Kingsbridge Books in Order
The Kingsbridge novels follow the fictional English cathedral town of Kingsbridge from the end of the Dark Ages to the Industrial Revolution, as builders, monks, nobles and ordinary people fight for power, love and the cathedral itself.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 1989 to 2023
- First book
- The Pillars of the Earth
- Latest
- The Armour of Light (2023)
- Setting
- Set in the fictional Kingsbridge, England
- Order
- Story order differs from publication order
The reading order
Every Kingsbridge book in publication order, with the story order a switch away. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1The Pillars of the Earth1989With Tom Builder and Prior PhilipIn twelfth-century England, during the civil war known as the Anarchy, Tom Builder, a mason, dreams of building a cathedral, and Prior Philip of Kingsbridge sets out to make it happen.Buy on Amazon
- 2World Without End2007With Merthin and CarisIn 1327, two centuries after The Pillars of the Earth, four children see a killing in the forest near Kingsbridge, and their lives are bound together through the years of the Black Death.Buy on Amazon
- 3A Column of Fire2017With Ned WillardIn 1558, young Ned Willard returns to Kingsbridge and finds a town divided by religion.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Evening and the Morning2020With Edgar and RagnaAround the year 1000, as England faces Viking raids, a young boatbuilder, Edgar, a Norman noblewoman, Ragna, and a monk, Aldred, have their lives tied together.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Armour of Light2023With Sal ClitheroeIn 1792, as machines arrive in the mills and war with France begins, Sal Clitheroe, a spinner, and the workers of Kingsbridge fight for a fair deal.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Each book stands alone and is set centuries apart. Read in story order: The Evening and the Morning, The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A Column of Fire, then The Armour of Light. The Pillars of the Earth is the most popular first read.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Tom Builder | Prior Philip | Aliena | Jack Jackson | Merthin | Caris | Ned Willard | Edgar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Pillars of the Earth | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | ||||
| 2 World Without End | LLead | LLead | ||||||
| 3 A Column of Fire | LLead | |||||||
| 4 The Evening and the Morning | LLead | |||||||
| 5 The Armour of Light |
Characters in the Kingsbridge books
11 characters from Ken Follett’s chart, with the number of Kingsbridge books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Tom BuilderMason who dreams of building a cathedral | 1 | The Pillars of the Earth 1989 |
| Prior PhilipMonk who leads Kingsbridge Priory | 1 | The Pillars of the Earth 1989 |
| AlienaEarl's daughter who builds a wool trade | 1 | The Pillars of the Earth 1989 |
| Jack JacksonTom's stepson, a master builder | 1 | The Pillars of the Earth 1989 |
| MerthinBuilder descended from Jack | 1 | World Without End 2007 |
| CarisHealer and later prioress | 1 | World Without End 2007 |
| Ned WillardElizabethan spy from Kingsbridge | 1 | A Column of Fire 2017 |
| EdgarBoatbuilder at the end of the Dark Ages | 1 | The Evening and the Morning 2020 |
| RagnaNorman noblewoman | 1 | The Evening and the Morning 2020 |
| Sal ClitheroeWidow and weaver in the 1790s | 1 | The Armour of Light 2023 |
| William HamleighBrutal nobleman | 1 | The Pillars of the Earth 1989 |