Review of Endangered Species

This is a Leonberger blog, but I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but other types of books I love and want to promote. With this post I would like to promote a truly great novel featuring Neanderthals. The book is called Endangered Species by Jacqui Murray. I recently participated in a so-called virtual book blast for this book. It is a special promotion. This post is just about my review for this book. The virtual book blast is the important post and if you did not see it yet please click here. Below is a list of some additional book blast posts for this book. If you know of additional ones, please tell me in the comments.

  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Darlene Foster – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Liz Gauffreau – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Carol Cooks – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – John Howell – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Booomcha, Kymber Hawke – Click here
  • Virtual Book Blast for Endangered Species – Miriam Hurdle – click here.

To see the Neanderthal super fact post (given to me by Jacqui Murray) – Click here

Below is an overview of the three formats of Endangered Species

  • Paperback –  Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ISBN-10 : 1942101643, ISBN-13 : 978-1942101642, 301 pages, Item Weight : 1.15 pounds, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.68 x 9 inches, it cost $15.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Structured Learning LLC (January 2, 2025), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJ9Y7PQ8, 323 pages. It is currently $4.99 on Amazon.com and free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Audiobook – Structured Learning LLC (January 4, 2025), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CY6YQL83, It is currently $1.99 on Amazon.com.  Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features the title and author, a neanderthal woman and her canine/wolf and there is an erupting volcano in the background.
Front cover of Endangered Species. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon Description of Endangered Species

Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man in the series, Man. Vs. Nature.Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Each of the tribes considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face.

Endangered Species is Book One of the trilogy. Yu’ung and her Neanderthal tribe must align with Fierce and his Tall Ones—an advanced tribe of humans. Even then, survival is not ensured. The story starts in the Altai Mountains of Siberia as they prepare for a cross-continent journey to a new home away from the volcano’s devastation.

Join me in this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

My Amazon Review of Endangered Species

Something Big Happened 75,000 Years Ago. We The People Are Still Here.

When I was a teenager, I read a few of Jean M. Auels novels about pre-historic humans. I loved them and I saw the movie. Now I am reading Jacqui Murray’s novels about pre-historic humans. Jacqui Murray’s books are even more fascinating and very realistic and well researched. Her books also cover a larger time interval starting 1.8 million years ago. The story in this fairly new book takes place 75,000 years ago when our planet was home to several human species including Homo neanderthalensis or Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens. The focus of the story is on a tribe of Neanderthals calling themselves “the people”. Homo Sapiens (people like us) are referred to as “tall ones”. There were also other humanoid species alive at the time such as Homo erectus and Denisovans and they are referred to as “uprights” in this book. Well, all homo species are referred to as uprights in this book.

Something very bad is about to happen. Something that threatens the survival of all homo species. You can guess what from the front cover. There is a vision, or a spirit, of a Homo erectus woman called Xhosa who provide help and wisdom from the spiritual realm. Some central characters are Yu’ung, a female Neanderthal who is a healer and the leader of her tribe, Fierce the leader of a Homo sapiens tribe, Jun or Shanadar a young Neanderthal man and his canines Ump, White Streak (and a few more), who are sent by Xhosa on a special mission. I loved the canines (related to wolves). As a side note I can add that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens could interbreed despite being considered different species because the concept of species is complex.

The many adventures recounted in this book are fascinating, intense and captivating and there is something interesting and fun happening on every page. The character development is detailed and well done. Despite being so ancient and so different from us modern people, the humanoids in the book come alive in your imagination and you are transported into a different world from long ago. I found myself cheering for and caring for a Neanderthal woman and loving a wild dog. One passage that I found to be so intense that I was breathless was when Jun/Shanadar saved the life of a drowning canine pup called Blaze. What a job he had, saving a pup and saving the world. Did all this happen for real? I don’t know, but it could have. I loved this book. It is a page turner, and I highly recommend this book as well as her previous books.

Photo of the author, an overview of the author, and a description of the book
Back cover of Endangered Species. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version of the book.

About the Author of Endangered Species

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy.

When not writing, she is grad school teacher, author of over a hundred tech ed resources including K-12 technology curricula, and an Amazon Vine Voice. You can find her resources at her publisher, Structured Learning LLC. She lives in So. California with her husband of forty years, Labrador Casey, and lots of contact with her adult children, one a Cdr in the Navy, the other a SFC in the Army. Feel free to reach out to Jacqui at her blog, WordDreams, or her social media platforms.

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Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

60 thoughts on “Review of Endangered Species”

  3. Very interesting book and alarming topic in need of greater awareness. I appreciated your review and felt deeply touched by the “saving a pup and saving the world” story. Thanks for sharing such great content, Thomas! Very valuable! Light and blessings to you*

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      1. I totally agree with you, Jacqui: “by being humane.” And small steps or actions are never too small or enough in a world in need of goodness of any kind. I am in! I greatly appreciated your comment. Light and blessings to you*

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    1. My memory is fuzzy but I agree that too much romantic conflict can ruin a book that is supposed to be thrilling. I have the same complaint about Green Earth by Kim Stanley Robinson, a cli-fi I recently read. It was a good book but it could have been better without the unnecessary parts (such as too much romantic complication and too much frisbee throwing).

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  10. I love your insightful review, Thomas! Thank you for pointing some characters that I usually take time to track down before moving on with the story. I now can focus on the plot. Jacqui always creates gripping stories.

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  14. Great review Thomas. Your comparison to Jean M. Auel’s novels highlights the depth and realism Murray brings to prehistoric fiction. It feels like that mix of extensive research and vivid storytelling hooked you in, especially in portraying the diverse human species of 75,000 years ago.

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