World Without End is set 200 years after the building of the cathedral in Kingsbridge, England in Ken Follett's previous novel,
The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the prosperous times for the church still dominate life. Much has changed in the 200 years, though, including the common people serving as serfs instead of wandering the countryside looking for work, and more societal changes, including medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice, are working into the lives of the people. Four children save a knight being attacked by armed men, and their stories drive the narrative, which includes the biggest change yet to be visited up on Kingsbridge, the arrival of the Black Plague.
World Without End has received mostly positive reviews with the New York Daily News saying, "Fans of
The Pillars of the Earth who have been calling for a sequel won't be disappointed. With all the intrigue and romance of the original,
World Without End is well worth the 18-year wait."
