Fantasy&Education

Review: 
                                    Transcendence by Shay Savage

Synopsis:

It's said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn't have the ability to comprehend language?


Ehd's a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness. He's strong and intelligent, but completely alone. When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it's obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate. He doesn't know where she came from, she's wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him headache. Still, he' determined to fulfill his purpose in life- provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.


Elizabeth doesn't know where she is or exactly how she got there. She's confused and distressed by her predicament, and there's a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome. She's not at all interested in Ehd's primitive advances, and she just can't seem to get him to listen. No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant- and often hilarious- struggle.


With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winters months. As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time.

Review:


Transcendence by Shay Savage will likely go down as one of the more unique and delightfully heart-warming books that I have ever read. This book will also be one of those books that stays with me....forever.  Ms. Savage has created a story that not only captured an epic and beautiful journey of love, but she also wrote a tale that resonated deeply with my heart and probably with all the reader's heart.



Transcendence tells the story of Ehd, a caveman in prehistoric times living on his own since the death of his entire tribe, who discovers a woman in strange clothing in one of his pit traps. Upon this amazing encounter, Ehd is certain that this beautiful young woman is destined to be his mate. She may be wearing strange clothing and makes constant weird noises that give him a headache, but Ehd is determined to keep her. He wants nothing more than to protect and provide for his mate. That has now become Ehd’s purpose in life, one that he will happily fulfill. Oh...and to also put a baby in the belly of his new mate. Again, he will happily go about accomplishing his new duties.




Elizabeth or called “Beh” by our caveman suddenly finds herself in prehistoric times, the Paleolithic Era to be exact, with no recollection as to how she got there. She is terrified and completely out of her element not fully understanding how she ended up staring into the beautiful green eyes of a caveman with messy reddish-brown hair. Beh soon finds herself being hauled to a cave which she assumes is the home of her caveman rescuer. Her attempts at communication are met with confusion as it suddenly seems like Mr. Caveman is now willing to happily play house with her. Somewhere along the journey, she falls deeply in love with him and when the truth comes out, at least for her, and all the pieces of this great puzzle starts to make sense for her, she's in shock and for some time, Ehd's starts to think that he really doesn't have not a single shot to won her and... of course, fulfill his purpose in life. But, here's the thing- now she knows how her destiny will be if she stays with him and let's him fulfill his purpose. It's an ugly, ugly place to be, especially if you fall for the caveman...


As Edh and Beh slowly begin to work together and start to communicate in their own way, they learn how to live harmoniously as they prepare for the upcoming winter months. They struggle to comprehend one another but the beauty of this entire story is in their inability to communicate using modern language. Ehd strains to grasp Beh’s ways of thinking and doing things and their constant misunderstandings provide for some hilarious and also tender moments between the pair.  Their relationship becomes so much more than a simple coexistence to survive, because in this simplistic and primitive world where Ehd and Beh’s focus can only be on survival and on one another and their family, their story becomes one of profound love and acceptance that simply transcends all understanding.



This entire novel is told from Ehd’s point of view. The lack of any real dialogues and verbal exchanges is ingenious. For me, it was made this book truly beautiful and original, more than anything else, Ehd’s unsophisticated nature and innocent demeanor won me over immediately. Being inside his head, experiencing his frustrations and eventually deep love for his mate was a truly moving journey that had me clutching at my heart by the end. I loved the fact that because there was no verbal communication between Ehd and Beh and they had to learn how to understand each other’s body language and expressions, and let me tell you that everything written in this book is methodically constructed in such a way to effectively show the reader what was required for them to understand.

Characters:

Ehd- our lovely storyteller and caveman, he's hilarious, endearing, lovely and you simply can't help yourself to not fall head over heals for him. He had a dramatic past and now he's desperate to find a new family, to find his place in the world. And let's face it- who doesn't want that?
Okay, not all of us will think automatically that plan, and I'm NOT suggesting to find a husband on the street and have his baby...

But... that's prehistoric times, when men and women all over the planet thought that's their only hope of surviving, and in some way it really was, so his plan it's not something out of place or crazy. Not at all! But, for Beh, that's suicide- all her life is wasted in this damned place and she's without friends, communication, net (yes! I would die if I can't verify my facebook) and most importantly of all, her father, her family...

Beh- like I said, she's a human young girl, lost in this prehistoric times, without anyone's help and with a caveman  who thinks she's his woman. He's delusional! And it's all crazy, right! It simply can't be happening...

The sad truth? It's all real and now he's all she has...



Final Verdict-All in all, Transcendence is an unbelievably touching love story about a primitive man with only the desire to please, protect and love his mate and care for their family and a woman who sacrifices it all to experience such undying devotion., it's a story about overcoming insurmountable obstacles with the power of love that is brilliantly written.



Quotes:


“I will provide for her. I will protect her. I will give her anything she wants.” 

“Elizabeth."
I feel my smile on my face as I understand what she is doing. Though it's a strange one, she has a name-sound just like I do, and she's telling me what it is. I try to make the same sounds.
"Ehh..beh." I frown. Why is her name-sound so difficult and so long?
She frowns right back at me and says it again. "Elizabeth."
"Beh-tah-babaa."
She sighs and her forehead wrinkles.
"Elizabeth. Eeee-lizzzz-ahh-beth."
"Laahh...baaay."
She taps her chest again.
"Beth!"
The sound is shorter but still very odd.
"Beh-bet."
"Beth," she repeats.
I've had enough. I reach out and touch her should.
"Beh."
"Beth."
I tap her a little harder and growl.
"Beh", I repeat. I tap her again. "BEH!"
Her eyes widen a bit, and she inhales sharply. A moment later, her shoulders drop and she sighs.
"Beh," she says quietly.” 

“In the darkness of the cave, there is a light inside her eyes that makes my heart beat faster. I know the emotions I see there are also reflected in my own gaze though I have never felt this way before. Beh softly repeats the same three sounds, followed by my name-sound.” 

“I wonder what I will do if she doesn't wake up, and I don't have an answer. As I lie back down next to her and pull her into my arms, my stomach growls, and suddenly I know exactly what I will do. If she doesn't wake up, then I will just lie with her until I don't wake up either.” 
“My life with Beh was beautiful, transcending everything that set us apart from each other.”

“I don't care if she ever makes a basket that can hold grain, but I want her to be here with me. I want her to be close to me as I work or fish, and I want her to lie next to me in the furs at night. In my mind, she is with me always and forever.
Finally, its clear to me that I want her for more than children.”

“I definitely like it--lips and mouths and tongues together. When my tongue runs over my own lips, I can taste her there, and it's as if she's laid claim to me.”