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In every generation, a fantasy novel is published that captures something essential and enduring about life that no other book has expressed in quite the same way. Here unfolds a journey of discovery–in a story that surprises us on every page. . . . THE MEQ On May 4, 1881, the day that Zianno Zezen–Z, for short–turns twelve, his life changes forever. Amid the confusion of a tragic train wreck, he has the first inkling that he is no ordinary boy . . . that he is not human at all, but show more instead a member of a race known as the Meq. The Meq have lost all memory of their origins; they do not know why they heal with astonishing speed, or why, once they turn twelve, they stop aging unless they meet the single other member of their race destined to join with them. Certain Meq possess even more amazing powers, thanks to mysterious Stones they have carried since before the dawn of recorded history. Z’s father carried such a Stone, the Stone of Dreams. Now that Stone is Z’s to bear . . . and to protect. The Meq are far-flung and elusive, but Z finds allies. He will need them; for a challenge comes from the renegade Meq called the Fleur-du-Mal–the Flower of Evil. A sadistic assassin in the body of a twelve-year-old boy, the Fleur-du-Mal will become Z’s archenemy in a story that spans decades and continents and features an unforgettable cast of characters, human and Meq alike. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Interesting premise - characters get to age twelve and stay that way for centuries -- and the blurb talks a lot about the "timeless" qualities of the Meq. Unfortunately in this book timeless = boring. People kept dropping mysterious hints and wandering around in no hurry because they have centuries to get things done. This does not make for compelling reading. Couldn't finish it. I don't have centuries to get it done.
A truly interesting read, with elements of science fiction, historical fiction, and a little mystery for good measure. I thought the author did a great job of capturing the dreamlike feeling of what life would be like if you had forever to live it.
While Z and his Meq companions are strong characters, much of the life and compelling nature of this book is due to the vivid human characters. I was riveted by the stories of Carolina and Solomon, even as I was intrigued by the subtler personalities of the Meq.
This might be a little slow for some people, but I really enjoyed it.
While Z and his Meq companions are strong characters, much of the life and compelling nature of this book is due to the vivid human characters. I was riveted by the stories of Carolina and Solomon, even as I was intrigued by the subtler personalities of the Meq.
This might be a little slow for some people, but I really enjoyed it.
This was quite a good read for me. I got intrigued with the story of immortal children called the Meq who waft through hundreds of years of history. Although ther is a little strain of historical verisimilitude, I felt I wanted to follow the story to the end. Which it isn't as this is part of a trilogy.
The hero is Zianno Zezen. His name perhaps symbolizes coming a the last of his tribe of Meq's. Meq children come about when, after hundreds of years of yearing, a couple takes the shift into mortality and can bear children,b ut will age and die. The Meq have special powers and most try to do good. But there is an eveil one the Fleur de Mal and Z must battle him, if mostly obliquely throughout the book.
We do get a picture of life in the show more United States, particularly St. Louis and New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century. And the story lines takes the characters to both China and northern Africa. show less
The hero is Zianno Zezen. His name perhaps symbolizes coming a the last of his tribe of Meq's. Meq children come about when, after hundreds of years of yearing, a couple takes the shift into mortality and can bear children,b ut will age and die. The Meq have special powers and most try to do good. But there is an eveil one the Fleur de Mal and Z must battle him, if mostly obliquely throughout the book.
We do get a picture of life in the show more United States, particularly St. Louis and New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century. And the story lines takes the characters to both China and northern Africa. show less
LOVED IT! A very clever fantasy. Don't analyze it too much - just go with the ride and enjoy.
While a lot of my reviews tend toward the negative, there are a few truly awful books out there. The Meq is one of them. Steve Cash attempts to write fantasy outside the swords & sorcery high fantasy sub-genre. Unfortunately for him, his book is crap.
(Full review at my blog)
(Full review at my blog)
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Author Information
3+ Works 361 Members
Awards and Honors
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Meq
- Original publication date
- 2005
- Epigraph
- "The Child is Father of the Man." - William Wordsworth
- First words
- For me, that window was May 4, 1881.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 244
- Popularity
- 133,211
- Reviews
- 7
- Rating
- (3.39)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 3
