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Survival of the Fittest (the Crossroads Trilogy Book 1) by [Jacqui Murray]

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Jacqui Murray

Survival of the Fittest (the Crossroads Trilogy Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Jacqui Murray (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

76 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Crossroads Trilogy

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Five tribes. One leader. A treacherous journey across three continents in search of a new home. Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Survival of the Fittest is an unforgettable saga of hardship and determination, conflict and passion.

Chased by a ruthless enemy, Xhosa leads her People on a grueling journey through unknown and dangerous lands following a path laid out decades before by her father, to be followed only as a last resort. She is joined by other fleeing tribes from Indonesia, China, South Africa, East Africa, and the Levant, all similarly forced by timeless events to find new lives. As they struggle to overcome treachery, lies, tragedy, secrets, and Nature itself, Xhosa is forced to face the reality that her enemy doesn't want to ruin her People. It wants to ruin her.

The story is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated most of Eurasia, where ‘survival of the fittest’ was not a slogan. It was a destiny. Xhosa's People were from a violent species, one fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened their lives except for one: future man, a smarter version of themselves, one destined to obliterate all those who came before.

Length: 313 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Age Level: 18 - 18

Book 1 of 3 in The Crossroads Trilogy

Books In This Series (3 Books)

Complete Series

The Crossroads Trilogy

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Survival of the Fittest (the Crossroads Trilogy Book 1)

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The Quest for Home (Book 2 of Crossroads trilogy)

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Against All Odds (Book 3 of the Crossroads Trilogy)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Survival of the fittest by Jacqui Murray is a Historical Fiction novel that takes you back to a pre-historic period and race of humanoids never before written in such detail or with care, except Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series. The early history of migration from Africa to Europe, the Middle-East and Asia has been well-researched; and the landscape, climate and dangers encountered, leap from the pages. --Luciana Cavallero, award-winning author of historical fiction --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

File Size : 3682 KB
Publication Date : March 6, 2019
Print Length : 313 pages
Word Wise : Enabled
Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (March 6, 2019)
Language: : English
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
ASIN : B07NKM58GB
Enhanced Typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Simultaneous Device Usage : Unlimited
Lending : Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #27,848 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #295 in Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
- #818 in Action Thriller Fiction
- #1,109 in Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction

Customer Reviews:
76 ratings

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3 star		11%
2 star		2%
1 star		6%

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Cathleen Townsend

Vivid depiction of prehistoric life

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2019

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Xhosa is a female, a would-be budding leader of her people. Seeing her ambition, her father, the tribe’s leader, encouraged her to track and hunt the prey beasts, as well as to defend herself from the bands of other prehistoric humans and other predators. When her father is slain by a rival tribe, the elders of her own band are surprised when she declares her readiness to compete in the trials for leadership.

The contest is bittersweet to Xhosa, for the other challenger is Nightshade, a warrior she sees as a possible pairmate. It’s a brutal challenge, testing any human’s strength, cunning, and agility. In the end, she and Nightshade save each other, but Nightshade cedes the leadership to Xhosa.

However, she becomes leader at a troubled time. A different form of prehistoric man is moving in, one that vocalizes more than they should and seems to have no desire to share the land. They want nothing more than to drive Xhosa and her people away, or failing that, to kill them.

A book such as this stands or falls on its descriptive powers, and the descriptions in this book are sharp and vivid. For example: “Broad-winged white-bellied birds screeched as they swooped in search of food, and a cacophany of insects chirruped their displeasure at her intrusion. A stone’s throw away, a hippo played, heaving its great bulk out of the water, mouth gaping, snorting and grunting, before sinking beneath the surface.”

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D.L. Finn

The details and obvious research were amazing!

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2019

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I’ve never read a novel set 850,000 years ago. The details and obvious research were amazing, as was the story. Xhosa is a strong female in times when males rule the tribes. I loved her character and how she looked at the world through her senses, instinct, and duty. It repulsed me when they ate their kill without cooking it, but I had to remember they didn’t have control of fire yet. Ms. Murray takes the reader deep into that period, where I could easily imagine how it might have been living then. I was rooting for Xhosa and her tribe as they tried to survive other tribe’s attacks and nature. I loved the relationships that developed as they met up with others fleeing the same situation. I’m completely hooked on this moment in history and storyline. I will definitely read the rest of this series and highly recommend it.

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Bette A. Stevens

Prehistorical Fiction at its believable best!

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2020

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Survival of the Fittest is a novel based on what has been discovered through the scientific research of early humans. The novel follows Xhosa, the daughter of the leader of a large tribe called the People. Xhosa learns to use weapons and hunt with the male warriors of the group and has a strong relationship with Nightshade, her father's lead warrior. As the story begins, a hunting group including Xhosa's father, Xhosa and Nightshade are attacked by warriors of a different tribe called the Others, culminating in a battle in which Xhosa's father is killed. The tribe needs a new leader and Xhosa and Nightshade complete for the role. These are trying times and the survival of the People and of humanity as a whole hang in the balance. Excitement builds as leaders and tribes search for and claim resources as their own. As the first book in Jacqui Murray’s Crossroad trilogy, this believable story of the struggle of early humans for survival has me hooked! Highly recommended. ~ Bette A. Stevens, author of award-winning children's picture book AMAZING MATILDA and other books for children and adults.

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Robbie Cheadle

A well-researched and believable historical novel

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2020

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Survival of the Fittest is the second of Jacqui Murray's prehistoric man books that I have read. The first, Born in a Treacherous time, is the story of a prehistoric woman, Lucy, and her struggle for survival in the harsh conditions of a continuously changing landscape and set of increasing adverse circumstances. Lucy journeys to find a safer home for her loved ones.

Survival of the Fittest is set at a slightly later date and features Xhosa, the unusually adaptable and innovative daughter of the leader of a large group called "the People". Xhosa has been allowed to learn to use weapons and hunt with the warriors of the group and has a strong relationship with Nightshade, a giant of young warrior, who is her father's Lead Warrior at the commencement of the story. Early in the story, a hunting group including Xhosa's father, Xhosa herself and Nightshade are attacked by a savage group of a different people called "the Others" and Xhosa's father is killed during the resulting skirmish. These leads to a battle for leadership between Xhosa and Nightshade which results in a lot of unresolved issues and conflicts between the pair.

The Others are more advanced that the People and have sharp stone tipped spears which fly much further than the People's heavier and less innovative weapons. It soon becomes apparent that the People are in grave danger from the threat posed by the Others who covet their land, which is rich and desirable. Xhosa wants to leave and search for a new home for the People, following the cairns left by her father when he made a journey years before. Nightshare wants to stay and fight. Before a decision is made, the dynamics of the People change due to the arrival of another group, led by Pan-do and his young and unusual daughter, Lyta.

This book is well researched and every sentence demonstrates the author's excellent knowledge of her subject and this time period. The story is similar in some respects to the Earth Children series but I find it more realistic and I don't have to suspend my belief nearly as much while reading this book.

The characters in this new story are engaging and interesting. Xhosa is an unusual woman of high intellect and great physical strength. Her father has encouraged her to follow a different path from the other women of the tribe and learn to fight and lead like a man. Xhosa is driven by her need to do the best she can for her people and ensure the survival of the tribe. She realises that this goal means she has to be prepared to uproot the group from their current home and strike out in search of a new home. She also knows that the journey will not be easy and that many will be sacrificed along the way. Xhosa is a good leader and is prepared to take the necessary steps to do this.

Nightshade is a conflicted personality. He comes across as loyal, in many ways, to Xhosa but also jealous of her position within the tribe and irritated by her leadership methods and decisions. I never felt comfortable that Nightshade was truly behind Xhosa and felt she should be wary of him which, of course, she isn't.

Pan-do was my favourite character in the book. He is the perfect leader, binding the group together and providing for distraction and light relief when needed to prevent the group from becoming overwhelmed and despairing. He is also cunning and clever and saves Xhosa, Nightshade and the People from certain death on more than one occasion. Pan-do is open minded and is devoted to his daughter who is a bit of a psychic and has visions. This quality of Pan-do's extends to other people within the tribe who have unusual insight.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy a well-researched and believable historical novel with a solid plot and well developed and interesting characters.

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