This is a worthy addition to the series. Fans of Ken Follett's Pillars novels will appreciate this, as will all readers who enjoy Dark Ages historical fiction.

Ken Follett is a master of historic fiction! He does it again with The Evening and the Morning, a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth. Excellent read!

I have read this book once and listened to the audio version two more times (John Lee is an excellent narrator). Pillars Of The Earth is one of my favorite books, so I was looking forward to a this book. Follett did not disappoint. His writing is so descriptive you have no problem picturing every scene or hearing every conversation. This book, like his others, brought about much anger and frustration, but I think any book that can truly bring about emotion is a great book to read.



Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Extremely lengthy historical fiction prequel; I understand that if I had read the original series I would have better known what I was getting into. Most of the characters I was especially rooting for eventually got some amount of satisfying resolution (a “happy ending,” even!) which was nice. I am somewhat bothered as a reader by seemingly very meticulously researched / detailed historical fiction - books which care a lot and talk at length and in depth about specificities of architecture and language change and outfits and manners and trade - set in periods where I don’t know enough to know what is authorial license and what is rooted in some approximation of actual research. I almost wish it was just a fantasy novel. But that’s my fault as a reader. The next time I am in the mood for a sprawling 700+ page behemoth of a book I will probably pick up the rest of the series.

One of my all-time favorite books is Follett's Pillars of the Earth which I read when it first came out. Therefore I was absolutely thrilled to read the prequel. It was just as great as Pillars.
On a personal note, it covers the Viking raids. Vikings are the mascot of the school where I worked.
I encouraged my daughter, who hadn't read any of Follett's books, to read The Evening and the Morning. She loved it so much she then read Pillars.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this.

As a fan of the other Kingsbridge books this did not disappoint! So happy to learn about a new set of characters who set up the town and priory that would become Kingsbridge and the cathedral. If you liked Pillars of the Earth or World Without End you’ll love this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. Very long but very readable. Compares well to the Pillers of the Earth. Totally loved the read.

Absolutely epic! Ken Follet is one of my favorite authors, and I had absolutely loved Pillars of the Earth, so I was very very excited to be able to review this book, and curious to see whether it would hold up to its predecessor. I need not have worried. I was immediately immersed in the characters' daily struggles and life as they loved, worked, survived each day. Ken Follet makes the past come alive, and is able to balance detailed accounts of early life with action, romance, and power struggles. I loved every page and even though it is a door-stopped of a book, I consider it time well spent!

If you liked Pillars of the Earth you will not want to miss this book. Follett does a wonderful job of making the distant past come alive. I always learn something about how society worked in earlier times while still noting that people’s motivations and desires are timeless.

Standard fare of good guys vs. bad guys and romance. What keeps it from being mundane is the historical details.or the attempt at historical details. The author notes that it’s called the dark ages for a reason; we don’t know a lot about that time. He has attempted to do his best with the info that exists. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Having listened to the other books in Ken Follett's series about life in the early centuries England I knew I was in for a fascinating look at a time that little has been written about and I was delighted to learn that the same narrator who has done many of his books recorded this book as well. His books are an investment due to their large volume but the story flows as easily as the river that runs by the little village in the book. His characters are true to the time period yet we can identify with their joy and sorrow, their temptations and good deeds. This saga begins in a little village with a wise young man who longs to be a builder and a young woman coming from Normandy to wed the town alderman in an arranged marriage that she hopes is being made for love. England is in danger from Viking raiders from afar but some of their local problems are universal such as political scheming, skimming of the profits, bandits and a reluctance to try something new. Follett has the gift of writing about everyday life and people we don't know but feel like we could all the while teaching us about an interesting period of history. For those of you who have not read his other series - this is the perfect one to start with and for his many fans - this is the one you have been waiting for. While this may not be for young listeners it makes for a very long enjoyable car ride. My thanks to the publisher for the advance audio copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Solid 4 stars.

Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books so I was excited to read the prequel. The book covers about a decade of the dark ages in England starting at 997 and follows the lives of three main characters: Ragna is a Norman noblewoman who marries powerful Wilwulf, Edgar a young shipbuilder, and Aldred an ambitious (but kind) monk.

I enjoyed most of the book, especially Edgar and watching him build things. I tired quickly of the power struggles of the rich and powerful, especially the evil machinations of the clergy scheming to keep their power. I can't imagine how hard it was living at that time. The best parts of the book were when the author described daily life and its challenges.

Over a century before The Pillars of the Earth, the future English cathedral town of Kingsbridge is a mere hamlet with a stone church, ferry, alehouse, and a scattering of humble buildings. Follett’s supremely entertaining prequel centers on the locale known then as Dreng’s Ferry – named after a surly business owner – and the city of Shiring, while dramatizing their inhabitants’ interactions around the first millennium CE.

Three plucky protagonists have ambitious dreams that set them apart. Edgar, an illiterate boatbuilder with an engineer’s mind, loses his lover to a brutal Viking raid and works to raise his family out of poverty. Lady Ragna, the Count of Cherbourg’s daughter, leaves Normandy to marry her wealthy betrothed but is dismayed by her new life’s reality. And a monk, Brother Aldred, seeks to develop his abbey’s scriptorium and library into an educational beacon. However, with political influence held by a trio of wily brothers and their relatives, anyone stepping outside their societal role risks having their hopes, indeed their very lives, crushed. Wynstan, Bishop of Shiring, is a notably formidable nemesis.

Bursting with personality and detailed re-creations of daily life in historic England, this story is vintage Follett. Anyone who loved Pillars will want to scoop it right up. The characters, while belonging to their era, are recognizable types that make it easy to identify with or hiss at them. The momentum never flags, an impressive achievement in a tome that sprawls in length but not setting or time. Two pervasive themes are the corruption of power, and how average people have few choices. King Ethelred is a distant presence, and justice depends on leaders’ personalities and whims. Slave girls suffer particularly violent fates. It is frustrating to see our heroes’ plans so frequently thwarted, but one can’t help but read on, hoping for a better future – as the evocative title signifies.

(from the Historical Novels Review, November 2020)

It was good reading about kingsbridge again. I hope the author will continue on and connect to Pillers of the Earth. Thank you for letting me review this book

I enjoyed this, but can not speak to how well it compares to the rest of this series.

When Ken Follett’s Pillars Of The Earth was published I had just read Sharon Kay Penmanship When Christ and His Saints Slept (Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine #1), which is one of my favorite books of all-time, and I just couldn’t motivate myself to read another 900+ page book that takes place during the same time period.

It has, however, stayed on my TBR list. So, I was very pleasantly surprised to see Follet had written a prequel & decided it was the perfect time to dive into this series.

I love this time period and I have always been fascinated by all of the political maneuvering. Guess that is one constant in all of human history and, unfortunate, will probably never change.

Follet is great a descriptive writer, however, I did find the attention to details a lil overdone. The last 1/4 I admit to skimming sections.

This was definitely a good verses evil narrative. Evil seemed to prevail to a disturbing degree and the back/forth plotting was a bit exhausting by the conclusion.

Overall, I thought this was good. I enjoyed the first half of the story, but the things that I found tiresome really ended up spoiling the second half. Really think it could have been condensed to about 500 pgs and been a 5 star read.

Again, I’ve not read the rest of the series which may have lessen my enjoyed of it. 3.5 stars.

I read PILLARS OF THE EARTH over 30 years ago but never forgot the impact that the book had on my reading life. For many years, it was the my most recommended book of all time even though it, at over 1000 pages, it would be one of the longest most of us had read. Diving into a Kingsbridge novel, then, is definitely a commitment but assures transport to another time, another world.

This historical fiction is the 4th Follett has written in the series, but is, in fact a prequel. Within the first several pages, however, any inclination to romanticize England just after the Dark Ages should/will be immediately put aside. The fall of the Roman Empire resulted in a deterioration of Western Europe that was characterized by economic hardship, intellectual darkness, and upheaval throughout the land with many warring factions and some very poor leadership. This novel spans the time period of 997 CE to 1007 CE and describes the many social, cultural, and cognitive improvements made through great sacrifice.

The characters come alive on the pages and reflect the different classes of people that appear in a section of land that comes to be known as Kingsbridge. Some there by choice and others by coercion. At the heart of it is Edgar, the protagonist, who loses his home in Combe when Vikings raid and results in the family having to move to a very backward place called Dreng's Ferry. As always, Follett frames his novel around a builder, and Edgar's transformation of both himself and the town. A second thread in the story revolves around Lady Ragna of Cherbourg, who comes to England after marrying an ealdorman. And the third piece concerns an evil and ambitious bishop who wants power and wealth. The interaction between the three central characters forms the action and narrative. NO SPOILERS.

I thought it would take me a bit longer to read this 982-page saga, but I found it really difficult to put down and devoured it quickly. Keeping all the different characters straight is easier that way, of course, plus the events and conflicts were absorbing. Follett's research provides incredible detail and description and I found it all compelling and fascinating. After finishing it, all I could think about was revisiting POTE again even though I almost never reread a book. If you've not read any of this series, this is definitely where you should start.

I can't come to grips with how awful life must have been during that time period. Life meant nothing and the extreme deprivation and hardship is hard to read about without wincing in distaste and shuddering with disgust. Women had basically zero rights or privileges even if wealthy or noble and law and order were largely absent. It never ceases to amaze me to realize what marvelous achievements were accomplished despite all of that and just how far we all have come.

So, definitely, I highly recommend this to all fans of historical fiction and especially those who have followed this series faithfully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Rich, complex, long, highly-anticipated, beautiful, ambitious, long, heavy, and consuming - all words that describe this prequel to Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. With a page count over 900, this book is a time investment, but well worth it. I sat down, committed to the time it would take and began reading. The story consumed me and I was left feeling the same way I felt when I was reading the other books in the Kingsbridge series: accomplished and satisfied with the story and really surprised that it didn't take me as long as I thought it would!

The Evening and the Morning is a prequel to the Pillars of the Earth trilogy. It is an engaging and enlightening, lengthy read !but I hung onto every word.

Ken Follett is a masterfully skillful writer. You will remember every page of his books long after you've turned the last page and closed the cover. His characters are multi dimensional, driven by human emotions and aspirations. His back stories and the communities, towns, cities, villages, even their individual homes are built in layers, giving them depth that sets the characters' lives apart from the usual. Follett's stories are truly unforgettable.

The Evening and the Morning is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth trilogy, a worldwide best seller, as most of Follett's books are. The characters' lives will circle each other until their paths cross and their histories join. The book may be intimidating at a little under 1000 pages, but in the end, the research and intense focus on the characters and their era make the story unforgettable. A 5 star story written by a 5 star author.

As always Ken Follet shows his mastery skills in world building! The Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite novels and I was excited to dig into his new release. It did not disappoint, it was more than I expected. I absolutely loved it.