Circle of Days by Ken Follett (Grand Central Publishing)

This time, Follett turns his attention to prehistoric times, when people lived in tribes as herders, farmers, hunters, miners, and female priests. These tribes each have their own culture, rules, ways of thinking, structure, and way of life. But they also have great ambitions. 

The Great Plain is by no means an idyllic landscape, but a place where people are forced to cooperate simply because the alternative is mutual slaughter. A religious aspect develops, making it necessary, partly due to the calendar itself, to erect a permanent stone monument: Stonehenge. This, however, requires immense physical strength, diplomacy, intelligence, and cunning.

Seft works perfectly precisely because he is not some epic warrior, but an ordinary tribal laborer with a clear desire for peace and a knack for invention, while the priestess Joia is simply another word for a great force and dangerous, megalomaniacal fanaticism. 

Here, the author very deliberately uses exceptionally short, almost dry sentences when describing physical labor, thereby literally forcing the reader to feel, along with the characters, the weight of every piece of rock they carry. This stark realism occasionally stifles the dramatic tension, but it lends the whole story a relentless, almost physical weight.

The writing style is typical of Follett; that is, brilliant. It’s full of atmosphere, well-developed characters, and the struggle between good and evil.

This novel is for anyone who loves massive historical epics with plenty of tribal politics, logistics, and mental and physical exertion. Skip it, though, if you can’t stand predictable romantic tropes and slow world-building.

What to Read Next?

• The Pillars of the Earth / Ken Follett: A timeless classic about the construction of a cathedral, where human intrigues are even more intense.
• The Sunken World / Bernard Cornwell: A raw, more direct, and far less romanticized portrayal of ancient Britain.
• The Clan of the Cave Bear / Jean M. Auel: For those who want an even deeper dive into prehistoric daily life and tribal rituals.