The physical cathedral remains, but the power has shifted toward secular government and merchant wealth. Narrative Style: The Follett Formula
Characters are often forced to choose between their private faith and their loyalty to the crown. The Evolution of Kingsbridge
While the previous books focused on architecture and the Black Death, this installment looks at the expansion of the world.
At its heart, the book is a critique of ideological purity. Follett contrasts the pragmatic tolerance of characters like Ned and Elizabeth with the bloody fervor of the Guise family in France and Mary Tudor in England.
By following Ned in England and Margery Fitzgerald in the Catholic underground, the reader experiences the conflict from both sides of the religious divide.