ken Follett; this is the first to not leave me wanting to read on. I found the storyline mundane and I believe the narrator’s odd cadence and voice were part of the issue.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great story marred by a poor narration.

I have always enjoyed Ken Follett books and have read most of them. I have always been impressed by his ability to weave historically accurate events into engaging stories and this book was no exception. This is a great addition to the collection.
However this is the first book of Ken’s that I’ve read as a audiobook and while I enjoyed the story the narration left me feeling flat. The style and odd cadence of the narrator was annoying and distracting and I found myself having to stop listening at certain points. The weird halting way he spoke grated on my nerves and made me want to turn it off. The only reason I was able to complete the book was because of Follett’s storyline kept pulling me back for more.
I think I will stick to reading printed Follett books from now on and hope that when I read them that I don’t think about this narrator’s odd reading style when I do.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Story line

Unfortunately this reader has developed a habit of overly dramatic phrasing and repetitive emphasis. I’ve listened to him before and in previous books he was a much better reader. A little more relaxed please.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Thoroughly enjoyed!

I love the way Ken Follett develops his characters. I am sorry when I finish one of his books as it feels like I am leaving good friends behind. This is a lovely addition to the Kingsbridge series. John Lee did a great job on the narration.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Can’t handle the narrator…

I’m sure the story is great, Ken Follett is one of my favourite authors. The way this story is performed, though, is hard to listen to. Not sure it’s the voice or cadence but I can’t do it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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The battle of Waterloo

The reader mashed the ends of words disturbingly often which was distracting.
Good story by KF

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing story and narration

The entire Kingsbridge series is a must listen! Beautifully written and creatively narrated. Loved every minute.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great continuation in this series.

very well read! Great story. not one minute of disappointment listening to this. Ken Follett has done it again.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed it but….

I have some time on my hands so I read the entire kingsbridge series back to back. I was really excited for this one but felt very underwhelmed. It was better than column of fire (which in my opinion was the worst one) but nothing compares to pillars. I felt the characters were kind of flat, I wasn’t really connected to any of them, good or bad. The narrator is the best though, he does a great job.

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