I really enjoyed reading this as a scifi novel, it had that element that I was wanting and enjoyed in this genre. The characters were everything that I was wanting and was invested in what was going on in this universe. Neil R McAdam has a strong writing style and was glad it worked with what I was expecting.

Neil R. McAdam’s Hominin is a staggering, genre-defying epic that weaves together millennia of civilization, war, and evolution into a single, mesmerizing narrative. Part anthropological saga, part sci-fi mystery, this ambitious novel explores what it means to be human—and what might lie beyond.

The story begins with a haunting image: Telikus, a naked amnesiac emerging from the desert, who becomes the unlikely catalyst for a Stone Age community’s transformation. From there, McAdam leaps across eras, introducing a tapestry of interconnected lives—two Mycenaean-esque brothers locked in a primal struggle to prevent humanity’s first war; an Athenian-style farmer whose defiance sparks revolution; a sibling duo racing to decode their aunt’s secrets before nuclear annihilation. Binding these threads is an eerie, overarching presence: a dormant Super Intelligence lurking within an ancient spacecraft, waiting for the first “Hominin” to awaken it.

McAdam’s scope is breath-taking, yet he grounds each timeline in intimate human struggles. The prose shifts deftly between the mythic grandeur of early civilizations and the taut urgency of near-future crises, all while teasing a cosmic mystery. The recurring themes—war, progress, the cyclical nature of power—echo like a drumbeat, suggesting that humanity’s greatest battles (with itself, with destiny) are both timeless and inevitable.

The novel’s brilliance lies in its puzzle-box structure. Readers piece together connections across epochs, glimpsing how small choices ripple into seismic shifts. Is Telikus a messiah, a mutation, or something else? What does the Super Intelligence want? The answers unfold with deliberate, satisfying precision

Hominin is putting a twist on of the history of the world. For anyone that is interested in history and 'what-if' scenarios, this is the book for them. Going back and forth through time, Hominin has a cast of characters that experience events similar to those that have occurred throughout history. One of the main critiques I have of this books is that the point of views for each character go by very fast, and for that reason, I am not able to feel or relate to many of these characters. There is also a very large cast of people, and at times it was very confusing to follow along. There were chapters that felt a little rushed, with characters thst I wish were explored in depth s little more. But a lot of valuable life lessons to be learned from this book. With that being said, the chapters flew by for me. Definitely the kind of book you might want to keep an index card and a highlighter handy for.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. But this is not a reflection of the writing or plot. I just had trouble getting it to it and ended up DNF’ing at 3 chapters.

A science fiction story with a great premise. The writing and world building has great potential but I got confused with the multiple characters and scenarios.