I really enjoyed Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth series, so I was excited to check out his new book! This one is his tale of the people who built Stonehenge - herdsmen, farmers, and woodlanders who come together for special rites each season. The highlight of those rites is the annual midsummer rite. An event occurs that destroys their wooden ritual circle, so one of the priestesses, named Joia, dreams up the idea of rebuilding it with giant stones. Of course, the book is so much more than this...we also get to see what life was like during this era for its people, as well as the passions, hopes, and fears of the characters. Follett is so adept at bringing characters and time periods to life; his portrayal of people in this era was completely believable and relatable. It took me a little longer to be sucked into this one than I expected, but once that happened, I was hooked. I would like a sequel to this one to continue the story of these characters I've become invested in!

I’m a big fan of Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series, so when I saw that he had written a new novel about the people who imagined and then built Stonehenge, I was excited to read it! When the novel opens, there is a wooden structure at the site where Stonehenge will be built. We get to know many of the characters who live and work in the surrounding area, and we hear about their ways of life and the ways that the tribes differ from the other tribes in the area. We also see what happens when groups of people decide to join together to do something that seems impossible, and what happens when jealousy and an unquenchable desire for control and power stand in the way. This was a 4.5 star read for me!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

While the characters in this novel didn’t resonate with me quite as strongly as those in *The Pillars of the Earth* or the *Century Trilogy*, the story still managed to spark my imagination. Set around 2500 BC on the English plains, the narrative brings to life the intertwined lives of the Farmers, Herders, and Woodland tribes.

At the heart of the story are Joia, a determined high priestess, and her resourceful brother-in-law Seft, a skilled builder. Together, they set out to replace their wooden solstice monument with towering stones—laying the foundation for what will one day become Stonehenge. True to Ken Follett’s style, the book weaves in historical detail, interpersonal drama, and villains you'll love to despise.

Although the prose is a bit more straightforward than in some of Follett’s previous epics, and the characters felt less emotionally gripping, the novel still delivers a fascinating look into a mysterious, ancient world. It's an engaging read for anyone curious about prehistoric life and the origins of one of history’s most enigmatic structures.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC which I read in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Ken Follett's historical fiction, and his newest novel met my expectations. For this book, Follett turns his attention to the building of Stonehenge.

We follow four groups of people: flint workers, farmers, herders, and forest dwellers. The communities live fairly separate lives, following their own customs and traditions, but they all gather at the wooden circular monument to celebrate the festivals held at the solstices and equinoxes. The priestesses lead the ceremonies that help keep track of the days and seasons.

When conflict arises and the monument is burned as a consequence, one of the priestesses, Neen, begins to dream of a more permanent, stone monument. She is thwarted by the head priestess as well as by enormous logistical and technological obstacles. As the years pass and Neen gains more power and respect, she and her brother-in-law, Seft, come up with a workable plan.

Besides the actual building of Stonehenge, the story follows conflicts among the four communities, feuds between and within families, sociocultural traditions, romantic relationships, and friendships.

I have always loved the way Follett creates an immersive and believable world of individuals centered on a great project, like Stonehenge. The drama, the engineering, the relationships, and the cultural details kept my attention throughout. Was Stonehenge built exactly as described? I don't know, but Follett makes a good argument.

My only complaint is that the ending felt a little neat and clean and perhaps a little rushed. A couple of lingering story arcs were not fully concluded. These are minor issues and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

The audiobook was excellent. Narrator Richard Armitage drew me in and was so consistent with his delivery that he faded into the background and I was able to get lost in the book. He did a great job with pacing and conveying the characters' feelings and personalities. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for the review copy.

I love the vibes of the book and beautifully written. Love that it’s set in the past with a priestess and a flint miner. Very interesting and unique, I love the events and the potential for romance 💖

Historical Fiction That’s Epic In Scope And Effective In Its Storytelling Ability!

I’ve read every book of Ken Follett’s since reading an advance reader copy of his first book, Eye Of The Needle, published in 1978, and have especially enjoyed his The Pillars Of The Earth series. So. I was glad to be offered an advance copy of Circle Of Days, his upcoming book that begins about 2500 B.C.E and focuses on the mysterious building of Stonehenge.

Bottom Line is that I enjoyed this almost 700 page work of historical fiction and recommend it to Follett’s fans and to those who enjoy this genre. That being said, while I consider Circle Of Days to be about as ambitious in scope as some of The Pillars Of The Earth books, I don’t consider it to be as entertaining.

Of the several interesting themes Follett covers in Circle Of Days, The most interesting for me was that of “worldbuilding.” Follett makes Neolithic life feel real—how people farmed, traded, fought, and most importantly, how they might have managed the seemingly impossible task of dragging giant stones across miles of rough land. It’s fascinating to see him apply the same level of detail he gave to cathedral-building in The Pillars of the Earth to something even more ancient.

That said, the book does move slowly at first, as well as in some other areas in the book. There are a lot of characters and groups to keep track of, and at times I had to flip back to remind myself who was who. But once the main threads started coming together, I was fully engaged. For me, Joia, the priestess, really stood out and was probably my most favorite character due to her strength, determination and ability to add a lot of heart to the story.

As mentioned, this isn’t the most fast-paced or emotionally intense Follett novel I’ve read, but it’s a really thoughtful one. If you like history, ancient mysteries, and imagining how ordinary people could create something extraordinary, I think you’ll find it rewarding. If you’re looking for another Pillars with nonstop drama, just remember this one takes its time.

#Circle Of Days. #Net Galley

Put yourself in the shoes (or lack of them) of our ancestors. Those tribes of people who came before us. Living in rudimentary societies, living off of the land, shaping the most basic of industries we still have at the foundations of our current societies. What were they like? What was important to them? What did they think about and care about and love? We have so few scraps of information about them, and even less context for who they were and how they lived. Stone circles, for example, in the hills of Great Britain.

In Ken Follett's newest novel Circle of Days, he explores a possible answer to those questions with several groups of people who lived back then, and left a monument behind that would outlast them, their children, and for many generations beyond. Their most ingenuitive accomplishment that took major feats of persuasion, teamwork, and problem solving the likes their tribes had never before imagined.

What a story.

The world that Follett paints in this novel is colorful and realistic and obviously based in extensive research (considering the plausibility), and also incredibly creative. He uses the vehicle of these ancient times to discuss many attributes of human nature from cruelty, spiritualism, education, control, and love.

The novel follows several casts of characters from different societies: herders, farmers, and forest folk who gathered. In the book they are quite separate, with their own beliefs, cultures, and structures, usually coming together on certain ceremonial days throughout the year. There is a flint miner, a priestess, a herder, a farmer, men and women, powerful and weak. It's a grand scope of a novel with life and death, sorrow and love, triumph and tragedy.

I loved it, and I'm happy to have so many of Ken Follett's backlist still to enjoy. If you like historical fiction, you are in for a treat with this one.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Definitely another masterpiece by a classic author, Circle of Days explores a centuries old mystery. Slow in places, the book covers territory previously unimagined.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A very enjoyable book. Not as much about the building of Stonehenge as one might think. Much of the book was just great characters living their very interesting lives 4500 years ago. I got so wrapped up in the loves and lies, politics and discoveries that I never wanted to put the book down. I've loved Ken Follett for years but his last few books have been real duds for me and I was worried this one would be a dud as well but it was great. The way Follett writes is so unique. It's so clean. No purple prose, nothing flowery, nothing wasted, just exactly what you want to know delivered right to your eyes in the most succinct and interesting way possible. I hope he keeps writing books like this.

CIRCLE OF DAYS - Although the pace is slow and the building doesn't start until far into the story, this is an interesting story. It is not on par with Pillars of the Earth but it does not do poorly. Good characters and interesting storylines. Source: Netgalley. 3*

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4
I love Ken Follett’s books and this one was worth the read. I’ve always had a fascination with Stonehenge and visited the site in 2008.

While the characters didn’t grab hold like The Pilars of The Earth series or the Centuries Trilogy, they still captured my imagination! Set in 2500 BC in the plains of England, the story revolves around the Farmers, the Herders, and the Woodland folks.

Led by Joia, the head priestess, and her clever builder brother-in-law Seft, the pair plan to rebuild the woodhenge monument used for their solstice rites with giant stones. The tale contains all the trials and tribulations of the ancient people of the Plains and in true Follett fashion lots of history and some bad guys you love to hate!

The writing in this book is more simplistic and the characters just didn’t connect with me as previous Follett works, but it is still a good read that captures an unknown time and always mysterious ancient monument!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a commitment! At 700+ pages, it's a deep-dive into the time when Stonehenge was built. At times an odd mix of modern language, and it took quite a while to get to the actual building of Stonehenge.
This is a good book for Follett fans, and always interesting to dive into a historical point in time and invest in the characters and intrigue.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Circle of Days by Ken Follett is the first fiction I've read about the history of Stonehenge. Follett has written a fast-paced, wonderful story.

"The farmers, the herders and the woodland people all live separately with their own rules and customs. They all come together during certain times of the year at the Monument where the priestesses lead them in ceremonies welcoming the coming of the different seasons. Conflict arises - because people always want more. The monument is damaged but one priestess believes it should be rebuilt in stone so no one can ever burn it again. It's up to her to find the people to build it."

This is a 700 page book but reads much quicker than that. Follett has filled the story with great characters - some you like and some you despise. You never know who will make it. Follett has never been shy about killing characters and the bullies sometimes win. Follett's approach to moving the stones was interesting and the explanations for the different equinoxes. The world and society he imagines is remarkable. If you loved Pillars you'll love this story. It was great to read historical fiction that was about a place that's not written about very much.

Great story from Follett. Going to be one of my top reads this year.

I've read several of Ken Follet's books, including the Pillars of the Earth series, which are among my favorite reads.
I was very excited and had very high expectations for Circle of Days, and while it has many elements of the author's signature writing in developing a unique storyline around 2500 BC and the creation of Stonehenge, it sadly fell short for me.
As is typical for the author, the book is 704 pages long and you will need some time to read through it.
There are 4 main tribes in this era, hunters, farmers, herders, flint miners and the priestess and the struggles and triumphs they experience together and against each other. A famine inducing drought brings challenges that tips the general peace among them and a dream for a permanent sacred place of worship is born.
While it was very interesting to read the fleshing out of each culture, with the exception of Seft (who initially was a main character introduced, then disappeared and then back years later) sometimes Joia and the romance between Pia and Han, I didn't find myself engaged with any other characters. The plot lagged in places, jumped between a variety of characters and the language more simplistic than his other novels.
The actual building of Stonehedge starts about the 2/3-mark of the book and it was intriguing to read how it was done without any modern machinery as well as all the challenges they met to do so, some by nature and some by enemies. How the stones were found and brought to the area was descriptive and believable and the pace of the book picks up again.
There is suspense, sabotage. romance and ingenuity with both general and domestic violence, sexual violence that is not overly graphic and same sex relationships.
I recommend it for those who enjoy Ken Follet's books with the caveat that the pacing, character development and writing is different in Circle of Stones than his other novels. The world building is well done, the how Stonehedge was built believable with a satisfying end.
A big note of appreciation to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, it was a pleasure and a privilege. All opinions expressed are my own.

No one does a massive historical novel centered on ancient construction like Follett. Circle of Days takes us to very ancient Britain, to a time when people relied on circles of astronomically aligned pillars to count the days and movements of the sun. In this world there are three communities, herders, farmers, and woodsmen. The priestesses who are supported by the herders, maintain the temple, its knowledge and songs. One priestess dreams of replacing the wooden pillars with stone pillars. There are the usual characters, a roughly raised but talented artisan, a visionary, and a few really loathsome villains. A drought brings conflict as the various communities compete for resources.

As a huge fan of Pillars of the Earth, I was hoping for a similar vibe with this book but it didn't really deliver. This book is incredibly slow, and although that's the case with many of Follett's books, this one did not have good enough character development or drama to keep me hooked and wanting to get to the end. I did finish it, and it did have some great moments throughout, but as a whole this is just not his best work.

Sure to be an instant classic. Follett has created characters from ancient times that seem totally believable as they struggle to coexist within and among their tribes. Miners, craftsmen, farmers, herders, priestesses, and others come to life as the story progresses. When a fire destroys their wooden worship monument, it is decided, without controversy/anger, to rebuild using gigantic stones which can only be sourced a day’s journey away.. Stonehenge comes to life. Warning: graphic sex scene included.

It’s no secret that Ken Follett is one of my favorite authors, so I was honored to be selected to read his newest novel, CIRCLE OF DAYS, launching next month.

CIRCLE OF DAYS tells the story of the people who lived around 2500 BCE and participated in the building of Stonehenge. One of the first things I noticed is that although the story takes place in England with modern humans, Follett still had to do an enormous amount of world-building - much like fantasy authors. The rules of our world today, such as timekeeping or measuring distance, simply didn’t exist. Without clocks, calendars, or maps, Follett had to establish the rhythms of life in a way that made the story feel both authentic and relevant.

So what’s my verdict? I loved it. The opening felt a little awkward, likely due to the sheer amount of world-building required, but once the story settled in, the characters and their arcs were beautiful. I found myself deeply invested in the lives of the different communities and in the extraordinary effort of building what they simply call “the Monument.”

Follett has a gift for making you care for his heroes, while also not shying away from showing the darker side of human nature. As much as this was a simpler time, it was also more brutal. What I admire most about his writing is how he balanced brutality with hope while weaving a theory of Stonehenge’s creation that was both technically fascinating and emotionally powerful. Much like his Kingsbridge series, the act of the construction itself becomes a living character, one whose progress captivates you page after page.

In the end, CIRCLE OF DAYS is everything I hope for in historical fiction: authentic, immersive, and profoundly human. Follett once again proves that history, when told through the right voices, is every bit as gripping as the best thriller.

Ken Follett is the master of epic stories. This amazing novel imagines the mystery of Stonehenge. After visiting Stonehenge many years ago, I had so many questions. Circle of Days answers many of them about how this stone monument was created and why in Follett's vision. It took me a minute to get into the story, but Seft and Joia become the main characters that find a way to create the stone monument. Seft is a clever man who works with his hands to create amazing woodworking inventions. He becomes good friends with Joia, who eventually becomes the high priestess and is the sister to his love, Neen. As a priestess, Joia is taught numbers and counting, and it is their job to keep track of the days of the year. To help the population keep track of time, the priestesses have festivals to mark Sun-related events. There are several different groups that live in this time and there are clashes because of men wanting more power. Joia finds a way to make peace and eventually gets her stone monument build over multiple years.
I love all of Follett's books. To create such a complex world with many characters so it makes sense to the reader is such a talent. By the end of the book, I knew the characters, could envision the many settings. and hope there is a sequel (?). The book is over 700 pages but I would read another 700 about these characters. There are characters you grow to love and characters who develop into villains. I cheered when the villains got what was coming to them. The inventions that Seft created to move the stones were described in such detail that the reader can imagine they were actually built.
If you are looking for a immersive historical epic, I highly recommend Circle of Days!
#CircleofDays
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm a Ken Follett fan, and loved his Pillars of the Earth series and Fall of Giants series, so when I saw this on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. Whiles the story is interesting and had lots of potential, I was disappointed. This isn't up to Mr. Follett usual excellence. The writing is much simpler and the characters aren't as well developed or believable. It almost feels like he dumbed down a lot of them, making them not nearly as a relatable as the folks in Kingsbridge. When you do connect with someone, they drop out for a bit and then come back with big gaps in their story. Seft, for example. The bad guys are very two dimensional and completely bad, no redeeming characteristics and with little reason why they are that way.
It feels as if this book is an outline for a series, and that it could be good with more attention and expansion.

I thank NetGalley, the author and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced readers copy for an honest opinion. Sorry Mr. Follett that I can't give a better review.