So, Ken Follett went back. Way back. Like, 4,500 years back.
If you’ve spent the last few decades obsessed with the cathedral-building drama of The Pillars of the Earth or the sprawling generational warfare of the Century Trilogy, you probably had a specific image in mind when you heard about his latest release. You likely expected soaring arches, complex political intrigue, and maybe a bit of medieval filth.
Instead, with Ken Follett Circle of Days, we get the Neolithic Great Plain. We get flint miners, sun-scorched earth, and a bunch of people trying to figure out how to drag massive rocks across a landscape without, you know, wheels.
It's a bold move.
The book, which hit shelves in late 2025, isn't just another historical novel. It’s Follett trying to solve one of the world's most stubborn mysteries: Stonehenge. But honestly? The reaction hasn't been the unanimous standing ovation he usually gets. People are talking, and they aren't all saying the same thing.
What is Ken Follett Circle of Days Actually About?
Basically, the story centers on the construction of Stonehenge, but it’s told through the eyes of the "little people" who lived in its shadow. We’re looking at around 2500 BCE. The world is divided into very specific tribes: miners, herders, farmers, and woodlanders.
The plot kicks off when the original wooden monument (the one they used for rituals) gets torched. Enter Joia. She’s a young priestess with a vision that would make a modern CEO sweat. She wants to rebuild, but she wants it to last. She wants stone.
To make this happen, she needs Seft.
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Seft is your classic Follett protagonist—the "preternaturally gifted craftsman" archetype we’ve seen in characters like Jack Builder or Tom Builder. He’s a flint miner by birth but an engineer by soul. Together, they have to navigate a world that is rapidly falling apart. A massive drought hits. Food disappears. The tribes, who used to just "kinda" tolerate each other, start sharpening their weapons.
It’s a story about human ambition versus a very harsh, very indifferent nature.
The Characters You'll Meet (and Maybe Hate)
Follett doesn't do "grey" very often. You usually know exactly who to root for and who you want to see get trampled by a wild ox.
- Joia: The visionary. She’s intense, smart, and a bit of a "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" according to some early readers on Reddit. She sees the future of her people in those massive sarsens.
- Seft: The engineer. He’s the guy who has to figure out the physics of moving 25-ton stones. His personal drama involves escaping an abusive father, Cog, and finding a place among the herders.
- Neen: Seft’s love interest and Joia’s sister. She’s the heart of the "domestic" side of the story.
- Troon: The villain. He’s the leader of the farmers, and he is a piece of work. Misogynistic, violent, and determined to start a war with the herders over land rights.
It’s a classic setup. The builders versus the destroyers.
Why Some Fans Are Giving It Side-Eye
Here’s the thing. When you write a book set in 2500 BCE, you run into a linguistic problem. How do people talk?
In Ken Follett Circle of Days, the dialogue is... simple. Some critics have called it "clunky." There’s a funny bit in a Washington Independent Review of Books piece where they point out how characters say things like "That must have hurt!" when someone gets shot with an arrow.
Yeah. It did hurt.
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Because the era is so primal, the prose lacks the "refined" feel of his later historical settings. There’s no complex church Latin to translate or intricate court politics to navigate. It’s basic survival. For some, that makes the book a "lighter" read—more like a prehistoric Jack Reacher novel than a literary epic.
Also, if you're looking for deep spiritual exploration, you might be disappointed. Follett is famously secular in his writing. Even in a book about a religious monument, he tends to focus on the how and the who rather than the mystical why. To him, the gods are just an excuse for people to do amazing engineering.
The Detail Work: How He Built Stonehenge on Paper
Whatever you think of the dialogue, you can't knock the research. Follett reportedly worked with consultants like Mike Pitts and Phil Harding to get the Neolithic details right.
The book dives deep into:
- Flint Mining: How they actually got the stone out of the ground.
- Logistics: The sheer nightmare of moving stones from the Marlborough Downs to Salisbury Plain.
- Tribal Economics: How farmers and herders traded (and fought) before the concept of money really took hold.
He paints a picture of a world that is vibrant but incredibly fragile. One bad season of rain—or lack thereof—and the whole "Circle of Days" starts to wobble.
Is It Part of the Kingsbridge Series?
Technically? No.
But fans are calling it a "Prequel x10." While it doesn't feature the town of Kingsbridge (which wouldn't exist for another few thousand years), it shares the "Follett DNA." You have the visionary woman, the talented builder, the corrupt power-seeker, and the "impossible" architectural project.
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If you loved The Evening and the Morning, you'll find the rhythm of this book very familiar. It’s a comfort read, even if the "comfort" involves a lot of prehistoric violence and drought-induced starvation.
Making the Most of Your Read
If you’re planning to dive into Ken Follett Circle of Days, don't go in expecting The Pillars of the Earth. It’s a different beast.
Pro-tip: Listen to the audiobook if you can. It’s narrated by Richard Armitage. His voice adds a layer of gravity to the simple dialogue that makes it feel much more "epic" and a lot less "high school play."
Watch the map: Keep a map of the Salisbury Plain nearby. It helps to visualize the movement of the tribes and the scale of the journey Seft has to undertake.
Embrace the "Follett Formula": Don't overthink the plot twists. Just enjoy the process of watching a monument rise out of the dirt through sheer human will.
Your Next Steps for the Circle of Days
If you've already finished the book and are craving more, check out the archaeological work of Mike Pitts—the guy who actually advised Follett. His book How to Build Stonehenge provides the factual bedrock that Follett turned into fiction.
Alternatively, if you haven't started yet, grab the hardcover. At 704 pages, it’s a chunky one, but that’s half the fun with Follett. You want a book that can double as a doorstop or a weapon in a prehistoric tribal war.
Start with Chapter One and just let the Neolithic heat soak in. It’s a long walk across the Great Plain, but the view at the end is worth it.