Smorgasbord Posts from my Archives – Previous Reviews 2021 – #Prehistoric #Adventure – Laws of Nature (Dawn of Humanity Book 2) by Jacqui Murray


Over the next few weeks I will be sharing my reviews for books I posted between July and December 2021.

Good books deserve to be showcased on a regular basis and I hope that it might entice you to either move the books up your groaning TBR’s or add the books to its burden!

With much anticipated book 3 in the Dawn of Humanity series, Natural Selection due out on October 20th, I thought it was a good time to share my review for  Laws of Nature (Dawn of Humanity Book 2) by Jacqui Murray – you can read my review for Dawn of Humanity Book 1 – Born in a Treacherous Time: Here

About the book

A boy blinded by fire. A woman raised by wolves. An avowed enemy offers help. But can they save Lucy’s tribe?***In this second in the Dawn of Humanity trilogy, the first trilogy in the Man vs. Nature saga, Lucy and her eclectic group escape the treacherous tribe that has been hunting them and find a safe haven in the famous Wonderwerk caves in South Africa, the oldest known occupation of caves by humans. They don’t have clothing, fire, or weapons, but the caves keep them warm and food is plentiful. Circumstances make it clear that they can’t stay, not with the rest of her tribe enslaved by the treacherous enemy.

To free them requires not only the prodigious skills of Lucy’s unique group–which includes a proto-wolf and a female raised by the pack–but others who have no reason to assist her and instinct tells Lucy she shouldn’t trust. Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her band of early humans struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.

My review for the book August 2021

I read the first book in this trilogy in 2018 and eagerly awaited book two. The author does set the scene for this second book, but I do recommend that you read Born in Treacherous Time first.

Difficult to extol the virtues of this book without giving away spoilers, but I can tell you it is an extraordinary story of survival under the most extreme conditions the earth was experiencing 1.8 million years ago. Unpredictable is putting it mildly, with earth shifts, bitter cold, droughts, floods with violent storms with lightening splintering the ground and causing rampant fires. Shelter is a rarity from the elements and when it is discovered it holds even more dangers within.

This is not a fantasy story, as it is about the real and dangerous evolutionary journey of not just man, but many of the world’s beast that we are more familiar with today. It is a time where there are a number of versions of humans, some who are more advanced than others, but even they marvel when they come into contact with those they consider more primitive. Despite this early stage in man’s evolution, natural and instinctive skills have already been lost, and it is the respect for these abilities that spark the fascination of ‘Man who Preys’ a long term enemy.

Lucy and her group have members gathered along the harsh journey who have found themselves outcast or abandoned during shifts in the earth or extreme climate conditions. They are a mismatched mix of species who learn from each other and adapt to form an unbreakable bond.There are whispers of how the individuals will evolve into modern day counterparts such big cats and primates but also sadly those that have become extinct.

The author writes flawlessly and takes you on a journey into our past with detailed accounts of this harsh environment and its inhabitants. It is an adventure with heartbreak and also moments when you can only applaud the ingenuity and the will to survive of these primitive ancestors of ours. It certainly leaves you will a greater appreciation of all we have in this modern world.

I hope you will read both book one and two of this trilogy and I am looking forward to following Lucy and her group as they continue their journey in book 3.

Head over to buy the book : Amazon US – And:Amazon UK

A selection of books by Jacqui Murray

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow Jacqui: goodreads – Blog: WorddreamsTwitter: @WordDreams

About Jacqui Murray

Jacqui Murray is the webmaster for Worddreams, her blog about all things writing. She is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the upcoming prehistoric fiction, Born in a Treacherous Time. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for Ask a Tech Teacher an Amazon Vine Voice a columnist for TeachHUB, monthly contributor to Today’s Author, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you are leaving with some books.. thanks Sally.

 

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – New Book on the Shelves – #Prehistoric #Adventure – Laws of Nature (Dawn of Humanity Book 2) by Jacqui Murray


Another new release this week and one I am looking forward to reading Laws of Nature (Dawn of Humanity Book 2) by Jacqui Murray on pre-order for 10th July at a special price.

About the book

A boy blinded by fire. A woman raised by wolves. An avowed enemy offers help. But can they save Lucy’s tribe?***In this second in the Dawn of Humanity trilogy, the first trilogy in the Man vs. Nature saga, Lucy and her eclectic group escape the treacherous tribe that has been hunting them and find a safe haven in the famous Wonderwerk caves in South Africa, the oldest known occupation of caves by humans. They don’t have clothing, fire, or weapons, but the caves keep them warm and food is plentiful. Circumstances make it clear that they can’t stay, not with the rest of her tribe enslaved by the treacherous enemy.

To free them requires not only the prodigious skills of Lucy’s unique group–which includes a proto-wolf and a female raised by the pack–but others who have no reason to assist her and instinct tells Lucy she shouldn’t trust. Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her band of early humans struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.

Head over to buy the book at the pre-order price for July 10th: Amazon US – And:Amazon UK

A selection of books by Jacqui Murray

A review for Born in a Treacherous Time (Dawn of Humanity Book 1)

Chris5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful world-building!  Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2021

Prehistoric fiction has been an undiscovered country for me up until now, but what an interesting adventure this book has been. Only a few pages in and I was intrigued both by the setting and by the emerging characters, not just the early hominids, but the other occupants of the prehistoric landscape of East Africa at the time when the rift valleys were being formed.

To reach back so far in time and make the characters believable and relatable within the context of the our understanding of our human ancestors is no mean feat, yet the author pulls it off. We are drawn into a hostile world where danger lurks at every turn. The story of survival which overlays it is dynamic and highly engaging. Parts are not for the faint-hearted; guts are ripped out and tragedy is never far away, but ultimately the story is one of hope.

A book that has clearly been given a solid foundation of research; it also includes an excellent bibliography.

Highly recommended.

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow Jacqui: goodreads – Blog: WorddreamsTwitter: @WordDreams

About Jacqui Murray

Jacqui Murray is the webmaster for Worddreams, her blog about all things writing. She is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the upcoming prehistoric fiction, Born in a Treacherous Time. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for Ask a Tech Teacher an Amazon Vine Voice  a columnist for TeachHUB, monthly contributor to Today’s Author, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you are leaving with some books.. thanks Sally.