Rating: 5 stars out of 5
In what might be their most dangerous adventure so far, Grant and Ash are sent back in time ten thousand years to recover a mammoth talisman for their teacher, Merlin. Life is a struggle in the Stone Age, and if they want to eat, they’ll have to learn to use spears, track animals, and build fires without the benefit of matches.
Most importantly, they must recover the artifact so they can get back to their own time, but it won’t be easy. They’ll need to reunite two warring tribes, help a boy around their age prove his worth, and demonstrate their own courage on a deadly mammoth hunt. In this harsh and unforgiving world, hate and suspicion are as prevalent as they are in modern times, but understanding and acceptance can also be found if they know where to look.
Well, this series just keeps getting better and better. This time Merlin sends the boys, Grant and Ash, back 10,000 years in pursuit of a bone carving worn around the neck. This time the boys face the most dangerous challenges of their lives and just find out how resourceful they can really be when their lives depend upon it.
Dakota Chase just absolutely amazed me here. The author took meticulous research about the Ice Age, cultures, flora and fauna and these resilient young men and turned it into a heartwarming, sometimes hair-raising adventure that truly belongs up on the big screen.
From the moment Ash and Grant tumbled onto the sandy beach in Virginia and realized belatedly that their outfits belonged not in cosplay or a carnival but in an era where the passing giant sloth lived, we were off on an incredible adventure into the past. Chase brings Ice Age Virginia, the tribes that lived there, their daily lives as the author imagines it (beautifully and vividly) to life. You walk with Rabbit, Ash, and “Grass” through every aspect of the Bison Tribes lives. You see how precarious it is and yet how real it feels.
Like the boys who get caught up in the Tribe’s politics, drama, and need for survival which includes a rivalry with another tribe and a hunt for the mighty mammoths, a big element in the storyline. This was a story I couldn’t put down. Told from Ash’s pov, again the author’s stays perfectly within Ash’s age and yes, character. He’s far from perfect. Stubborn, argumentative, sticking his foot in his mouth, and blurting out the wrong thing at the very worst time happens far too often. And Ash knows it. And isn’t happy that’s a trait of his. Lack of self control is something he’s working on. Both boys have their issues but together they make quite the team.
That’s the other thing. Each of them show personal growth, they support and communicate with each other, and even find time for an occasional stolen kiss.
This story, this series and these two young men have me totally hooked. I can’t wait to see where Merlin send them next.
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design. Once again, an excellent job. Recreates the feel of the old time covers of the old adventure books and pulls you in with the design and feel of the graphics. love it.
Sales Links: Harmony Ink Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 180 pages
Expected publication: August 7th 2018 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN139781640806719
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Repeating History :
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 