The Order is a story that imagines an underground Catholic network who are trying to sway the election of a new pope. I like stories like this, ones that take just a slight tweak of real life and show you just how things could be. I really liked the main characters and the complexity of the ethics that drove their decisions. I liked the deeper delve into the politics between Catholics and Jews and how a few little words could change everything.
I was hoping for a Dan Brown-like story with this one, it had all the knowledge and intrigue… But it just lacked the pacing for me. There were sections that were overly long with detail about things I felt were not necessary to move the story forward. Generally a book like this I can read quite quickly… But I sort of had to force myself to read so many pages a day to keep it moving. I really enjoyed the first third and the second third but the middle was a bit of a slog for me. The ending was really great and even as a devout Catholic I could enjoy this book for its entertainment value and wholly appreciated the author’s note to that effect. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thanks to Harper Collins for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.
Do you like a book that slightly reimagines history and what might have happened if…?
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