Want to know something really weird about me? I'm 25 and I've never been in a relationship. I've given it a lot of thought over the past few years and I think it comes down to lack of opportunity — I'm shy and like to stay in — and not taking opportunities when they come — I don't want to be involved with someone who turns me off, in even the slightest way. I'm strongly intuitive and idealistic, and I'm convinced that when I meet a person who's right for me, I will know it.
In the meantime, I appreciate reading about romance in books. Typically, I veer away from romance novels — they can be so cheesy — and instead pick up books from other genres with romantic elements to them. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a straight-up romance novel. Then, I picked up Transcendence.
I was completely hooked by the premise, which sounded hilarious and lurid. A caveman, Ehd, discovers a lovely young woman in one of his pit traps. She wears odd clothing and makes weird sounds with her mouth. Ehd decides to bring the woman back to his cave and mate with her.
This premise seems like a literal interpretation of the caveman-romantic-hero trope. But, as you read further into the story, you see Savage's brilliant, beautiful twist on that famous romance genre cliche. Ehd is a well-rounded, fully realized character, and deeply good. His only resemblance to a caveman is that he's... well, a caveman. His behavior however, is that of a decent, young man trying to figure out his first relationship. (I will probably have a lot in common with Ehd when I finally meet someone...)
There's so much I want to write about concerning Transcendence's plot, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who wants to read this. I will only say that the writing was superb — characters, pacing, plot, style... it was all fantastic. I was on the edge of my proverbial seat the entire time, amazed at how deeply moved I was by this little romance book.
I will warn you... I picked up another of Savage's books after reading Transcendence, and was vastly underwhelmed. I give Transcendence five stars, but go no further than this one book. Hopefully, Savage will continue to write such smart, imaginative fiction in the future.
No comments: