By Tamara Rose Blodgett
I was really taken with the unique future world presented in The Pearl Savage and for other reasons I’ll mention, I would recommend reading this book. Princess Clara lives in a dome world in order to survive a past earth disaster. The domes are maintained by steam machines and Clara’s dome farms oysters and pearls for their food and wealth.
There’s nothing like an easily identifiable enemy to rally the reader to the heroine’s cause. Clara’s mother, the Queen, is a cruel woman whose only grasp on daily life is to keep a wine bottle in one hand and disperse drunken ‘discipline’ with the other, especially upon Clara. So I really feel for Clara who takes the option of not retaliating in order to keep a few of her friends close to her and not wreak havoc upon their lives. But it’s hard to deal with Queen Ada’s unrelenting viciousness.
As is common in royal families, Clara is to be engaged to Prince Frederick who also turns out to be equally vicious as the Queen; maybe worse since he’s sober. Clara finally agrees with her good friend Charles and maid that to save her own life, she must breach the domes and venture out into the outer world. Where the savages are.
Clara has already seen two savages who have dared to observe her from outside her personal quarters. She is even curiously attracted to one of them.
This intriguing story then relates how Clara bravely learns about the outer world of the so-called savages. She also has an unusual connection with the savage clans in the romance department.
Clara I think represents the sacred feminine or goddess principle. This is most clearly shown in the scene where she is tested with some members of the savage clan to determine who should be her mate/king. While the scene is somewhat basic, the idea that the reproductive forces of a Select female are held in such high honour, really highlight and promote the idea that the goddess principle is sacred and of value. Whatever the weaknesses of this book, I commend Blodgett.
I didn’t like the level of violence that Clara endured as it seemed a bit much at times though I would also say this shows how the goddess principle is currently under attack as well. Clara endured with strength. I would have liked more description of what everyone looked like. I found this an interesting premise if somewhat simplistic execution. Overall I found the book entertaining and it ends with a positive promise to be taken up in the next book, The Savage Blood (five books total in the series).
Favourite quote “Bravery was a matter of containing your fear while throwing away caution.” (pp 225 of 337).
