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Circle of Days

The epic new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of The Pillars of the Earth

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Circle of Days

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: Richard Armitage
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'Monumentally epic . . . a superb novel' LEE CHILD

From the master of epic fiction comes the deeply human story of one of the world's greatest mysteries: the building of Stonehenge.

A PRIESTESS WHO BELIEVES IN THE IMPOSSIBLE

A MONUMENT THAT WILL DEFINE A CIVILIZATION

In the high summer heat, Joia watches the Midsummer ceremony that signals the start of a new year, enthralled. She dreams of a miraculous new monument, raised from the biggest stones in the world. It is a vision of a great circle, assembled by the divided tribes of the Great Plain. Helped by Seft, a talented miner, it will become their life's work.

But as drought ravages the earth, mistrust grows between the herders, farmers and woodlanders. And an act of savage violence leads to open warfare.

ONE OF THE GREATEST MYSTERIES OF OUR AGE

IMAGINED BY ONE OF THE GREATEST STORYTELLERS OF OUR TIME

'Always entertaining' THE TIMES
'Historical mastery' DAILY MIRROR
'As rich as it is thrilling' I PAPER©2025 The Follett Office Action & Adventure Editors Select Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction
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Editorial Review

Explore one of the greatest megalithic mysteries
Following a fictional timeline surrounding the creation of Stonehenge, Circle of Days paints a story of two interconnected characters: Joia, a priestess whose visions predict the birth of the massive stone circle; and Seft, a love-struck flint miner looking for a better life. Master storyteller Ken Follet consistently demonstrates an attention to detail, especially in his in-depth character development. Coupled with Richard Armitage, one of the best narrators in the game, I was transported back to the BCE era as these monuments are constructed, as love becomes complicated and as war begin to rampage across the Great Plain. Circle of Days is truly an unforgettable listen.—Nicole R., Audible Editor

Critic reviews

There could be no better match between author and subject than Ken Follett writing about Stonehenge. His trademark blend of the intensely human and the monumentally epic works to perfection here - a superb novel
A tour de force - Follett so brilliantly and engagingly immerses us in a world and society at the time of the creation of Stonehenge that feels indelibly real. It utterly grips and fascinates, and made me realize that apart from technology, so very little has changed between then and now in how we behave
A hugely enjoyable family saga. Books like this are a sort of anti-social media: just a reader turning pages, lost in a different world. Follett is one of the great storytellers
A must-read, wonderful saga for anyone who's ever gazed at Stonehenge in awe. The monument and the people that built it, brought to life like never before
One of the great, bestselling novelists
Follett is a master
Ken Follett is unquestionably a master storyteller but his unique skill is animating the ordinary lives that history too often fails to record. In Circle of Days, like Pillars of the Earth he breathes life into iconic stone, to fill history's silences with living breathing people
Another fabulous tale from the master storyteller, packed with passion, heartache and compelling historical detail. No-one does it better
Grand in scope but earthy in tone, this is historical fiction as rich as it is thrilling
Follett brings to rich and vibrant life this epic family saga . . . An addictive tale . . . Thrilling
Follett's origin story of Stonehenge is always entertaining
Thrilling
Nobody writes big blockbuster historical stories quite like Follett . . . A fascinating subject that comes to life in the usual Follett way, through the characters he creates that leap off the page
[A] giant of the literary world
Follett's gift for making his fiction seem tantalisingly authentic, and a plot that takes in murders, a famine, tribal warfare, and a drought, the distant past has never felt so viscerally alive
All stars
Most relevant
The story had me gripped from the start. I like all Ken Follett‘s history series books anyway but was mildly concerned that it was a new narrator. I had no need for that concern at all however as he was excellent. Really enjoyed all the strange names in this book they really added to its appeal. All in all, it was another cracker.

Up to Ken Follett’s usual excellence standards

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i was really looking forward to Ken Follett's latest offering and if I didn't like him so much I would have given up at any point in the first 100 pages. I understand the need to build characters but it was soooooooo slow. However, I stuck at it and started to enjoy it after about 4 hours. Not Follett's finest work but he's set a high bar Excellent narrator in Richard Armitage

Warms up after impossibly slow start

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This is such an imaginative telling of the building of the prehistoric monument. As usual, Ken Follett builds his characters with depth and detail that makes the reader feel they are real people.

Gripping storytelling

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The narator is OK but the story is kinda boring. The world building is superficial and I could not get attached to any character. Couldn't care less if one lives or dies.

Meh

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Please don’t be put off by some of the negative reviews. The book is excellent and definitely up to Ken Follet’s normal high standard. The narration is excellent too.
Loved it!

Excellent.

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