Yes, I can see why you'd accord this series to the dust bin. Such a shame.

Don't you hate it when you see something with all that goodness getting ruined by lack of an editor or an author who *thinks* they don't need one anymore?

Agreed. If Shelters of Stone had been Auel's first time novel it never would have been published, or at least not without someone seriously taking a red pen to it.

It seems as though publishing houses are so in awe of a popular writer that they can't make the tough decisions to reel them in when they stumble. Don't want to hurt their poor widdle artistic feewings by providing any type of constructive criticism.