Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

**PLOT SPOILER** (Actually, there is no plot to spoil!) This is one of my all time favorite series and this "ending" is a major disappointment. I'm actually angry. I want to erase it from my mind and create my own ending because this was just plain wrong. There are many major problems to the book: discriptions of paintings ad nauseum; overlong introductions; rehashing every detail from earlier stories over and over; The Mother Story 50,000 times; no real plot; the contrived plot devices and most disappointing of all the destruction of beloved characters to create conflict. On top of that, there was no conclusion to the story. The Shelters of Stone actually had more of an ending to the series than this story. It could easily have ended with Jonayla's birth. Many other reviewers commented on the major problems but what I would like to comment on more and see feedback upon is what this book could have and should have been. The First Amongst those that Serve the Mother comments that Ayla will be the next First. I would have liked to see that come to fruition and thought we would. Jonayla could have grown into the next generation Zelandoni. Others could have emulated Ayla and domesticated animals. I would like to have seen Ayla develop and mature as a Zelandoni and how she would handle problems from a position of power. I would like to have seen Ayla do something amazing to save people like she usually does. Maybe Ayla and Jondalar could have taken a trip back east to spread the word of her revelation to those she knew. (NOTE: We don't need a description of every rock along the way.) Maybe we could have seen how the clan is doing and start trading as was eluded to in the Shelters of Stone. I would have liked to have seen Ayla and Jondalar get older and how they would handle the death of Marthona and Zelandoni. I would have liked to have seen Jondalar develop into a leader and not a violent psychopath. He had his moment in youth that always was a problem in the story to me but he supposedly had matured. He just isn't good enough for Ayla. And Ayla sleeping with Laramar? Why didn't she just make Ayla the first hooker. My god women, we loved Ayla and to have her debase herself like that was just plain uncalled for, out of character, upsetting and disgusting. Do you have no respect for the character you created? This is a story we have been involved with and loved for thirty years and to have it end on such a low, disgusting note is like putting liverwurst on mango. It's like cinnamon olive crunch breakfast cereal. It's far worse than this, it is just so upsetting. I feel like I lost a great love. It diminshes the entire series. I know I sound angry and that's because I am. Now let me tell you how I really feel.