Circle of Days

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Circle of Days
AuthorKen Follett
Audio read byRichard Armitage
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical fiction
PublisherGrand Central Publishing
Publication date
23 September 2025 (2025-09-23)
Publication placeUnited States
Pages752
ISBN978-1538772775

Circle of Days is a historical fiction novel by Welsh author Ken Follett. It was published in 2025 by Grand Central Publishing, and is set in the Neolithic period when the Stonehenge was created.

Background

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Follett visited the Stonehenge with his family as a boy, and later his wife Barbara Follett as the Minister for Culture, Tourism and the Creative Industries, from 2008 to 2009, worked on transforming the historical landmark into a public site.[1] However, it was not until Follett came across the 2022 book How to Build Stonehenge by archaeologist Mike Pitts that he became interested in writing such a novel, stating, "I saw it and I thought, 'That sounds like a Ken Follett story; building Stonehenge,' So I looked into it, and the more I learned about this place, the more intrigued I became".[2]

For the research process, Follett drove around Salisbury, and used his imagination to envision how people lived, what they called themselves, and why they decided to build the structure during the prehistoric times. Consultants for the project included Pitts and Phil Harding.[1]

Release

[edit]

On 13 May 2024, it was announced of Follett signing a publishing deal with Hachette Book Group to release his next novel the following year.[3] On 15 October 2024, Hachette announced the expected release date of 23 September 2025, published in the United States by its imprint Grand Central Publishing and the United Kingdom by Quercus.[4]

People magazine exclusively revealed the cover on 12 March 2025.[5]

Plot summary

[edit]

The novel is set in prehistory 2500 BCE, where people are divided into tribes, their names in accordance to their roles such as miners, herders, woodlanders, and farmers. The people meet each season at the wooden Monument for religious rites and festivities, led by priestesses.

The primary protagonist, Seft, is a former flint miner who joins the herder community in order to escape his abusive family. He partners with Neen, a girl he was immediately attracted from the previous Rite. Neen's younger sister, Joia, finds her calling as a priestess. When the Monument ends up being destroyed, Joia is determined on rebuilding it in stone. As years pass, troubles include a drought that leaves the people starving and unwilling to share resources between the tribes; in addition, tensions rise as the farmers, led by Troon—a misogynistic and violent man—rages war against the herders.

Critical reception

[edit]

Writing for Library Journal, Philip Zozzaro praised in likeness to the author's other works, "Follett is skilled at creating literary sagas populated by compelling characters, and this title continues in that fashion."[6] Likewise, Bethany Latham of Booklist saw Circle of Days to have a familiar Follett plot of a large cast that focuses on advancement, where readers "will find the epic tale they seek".[7]

Holly Smith of Washington Independent Review of Books was more ambivalent, calling it "wildly oversimplified", usual casting of overt heroes and villains, and "clunky" dialogue.[8] Kirkus Reviews believed that fans will be pleased, calling it "a dramatic, complex imagining of the origins of Stonehenge".[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Nguyen, Sophia (21 September 2025). "For his new bloody epic, Ken Follett went back in time. Way, way back". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 22 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  2. ^ Juliani, Alida (21 September 2025). "Ken Follett's new novel on Stonehenge pushed him to 'imagine more'". EFE. Archived from the original on 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  3. ^ Maher, John (13 May 2024). "Ken Follett to Publish New Novel with Hachette in 2025". Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Bestselling novelist Ken Follett will probe the mysteries of Stonehenge in 'Circle of Days'". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  5. ^ Rockson, Gabrielle. "Ken Follett's Circle of Days Reveals the Secrets of Stonehenge: See the Cover! (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on 13 March 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  6. ^ Zozzaro, Philip (1 August 2025). "Circle of Days". Library Journal. Archived from the original on 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  7. ^ Latham, Bethany. "Circle of Days". Booklist. Archived from the original on 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  8. ^ Smith, Holly (22 September 2025). "Circle of Days: A Novel". Washington Independent Review of Books. Archived from the original on 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Circle of Days". Kirkus Reviews. 4 July 2025. Archived from the original on 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
[edit]