Review: Futuristic Science, Modern Romance, and Clan of the Cave Bear
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 14, 2013
In a world of the past, reminiscent of Clan of the Cave Bear, a young man has wandered in search of a fabled tribe, where women hunt and men light fires and peoples work together. Meanwhile a woman called Rachel from the present day (or near-future) really should know better than to wander outside the camp alone.Hawk's world and Rachel's are very different, giving rise to interesting misinterpretations and arguments when their paths finally cross. But Hawk carries a secret and Rachel has a longing for someone to love--someone who doesn't just feel like a coworker trapped in the same time and place. A nice contrast of the natives' halting English with modern-day colloquialisms creates vivid and sometimes amusing dialog. Meanwhile contrasting ways of life and ill-formed assumptions build tension, even as the protagonists' romantic feelings grow. Soon both characters are "torn between two worlds: the one [they] knew and the one [they] wanted."The author creates societies of time-traveler and native with equal conviction, and internal dialog adds pleasing authenticity to the characters. But there's far more than romance to entice in this tale. Wild men attack and valiant travelers struggle to survive. Separated lovers mourn. Allies die. And plans are made.A fun, exciting story, Beyond Tomorrow creates a believable and enticing yesterday from bleak predictions of tomorrow and keeps the reader entranced until the final page.Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy as a gift from the publisher.