Genre: Romance, Paranormal
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Xanthe, Paranormal Romance Guild
Get It On Amazon
About The Book
Since humanity’s first steps in the Stone Age, Methuselah has harbored an ancient secret. Cursed by the shaman to witness the end of days, he searches in vain for a home, place to place, clan to clan, yearning to belong. First in prehistoric Africa and lately disillusioned with love for a hundred years in the New World, he learns all too well to guard his heart and hide his story. That changes when a car crash lands him in the hospital with a fractured skull. Doctors discover strange stem cells in his blood, promising cures and a fountain of youth. Methuselah faces choices of life and death.
Forced on the run again, he comforts himself by reliving a happier time, when he and Arrow, his first love, raft across the paleo-lake Makgadikgadi, which rested in those days on the vast Kalahari. In their age-old journey, the cavemen lovers find a place to call home and learn what it means to belong.
While Arrow’s enlightened sensibilities get the two of them in trouble and challenge Methuselah’s judgment, their adventures in an untamed world bring them together. When Methuselah’s enduring youth reveals itself through the passing seasons, he and Arrow bravely face a dire reality.
From the distant past that lives inside Methuselah, Arrow’s spirit reaches out, providing guidance for our threatened times. He gives Methuselah the strength to do the right thing and the courage to live his true self in the modern world. Arrow’s memory opens Methuselah’s heart and renews for him a hope of redemption in the arms of a caring man today. If only Methuselah permits himself to love once more.
The Review
This was quite a different read for me, but very interesting. Methuselah is a man who has lived hundreds of lifetimes. He now goes by the name Oscar, and is on the run from someone wanting to use his blood for possibly nefarious purposes. To help settle his mind, he now finds himself wanting to write about his life, starting right from the beginning.
I enjoyed the current and past aspects, as we flit between the present day with Oscar on the run, hiding from those who may mean to use him, and the past, when Oscar grew into a man and first became aware of his immortality.
Oscar writes his memoirs about his time growing up and the plight he shares with his partner, Arrow, as they travel between islands. They experience much hardship along the way, both from people and the environment. As a man who has experienced so much, Oscar is able to look back and reflect on all that has happened, the impact it had upon him, and those around him.
The relationship between Diver (as he was known then) and Arrow is something he has held in his heart all this time, and it clearly means a lot to him. They were different in some of their opinions, but that didn’t stop them from wanting to be together.
In the present day part of the story, the drama comes from Oscar constantly being aware that he needs to hide, keep moving so no one notices that he doesn’t age, and stay away from anyone who finds anything out about him. When the anomalies in his blood are discovered, he knows he doesn’t have long, and once again he runs. And keeping his name and face away from modern technology is proving more and more difficult, even with the help of an old friend. Two people help him exist in today’s society, so that he stays out of online systems and is unable to be traced.
I thought that the story flowed really well between the past and present scenes. It was all wonderfully described, making it easy to visualise the islands from the past and the journeys that Diver and Arrow made together on their rafts. Oscar misses the time when life was much simpler but existing was much harder.
Though Oscar is very old, he’s occasionally stubborn and a little childish, just as he was in the beginning. I like that he kept some of those character traits and that he was aware of it most of the time.
I was never quite sure on who could be trusted, especially when a young man is introduced that may be able to help Oscar change his identity once again. There’s a HFN ending, and the possibility of another book that could explore a new relationship for Oscar and a decision on what he’d like to do in the future.
One line from the book stood out to me, as it has meaning both in the past and present tense. It’s talking about genetics and where you were born, but it feels like something that we could say at any point in time and it would still true, as though we’ve learned nothing over time.
“Did it really matter where you came from or what you looked like? Wasn’t it more important who you were as a person, your spirit, talents and principles? These things didn’t show in a test. You had to be there; he knew this first hand.”
Four stars.
The Reviewer
Hello all, my name is Xanthe and I am excited to be a reviewer for the PRG.
I read a lot, every night for at least 4-5 hours and I love to get lost in the world that an author has created. The best ones leave you wanting more and at a loss for words to describe just how good it is but I’ll try my best.
I live in a small town in South West England, just me and my dog Bonnie. I work part time in administration and really enjoy my job and the people I work with which I am very aware is not always the case!
I’ll read pretty much any sub genre within the mm genre. Since discovering it a few years ago, I rarely read anything else. One thing I won’t touch is horror, a definite no no for me!
Never ask me what my favourite anything is as I’ll have to give you a list of about ten or twenty things. How am I able to pick one food, book or film out of so many that I love?!
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