The Valley of Horses Review

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*For those of you who haven’t read The Clan of the Cave Bears, SPOILER ALERT!

                

     The second book in the Earth’s Children series is The Valley of Horses. At the end of the first book, Ayla finally leaves the Clan behind to find her own people, the Others. This novel follows her treacherous and solitary journey through the wilderness as she searches to meet someone else like herself.

     

     I personally really enjoyed this novel. The first book centers completely on Ayla’s similarities and differences to people of the Clan, and she’s forced to hold back her own unique skills to match their traditions. In this second installment, we get to see just what Ayla is capable of. For the first time, she doesn’t have anyone to tell her that she can’t hunt, take care of wounded animals, or even laugh. It’s exciting to see her explore her own abilities and find new and improved ways of doing things.

            

     I also really like how the format of this story was set up. Instead of just seeing things from Ayla’s perspective and what is going on where she is at, we get to follow two brothers as they go on a journey to places far from their home.  Both stories are told side-by-side, switching between perspectives after every few chapters.

     As a writer, I can’t help but appreciate how well this technique works for building up suspense. From the beginning, it’s obvious that Ayla is going to have a run-in with these brothers, and it makes the reader so curious to see how they will respond to each other. Every chapter I kept wondering, “Is this the chapter where they’re going to meet?”. To be honest, I was starting to get a little impatient because I was so looking forward to that scene. It was totally worth it when I got there though!

     The whole time I was reading this sequel, I kept thinking back to my experience reading Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer. It takes place in a completely different setting, but Archer also uses the same suspenseful technique, writing from two different characters’ points of view and bringing them closer and closer to each other before they finally interact with each other. There’s something so satisfying about reading a book like that and finally getting to the scene where two important characters meet.

     Other great aspects of this novel are Auel’s incredible detail and realistic descriptions of prehistoric times. After reading the first book in the series, I would expect nothing less. So, with so much to love, The Valley of Horses definitely gets four Star Lords from me. If you enjoyed The Clan of the Cave Bear, you’ll love this one!

The Clan of the Cave Bear Review

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     So, I’ll be honest. I’m going through a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Earth’s Children series. Maybe I’m just not in the habit of reading lengthy series, but seriously (or should I say series-ously?). These books are taking me forever to read. I started the first book in mid-February, and I’ve just recently started reading the fifth one. Granted, each book is over 800 pages, but still. That’s a long time to spend with a cast of characters. However, I did say love/hate relationship, so don’t let this mini rant scare you away from reading it. I did give the first book four Star Lords after all. Read on to find out why!

     As I may or may not have mentioned before, one of my favorite things about reading is that you get to experience imaginary lands and ancient civilizations in such a realistic way that you almost feel like you’re there. Well, The Clan of the Cave Bear goes above and beyond in this regard, which is why I have given it the rating of four Star Lords.

  Set in prehistoric times during the middle of the Ice Age, this novel follows the life of Ayla, a young girl who loses her family to an earthquake and ends up being raised by the Clan, or as we know them, cavemen and cavewomen. Even though she is so different-looking from the people who raise her, Ayla does everything she can to fit in, learning their language and obeying their customs to the best of her abilities. With no memory of her birth parents, Ayla has no choice but to learn to survive among these strange and exotic people, and you get a front-row seat to her thrilling experience.

     If you’re looking for a light and enjoyable read, like junk food for your brain, then this book is not for you. But if your brain is craving a full-course Thanksgiving meal that’ll leave you full and satisfied for at least a week, then look no further. This book is filled to the brim with rich history and vivid descriptions of places that no longer exist. As the sole human among dozens of cave people, Ayla is our relatable guide in this ancient world, and she carries out her role very well. Everyone has felt like an outcast before, but Ayla’s trials take it to an entirely different level. It’s encouraging to see how she handles every situation that arises and grows into a strong young woman. 

     The thing about this book that I’m most stunned by is the incredible amount of realistic detail included. I shudder to think of how much research Jean M. Auel must have had to complete just to write this one book. With her in-depth description of the landscape and her detailed explanations for how to create prehistoric tools, I’m almost convinced that she’s hiding an iPed (see Rule #5) in her garage that she used to travel to the Ice Age. Either that or a caveman in her basement. 

     Her research for this series is so extensive that Auel was given honorary degrees from four different universities as well as the title of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government’s Ministry of Culture. I’m not even sure how much of her book is historical fact and how much is made-up fiction because she blends the pieces together so well. After reading this book though, I’m pretty sure that if I ever got stuck in the woods, I could cook up a mean stew and build all the necessary dishes and eating utensils just from my immediate surroundings. 

     So, do you think you could survive the coldest period in history with a group of cave dwellers? Could you live off of the land before the invention of the grocery store? Would you dare to face a wooly mammoth with nothing but a handmade spear and your fellow hunters? If you think you’ve got what it takes, join Ayla before the dawn of time in a world of epic proportions, where the wild animals are more ferocious and the winter winds more fierce.

My Personal Book Rating Scale

     For the sake of clarity, I’m going to be using a five-star rating scale. But stars are boring, so I’ll be calling it the 5-Star Lord Scale! In addition to being a play on the term ‘5 Stars’, Star Lord’s real last name is Quill, which is also awesome because, back in the good ole’ days, writers used feathery quill pens to write down their masterpieces.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The ratings I give a book are my own personal opinions. Everyone has different tastes, so I encourage you to seek out books that strike your fancy, no matter what they may be rated on here. I’d hate for you to pass over what could’ve been your favorite book because I personally thought it was awful.

    With that said, here’s a breakdown of every rating in my personal scale:

The Star Lord Scale

5 Star Lords: Two weeks later, and I’m still thinking about this book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, unable to put it down but not wanting it to end. It was a reading experience that I’ll never forget and never get to re-live.

4 Star Lords: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were original elements that made me see things in a new light, and something in particular stuck out to me (writing style, character development, unexpected plot twist, etc.).

3 Star Lords: There were good parts and bad parts. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but it didn't really give a lasting effect. I would probably recommend it if you’ve never read it, but it’s not one I would necessarily pick up again.

2 Star Lords: I barely managed to finish this book. It was drawn out, poorly written, and confusing. Only through sheer determination did I get to the end. 

1 Star Lord: I couldn’t finish it. I put it down and walked away. Not because it goes against some personal morals, but because it was just that terrible. Every time I tried to sit down and keep reading the book, I immediately fell asleep or came close to it. How did this get published? *

* I know this last rating sounds harsh, but let me preface it by saying that I almost NEVER walk away from a book. I can think of only three books that I did not finish, and they were all well written from what I could tell, but I just couldn’t get into them. A book has to be reeeeeeeeaaaaally terrible if I give it this rating.

On the flip side, it will be rare for me to a rate a book as a five either. It has to be a truly magical reading experience for that to happen. Most of my ratings will range between two and four Star Lords.