Lucy and her band of early humans struggle to survive in the harsh reality of a world where nature rules, predators stalk them, survival is a daily challenge, and a violent group of powerful men threaten to destroy everything Lucy thinks she understands.
Born in a Treacherous Time (Man vs. Nature)
By jacquimurray
Journey to the land before time in this thrilling prehistoric story of courage and tenacity against all odds!
When pregnant Lucy loses her lifemate and is cast out of her old tribe she joins a new group and mates to the leader of the tribe, Raza. She is a hunter and a healer, but has to work hard to gain the trust of her new tribe.
Every day is a challenge to survive. Food is sparse, the climate is dangerous, and the hunters often become the hunted. The author does a superb job of world-building; it was easy to visualize the world Lucy enhabits and the trials she had to endure.
If only we could all have her bravery!
I have never read anything like this before, but that didn’t stop me from becoming engrossed with these characters and invested in Lucy’s journey.
If I had one complaint, it’s that it had to end!
An Engrossing read-you’ll root for Lucy!
‘Born in a Treacherous Time’ by Jacqui Murray explores that period of time, (1.8 million years ago) which was most challenging for mankind, when survival and finding food were the major issues, the only weapons to kill were stones or sticks and predators could attack any moment. I haven’t read any other book in this genre and have never given a serious thought to how humans lived in pre-historic times. It is interesting to note that nature ruled human beings! A feeling of revulsion hit me when I was reading the details of eating raw meat, with blood dripping from their mouths.
Only a few books have such a magnetic power! This book pulled me more because the protagonist is a woman – Lucy who had a ‘capacious’ brain, could invent tools, understand the herbs and plants that heal and is strong enough to save Baad, one of her male companions from the attack of an eagle. An element of mystery makes this fictional account of early man quite fascinating.
Murray’s superb handling of characterization, with the basic instincts of bonding, care for each other, urge for learning and raising children stands out to lend authenticity to the plot. However it is the resilience of human spirit and hope that shimmers through out the book.
Born in a Treacherous Time was my first venture into the world of prehistoric fiction and certainly a treat. The fact that Murray worked on this project for so many years is evident by the extensive world-building which transports the reader back in time. Lucy is a strong, well-developed character who is extremely likeable and pretty darn tough. After reading this book, it reinforced my belief that we have it pretty easy compared to those who came before us. I would recommend this captivating read to those who enjoys the adventure of being transported to another time period.
“Born in a Treacherous Time” is set 1.8 million years ago. The reader follows the fight for survival of Lucy, who also features in the author’s books “To Hunt a Sub” and “Twenty Four Days.”
Pregnant with her first child, Lucy enters a new group as mate to their leader. However, she is met with distrust, particularly from the women who cannot understand her intuitive talents in scavenging for food, and her gifts as a healer. She bonds more closely with the male members of the group, as they face threats from hunger, predators, volcanoes and Man-who-preys…
This is not a genre I have read before, but the author has crafted a magnificent book that shines a light on how early man survived and evolved.
I have read and loved the Crossroad Series by Ms. Murray and have been eager to read this series. When the second book came out, I rushed to get started. Lucy and her journey immediately pulled me in. After leaving her first group, she finds a home and a new pair mate. Within this group, there is jealousy and distrust, but the most important thing is their survival. The amount of research and thought that went into this story amazed me. I could easily imagine how it was to live in their prehistorical times. I’m very glad that we found a way to control fire and cook our food. Their eating habits and being scavengers were so detailed and well-written that they made me shudder as they tore into their meal. Although everyone didn’t appreciate Lucy, her strength kept her and those around her going. As the group shifts and changes, so does the world around them. I dove right into the second book when I finished this one. I highly recommend this!
Born in a Treacherous Time is well-named. Prehistoric humans had to fend off the saber-tooths, mammoths, and wolves that they shared a habitat with. And yet, they also faced struggles that modern-day humans can relate to–who to take as a mate, how to get along with same-sex cohorts, and how to ease the pain of medical problems.
Ms. Murray does an excellent job of bringing the prehistoric world to life. The author has obviously done her research, but a vivid imagination was also required to supply believable conflicts, conversations, and solutions.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys prehistoric fiction.
I have read several of this author’s books and they continue to mesmerize. In this particular story the reader is taken on a journey into prehistoric times where survival can never be taken for granted. The heroine is strong, yet gentle, with a veracious appetite to learn more about her surroundings, other humans and animals, and how to keep her clan alive. To survive she must think and react as her male counterparts, something that not all the other females in her group appreciate. In spite of much opposition, she perseveres.
It was obvious many long hours of research went into this saga. I highly recommend this book especially for prehistory buffs and those who love a well told tale.
Move over Jean Auel (Clan of the Cave Bear) for Jacqui Murray. I went to bed right after dinner last night because I had to finish this book and would have stayed up all night to do it. What a fabulous read.
Born in a Treacherous Time takes place at the very start of mankind’s development – we are inventive, communal, thoughtful, emotional beings, but still deeply rooted in our animal origins, fully integrated into the harsh volcanic landscape and with the creatures who share our world. Survival is an ongoing challenge and hunger a constant companion. Overlaying the struggles of daily life is the threat of man-who-preys, the next generation of mankind.
The story follows Lucy (Woo-See) through a period of years. She’s a strong character, a healer, and a hunter who’s eager to learn new skills that make her an asset to her group as well as an outsider. There are a number of compelling characters, fully developed and distinct, with a wide range of personalities.
No doubt, Murray did her research, but so little is truly known about this time, that I’m certain she had to employ her imagination as well. The world-building is meticulous. Murray deftly presents a world as seen through the eyes of those who inhabit it. She created words (and hand-signals) to describe the landscape based on the characters’ observations: “Night Sun” instead of moon, “Fire Mountain” instead of volcano. Her attention to creating a logical and detailed reality is stunning. I was honestly enthralled.
The world-building extends to characters as well, and I loved that none of them had “modern” sensibilities that would have tainted the believability of the story. No one is squeamish about raw food or bodily functions, and death is viewed as a natural occurrence. The characters have many of the natural abilities and acute senses of the animals living around them, yet unlike their animal cousins, their understanding of the world grows with each experience.
Best of all, as a reader I became quite attached to these primitive humans, empathizing with their struggles, losses, and choices. There is a depth of emotion, spirit of community, and generous nobility that stretches through the hundreds of thousands of years to our current lives. A captivating book that I recommend to any reader who enjoys adventures, exquisite world-building, or works of historical fiction and prehistory.
Prehistoric fiction story comes alive in this fast-paced adventure and the emergence of early humans. With the exception of Jean Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear and subsequent books, there hasn’t been many novels published based on the evolution and migration of human species. If you want to know more about life during the prehistoric period, just as homo sapiens were emerging as the dominant human species, then this book will provide an insightful taste of the harshness and survival techniques needed to stay alive.
Jacqui Murray has written a book that is well researched and taken an abstract period to create a believable storyline where the main character is confronted with decision-making situations that would confound our modern sensibilities. Even now, I still shake my head at how Lucy, the main character and heroine of the story, managed to survive her environment and ongoing threats.
The mountain of research that J. Murray completed to create a story that is authentic and realistic is a true testament to the pace and way of life during our world’s prehistory. From the way early humans communicated—guttural utterances, sign language, body language—the hunting techniques, what they ate, the nomadic lifestyle, the small tribal ‘groups’, and the constant threat from a turbulent environment and that of the homo sapiens is handled with respect and care. The research involved comes through every page and through Lucy’s POV, we get front row seats to her plight. Lucy’s isn’t a one-dimensional character or a dull witted human species, she thinks, feels, is a healer, a hunter and a mother. She learns how to throw a spear after spying on the homo sapiens, and learns in order to survive, her species must adapt new techniques and skills. This is just one example in this story, and J. Murray has masterfully created a character that is identifiable and relatable.
The author takes you through the African savanna, the wildlife that existed 1.8 million years ago, the competition between human and animal survival and the way in which they co-existed. Throughout the story, you are constantly reminded how harsh life was, yet the workings of the ‘group’ such as the leader and elder collaborating to ensure their fellow members have food, somewhere to sleep, and are not under threat, paints an existence not unlike that of a modern family nexus.
Born in a Treacherous Time sheds light on a period of time that gave birth to the human race, and allow us to bear witness to the harshness and tenacious spirit that is uniquely human—to survive and endure. Readers with a thirst for knowledge and who enjoy historical fiction, this is a must read. I am looking forward to reading book 2 when it is published.
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.
In Jacqui Murray’s well-researched page-turner, Born in a Treacherous Time, we are transported into the lives of a group of primitive people who lived about two million years ago and made tools from stone, bone, and sticks. They had not evolved into using sticks for spears, but other groups of early man had. These posed an ongoing threat to Lucy’s less violent tool-making group. Whereas Lucy’s group scavenged animals killed by other predators and dug for roots, the other group had no qualms about killing prey, and that sometimes included other people.
I loved Lucy’s character. She is courageous and skilled in tracking, hunting, and healing. Her endurance is amazing. She is a survivor!
As the group migrates in search of food, shelter, and security, they must avoid Man-who-preys and at the same time they must deal with nature’s elements. The earth is still in a state of formative upheaval, and the group is often at risk from earthquakes and fire, volcanic eruptions, molten lava flows, flash floods, and falling rock and ash.
As strong as Lucy was, she was constantly being tested. I worried for her safety during natural catastrophes, as well as from predaceous animals and cannibals. Up until the last page I wondered if Lucy would be able to survive the challenges she faced daily. So far, so good, but she is still needing to rejoin the group she was separated from. I am hoping that the sequels (when they are published) will bring us more Lucy adventures and a happy conclusion.
One of the key elements in these “early man” books of Jacqui Murray’s is the need for the group to work together in order to survive. It is something that modern society seems to have forgotten about – keeping our social fabric together for the best results. Ms. Murray’s books are a good reminder of the need for a civilized society to work together.