In The Shelters of Stone I enjoyed the description of the Zelandonii way of life and their religious beliefs but did find myself getting tired of the long winded introductions to the many, many characters we are introduced to. My main problem with The Plains of Passage was the parts where Ayla and Jondalar were travelling alone and although the description of the landscape was interesting it did overwhelm the story line, it would have been a much better book if it had been trimmed down a little. While it still has some of the same problems as book 4 (the constant repetition from the earlier books being the main one) I found the story more enjoyable because there was more interaction with other people. Ayla has been longing to find somewhere to settle down with Jondalar and desperately wants to fit in but can she get the Zelandonii to accept her?Īlthough The Shelters of Stone doesn't quite manage to live up to the first 3 books in the series I found it was an improvement on The Plains of Passage.

In The Shelters of Stone Jondalar's family are pleased to have him home but are wary of the strange foreign woman and the animals she has brought with her. Auel's Website for more information.Īt the end of The Plains of Passage Ayla and Jondalar finally make it back to Jondalar's home - the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii - but the story ended before she got to properly meet Jondalar's family. But her unique spiritual gifts cannot be ignored, and even as she gives birth to their eagerly-awaited child, she is coming to accept that she has a greater role to play in the destiny of the Zelandonii. Ayla yearns for peace and tranquillity: to be Jondalar's mate and to have children. After the rigours and dangers that have characterised her extraordinary life. She is delighted when she meets Zelandoni, the spiritual leader of her people, a fellow healer with whom she can share her medicinal skills. Jondalar's family greet him warmly, but they are initially wary of the beautiful young woman he has brought back, with her strange accent and her tame wolf and horses. Ayla has much to learn from the Zelandonii as well as much to teach them. Ayla and Jondalar have reached his home at last: the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, the old stone age settlement in the region known today as south-west France.

The shelters of stone