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saidahgilbert's review against another edition
2.0
2nd reading: I've gotten tired of the nature show and the characters have nothing to recommend them. I started skimming the book just so I could get it marked as completed on my Kindle. I even took a weeklong break in the middle. I don't think I will ever read this series again. At least not up to here. I used to have fond memories but like I said in the review for the previous book, the repetition is tiring to read.
kindlereads's review against another edition
4.0
I don't love this book the same way I love the three before it. Ayla is too perfect, too precious. But I appreciate the story being more complete.
coletters's review
4.0
A little sad I finished the first 5 books so quickly. Now I have to wait for Number 6 to come out!
Great series.
Great series.
henry_wallison's review against another edition
5.0
This is a very conflicting series. I've read many critiques of this series, and I completely agree with almost every negative thing levied against these books. Have the books shifted away from the unique aspects that made the first book so special? Definitely. Are facts restated a comical number of times? Most certainly! Are large sections of the books so overly descriptive of obscure processes that they often sacrifice readability? Inarguably. But, despite these many, many, entirely valid criticisms, I cannot put these books down. I love the world Auel has created, and due to the culturally fixed nature of this book, the world building she has done in this book has time to feel both real and lived in. While many introduced storylines were not seen all the way through in this book, there was an overarching sense of narrative that kept the book moving. Especially when compared to The Plains of Passage, this book felt substantially more purposeful and enjoyable.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
Well, look here, I remembered finding this volume rather a disappointment in comparison to the previous books, but on this (second? third?) re-read (and the first one in a long time) I was thankfully in the right frame of mind to appreciate what it was and not wish it was what it isn't.
I love Ayla. She's naturally not a realistic, flawed and complex protagonist of psychologically realist fiction, as I think some critics want her to be. She's a heroine, and an amalgam of many thousands of years of early humans' thinking and striving, condensed for the reader's pleasure. So what. Jondalar is still, well, just a Jondalar (anywhere else he'd be a ten, but oh well). This volume does not let Ayla do much invention or discovery (she does find a magical cave and do some experimentation with external application of analgesics, but that's a slow summer for her), but the journey she's on - finding a way to fit into the existing, complex social structure of Jondalar's Cave and people while not compromising her deep-seated belief that Clan are people / fighting against ablism and neglect of children (standing up for a disabled youth and encouraging the community to take care of a malnourished infant) - is also compelling and engaging.
I also appreciated witnessing the continuation of her growth into power, her decision to pursue further training, and of course, the way in which her ideas about domestication instantly find followers because girls love horses.
I've only got the final volume left in this re-read (and then a few years' break, and then I can start again at the beginning, which, let's face it, I absolutely shall). In some ways, this is my ultimate comfort read, and I am so thankful it exists and that I'm not too snobbish to enjoy it.
I love Ayla. She's naturally not a realistic, flawed and complex protagonist of psychologically realist fiction, as I think some critics want her to be. She's a heroine, and an amalgam of many thousands of years of early humans' thinking and striving, condensed for the reader's pleasure. So what. Jondalar is still, well, just a Jondalar (anywhere else he'd be a ten, but oh well). This volume does not let Ayla do much invention or discovery (she does find a magical cave and do some experimentation with external application of analgesics, but that's a slow summer for her), but the journey she's on - finding a way to fit into the existing, complex social structure of Jondalar's Cave and people while not compromising her deep-seated belief that Clan are people / fighting against ablism and neglect of children (standing up for a disabled youth and encouraging the community to take care of a malnourished infant) - is also compelling and engaging.
I also appreciated witnessing the continuation of her growth into power, her decision to pursue further training, and of course, the way in which her ideas about domestication instantly find followers because girls love horses.
I've only got the final volume left in this re-read (and then a few years' break, and then I can start again at the beginning, which, let's face it, I absolutely shall). In some ways, this is my ultimate comfort read, and I am so thankful it exists and that I'm not too snobbish to enjoy it.
bcgg's review against another edition
3.0
I was very excited to continue reading the continuing saga of Ayla but found the book hard to get into until almost 3/4 of the way through. There is a TON of details about everything so the story struggles to lead the reader. The excessive 'greeting protocol' really slowed down the pace. There seemed to be a struggle for Auel to balance the need to teach the reader the anthropological details with the need to present a compelling story. Tentatively I have moved on to the sixth book in the series.
celabraine's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
deinonychusa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I think this book is a solid continuation to Ayla and Jondalar's adventures. I was enthralled by the first part of the story cause so many new characters and the relationships between them were introduced. At a certain point tho it felt a bit repetitive and boring to have Ayla and Jondalar repeat the same stories that we as the readers already know from the previous books to everyone they meet. Tho I can understand that plot wise it makes sense to have them repeat their adventures to others I feel like the retellings where too long and the author could have described some of the things that happened that were only mentioned instead. I appreciated that there were fewer lovemaking scenes and shorter descriptions of the landscape and the animals. All in all I think it's a solid fifth book in the series, I liked the relationships that Ayla formed with the new people she encountered, and I appreciate that they weren't all positive, but that there seems to be at least one serious enemy in the making. I hope that plotline is developed further in the last book, which I'm really looking forward to reading.
mcfrenret's review against another edition
2.0
Un libro en el que Auel habla mucho y realmente no dice nada. Porque de verdad que no-pasa-nada. Es un libro de transición en el que vemos a Ayla integrándose en la vida y cultura Zelandonii (que por otra parte es muy interesante ir descubriéndolo con ella), y la trama es poco más que Ayla y Jondalar contándole a todo el mundo (y repitiéndonoslo a los lectores, por si se nos había olvidado) lo ocurrido durante los cuatro libros anteriores. Y ya está. No hay más. No hay realmente ningún tipo de conflicto más allá del de intentar convencer a «los Otros» de que «los cabezas chatas» también son personas, y sembrar las semillas de posibles problemas con algunos personajes para el siguiente libro (supongo).
Es decir, reafirmo mi creencia a que Las llanuras del tránsito y éste, Los refugios de piedra, podrían haber sido un mismo libro con toda la información mucho más condensada y resumida (y menos repetida, por el amor de dios, Auel, deja de contar cosas que ya conocemos y que han pasado hasta 20 páginas atrás, qué puñetas pasa contigo) y nos habríamos ahorrado ¿cuántos años de espera? ¿y cuántas toneladas de páginas?
(Y luego también está Zolena/Zelandoni, que es el mal absoluto, y que no me gustó nada la primera vez que leí el libro pero con esta relectura me ha caído incluso peor. No me fío de ella un pelo. Es manipuladora, es controladora, es pretenciosa, y ha entrado en la lista negra de personajes abominables ahí un par de puestos por debajo de Dumbledore.)
Cosas buenas: me he reconciliado un poco más con Jondalar, ahora al menos ya no despierta mis instintos asesinos, rodeado por su familia (Marthona me encanta, esperemos que no me falle) parece más relajado y más majo; la cultura Zelandonii me parece súper interesante; hay varios personajes con mucho potencial y espero saber más de ellos; y.
La primera vez que leí la saga sólo estaban publicados los cuatro primeros libros. Luego sacaron éste, por fin, y recuerdo que me pareció un chascazo, no me gustaba en absoluto hacia dónde parecía dirigirse la historia, y dejé apartada la saga porque no quería averiguar si tenía razón o no y llevarme una decepción. He tardado mucho en mentalizarme para volver a ella y poder quitarme la espinita de la duda, no he leído crítica alguna sobre el siguiente libro, ni siquiera sé sobre qué va (aunque me lo imagino), y espero equivocarme en mis predicciones (lo más seguro), así que, Auel, por favor, no la cagues (mucho, no la cagues mucho).
Es decir, reafirmo mi creencia a que Las llanuras del tránsito y éste, Los refugios de piedra, podrían haber sido un mismo libro con toda la información mucho más condensada y resumida (y menos repetida, por el amor de dios, Auel, deja de contar cosas que ya conocemos y que han pasado hasta 20 páginas atrás, qué puñetas pasa contigo) y nos habríamos ahorrado ¿cuántos años de espera? ¿y cuántas toneladas de páginas?
(Y luego también está Zolena/Zelandoni, que es el mal absoluto, y que no me gustó nada la primera vez que leí el libro pero con esta relectura me ha caído incluso peor. No me fío de ella un pelo. Es manipuladora, es controladora, es pretenciosa, y ha entrado en la lista negra de personajes abominables ahí un par de puestos por debajo de Dumbledore.
Spoiler
Quién carajos se cree que es para planear la muerte de un recién nacido e intentar controlar la vida de la protagonista sólo porque le sale a ella del papo. De qué va.Cosas buenas: me he reconciliado un poco más con Jondalar, ahora al menos ya no despierta mis instintos asesinos, rodeado por su familia (Marthona me encanta, esperemos que no me falle) parece más relajado y más majo; la cultura Zelandonii me parece súper interesante; hay varios personajes con mucho potencial y espero saber más de ellos; y
Spoiler
¡Ayla y Jondalar por fin se casaron y tuvieron un bebé! Aaaawww…La primera vez que leí la saga sólo estaban publicados los cuatro primeros libros. Luego sacaron éste, por fin, y recuerdo que me pareció un chascazo, no me gustaba en absoluto hacia dónde parecía dirigirse la historia, y dejé apartada la saga porque no quería averiguar si tenía razón o no y llevarme una decepción. He tardado mucho en mentalizarme para volver a ella y poder quitarme la espinita de la duda, no he leído crítica alguna sobre el siguiente libro, ni siquiera sé sobre qué va (aunque me lo imagino), y espero equivocarme en mis predicciones (lo más seguro), así que, Auel, por favor, no la cagues (mucho, no la cagues mucho).