Customer Reviews

Shadow Valley

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Great Sky Woman" was the first novel of Steven Barnes' that I've read. Impressive, I eagerly anticipated this sequel. I was not disappointed. It is, quite simply, one hell of a good read. Set in Paleolithic east Africa, in what is now the Great Rift Valley of Tanzania, it's what the sequel to "Clan of the Clan Bear" should have been and, sadly, wasn't. The characters are believeable, intriguing, both pro and antagonist, and the reader is drawn into their world at a very visceral level. Although painfully violent at times, it is beautifully written, intensely so and the sex, well, let's just say it's evocative and leave it at that. I especially enjoyed the possibility that Neanderthals, assuming a shared ancestral origin, may have made their way back to the cradle of humankind. I hope I'm not giving too much away but even if I have, I don't think it could possibly ruin this for anyone. It's just that good!

I love the book. It was a very interesting read. I have begun re-reading Great Sky Woman. Certainly Mr. Barnes isn't your typical, off the cuff writer. The level of research and imagination that goes into writing a book like this is enormous.

I highly recommend.

In the long tradition of "prehistoric" novelizations, I really appreciated Barnes' extreme attention to gritty details, gifted dialogue and graphic realism to create an African tale of discovery, adventure, and heroism by people who lived thousands of years ago. Furthermore, the conversations, the settings, the intellect of ancient Africans related so well to the triumphs and tragedies of modern society. Barnes painted a picture revealing that we are not so far from our ancestors living a day-to-day existence as predator and prey. Shadow Valley allowed me to feel pain and relish conquests as horizons were expanded. I devoured this book in hours.

Loved this and its companion volume. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good story in an unusual and interesting setting. If only Jean Auel's last two in Earth's Children were as good as this!