A captivating read, and definitely a chunky novel, at over 1200 pages in paperback. It's based 200 years after Pillars of the Earth, but doesn't really reference it much plot-wise, other than mentioning Jack, Aliena and Philip occasionally. I would have given it a solid 5 stars if the characters weren't all awfully familiar. Merthin, Caris, Ralph, they're basically all extensions of characters from Pillars of the Earth, very very familiar. Merthin is basically Jack 2.0.

For me the book did not pick up until way past the halfway mark, and it made me spent a morbid hour researching historical events in Wikipedia.

Don't expect a book that tops Pillars of the Earth or is as captivating, but it's definitely an interesting read.