Never A Novel

Ken Follett — 2021

The new must-read epic from master storyteller Ken Follett: more than a thriller, it's an action-packed, globe-spanning drama set in the present day. "A compelling story, and only too realistic." --Lawrence H. Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary In the Sahara Desert, two elite intelligence agents are on the trail of a powerful group of drug-smuggling terrorists, risking their lives--and, when they fall desperately in love, their careers--at every turn. Nearby, a beautiful young widow fights against human traffickers while traveling illegally to Europe with the help of a mysterious man who may not be who he says he is. In China, a senior government official with vast ambitions for himself and his country battles against the older Communist hawks in the government, who may be pushing China--and its close military ally, North Korea--to a place of no return. And in the United States, Pauline Green, the country's first woman president, navigates terrorist attacks, illegal arms trading, and the smear campaigns of her blustering political opponent with careful and deft diplomacy. She will do everything in her power to avoid starting an unnecessary war. But when one act of aggression leads to another, the most powerful countries in the world are caught in a complex web of alliances they can't escape. And once all the sinister pieces are in place, can anyone--even those with the best of intentions and most elite skills--stop the inevitable? Never is an extraordinary thriller, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and a delivers a visceral, heart-pounding read that transports readers to the brink of the unimaginable.

Reviews

Jordan@jordanfischerr

May 28, 2024

** spoiler alert ** As always, Ken Follett writes an entertaining, descriptive and engaging book. This one felt to me, as two separate books though. One book following, Abdul, Kiah, and Tamara The second book following, President Green and Chang Kai. Both were equally entertaining but only one followed what was supposed to be the overall plot. That being the one with President Green and Chang Kai. The combination of the apparent two books is what didn't work for me, while Tamaras parts were heavy in the beginning, having dedicated chapters, in the later half of the book she appears less and less until quickly her story is wrapped up in a page or two of other chapters that are not dedicated to singular characters. The same thing happens to Abdul. Now if you're going to sort of shaft a character like that, why include them at all? Yes they had nice stories with wrapped up endings, but in the overall plot they were almost entirely pointless,with little connection to the events. The President Green and Chang Kai portions of the book are just as good, a lot of political manipulation and to me seemed extremely accurate to how it may happen in real life. The only annoying thing about this portion is the odd inclusion of President Greens marital troubles, the troubles themselves aren't odd but the times the characters choose to talk about them is, i find it hard to believe that one the cusp of an all out nuclear war, the president is thinking about her husbands affair(a husband who she admits to no longer love very early in the book) during the minimal time she spends alone. Since her alone time during these parts is only immediately after waking or the time between her two basic locations in the book, the situation room and the domestic side of the white house. Overall its a solid read just a few parts felt unnecessary as they only seemed included as the glue between to separate books being mashed together.