In Transcendence, Alexis Ferelli is a widower with a normal life with a young girl, Luna, and a supportive boyfriend, Jack. She’s a masseuse in the Pacific Northwest. Her life is humming along until her sister, Linda, asks her to attend a seance. Against her better judgment, she agrees to accompany her sister. Alexis was right. She shouldn’t have attended it.
Alexis receives a dire warning from a mysterious medium. At first, she’s not concerned but the seance’s impact sticks in her mind to return to the medium. She learns how to meditate quickly, and before she knows it, Alexis enters a surreal environment with extraordinary people. She’s entranced the first few times she visits, but something lurks in the shadows. This dark figure threatens to ruin Alexis’ life, not only in her transcended environment but also her reality.
Katrina Kimball weaves a taut, exciting tale of horror and fantasy together with a finesse most first-time authors can only envy. The plot hurtles along, growing more dire by the chapter. Unlike similar novels, Transcendence doesn’t collapse under its own weight of mysticism. It finds a bedrock in scenes from the past that gives the villain legitimacy. It demands more than a simple battle of strength or will at the climax.
The voice and descriptive passages in this book are superb. Alexis’ POV, despite being an “average” person, really engages the reader with clever word choices. Although some head hopping is disorienting at times, the author brings depth and realism to a Dali-esque setting and theatrical plot. This book was a delight to read.
Transcendence combines the wonder of a fantasy with the darkness of a horror novel. I look forward to another offering by this author.