Okay, so I’ll be honest with you
guys. Normally, I am super upset when a series ends, and I have to take a few
days to grieve the end of the story. Even if it had a happy ending, I’ll never
get to read a story with those characters again (at least not an authentic one
written by the actual author).
I enjoyed the characters of Ayla
and Jondalar, and their love for each other was very inspiring. Once I had
finished this final book, though, I was so excited!!! It felt like a huge
accomplishment to finish this series, and I couldn’t believe I had finally made
it through! Maybe it’s just been awhile since I’ve read a complete series
straight through, but this one felt pretty overwhelming.
However, it was still an
incredibly written series. I knew I’d be itching to start on a book with new
characters, but I felt that this book deserved a few days of closure as well.
So, I told myself that I couldn’t start another book until I’d put up a review
for each book in this series.
Now, here I am, at the final
review. It’s been a long journey, friends, but we’ve finally made it. Without
further ado, here is my review and rating for The Land of Painted Caves and the series as a whole.
Rating:
Growing up with the Clan, being
cursed with death and banished from the only family she could remember, struggling
to survive in the wilderness with only a horse and a cave lion to keep her
company, saving a man’s life and traveling on an epic journey with him back to
his homeland, meeting and befriending various tribes along the way (some
friendlier than others), and finally making it to her future mate’s home to
start a family of her own.
These and many other events are
all things that Ayla has gone through to become the person who we see in the
sixth and final installment of Earth’s Children: The Land of Painted Caves. During each leg of her journey, we’ve
been side-by-side with Ayla as she’s learned about acceptance, survival, love,
perseverance, and family.
Her lessons aren’t over just yet,
though. This last book is all about Ayla’s final tests as an acolyte before she
can become a full-fledged Zelandoni. On top of her training, she still has to find
time to balance her equally-important role as a mother and wife. We’ve seen
Ayla go up against giant prehistoric animals, dangerous elements of nature, and
even harmful people of her own kind, but how will she do when facing the
ordinary difficulties of everyday life?
Whether or not you’re married with
kids and trying to work a job at the same time, I think this book shows a side
of Ayla that we can all relate to. We’ve all struggled to balance our
obligatory work or school load with our social lives at some point or another.
It’s a constant juggling act, no matter what role you play in life.
It’s
actually kind of a relief to see in this book that we’re not alone in these
struggles. Everybody goes through them, but as Ayla and Jondalar show us, if
the people in your life are really important to you, you won’t let anything stop
you from sticking together.
I ended up giving this one three
Star Lords, because I thought it wrapped the series up pretty well, but some of
the problems with Jondalar and Ayla felt a little too similar to their
struggles in The Mammoth Hunters.
Once again, I found myself frustrated at how stupid they were both being, but I
totally wanted to give Danug a huge high five after the talk he gave them at
the end.
Overall Series Rating:
Even though the average amount of
Star Lords makes it seem like the series should be rated as a three, I decided
to rate the overall series as a four. Jean M. Auel writes her books in a unique
and impressively in-depth style that allows the reader to experience the
prehistoric era in the most realistic way possible. I walked away from the
series feeling like I really had gone on a journey back to the Ice Age.
One of my favorite things about
the series is how Auel fit in moments of innovation that perfectly explained
how certain everyday creations could have come about. It feels like you’re
watching life-changing history in the making when Ayla comes up with the idea
for the “thread-puller” and Jondalar for the “spear-thrower”. Part of me kept
waiting for one of them to invent the wheel. Not to mention, her explanation at
the end for creating the term “father”. That word has deeper meaning for me
after having read this series.
Even if you are not sure whether
you want to read the entire series, I recommend that you at least read the
first novel if you get the chance. Auel is a master writer, and she knows how
to fully immerse her readers in the story’s setting.
Well, about seven months later, I’ve
finally finished this astounding series. Hooray! If you’ve read through it
yourself, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Did you feel as accomplished as I did
to make it through?
Other than that, I think the most
appropriate thing I can leave you with is the last line of the Mother’s Song:
“Earth’s Children were Blessed.
The Mother could rest.”
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