Caveman’s Daughter by Jeffrey W. Tenney

Author Jeffrey W. Tenney delivers a second time-traveling adventure with Caveman’s Daughter, a follow-up novel to Caveman that raises the stakes and explores an even more dangerous clash of past and present.

A year after the events of the first novel, Emily Marshall is still deeply affected by her journey 40,000 years into the past, but even though the mysterious cave has been destroyed, there are those who would do anything to access prehistory. A thrilling tangle of murder, intrigue, and reunions with very old friends, this novel is unpredictable and unique, exploring themes of loyalty, greed, brotherhood, and the roots of what makes us human.

In terms of the writing itself, the dialogue is organic and fast-paced, driving scenes along and progressing the plot in a natural way. However, there is a dearth of descriptive language, which can make the prose feel flat at times. The setting for most of the book is a few dozen millennia in the past, which is a ripe setting for evocative imagery, and there is limited focus on this prehistoric world-building. Additionally, a few pace-dragging scenes could be eliminated or pared down to keep the flow of the prose.

As a whole, despite the somewhat plain language and minimal action, Caveman’s Daughter is a thought-provoking journey that is hard to put down.

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