#Kingsbridge Builders

[kingsbridgehomes1]

Crafting Dreams into Reality: Kingsbridge - Premier New Home Builders in Melbourne

[birbwell]

jonathan and his two dads

[kingsbridgehomes]

Kingsbridge Homes | Best Home Builders Melbourne

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[st-just]

Im ddisreccomending a world without end by Ken Follett. Picked it upbecause it was the sequel to pillars of the earth.

Historical fiction centered around the fictional town of Kingsbridge, the main plot revolves around a family of architects/builders who build a cathedral and all the drama that surrounds this, from the religious authorities involved to evil aristocrat assholes abusing the peasants to the indicate of builders and merchants. There is a lot of really cool trivia and data about historical living, how things worked back then, how was life, what were the traditions of the time, there is a lot of plotting and cloak and dagger involved and there is even a cool empowered woman pushing society forward in her own ways.

You may think that this all sounds great and interesting to read but I will call to your attention the fact that I have not clarified wether I was talking of the pillars of the earth or a world without end. The truth is there is no difference because they are both, beat for beat the exact same book, except perhaps that the second is a little more poorly written in general. There is a distinct lack of energy or passion in the way everything is described and it just doesn't come together quite in the same way it did on the first one.

There is a third part and a prequel too but I was kept from reading them by how off put I was by the second book

I mean this has successful kind of sold me on Pillars of the Earth?

[anam3ii]

-Stream Update-

Dec.2,2023,

First of all, thank you for the notes, follows and blazes? Incase you don't know. I'm pretty new here so I appreciate it. I'm not sure how everything works, yet, but I'm assuming it's all good things lol 😅

Moving on..

I ended up streaming Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth. I forgot that it has some mature content, like blood. It's not too graphic, so far. I have yet to finish the game, but the little that I did play, the game didn't show too much.

Haha. Yes, I suck at Ninja Gaiden. I streamed some of that, but that's not what I wanted to share about today. I'll be honest, I don't know anything about KF: Pillars of the Earth besides the little that I have experienced so far. Since, I had planned to post and update. I decided to do research and then share it with you.

The game is a point-and-click adventure developed and published by the German studio Daedalic Entertainment. It's based on Ken Follett's award-winning 1989 novel of the same name, which was adapted as a video game across 21 playable chapters. The story takes place in the 12th century in England: In a time of poverty and war. A small town begins the construction of a cathedral to claim wealth and safety for its people. In their struggle to survive, lives and destinies intertwine. Which tells me it's going to have some sad moments. It retells the story of the village Kingsbridge in a whole new interactive way. Play as Jack, Aliena and Philip and change the events of the book through exploration, decision-making and dialogues. Philip ,the monk, becomes prior of the small abbey of Kingsbridge. At the same time, a boy called Jack is raised in the woods by his outlawed mother. His apprenticeship as a stonemason paves his way to become a gifted master builder. Together with the disgraced noblewoman Aliena, Jack and Philip begin the construction of one of the greatest cathedrals England will ever see.

Now, I got this information from Wiki so I'm not sure how accurate it is. Book 1 of the game was released on August 2017, then Book 2 in Dec of that same year, after that was Book 3 on March 2018. The game has been around for a few years.

I also came across this website that talks about something I usually don't ever think about but will be keeping in mind next time I'm doing research. The link mentions that the game is about 14 1/2 hours in length when you focus on main objectives BUT if you're a gamer that strives to see all the aspects of the game then you'll spend about 19 hours to obtain 100% completion. Which ,to me, sounds like the game is very well worth what I paid. Although, the thing I noticed is that the website doesn't include are the stats for the switch version even though it says it was updated 1 day ago. Speaking of the switch version. You can get achievements and view them in the menu. Go to the menu you scroll down to Options->Extras->Achievements.

What drew me to this interesting medieval adventure story was the trailer itself. I think they did an awesome job. The game does have voice over with the special appearance by Ken. Which I think it's cool I'd love to do voice acting.

A story for another day...

I was able to immerse myself because it's such a beautiful game with an amazing story but it does seem like it is more of a visual novel than an adventure game. So far it doesn't have any puzzles which honestly I'm totally ok with. The voice acting was great! I do wonder how much of the story can be changed or if at all.

I'm sure the pc version is much better. Damn, I knew I should've waited and checked on steam first. Oh well, I got the game while it was on sale for like $2. I haven't had any issues per se but the one thing that has stood out to me,so far, is that their mouths at times move first before you hear the character talk or they continue to move after they are done talking. I'm not sure if it's on my end that the character's voice is out of sync or not.

I'm going to guess and say no only because I know via other reviews I've watched on youtube say that certain games are just not great on the switch. Mineko's Night Market game for example. The loading time was pretty bad. I'm not 100% sure if it still is or not, sorry. If you are thinking of getting the game, do what I should've done and do some research first and go from there.

Anyway, the out of sync is not a deal breaker for me but how do I describe this..it's a little annoying or weird? It's just hard to ignore at times, you now? lol In my research I found out that there is also a board game, and a 8 part miniseries that premiered back in 2011. It starred Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Attwell and Donald Sutherland.I wonder if it's good? Not going to lie,I am curious about the story. As you know, the books are usually different compared to their adaptations. We'll see once I'm done with the game.

I'll update this post once I have fully completed the game. Til next time! Happy gaming! <3

-A

[kingsbridgehom]

Home Builders Melbourne

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[fuchsiaalba]

Edgar/Aldred or Edgar/Ragna for the ship bingo 👀👀

I choose Edgar/Aldred, only because I have no formed opinion about Edgar and Ragna yet.

Edgar and Aldred are very good friends in the book, and I definitely like their vibe of two smartass idiots getting into trouble or solving the evil bishop's plans. Literally partners in crime. I see Edgar as a rather serious, calm, practical friend. He's tactful, smart and witty. Aldred is the one who is more emotional, sometimes impulsive. He gets a lot of ideas, he loves justice, and he's gay. He has one-sided feelings for Edgar, who in turn cannot love anyone except his dead lover. Bittersweet one-sided love? Heck yeah, tasty! In addition, they are both nerds and sly af. AND did i mentioned height difference?!?! Aldred is taller than Edgar, but Edgar is the strongest! Literally can carry this monk (who, mind you, is a foot taller than him) in his arms like NOTHING. So yeah, love this two.

[kingsbridges]

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[vreugd-madelon]

Pillars of the Earth Review

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet is a 1076 page Historical Fiction novel. The 1st in the Kingsbridge series, and it’s followed by World Without End (#2) and A Column of Fire (#3). I got this book from my mother who found it at a little library.

Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labours, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life. The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the centre of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

Trigger Warning: Rape, Graphic Violence.

I rate this book 5/5 stars.

I’m astounded by how much I love this book. I will confess my bias and tells that I’ve been raised Christian (Christian school, but not like going to church every Sunday), but I’ve never wanted to see a Cathedral be build so much in my life!

The chapters are insanely long, like chapter 1 was 83 pages! But with the 40 hour audiobook it felt like it was flying by and has an awesome narrator. This chapter follows Tom Builder and his family which was really interesting to see the conversations that they’re having. However the insta-love between him and Ellen was something I’m not a fan of. Luckily their relationship really grows inside these pages and I really wanted them to flourish. What shocked me was his fate at end of part 3. I still feel it in my soul. Chapter 2 follows Peter and I really didn’t see the switch between POVs coming. I really like how his story line picks up from when we meet him with Tom. Chapter 3 is William’s POV and I really dislike him as a person, but love him as a characters. I just love to hate him and it’s been a very long time since I loved to hate and abhor a character so much. His fate at the end is very fitting.  After these three chapters I really thought that William’s was the most interest.

A lot happens within these 1000+ pages. I won’t be able to cover all of it, but here are a few highlights: My favourite character I absolutely love is Aliena, and yes, she gets her own POV. She’s a strong independent woman, who needs no man to save her. Yet it’s the silent type that captures her heart.  I do like the themes within the book. The hypocrisy within the church is a very large part, especially with Prior Phillip being such a humble and honest man and even he has to give in to trickery at some moments, but he really is a ‘means justify the end’ type of man. Every single character is morally grey. They do good things and they do bad things. They do thing for their own advantage, some do care about the consequences and others don’t care at all or a little less, casting them aside after nothing more than a moments thought. It’s only those special few that actually go out of their way to help others.

I do absolutely recommend this book for anybody and everybody!

Do you have any questions? Or maybe some recommendations? Send me an ask here on Tumblr or tweet me. If you wish to support me, you can buy me a coffee! Or even buy my debut fantasy novel, The Mending Road.

[redrobin-detective]

The funniest part of Ken Follet’s Kingsbridge quadrilogy is that Ken Follet for his male and female lead uses the same archetype over and over in each story. I don’t know if it’s purposeful, as way to show that for everything that changes over the centuries that people will always be people. There will always be a kindly, intelligent young builder who got a head for figures but a heart full of sadness and the independent, clever, down to earth nobleman’s daughter who longs for someone to treat her as an equal.

And you know what? I eat it up every time. Every time Jack realizes he loves Aliena or Merthyn loves Caris or Ned loves Margery or Edgar loves Ragna, I lose my goddamn mind.

[kingsbridgehomes1]

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[birbwell]

what if i put a very specific AU for two wildly different media in front of you huh. what then

[kingsbridgehomes]

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[jadelotusflower]

December/2020 Roundup

I hope everyone is getting through the holiday season alright! It’s been kind of a busy month for me and I didn’t have much time for creative pursuits, so the reading/watchlist is a little shorter this time.

December Roundup

World Without End by Ken Follet - set 150 years after Pillars of the Earth, again in the town of Kingsbridge, this time we follow the lives of two branches of the Builder family tree - the descendants of Aliena and Jack, Merthin and his brother Ralph, and those of Tom (through Martha), Caris, Petranilla and Godwyn. But miracle of miracles, there’s a second female pov in Gwenda to provide the peasant perspective.

This is in many ways a rinse and repeat of Pillars, where the goods guys suffer and suffer until the end when the bad guys get their comeuppance, and by now it’s starting to wear on me (there is one more novel set in Elizabeathan times, but I’m not sure I’ll bother with that one). While Pillars was set in the backdrop of The Anarchy, World covers the start of the Hundred Years War and the Black Death, and the latter seems rather prescient - Kingsbridge goes into a six month lockdown at one point, and not wearing masks becomes a political issue. As always, it’s the detail of day to day life I enjoy the most about these books, and Caris trailing the English army as they pillage France, and her efforts to fight the plague are confronting but compelling.

In fact I enjoyed Caris the most as a character, but was disappointed in her ending - she spends the whole novel reluctant to conform to the social expectations of women at the time and doesn’t want to be trapped by marriage and children, and yes she unwillingly becomes a nun, but in a way that gives her the freedom to pursue her interests in medicine (albeit still constrained by her gender). But rather than her happy ending having the power and satisfaction of prioress of the nunnery running the hospital (her life’s work), Caris renounces her vows and ends up married to Merthin after all. Maybe it’s that Merthin is a bit of a wet rag of a character, maybe I just bristle at Follett’s world where men can find satisfaction in the clergy (Prior Phillip being the best example), but for women marriage is always the pinnacle despite their abilities and success in other areas.

Also, Follett Never Write Another Sex Scene Challenge.

Smallville (seasons 1-3) - This has been a year of comfort watching for many people, a time to revisit those old shows we loved because they feel familiar in a time of uncertainty. This month I started a Smallville rewatch - I was a casual viewer back in the day but only really started to get interested about halfway through (when Lois showed up), so I’ve actually never seen it all the way from beginning to end. And well...the early seasons are a slog, let’s put it that way. Bad CGI and stilted acting aside, this was a teen drama first and foremost and the early noughties was strong with this one.

I remember never particularly caring for Chloe as a character, but wow is she painful in the early seasons, pining over Clark while he’s pining over Lana, but while his mooning is just annoying, she is almost manipulative in blaming him for not reciprocating her feelings and it’s very Nice Guy and cringe.

It’s funny, I remember not being a particular fan of Lana either, but I’m actually liking her a lot more on rewatch - wearing a necklace with part of the meteor that killed her parents is metal af. It is kind of weird to see grown man Lex hanging out with these fifteen year olds - I mean the actors don’t look it, but the characters are very much minors! Twenty-somethings should not be calling a teenager their best friend! It’s particularly creepy when the minute Lana turns 18 Lex develops romantic feels for her :-/

Once they start to bring in more of the Lore it gets better - I actually got very emotional when Christopher Reeve showed up - it’s such a great scene, and the strains of John Williams’ original themes in the background made me tear up. But the core concept was always an interesting one - that when Clark arrived the meteor rocks/kryptonite infected some of the population giving them superhuman abilities - lending credulity to the Monster of the Week episodes and the murder happy teenagers of Smallville. However they never really do a deep dive into the implications of Clark’s arrival and the meteor rock essentially causing widespread mental illness that’s dealt with either by these kids getting killed or institutionalised, but maybe that’s too heavy for this type of show.

It’s also very apparent (and disappointing) on rewatch just how quickly they sidelined Pete Ross, the only black character, who is unceremoniously booted at the end of the third season. Tale as old as time.

2020 Roundup

Books read:

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Avonlea

Anne of the Island

Anne of Windy Poplars

Anne’s House of Dreams

Anne of Ingleside

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The History of the Kings of Britain

The Pillars of the Earth

The Sunne in Splendour

Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him

The Testaments

Kathryn: The Tainted Queen

Gutsy Women

Girl, Woman, Other

The Evening and the Morning

Women and Leadership

World Without End

That’s a total of 18, a vast improvement on last year, and I’ve really enjoyed getting back to books again.

Writing (complete):

Auld Lang Syne - 3169

The Years Are Rolled Away - 6026

Writing (wips):

The Lady of the Lake - 14,493

Against the Dying of the Light - 44,021

Turn Your Face to the Sun - 2064

Total: 70,093

That’s around 7k less than last year, and I haven’t progressed as far with my wips as I would have wanted (in fact my goal was to complete the three above) but oh well, here’s to a better and more productive 2021 and all that.

See you all next year x

[ninja-muse]

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

In brief: Tom Builder has driven his family to destitution with his dreams of cathedrals. Prior Philip wants to turn the monastery at Kingsbridge into a vehicle for God’s glory. Lady Aliena of Shiring has been disinherited and wishes to regain her brother’s title. Jack Jackson and his mother Ellen want a good, independent life, but that’s not without its trials. William Hamleigh and Waleran Bigod crave power and will stop at nothing to see the others fail. First of three.

Thoughts: While I definitely enjoyed reading this book, I’m also of two minds about it. It’s good, solid historical fiction, well-researched, with a good cast of characters and an epic scope and through-line. Follett’s good at holding reader interest and excellent with pacing and tense scenes, and I was not only caught up with the emotions the characters were feeling, but able to feel sympathy even for the villains in places. I enjoyed seeing faith and Christianity play such a central role in the story too, and that there was a range of beliefs in God.

Follett’s also done a good job at weaving in bits of historical detail and trivia, such as different styles of architecture or the food on the table, that other writers might have passed over or taken the lazy route with, and an equally good job explaining why things were done as they were, and how certain stock features of medieval life, like town walls, came to be.

I also appreciated the underlying themes of the novel. Follett critiques power structures a lot—lord vs. peasant, man vs. woman, bishop vs. prior, king vs. subject—both saying to the reader “this is how it was” and having his characters strive against the system. There’s a lot about abuse of power and corruption, and the role of hatred, vendettas, and family honour in perverting and ruining lives. This comes out at times in a surprisingly feminist way, in that Follett’s women tend to call men out on bullshit and do their own thing, much more than the men call out each other. There is also a lot of nuance. Nobody is always right or always wrong.

However, I hesitate to say that I learned anything from this, except maybe about how to build a cathedral, because, well, this isn’t a new book. What was current historical knowledge in the 1980s is not the knowledge now, and while Follett’s definitely done research into domestic life, it’s also pretty clear that he is/was more interested in the “male side” of the world (trades, feudalism, violence, etc.). I found myself pausing to reflect on other histories and medieval settings I’ve read, in a “but didn’t they say ______?” way. Follett isn’t wrong, but he’s not exactly right either.

And I also hesitate to call this a feminist or otherwise progressive novel because again, this was written in the 1980s. The male gaze is strong, and the men are pretty clear about owning women and being owed obedience. One of the villains gets off on rape. One of the things that made me pause was the age of the average bride. That said, one of the heroes is great about things like consent and female autonomy, and the woman who’s most objectified has agency, so … a mixed bag.

I’m actually glad I was warned about the maleness of the book going in, because it helped me see past it. (The last historical epic that did this stuff I ended up hating because the misogyny blindsided me.) Overall, I enjoyed the read and was kind of surprised that it took me two weeks because it really didn’t feel that long. I liked a lot about the book, and I liked the journey it took me on. A lot of the themes and characters resonated, and I’ve always been a fan of nuance. I don’t think I’ll keep reading the series because I know Follett’s style now and also the books are long, but I’m pretty happy to rec it to people as long as they know about the flaws.

To bear in mind: This was published in the late 1980s and as a result, the history and the views on gender and romance are about equally dated. Follett is clearly trying to be feminist, etc., but he does occasionally miss the mark. See: serial rapist villain, heroic women being gorgeous and villainous women being so “deformed” men can’t look at them, and other things in that vein. Also, it does the “Jews are moneylenders only” thing, has (called-out) brownface, and has a pretty accurate depiction of depression at one point.

5/10 (was probably about a 7 or 7.5 before the stuff in the warning)

[athenenoctua9]

Day 30 ~ Your favorite book of all time

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (1989)

Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known. Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time the twelfth century; the place feudal England; and the subject the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life. The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

(x)

To be honest I have 3 favorite books of all time (The Three Musketeers, Les Misérables and The Pillars of the Earth).

This book is a masterpiece.