Although some characters seemed to be retreads of those in Pillars, I was still enthralled by the novel. Follett still can't write sex scenes without making the appear as if they were written by horny teenagers, and they often detract greatly from the overall plot, due to their crassness and poor writing. It's the only fault I really have with the novel, as the plot and it's characters were captivating, even when I hated them. 4.5/5