There are two books here - one is highly speculative archaeology and one is pure fiction of the Jean Auelesque genre. Every chapter has some of each. The archaeology is rather interesting but the way it is interlarded with the fiction is simply annoying. It would have been about half the size and twice the interest if Mowat had been disciplined enough to stick to one book at a time. I might even have liked the novella if it hadn't been all chopped up with long nonfiction digressions until it was impossible to follow the story. ( )