This book was ok. Not my favorite of his and definitely not as rich to me as Pillars of the Earth. But it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read.

I enjoyed the book and read it very quickly. After reading "Pillars of the Earth" I was hooked and have read every Ken Follett book since. There are a lot of really shitty people in "Circle of Days" that you just know are going to cause problems. Unfortunately the book is extremely predictable, none of the "ass holes" ever learn a lesson or change their minds. The "good" people are extremely naive and constantly underestimate the bad guys which were always men (btw). I always judge books by how fast I finish and this was read very quickly so it still kept my interest. Maybe I'm nit picking. If you are a die hard fan then read this book you won't be disappointed. If you are going to dip your toe into the Ken Follett waters than start with "Pillars" and make this your last one after you are a fan.

I really enjoyed this view of prehistoric England. It's a great in tale about the building of Stonehenge. Follett goes into incredible detail and immerses the reader into the tale. It's very believable.

Ken Follett revisits ancient England, imagining the way Stonehenge came about. Joia and her sister Neen are part of the herder tribe. They meet Seft, a miner who's been mistreated by his family, at the summer festival in Neen's village. Seft immediately is entranced by Neen and wants to be with her. The three tribes in the area are the herders, the farmers, and the woodlanders, with wandering flint miners who live in family groups.

There is tension between the farmers and the other groups. The farmers always want more land, land that is claimed by the woodlanders and the shepherds. When a drought causes problems for them all, war breaks out and many are killed in battles between the groups. Joia becomes a priestess, helping to oversee the ceremonies ushering in the seasons in their holy place, with wooden arches where the priestesses dance. Seft leaves his brutal father and brothers and starts his own family with Neen. After the farmers destroy the wooden shrine, Seft and Joia become determined to build a new circle, made of indestructible stone.

Seft has become an excellent craftsman by this time, devising ways to build, repair, and improve upon anything he works on. The work of building the stone circle though, is going to require the cooperation of as many tribespeople as possible. And, with the head of the farmers adamantly opposed and resources stretched thin, Joia and Seft worry that it won't be possible to complete in their lifetimes.

As with his Pillars of the Earth series, Follett presents an idea of how engineering with primitive tools can be accomplished. Recommended to all fans of Follett, history buffs (especially those of British history), and , anyone who enjoys a good read.

I have historically loved this series of Ken Follett novels, beginning with The Pillars of the Earth. As with most series, though, when authors begin adding seemingly endless sequels and prequels, the series begins to lose its charm. This novel is set in very early Britain, when tribes hunted and gathered and were just beginning to settle in villages. I can see the throughline to Pillars of the via as this novel centers on the building of stone circles (should be catnip for me!) but the dialogue is stilted and the characters two-dimensional. This one's an easy skip unless you (like me) just need to see the series through.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An interesting pre-historical novel set in 2500 BC that gives a probable explanation for the meaning and construction of Stonehenge. Like Follett’s other historical novels, it features men and women who think ahead of their time and seek practical solutions to otherwise seemingly impossible problems. In this case, how to move giant rocks over a great distance to build a stone monument that is impervious to fire and vandalism.
I have read most of Follett’s books. This, like the others, is well written and engaging. The conflicts encountered are very similar to those of our current culture. The hope is to rise above petty cultural rivalries and entrenched ways of thinking and accomplish new things in innovative ways.

Thanks to Grand Central and Netgalley for providing the ARC of Ken Follett’s latest. Very enjoyable historical fiction, if you’re already a Follett fan, you will enjoy this. The story centers on the events leading up to the construction of a Stonehenge type site. In that way, it’s akin to The Pillars of the Earth (although I don’t think this is quite the equal to that series). Lots of smart kind people interspersed with greedy and mean villains and what feels like a plausible engineering solution for the time. Recommended

Circle of Days centers around the making of Stonehenge. In classic Ken Follett style this story is rich in historical detail with excellent character development. Like most of his story’s there are courageous and smart leaders and ugly villains. I love the morals and values of the lead characters who slowly but surely win over everyone with their valuable ideas and strong leadership abilities instead of hatred and bullying. What a breath of fresh air compared to the world we live in today.

Ken Follett is a master storyteller. From Pillars of the Earth to this seminal well-written accoubt of the building of Stonehenge. Utterly engaging and wonderfully in depth with characters you fall in love with.. Another five star from this author.

What a grand story! I believe it would make a wonderful miniseries for people like me who love ancient history and wonder, was it really like this. The characters were amazing and had me, as the reader, invested in not only what was currently happening, but what was to happen in the future. It would appear that mankind has not changed that much since prehistoric times, the same meanness and evil still exists. Ken Follett describes things so well that you can picture the moving of sarsen stones in your minds eye. An adventure worth reading!

As someone who loves historical fiction, this one from Ken Follett is so unique and interesting. Maybe it’s speculative historical fiction? Who cares. A fascinating story of ancient traditions and religions playing together. I haven’t read much Follett but knowing his name, this book lives up to it. Highly recommend.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As usual, Follettt is able to transport the reader to a different time and place masterfully. However, the endless details about the moving, carving and placement of the stones is tedious. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review..

Ken Follett is one of my auto buy authors. I love his work and the way he weaves historical tales through the lives of his characters. I think he is a brilliant storyteller. Circle of Days is an unique and fascinating tale of how Stonehenge came to be. I didn't connect with the characters in this book like i did in previous books but still really enjoyed it and will be purchasing a hard copy for my shelf when it releases.

Circle of Days by Ken Follett is an enjoyable and interesting historical fiction that immerses us into the creation of Stonehenge.

I enjoyed the epic Pillars of the Earth series, so I was quick to pick up this book by the same author.

I have read several updates on modern inquiries on how Stonehenge was built, so it was interesting to see it all put into a fictional viewpoint.

While this was not up to the standards that I was expecting from this author, it was still an immersive and interesting read that I seemed tackled faster than I had anticipated.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Grand Central Publishing for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/23/25.

I love Ken Follett's Century books and his Knightsbridge books. I love the way he describes history through the use of the characters and how they lived. However, if I were to recommend a new reader to check out his books, I probably would not tell that reader to start with Circle of Days. I did like the book, and I felt parts of it were compelling. However, I didn't connect to the characters like I did with his other books. And I skimmed through the long descriptions of Seft's struggles to create a way to carry the stones to the religious site. I thought I would be most interested in this, as I too wonder how Stonehenge was built. Too many pages of descriptions without me connecting to any of it. I also would have liked to have more three-dimensional characters. I think long-time Follett readers will enjoy this book, and I did, because I love his other books. This one was just not what I was expecting.

Ken Follett did it again! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! He does a phenomenal job writing historical fiction. He can create an elaborate and detailed story around bits and pieces of history that we may know so little about. His characters feel so intimately real. Ken Follett will always be an auto-buy author for me. I have enjoyed all of his books!

It’s one of those books that’s just easy to get into and hard to stop reading. Great for a weekend read.

I enjoyed this book but the story of building Stonehenge is not the same as history. Estimates are it took hundreds of years but this story does it in one generation. It is interesting how the book presents the stones were moved and placed

I am a huge fan of the Ken Follett series, such as Pillars of the Earth and its sequels, so I was very excited to get this preview copy from Net Galley. Sadly, this is not going to be on my list of favorites. The premise is interesting - the story behind the building of Stonehenge - but the plot fell flat for me. I did not connect with the characters, and at times felt that the story dragged, and I had trouble staying interested in the plot line. At first, I was intrigued by the story of Seft and his family, and I also enjoyed the story of Joia and the priestesses, but ultimately, the characters did not hold my interest, and the storyline was too slow. I am curious as to whether he will continue this saga as a series, and if he does, I am sure I will read them, with the hope that the plot and characters develop more than in this novel.

Ken Follett never disappoints. I have read everything he has written and this was exceptional. The build up the story etc was fantastic. Thanks for the opportunity to read.