Review of Balance of Nature

This is a Leonberger blog, but I sometimes post about books that are not about Leonbergers but books that I love and want to promote. With this post I would like to promote a truly great novel featuring Neanderthals and early Homo Sapiens. The book is called Balance of Nature by Jacqui Murray. It is the third book in a series called Savage Land.

Below is an overview of the three formats of Balance of Nature:

  • Paperback –  Structured Learning LLC (February 2, 2026), ISBN-10 : 1942101686, ISBN-13 : 978-1942101680, 305 pages, Item Weight : 14.6 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.69 x 9 inches, it cost $15.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Structured Learning LLC (February 2, 2026), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0G45MFBWW, ISBN-13 978-1942101697, 307 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 (March 8, 2026), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GRG8XG1T, It is currently $14.99 on Amazon.com.  Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features the title and author, a canine/wolf, a couple of humans or Neanderthals, and there is a large mountain in the background.
Front cover of Balance of nature. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon Description of Balance of Nature

A tribe haunted by the past. Lies that threaten the future. A reason to find the truth.

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. 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.

In Balance of Nature, Book Three of the trilogy, the tribes face one final roadblock to reach what they hope will become their new home. They prevail but not without deaths and setbacks by collaboration and respect for the strengths of those they originally disdained. Now, in their homeland, where life should be about finding their place in a new landscape, instead, they find threats from old enemies and potentially lethal challenges.

Follow the courageous Yu’ung, the determined Kazeb, the mystical Shanadar, the pawed-and-clawed Canis and their tribes as they navigate a perilous world of tribal conflict, unexplained visions, and shifting loyalties. Their journey is a testament to resilience and the strength found in true leadership. Their personal struggles and heroic triumphs define this sweeping saga that ultimately leads to who we are today.

My Amazon Review of Balance of Nature

The Adventures of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens by the Shoreless Sea

When I was young, I read Jean M. Auels’ novels set in prehistoric Europe and I loved them. Jacqui Murray’s books have a lot in common with Jean M. Auels’ books, but they are set at an earlier time. This series, Savage Land, takes place about 75,000 years ago (this is the third book in the series). In addition, we know more about prehistoric man now than we did back then and Jacqui Murray has certainly done her research. I loved Jean M. Auels’ books, and I love all of Jacqui Murray’s books. This book is a continuation of the previous book Badlands and is yet another thrilling prehistoric adventure involving both Neanderthals (the people and the clan) and Homo Sapiens (tall ones). Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens work together to reach a new homeland but there are some who have dark motives. There are hidden agendas, betrayal, and mysteries.

One aspect of this book and the previous books in this series and the previous series’ as well, are the Canis. Domesticated dogs probably did not exist 75,000 years ago, but they may have still interacted with humans, and the way the author uses them in the plots adds something to the stories that I really love. If you are a dog lover you will love Ump, Blaze, Ocha, Spirit, Ragged Ear, White Streak, and their loyalty, amazing abilities, and courage. There is a reference in the book to a previous book where Ump rescued Blaze and it brought back great memories of past adventures.

The book focuses a lot on Yu’ung who a female Neanderthal and a healer and she is also a leader of her tribe. There is also Fierce, the leader of a tribe of Homo Sapiens, Kazeb and Turk, the leaders of another Neanderthal tribe, and Shanadar a Shaman and mystic who lives at the outskirts of his Neanderthal tribe. There are many other characters both good and evil, of both species (Homo Sapiens / Neanderthals). The many characters added to the richness of the stories at the same time as the there is a risk for confusion. However, the author provided a list of the characters, their tribe belonging and role at the beginning of the book. I found this list to be very helpful. Whenever I was wondering “who is that dude again?” I looked at the list and there was no problem.

Another special feature I enjoyed was the “Questions You Ask” section at the end, where the author is listing answers to potential questions about Prehistory, Neanderthals, and the book. For example, you learn about Neanderthal genetics, how they lived, their use of fire, could they talk (yes), did they care for their sick (yes), the eruption of the super volcano Mt. Toba, and much more. There is also a bibliography.

Like all Jacqui Murray’s novels this novel is full of adventure, and it is captivating and realistic. You connect with the characters and their struggle for survival. The importance of cooperation and belonging for survival becomes clear and you will understand the advantage of everyone having a role and a purpose in the tribe. The book makes you wonder about all those millions of pre-historic humans who came before us so long ago. Our modern civilization has existed for a very short time, and it is easy to forget how privileged we are. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in adventure, especially if you are curious about prehistoric man.

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

About the Author of Balance of Nature

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 schoolteacher, 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.

These are some of her other books on prehistoric humans

These are some of my reviews or book blasts for her books

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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.

57 thoughts on “Review of Balance of Nature”

  1. Well done, Thomas. Like you, I read some of Jean Auel’s books when I was younger. Clan of the Cave Bear and The Cave Hunters come to mind. Prehistoric fiction is not a common genre. I’ve read several of Jacqui’s books now and am never disappointed.

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  4. Thomas, thank you for this thoughtful review of ‘Balance of Nature’. Jacqui is surpassing herself in this genre and I love the sound of the ‘Questions You Ask’ section. An inspired idea as the reader will be brimming with queries after reading a book like this.

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  9. A fantastic review, Thomas. I also greatly enjoyed this series, too. The Canis were among my favorite characters. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this segment of the series. A big congratulations to Jacqui!

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    2. Thank you, Sara. At it’s core, this is a survival book. These ancestors were fully as smart as us but without any of our technology. They had to be creative–and they were! I appreciate the visit.

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