Today’s team review is from Terry. She blogs here https://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Terry has been reading Neander: Evolution by Harald Johnson
4 out of 5*
Evolution is the final book in the highly original and well-researched Neander trilogy, in which science journalist Tom finds himself back in prehistoric times, and develops a life there, whilst keeping the portal to the present (and, as he discovers, the future) open.
His journeys between the worlds have not remained a secret, and scientists dedicated to genetic modification are anxious to milk this opportunity for all they can – while Tom, back in pre-history, wants to strengthen and educate the Neanderthal people he has grown to love, so that they will not be rendered extinct by the Sapiens.
The portal between the worlds is becoming unreliable, with Tom returning to the present and finding it to be the future – there is also an instance of a return to times much longer ago. I loved this idea, and wished there had been more of it; I would have loved to see the world through Tom/Rusty’s eyes before man, or, say, about five thousand years ago. As with the other books, the narrative flows well and I read it quickly, anxious to know what was going to happen.
This is a great idea, the books are well-written, though I think it could have been explored still further – Tom talks about changing the present by actions he takes in the past, a most fascinating concept, and I would have loved to see more of this. However, these are Harald Johnson’s books, not mine, and as such I am not telling him what to write! Suffice to say that if he decides to return to this world, I will be happy to read the results.
“Can I save my daughter . . . and them?”
Time traveler Tom Cook has settled into his prehistoric life among the Neanderthals, but it’s not without its challenges that include a burning desire to see his future-dwelling daughter, Pook, again.
When a growing threat from hostile neighbors turns into an attack, an old contact from another world comes to the rescue and leads both Tom and his Neanderthal wife, Brassy, back to that future through an increasingly unstable time portal.
Now, after traveling to and from two different worlds, Tom must find a way to defeat his enemies in both, reunite his family, and save his adopted band of Neanderthals.
Rosie Amber 