The Mammoth Hunters (with Bonus Content): Earth's Children, Book Three

Jean M. Auel

Oct 2010 · Earth's Children Book 3 · Sold by Bantam

About this ebook

Set in the challenging terrain of Ice Age Europe that millions of Jean Auel’s readers have come to treasure, The Mammoth Hunters is an epic novel of love, knowledge, jealousy, and hard choices—a novel certain to garner Jean Auel even greater acclaim as a master storyteller of the dawn of humanity.

Ayla, the independent heroine of The Clan of the Cave Bear and The Valley of Horses, sets out from the valley on Whinney, the horse she tamed. With her is Jondalar, the tall, handsome, yellow-haired man she nursed back to health and came to love. Together they meet the Mamutoi—the Mammoth Hunters—people like Ayla. But to Ayla, who was raised by the Clan of the Cave Bear, they are “the Others.” She approaches them with mixed feelings of fear and curiosity.

Talut, a powerful bear of a man with bright red hair, a booming laugh, and a gentle heart, and his tall, dark-haired sister, Tulie, are the leaders of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi. It is here that Ayla finds her first women friends, but some among the Mamutoi dislike Ayla because she was raised by “flatheads,” their name for the people of the Clan. Ayla is haunted by her memories of the Clan because Rydag, a child of mixed parentage living with the Mamutoi, bears so strong a resemblance to her own son, Durc.

It is the Mamutoi master carver of ivory—dark-skinned Ranec, flirtatious, artistic, magnetic—who fascinates Ayla. She finds herself drawn to him. Because of her uncanny control over animals, her healing skills, and the magic firestone she discovered, Ayla is adopted into the Mammoth Hearth by Mamut, the ancient shaman of the Great Earth Mother.

Ayla finds herself torn between her strong feelings for Ranec and her powerful love for the wildly jealous and unsure Jondalar. It is not until after the great mammoth hunt, when Ayla’s life is threatened, that a fateful decision is made.

This eBook includes the full text of the novel plus the following additional content:
• An Earth’s Children® series sampler including free chapters from the other books in Jean M. Auel’s bestselling series
• A Q&A with the author about the Earth’s Children® series

Ratings and reviews

I want to give this series 5 stars, but I can't ever make it past book 3. Jondalar is the most selfish and self-serving character in the series, and only deludes himself that he loves Ayla. He doesn't love her--he wants to possess her, and throws a tantrum if she sleeps with anyone else, which their society allows. He ruins a beautiful story.

Ayla finds more of the Others and learns more about them and herself. I love these books! Auel does tend to overdo the sex scenes... but otherwise the content is good. I enjoyed learning about wild food sources and how to make leather, even if the book doesn't go into detail. I also enjoyed the author's speculation about ancient people's religious practices and beliefs.

Book 1. Clan of the Cave Bear. 5 stars. Evocative tale about a child who is adopted by a people who couldn't be more different from her, and how they become a family. Book 2. Valley of Horses. 4 stars. The intertwined tales of the maturing girl seeking a people more like her physically.(but, ironically very different socially) and the man who she will eventually meet. Book 3. The Mammoth Hunters. 1 star. Will the high school cheerleader and her quarterback boyfriend be together for prom?

About the author

Jean M. Auel is an international phenomenon. Her Earth's Children® series has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and includes The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Valley of Horses, The Mammoth Hunters, The Plains of Passage, The Shelters of Stone, and The Land of Painted Caves. Her extensive research has earned her the respect of archaeologists and anthropologists around the world. She has honorary degrees from four universities and was honored by the French government's Ministry of Culture with the medal of an "Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters". She lives with her husband, Ray, in Oregon.