Never
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- Create Date：2021-10-13 09:50:54
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Ken Follett
- ISBN：0593300017
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Summary
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。
"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
Michael
，
Thanks Edelweiss for the ARC。 Ken Follett continues to top himself with this new book。 A terrifying look at how easy it could be for the world to disintegrate。 Gripping， edge of your seat and heart breaking。
Brenda McElyea
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I have been a Ken Follett fan for decades。 My favorites are the long multi-layered stories that compel me to keep reading。 Never fits that category。 Follett paints a world entwined by family， politics， economy， religion， and more while building characters who are at once everyman and unique beings。 The heart of this story is family， international relationships， diplomacy， and the interconnectedness of lives around the world。 Follett's ability to weave it all together held me captivated。 Never is I have been a Ken Follett fan for decades。 My favorites are the long multi-layered stories that compel me to keep reading。 Never fits that category。 Follett paints a world entwined by family， politics， economy， religion， and more while building characters who are at once everyman and unique beings。 The heart of this story is family， international relationships， diplomacy， and the interconnectedness of lives around the world。 Follett's ability to weave it all together held me captivated。 Never is set in the near future in northern Africa， eastern Asia， and the United States。 If you want more details you will have to read someone else's review。 I do not wish to give away anything。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Stephanie
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I have enjoyed many of Ken Follett’s books （admittedly。 Some WAY more than others）， so I was excited to dive into Never， his new novel set in the present （possibly future？） time。 My husband seemed a bit disappointed that it isn’t historical fiction， so I am curious to get his reaction…but in any case I am grateful to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review。 TBH， I read this about a month ago， and when I sat down to write this， I realized I was h I have enjoyed many of Ken Follett’s books （admittedly。 Some WAY more than others）， so I was excited to dive into Never， his new novel set in the present （possibly future？） time。 My husband seemed a bit disappointed that it isn’t historical fiction， so I am curious to get his reaction…but in any case I am grateful to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review。 TBH， I read this about a month ago， and when I sat down to write this， I realized I was having difficulty remembering it…until I realized why: I am currently about halfway through Peril， by Bob Woodward and Jim Acosta， and the reality of the current situation is just way to scary。 I just couldn’t handle the fictional leadup to world war at the same time as the catastrophe currently threatening our democracy is unfolding。 （Yes， I am NOT a fan of the former Administration， and the fact that the reality was even worse than we realized is more than a bit unsettling）。In any case， Never is filled with well-developed characters， plotlines， and drama from around the world。 In the U。S。 the first female President， Pauline Green， is determined to keep the country out of war and safe from terrorists。 She has a political adversary who is an aggressive bully， and she recognizes that “A fool was just a fool， but a fool in the White House was the most dangerous person in the world” （as shown by Woodward and Costa！）。 As she deals with one crisis after another， her personal life may be nearing its own meltdown。 She watches her populist opponent on “…a channel that did not even pretend to report objectively，” being interviewed by a female reporter “…who described herself as a soccer mom conservative， but really she was just a bigot。” Sound familiar？The second major storyline takes place in Africa， specifically in Chad， where two young intelligence agents （one from the US， one from France） fall in love as they are working together with a young spy named Abdul， trying to stop a shipment of cocaine in the Sudan that is destined to be sold for a boatload of money to fund terrorists。 And in a third storyline， there is a tug of war between a moderate named Kai whose father is a hardline，oldschool Communist leader in the middle of a tense situation as North Korea is falling apart， and there is a looming disaster if the hardliners prevail and a nuclear war breaks out。 Follett is， as usual， a master storyteller， and the characters and events are related in a way that both enhances their unique situations and personalities while demonstrating that they are indeed completely interconnected。 About two thirds of the way through， I had the sense that there was not going to be an optimistic or uplifting resolution to any of the crises， and while I totally enjoyed the experience of reading Never， it was definitely scary as hell， and sometimes hit just too close to home， I suspect that if I had not been reading Peril at the same time， it might have been a more positive （and less frightening） read， but it will definitely resonate with Follett fans， fans of espionage fiction， and anyone looking for a thought-provoking reading experience。 Four stars， only because of the nightmares。 。。。more
Diane Ferbrache
，
I've read Follett's historical fiction （Pillars of the Earth， etc）， but had not read any of his modern/suspense/spy books。 If this is an example， I think I'll skip them。 With multiple characters in multiple countries， and multiple issues this book just bored me。 I read almost 1/2 and finally gave up。 I didn't really care about any of the characters， and the suspense that's apparently leading to world war just didn't capture my attention either。 Maybe I'll try again at a later date， but for now。。 I've read Follett's historical fiction （Pillars of the Earth， etc）， but had not read any of his modern/suspense/spy books。 If this is an example， I think I'll skip them。 With multiple characters in multiple countries， and multiple issues this book just bored me。 I read almost 1/2 and finally gave up。 I didn't really care about any of the characters， and the suspense that's apparently leading to world war just didn't capture my attention either。 Maybe I'll try again at a later date， but for now。。。。 。。。more
Allison
，
This book is not for the faint of heart。 Telling the story， step by gripping step， of how the world reached the state of nuclear war， Follett does a masterful job of bringing such a scenario to life。 From the deserts of Africa to the halls of power in Beijing to the Situation Room in the White House， “Never” recreates the tangled web of international politics through the actions of Abdul， a CIA agent gathering information in the African country of Chad， Kai， a rising political star in China and This book is not for the faint of heart。 Telling the story， step by gripping step， of how the world reached the state of nuclear war， Follett does a masterful job of bringing such a scenario to life。 From the deserts of Africa to the halls of power in Beijing to the Situation Room in the White House， “Never” recreates the tangled web of international politics through the actions of Abdul， a CIA agent gathering information in the African country of Chad， Kai， a rising political star in China and Pauline Green， the president of the United States。 Offstage but always in the middle of things is the erratic Supreme Leader of North Korea， The twin forces of political power and international alliances draw the major players of the world together in an escalating game of Chicken。 We see how a decision in one country， analyzed by the power structure in other countries sends the world down an ever-widening path of military response。 The characters play their parts authentically based on their experience， knowledge and perspective。 The reader watches with dread as we see the inevitable outcome。 There are no superheroes or magic bullets to save the day。 With the recent publication of Bob Woodward’s book “Peril”， we learn of the behind-the-scenes phone calls of Gen。 Milley， head of the joint Chief of Staffs to leaders in China for the purpose of averting the threat of nuclear war。 Such real life actions only strengthen the idea that “Never” is more fact than fiction。 It does not make comfortable bedtime reading but it tells a story that should be told。 The question remains， can we construct a more hopeful ending to the story？ 。。。more
Barbara Burd
，
An intense thriller of political intrigue amid stories of love， family， and relationship。 Pauline Green is the first US President and she is determined to keep America safe from terrorists and out of nuclear war。 But， relationships between allies and enemies are strained and Pauline walks a thin line between war and peace。 In Africa， two young agents， one from France and the other from the US， fall in love while handling a young spy named Abdul who is tracking a cocaine shipment that will fund t An intense thriller of political intrigue amid stories of love， family， and relationship。 Pauline Green is the first US President and she is determined to keep America safe from terrorists and out of nuclear war。 But， relationships between allies and enemies are strained and Pauline walks a thin line between war and peace。 In Africa， two young agents， one from France and the other from the US， fall in love while handling a young spy named Abdul who is tracking a cocaine shipment that will fund terrorists。 In China， a moderate named Kai tries to reason with the Communist hardliners， which include his father， to prevent attacks on South Korea as North Korea is falling apart with internal rebellion。 As tensions build， each leader makes decisions that may lead to nuclear disaster。A suspenseful story that highlights the interconnectedness of global events and how leaders make reactionary decisions， sometimes based more on saving face and public opinion than on doing what is best for world peace。Recommended for all suspense and espionage fans， especially focusing on the current political atmosphere。 。。。more
Jodi Slomsky
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As like his other books， I didn’t want the book to end。
Ann Margolis
，
Thank you NetGallery and publisher for giving me a first read of this amazing story。 I’m sure it will be a major hit globally。At 800+ pages，I can’t believe how quickly I read this，spending many hours reading in bed instead of sleeping。It covers many events unfortunately happening now but not in a good way，because those events are certainly too realistic。Turmoil in Africa，China，No。Korea hits us readers chapter after chapter interspersed with likeable characters we can relate with adventure，love，h Thank you NetGallery and publisher for giving me a first read of this amazing story。 I’m sure it will be a major hit globally。At 800+ pages，I can’t believe how quickly I read this，spending many hours reading in bed instead of sleeping。It covers many events unfortunately happening now but not in a good way，because those events are certainly too realistic。Turmoil in Africa，China，No。Korea hits us readers chapter after chapter interspersed with likeable characters we can relate with adventure，love，hate。You feel the build up of a Third World War is imminent but don’t want to believe it really will happen。This story by Ken Follett is different from any of the more recent novels I’ve read by him taking place in the Middle Ages，the building of the great cathedral，etc。Congratulations taking us somewhere new in this book。 。。。more
Bobbi
，
Huh。 That’s about all I can say。
Jg
，
A modern day tale of political intrigue， Follett writes another blockbuster。 A fast compelling read， kept me on the edge of my seat！
Ken Fredette
，
I've read Follett's books before and have never been this upset。 It's how World War III happens with African， French， American， North and South Korea， and China all playing out what they believe to be true。 You have to read the book to get the jest of it and to gain insight to the people who rule。 It's full of characters that you will love and villains you will hate。 It's a long read but it's worth the time spent reading （816 pages）。 You will be intrigued by the stories that Ken gives you。 I was I've read Follett's books before and have never been this upset。 It's how World War III happens with African， French， American， North and South Korea， and China all playing out what they believe to be true。 You have to read the book to get the jest of it and to gain insight to the people who rule。 It's full of characters that you will love and villains you will hate。 It's a long read but it's worth the time spent reading （816 pages）。 You will be intrigued by the stories that Ken gives you。 I was captivated by his story that happened in Chad， but the other ones are just as interesting。 I always like it when you get to know the characters and how they think。 Way to write Ken！ 。。。more
TheBookMavenJoy
，
“Never”-- By Ken Follett -- Pauline Green is in many ways a typical executive mom。 She’s concerned about complaints from a school principal that her only child， a 14-year-old daughter， is disruptive in class。 She feels less intimate with her husband and has suspicions that he's cheating。 Pauline is small in stature， but exudes a mighty presence。 She's whip-smart， focused， tough and prepared to make difficult choices—if required—even those that she prays she'll NEVER have to make。 Pauline Green， “Never”-- By Ken Follett -- Pauline Green is in many ways a typical executive mom。 She’s concerned about complaints from a school principal that her only child， a 14-year-old daughter， is disruptive in class。 She feels less intimate with her husband and has suspicions that he's cheating。 Pauline is small in stature， but exudes a mighty presence。 She's whip-smart， focused， tough and prepared to make difficult choices—if required—even those that she prays she'll NEVER have to make。 Pauline Green， is the first female President of the United States of America。In Ken Follett’s upcoming suspense thriller， “Never，” we get to know Pauline Green on an intimate basis—she is a woman with a family， as well as the leader of the free world。 She has deep personal feelings， yet she is also a decisive politician and diplomat。 Pauline Green is only one of the terrific cast of characters featured in “Never。” For balance—Yin and Yang—there are also plenty of baddies that you're going to love to hate！The novel weaves multiple interrelated story lines， with captivating characters and intriguing plots。 Like all of Follett’s extraordinary books， there is tension and heartache—love and betrayal。 There are covert-ops in North Africa monitoring terrorist activities; arms dealers， drug smugglers and human traffickers; as well as government coups and heightened military skirmishes threatening world peace and the possibility of World War III。“Never” is a taut， hold-on-to your seats， roller coaster ride of emotions。 It's a nerve-wracking ‘what if’ this could really happen chiller。 The chain reaction of events and escalations presented in this fiction are spine-tingling， plausible and unnerving。 This is one that you don't want to miss。 It's not a horror story， but it will scare you for sure。 Reality can be Scarier than Make-believe！While reading “Never” there were passages that awed me; others that made me cry; and sections that left me in a chilled panic。 When an author can evoke these ranges of reader emotions—that's masterful writing！ Brilliant indeed。========The Book Maven’s Journal—Reviews for Word ConnoisseursREVIEWER: J。HuntSTAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“Never”By Ken Follett Suspense Fiction ISBN 9780593300015 （hardcover） | ISBN 9780593300022Publication Date: 09 November 2021VIKING， an imprint of Penguin Random House， LLC。 PublishingMy Sincere Appreciation to NetGalley， Author Ken Follett， and VIKING， an imprint of Penguin Random House， LLC。 Publishing for Providing this Advance Reader's Copy for Review。 。。。more
Unseen Library
，
For my latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at an upcoming massive thriller than I am very confident is going to end up being one of the best books of 2021， Never by the always incredible Ken Follett。I have long been a fan of Ken Follett’s work。 Not only is he one of the best authors of historical fiction in the world today but he is also one of my all-time favourite authors。 Follett started writing back in the 1970s with several intriguing thriller novels， such as Capricorn One， Eye of the For my latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at an upcoming massive thriller than I am very confident is going to end up being one of the best books of 2021， Never by the always incredible Ken Follett。I have long been a fan of Ken Follett’s work。 Not only is he one of the best authors of historical fiction in the world today but he is also one of my all-time favourite authors。 Follett started writing back in the 1970s with several intriguing thriller novels， such as Capricorn One， Eye of the Needle and the Apple Carstairs series。 However， he really came into prominence in the late 1980s when he wrote the epic historical fiction， The Pillars of the Earth， an iconic and powerful novel about a group of unique people in medieval England。 The Pillars of the Earth is easily Follett’s most successful novel， spawning a major television adaptation with an all-star cast。 Since then， Follett has gone on to write several other massive and detailed historical novels， including the outstanding Century trilogy， which chronicles the major events of the 20th century， as well as sequels to The Pillars of the Earth， World Without End and A Column of Fire。 Follett’s latest novel， The Evening and the Morning， a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth that presented a captivating and fascinating tale of survival， intrigue and love in the Dark Ages， was an extraordinary read and it was easily one of the best novels of 2020。Since we only just got a Follett book last year， I honestly was not expecting the author to release another massive novel for at least a couple of years。 As a result， I was happily surprised when I found out that Follett had a brand new book on the way， especially one that is going to be 800+ pages long （depending on the version）。 Never， which is currently set for release in early November 2021， will be an intense thriller that looks at modern events at a global level。 While I am more familiar with Follett as a historical fiction author rather than a contemporary thriller writer， this new book sounds pretty incredible and I cannot wait to read this compelling story。Well damn， now this sounds like it is going to be a pretty awesome read。 Follett clearly has an epic story set up for Never， and I love the idea of a world-spanning thriller that will show the various players in a major international crisis as they respond to a dangerous situation。 There are so many cool and intriguing elements contained within the above synopsis， and I really like the great spread of characters that Follett is going to include in this narrative， from the spies in the Sahara， the young up-and-comer in China and the President of the United States。 This is clearly going to result in a comprehensive and powerful character driven story， and I cannot wait to see what unique and captivating journeys each of these protagonists go on。 I am also extremely curious about the world-changing crisis hinted at in the synopsis， which I am taking to be some version of World War III， and I look forward to seeing the full extent of Follett’s vision of world chaos。 I have a feeling this is going to feel very realistic and be based strongly on current world politics， which will hopefully result in a very fascinating story。 All of the above sounds extremely amazing， and I cannot wait to see what clever story Follett has come up with for his next book。I am always certain to read and enjoy a new Follett book， however， after seeing the above exciting plot synopsis， I have to say that I am now especially keen to check out Never。 I absolutely loved the sound of the fantastic story Follett has come up with for this book， and based on my prior experience of Follett’s exceptional writing I know he is going to create something very special out of these cool ideas。 As a result， I am exceedingly confident that Never is going to be one of the most impressive and incredible releases of 2021， and I cannot wait to check it out later this year。For other exciting reviews and content， check out my blog at:https://unseenlibrary。com/ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Never
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Never&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Never&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0