While The Evening and The Morning lacks the gritty determination of its predecessor-The Pillars of the Earth-it does have the same eloquence and depth of characters, scenery, and language that is the hallmark of a Ken Follett novel. The problem with a prequel is we already know what happens next-and since The Evening and The Morning does not have a "main theme" (the building of a cathedral) that was the heart of The Pillars of the Earth, The Evening and the Morning feels less "enthralling." But that does not make The Evening and the Morning a lesser work-only that its focus is more on relationships between the characters and the hardships of living in medival England. The Evening and the Morning is lengthy, and it's hard to remain engrossed for over 900 pages, but the slight lapses in momentum are offset by magnificient writing, fascinating characters (Ragna!!) and vivid descriptions of the landscape. The Evening and the Morning is a beautiful novel that you will enjoy even if you have not read The Pillars of the Earth-perhaps you will even enjoy it more if you don't know what's coming next!

"The Evening and the Morning" by Ken Follett, Viking, 928 pages, Sept. 15, 2020.

This is a prequel to Ken Follett's masterpiece, "The Pillars of the Earth," and is set in 997 Common Era at the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east.

Edgar is the youngest of three brothers. All three work with their father as boatbuilders. They live in Combe, England. Edgar has built his own boat and sneaks away early one morning to meet the woman he loves, Sunni.

Sunni is married to someone else. Edgar and Sunni are going to run away to another village. Before he reaches her, Edgar sees ships. Vikings are attacking. He sounds an alarm. After the Viking attack, Edgar and his family move to a small hamlet, Dreng's Ferry.

Brother Aldred wants to return to his abbey in Shiring to show the monks how religious books are being illustrated. He wants to turn the abbey into a center of learning.

The Lady Ragna, who is from Normandy, marries for love, but after she moves across the sea to England she learns that everyone around her is battling for power.

Edgar, Aldred and Ragna, the three main characters, interact.

"The Evening and the Morning" is a fascinating mix of drama and history. It is really nice to see such Ragna, such a strong female character. The reader feels for the characters throughout their challenges, successes and failures. I was totally absorbed in the time period. This is my favorite historical series. It is enjoyable even if you haven't read the others in the Kingsbridge series, but I highly recommend the others as well.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss and NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The popular Kingsbridge series began in 1989 when author Ken Follett, known for high-octane thrillers and spy mysteries, published The Pillars of the Earth, a book about the building of a 12th-century church. It became a hit, and two more books eventually followed: World Without End in 2007 and A Column of Fire in 2017.

With this newest installment, fans of the series will be thrilled to visit their favorite medieval town again. But people who’ve yet to read any of the earlier books need not worry: The Evening and the Morning is a prequel.


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I love Ken Follett’s series that began with The Pillars of the Earth. Now he has written a prequel for it. And it continues to please. I know the bad guys are going to lose in the end, but they always hang on until the last pages. As in the other three books, the characters are connected to Kingsbridge, which in this case was the small hamlet of Dreng’s Ferry. It is a story of the Dark Ages, beginning in 997 with a Viking attack. What I found most interesting about this book is the focus on small projects, like a bridge which replaced the ferry, bringing more people into town as well as building of a small monastery church. Technology today seems so small, and yet it was an important part of the buildup of building the large cathedrals. What surprised me—the local priest’s determination to provide education to laypeople. Yes, for the most part they were monied people because the school supported the church. I thought that during the dark ages books were chained to the shelves of the church libraries and because knowledge was power, only the local aristocracy and the religious leaders were allowed to read. And yet here, Brother Aldred is determined to start a school. In exchange for Edgar, a boatbuilder who evolved into a carpenter, building the bridge Edgar taught him to read.

Read it in a day. A good story. I will recommend it to patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Ken Follett has done it again. Each of his novels are chock full of history and relationships. I am amazed that this series about Kingsbridge is always entertaining, knowledgeable and keeps your interest throughout. It is so insightful and he rounds out his characters before your very eyes. Will definitely be one of the publisher's best sellers, as well it should be!

Another great book from Ken Follett! I couldn't stop reading about Edgar and Ragna! Great job with period, the struggles people faced and how women were treated. Loved having an unstoppable woman lead. Even if you haven't read Pillars of the Earth this is a fantastic read!

This is a must read for fans of Ken Follett or of historical fiction. This book, a prequel to Pillars of the Earth, tells how Edgar became a Master builder and the trials and tribulations of his young life. Deng’s Ferry, a dusty little hole-in-the wall kind of place, grows into Kings Bridge as Edgar grow into manhood and we learn the backstory of both. This is quintessential Follett, drawing the reader in, captivating the mind, and treating the reader to a little sense of the Dark Ages. As terrible as the Dark ages were for women, for children, for all those with out power or money, you hate to see the story end; it’s that good. And now has this reader looking though her stacks for Pillars to read again with this new sense of Follett’s characters freshly imprinted.

I enjoyed this. It's definitely not as good as Pillars, but it's still riveting. I kept turning pages to find out what was going to happen next, and I'm glad to see what the ending was.

Ken Follett has captured the feel of a distant time once again in this offering, reminiscent of his Pillars of the Earth series. Set just prior to that period of history, this book offers a glimpse into the Viking depredations of England and the upheaval those invasions caused. We also are given a view of the organization of society through the relationships of Ragna, of noble birth, and her family as well as the story of Edgar, a villager. Treachery is used in power battles but Follett neatly ties up all the loose ends so this book can stand alone. Recommended.

Dr. Cheryl Youse

This prequel to the Kingsbridge series begins with a Viking attack and goes from there. Fans of the series will be pleased to learn how the town got its name and the history of the church, as well as pleased that the prequel is much better than the third book in the series. While long, like all of the Kingsbridge books, it doesn't feel long at all and, in typical Ken Follett fashion, the bad people are exceptionally frustrating in their evilness. The ending does feel a bit rushed and while there is less sexual violence against women in this book, it is still present. Also, the prose was rather didactic, which I don't remember noticing in Follett's other books.

I am so glad there is finally a prequel book to the Follet's Pillars of the Earth series which I completed a long time ago before I was a part of Goodreads. I also really enjoyed his Century trilogy too, Ken Follet knows how to tell a damn good story and who cares if his books are long because his stories have well developed characters and fantastic plots. I just can't get enough his books.

A must read for any Follet fan! I understand the events leading up to the where the original stories began in Pillars of the Earth. Mind blown and highly recommended!!!

This also fulfilled another reading challenge in which July's month was newest unread book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ken Follet and Penguin Group Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this!

Available: 9/15/20

If you liked the Pillars of the Earth trilogy you need to read the prequel. Typical Ken Follett description and characters see where it all began!

I feel like I have waited for this book forever, and I loved every single moment of it! I have long been a huge Ken Follett fan and was so excited to receive an ARC of this prequel to the Pillars of the Earth. It did not disappoint! I fell in love with Edgar, Ragna, and of course despised the antagonists along the way imaging every detail playing out in the movie in my mind, just like always with his novels. Throw in some Viking raids, and I am all set.
If you are a Follett fan, I don't think this will disappoint, especially for fans of the Kingsbridge series. Well done, well worth the wait, and 5 solid stars.

It's been 30 years since the Pillars of the Earth was published, and we finally have a prequel! Of all the books in the Kingsbridge series, this one has the most similar appeal factors with the original book. The book starts in the late 900's, when England is regularly raided by Vikings. The ownership of slaves is common, and priests are allowed by the church to be married. All of the familiar and comforting types of characters and story lines from the other Kingsbridge novels are here, with Follett's usual attention to historical detail. Fans of Pillars will not be disappointed.

Another incredible tome by Follett. This prequel to Pillars of the Earth is full of wonderful character that you love, hate, wish to kill, and you continue to read to find out what is going to happen next. Viking pillages rip apart families while the English gather armies to fight. Religious politics play an important role in this story to help us understand how the priory was formed at Kings Bridge. This is a must read for all fans of this series.

The Evening and The Morning is the prequel to Pillars of the Earth. The story begins in the Dark Ages, a time of Viking raids, duplicitous clergy, murderous plots, and Kings. In classic Ken Follett style, he builds a world so thoroughly throughout the first 400+ pages, then ties up all the loose ends with lots of drama in the last 400+. Reading one of his books takes time and patience, but pays off in the end, and this book is no different. As a fan of Pillars of the Earth and World without End, I enjoyed discovering how the King’s Bridge priory and cathedral originated, and appreciated the connection of the texts by the end of the novel. It is a classic good versus evil narrative that will keep you reading.

Advanced copy provided by #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As always, Follett delivers a well developed tale that is complex and compelling. The book feels familiar and new at the same time. Beautifully written and a welcome escape during dark times.

Ken Follett is such a love/hate author for me. His past books, especially, Pillars of the Earth, were just excellent story driven novels with amazing pacing and thrilling action. On the other hand, his characters can be either dull as dishwater, pure as the driven snow, or Evil with a capital E. This is still true with this newest novel of his, but the stories he tells about such an obscure time in early English history (10th C.E.) really made this so compulsively readable for me. (And he spends considerably less time pondering the size of a woman's breasts and/or attractiveness level--yes, I'm looking at YOU, sexist Pillars of the Earth.)

It was a really great pandemic historical fiction deep dive read. Ragna is probably the first heroine of Follett I really liked. Good for first time Follett readers.

The Evening and the Morning
by Ken Follett
PENGUIN GROUP Viking
You Like Them
Viking
Historical Fiction
Pub Date 15 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 15 Nov 2020

Fantastic Prequel!! I highly recommend this for our readers of Ken Follett!
5 STARS