Allison D. (alleigh) reviewed on 1/20/2009 + 15 more book reviews

The Mammoth Hunters is the third book in Jean Auels Earths Children series, and with as good as the first two books in the series are, The Mammoth Hunters is a disappointment. Last the reader left Ayla, she and Jondalar were setting out on a journey, and not long into it, they encounter a camp of Mamutoimammoth hunters. Wintering with the Mamutoi gives Ayla the opportunity to live with the Others, as up until now she only remembers living with the Clan and on her own. As with everything in Aylas life, living with the Mamutoi presents its challenges, although there are also some rewards. However, the plot moves slowly as Auel unveils the inner struggle facing Ayla, Jondalar, and Ranecthe Mamutoi master carver who vies for Aylas love in hopes that she choices him over Jondalar.

While Auel continues her vivid description of the landscape, it is to the point of being repetitious. By this point, the reader has likely explored the region in both The Clan of the Cave Bear and in The Valley of Horses. Additionally, in those two books, the reader has also experienced Aylas discoveries, her training of wild animals, and her struggle with being different from those around her. Unfortunately, all of these things are repeated in painful detail in The Mammoth Hunter to the point of boring the reader. Eliminating such duplication could mean shortening the 700-page book by at least 200 pages, as well as help the pacing of the story.

If you enjoyed Clan of the Cave Bear and The Valley of Horses, you might be interested enough to read The Mammoth Hunters, but be warned that the repetitive qualities of The Valley of Horses is magnified in The Mammoth Hunters.

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