Savage Road (Torpedo Ink #7) by Christine Feehan
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: January 25, 2022
Format: eBook
Publisher: Berkley Books
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Please, please check the trigger warnings before reading this book. If you’ve been keeping up with the series and the members of Torpedo Ink, you know that Torpedo Ink did not have happy childhoods and Savage is one of the most damaged. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should at least give you an idea of what you might be exposed to should you read the book. Prospective readers should also be aware that this is a counterpart to Annihilation Road. It gets much darker than that book, and if you didn’t feel comfortable with Annihilation Road’s content then you should really reconsider reading Savage Road. In my opinion, it’s not necessary to understand the full scope of the series. I do appreciate the care that the author put into developing the story, and readers who don’t mind the darker or more taboo parts should absolutely 100% enjoy it.
Savage undoubtedly has a darker fetish or kink, with the sexual sadism tendencies he developed while in the ‘school’ in Russia and still maintains to this day. Seychelle loves him enough to enter his world willingly, and all of their interactions are consensual. Their sex is intense (its usually rough or involves some element of BDSM), and it does border on abusive at times (Seychelle is usually left with bruises or welts, though Savage’s experience ensures he never breaks the skin). Ms. Feehan handled things extremely well in my opinion - aftercare and safewords are a must in Savage’s eyes, and Seychelle does end up using her safeword once or twice. Savage portrays a hardened badass on the outside, but his tenderness with Seychelle was so sweet to witness and I wholly agree with her assessment that he is really a teddy bear.
“What if I love you more than ever, Savage? What if you love more than ever? What if our bond is so strong, so unbreakable, no one can ever tear us apart?”
One thing I love about all of Christine Feehan’s books is that there is equal give and take in the relationships she depicts. It's never one-sided, where one person is doing all the sacrificing and compromising. This trend holds true for Savage and Seychelle’s relationship. Yes, Seychelle is making sacrifices to be able to be the partner Savage needs in the bedroom. But Savage is also making some compromises to be able to meet her halfway. They both end up affecting each other’s life in a positive way. For example, there is a very pivotal and important scene in this book where Savage gives Seychelle his blessing to talk with her friends about their relationship (even what they do in the bedroom) and get support if she needs it. That’s a huge concession from the Savage we met in the first book of the Torpedo Ink series, Judgment Road. There’s a particular scene towards the end of the book, where he receives a meaningful birthday gift from members of the Sea Haven community. I absolutely melted at that scene, and I think it's one of my favorite in all of Christine Feehan’s books. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens though (conversely, if you would rather not read the book because of the content, but you still want to know what happens, feel free to reach out to me privately to get all the details).
One of my favorite parts of the Torpedo Ink series is the paranormal aspect. The stories are grounded in a contemporary setting, but each club member has some type of gift or ability that is crucial to the club’s success. I’ve also found it intriguing how each pairing tends to have very complementary abilities. The author expands on Savage’s abilities in Annihilation Road, and this book focuses more on exploring Seychelle’s abilities. One quote I’ve recently seen encapsulates the dynamic between Savage, Seychelle, and how she uses her abilities very well: “Instead of emulating patriarchy, try using your masculinity to protect your lover’s ability to be kind. Be a soft place where kindness doesn’t need armor”. Take away from that what you will.
Overall, Savage Road is another dynamic and powerful paranormal romance release from Christine Feehan. Readers should definitely pick up Annihilation Road before Savage Road, but if you want to skip Savage Road because of the content that's totally ok too. Savage and Seychelle do get a happy and very satisfying ending at the end of the first book.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Human trafficking (victims, discussed), Rape (Victims, discussed), BDSM, Spanking, Pedophilia (Victims, Discussed), Torture (Flashbacks and Discussion), Child Abuse (Victims, Discussed), Whipping, Flogging, Caning, Bondage
Interested in learning more about the Torpedo Ink series? Check out my reviews of the other books in the series!
About the Author
Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 90 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series, Shadow Riders and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.
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