The Meq [Paperback]

Steve Cash (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 25, 2005 | Series: The Meq

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 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anyone who can get past the trite opening scenes of country singer Cash's fantasy debut will be pleasantly surprised as the stilted prose becomes the accented speech of a fluent foreigner and the sketchy characters turn into solid people. As the orphan Zianno searches the world for the mysterious Sailor, he soon meets other Basque children who share his true heritage: they are the Meq, who stay 12 years old until they meet their soul mates and choose to attain mortality together. Zianno's almost-romance with the beautiful and mortal Carolina and his friendships with other Meq are described with a deep tenderness that plays up the brutality of the Fleur-du-Mal, an ancient renegade Meq who kills Carolina's sister and kidnaps her daughter. As Zianno, Sailor and their companions hunt the Fleur-du-Mal, the vividly painted landscape of the early 20th century unfolds around them, populated by many famous people (from T.S. Eliot to Scott Joplin) and events from the 1904 World's Fair to the 1918 influenza epidemic. Those expecting a conventional tale of immortality's woes or a coming-of-age story won't find either, but as light and engaging historical fiction with a fantasy twist, the novel works well. FYI:In the 1970s, the author was a member of the Ozark Mountain Devils band and composed the hit pop song "Jackie Blue."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Cash's first novel is a surprisingly ingenious, lushly detailed story that turns fantasy on its head. Yes, it features a battle of good against evil, magic amulets, and a group on a quest to discover its long-forgotten heritage. But beyond that, it soars into new territory. The Meq is a race that has lived anonymously among humans throughout the centuries. But when Meq turn 12, they remain that age, in body if not in mind, until they each meet the one other Meq who is their soul mate. The day he turns 12 in 1881, Ziannio Zezen, known as Z, loses his parents in a tragic train wreck, knowing only that he must keep the baseball his father gave him and must find Umla-Meq and Sailor. As he embarks on the search, various humans as well as other Meq befriend him, and they unite in trying to stop the evil Meq known as the Fleur-du-Mal. As years pass, the plot encompasses the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, China's Boxer Rebellion, and other turn-of-the century events with a you-are-there flavor, and also dips back into antiquity through the memories of Meq who have been alive for centuries. The drama is intense, the characterizations are fully realized, and the very cadence of the language infuses a rich sense of time, place, and historical context that draws one in. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; First Edition edition (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345470923
• ISBN-13: 978-0345470928
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #911,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inventive and Different Premise for a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel December 16, 2005

By R. DiNitto

Format:Paperback

I read a lot of Sci-Fi and am always troubled by the boring landscapes that many authors ply in this genre. That is why I was so fascinated with this novel, in that it brought a different theme to the mix; one that although familiar was still refreshing enough. The book is about a kid who never grows old; unless he chooses to after he finds his soulmate. The book is very sad at times and certainly starts off that way, when the kid (the protaganist of the story) is involved in a train wreck only to survive while his parents die - they chose to grow old. His quest in life revolves finding others of his ilk - a race of people who seem to have some affinity to the ancient Basques and perhaps to a race of aliens.

Set in the late 1800s and early 1900s you get a fresh new perspective of that period in history from the eyes of this aging boy and his friends as they travel the world in search of ..... well I do not want to tell the whole story.

Cleary there is a sequel here (to come out in May 2006), and one that I will surely buy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars At the risk of gushing, the word "awesome" really doesn't do this book justice. August 14, 2007

By Miss Print VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

At the risk of gushing, the word "awesome" really doesn't do this book justice. The Meq is Cash's first novel, but the richness of the text and the strong characters seem like the work of veteran writer. So, you may ask, what is the Meq about? The quick version is that it's a story akin to the Highlander movies. But that doesn't really explain much.

The Meq are a mysterious race of immortals that have been around since, well, the beginning. They stop aging when they turn twelve, they cannot get sick or die, and they do not continue aging until meeting their ameq (soulmate). The catch is they have no idea why they are immortal; no knowledge of their origins.

Cash's book begins when Zianno Zezen turns twelve (for the first time) in 1881 and learns that he and his parents are Meq. This book, the first in a series, spans from 1881 to 1918. Cash's writing style lends itself to the breezy way that the Meq can deal with time (what's a few years when you can live forever?). And, while it may seem strange to read about centuries-old people living in the bodies of children, Cash makes that work too. While the story has adventure and romance, the main conceit of this novel (and I presume later ones in the series) is Z's search, along with his fellow Meq, for the truth behind their origins.

The book is generally categorized as YA, but I really think it's a must-read for anyone who has any interest in fantasy novels.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read! March 17, 2006

By Armchair Interviews

Format:Paperback

In his debut novel, author Steve Cash creates an interesting proposition. What if another race of beings lived among us that only very few knew about?

Not brain-sucking aliens or evil masterminds, this race, called the Meq, are indistinguishable in appearance, but have certain abilities that Giza--as the Meq call us--do not. Their life cycle sets them apart; semi-immortal, the Meq mature to the age of twelve, and then remain in that state until they meet their Ameq or soulmate. They may then decide to become mortal and be able to reproduce. The few Giza aware of the Meq are either protectors or know only of the legendary Magic Children of the Mountains.

As the book begins it is May 4, 1881 and Zianno Zezen--Z for short-- and parents are on a train journey. It is Z's first twelfth birthday, and his mother has just begun to tell him their family is Basque, but also something else, something older. A horrific train wreck strews injured passengers, cargo and twisted metal all over the embankment. Both Z's parents are mortally wounded and are only able to leave him a few cryptic instructions: "Find Umla-Meq...find Sailor...we are the dreams."

The elusive Sailor resists being found despite Z's best attempts. But in a time of crisis, it is Sailor who finds Z and allows Z's real journey of discovery to begin.

Essentially this is a quest novel, with Z's search for his origins becoming intertwined with the Meq's search for their forgotten history and unknown destiny. This book is the first in a trilogy, and as such it labors under the strain of introducing characters, traditions and cultures which will be the basis for the following books. The action moves at a snail's pace, illustrating the long lives and unchanging nature of the Meq.

Z hardly seems to mature, even though by the end of the story he is approaching the half-century mark.

Despite the pacing there is enough here to entice the reader into picking up the next book.

The author uses many unfamiliar words and phrases, mostly taken from the Basque language. Although they are defined on first usage, a glossary would have been helpful.

Armchair Interviews says: A first of a trilogy, The Meq introduces us and entices us with characters.