The Armour of Light (Kingsbridge Book 5) by Ken Follett

Book Blurb
1792 Revolution is in the air

A tyrannical government is determined to make England a mighty commercial empire. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte begins his rise to power, and with dissent rife, France’s neighbours are on high alert.

Kingsbridge is on the edge

Unprecedented industrial change sweeps the land, making the lives of the workers in Kingbridge’s prosperous cloth mills a misery. Rampant modernization and dangerous new machinery are rendering jobs obsolete and tearing families apart.

Tyranny is on the horizon

Now, as international conflict nears, a story of a small group of Kingsbridge people – including spinner Sal Clitheroe, weaver David Shoveller and Kit, Sal’s inventive and headstrong son – will come to define the struggle of a generation as they seek enlightenment and fight for a future free from oppression . . .

My Review

Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge books are one of my favourite historical fiction series, and I was so grateful to Pan MacMillan for sending me an advanced copy of his new book in the series The Armour of Light. The book is set 1792 – 1825, a turbulent period of English history that includes the Industrial Revolution and the War with France that lasted over twenty years. Through a wonderful set of characters the story of Kingsbridge and it’s residents continue.

In all of Ken Follett’s previous Kingsbridge books it is the varied characters that make them such a joy to read. As previously he has characters from very different walks of life, from Earls to workers and all in between. Two of the standout characters in this book for me were Sal and her young son Kit. Sal is dealt a lot of hardship and tragedy in life, the death of her husband, being homeless and having to start a new life as a weaver in one of the mills with nothing but the clothes she has on and her cooking pot. Her journey epitomises how hard work, self belief and standing up for workers rights can make huge changes not only to her own life but also to those around her. Kit is a chip off the old block, having to work from seven years old, in the mills with his mother, before being promoted up the ladder. He was such a loveable character, always hard working and incredibly intelligent especially when it comes to the looms. In both their cases it was another central character, Amos, a mill owner who saw their potential and gave the jobs. Amos was one of my favourite characters, he was one of the better Mill owners, helped a the Sunday School, but was unlucky in love. Of course there are some charaters who you have to love to hate, who treat those who have little with disgust, and use their power for control. These characters, and many more, make up the fabric of Kingsbridge society, the good and bad, the rich and poor, the good and the bad.

Ken Follett always chooses interesting periods in history to set his Kingsbridge books and this book is set against the Industrial Revolution and the war against the French. Kingsbridge has become a town of cloth mills, but wth the advent of machines that can do the work of several weavers, putting many out of work. Kingsbridge becomes a town divided by those who have and those who have not, ultimatley leading to resentment and violence. I found it interesting that parallels could be drawn between Kingsbridge in early nineteenth century and our lives today. Due to the war with France there was a grain shortage meaning the cost of food had risen so high that many were stuggling to live, also we have a worry about machines, AI taking our jobs. The idea of children dying and the parish refusing poor relief to some reasidents was awful. The title of the book, The Armour of Light, refers to the Enlightenment, where the lower classes wanted to be educated, to learn, to read the bible for themselves, something those in power tried to stop as they feared the workers having a voice, of subverting their power. This was the start of change in England, a beginning for workers rights, trade unions and a better standard of living.

I had no idea that this book would take me to battle of Waterloo, with Wellington against Bonaparte and some of the Kingsbridge residents fighting on the muddy fields. Ken Follett did a lot of research as the descriptions of battle, the planning and logistics was wonderful, bringing the horrors of the battlefield to life. He also told the story the wives that followed their husbands to war, some following the troops, and those who had money took houses in Paris and Brussels to be part of a wierd war society; balls, afternoon tea, drinks. I found this part of the book fascinating and was cheering on the Kingsbridge men, who I won’t name as I don’t want to give anything away.

Fans of the previous Kingsbridge novels will not be disappointed with The Armour of Light, it is another epic read from Ken Follett. I became invested in the characters as I followed their lives over thirty years, how they fought for their rights and came through some difficult times. The historical detail as usual was impeccable, the war, the Industrial Revolution, the food shortage, and the changing landscape of Kingsbridge coming to life and weaving seamlessly with the fictional characters. Written with passion for the period this is an amazing read and I highly recommend this to all historical fiction fans; I also recommend the previous books in the series. I really hope there is room for at least one more book in the Kingsbridge series as I love them so much; another immersive and remarkable read. You can read my reviews of previous books in this series by searching on my blog.

I would like to thank Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in return for my honest review.