- Paperback: 448 pages
- Publisher: Tor (Jan 17 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1405000112
- ISBN-13: 978-1405000116
- Product Dimensions: 23.3 x 15.2 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 621 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
The Meq, subtitled "A Lyric Fantasy" is the first novel from American country-rock musician Steve Cash. The flavour is refreshingly unusual, with a secret race of childlike immortals--the Meq--groping after a lost heritage while decade after decade of human history ticks by.
The narrative of Zianno Zezen begins in 1881 America on his 12th birthday. It's the first of many 12th birthdays, since Meq age no further until they find love and consciously choose to go on through puberty. Z's parents, who made that choice, are soon killed in a tragic accident, leaving the boy with hints of Basque "but more than just Basque" descent, and a cryptic Meq contact name.
Befriended by a travelling Jewish entrepreneur and sort-of-adopted by a St Louis boarding-house keeper who moves into the more profitable trade of brothel madam, Z finds life full of violence, exotic colour and elusive magic. He dreams strange dreams and carries a talisman he doesn't understand. He meets other eternal 12-year-olds living among the dangerous "Giza" (mortal humans), surviving through special talents and centuries or sometimes millennia of experience.
Long and almost dreamlike searches recur. Through 12 years at sea, Z seeks an ancient fellow-Meq nicknamed Sailor. In New Orleans, with a friend, he tracks a Meq who has gone bad and wreaked atrocities on Z's adoptive family. Later hunting covers huge tracts of China, and then--for nine years more, in Tuareg disguise--the North African desert. "Do not think ahead, the Sahara will not allow it." In the background, the First World War is now being fought, and it's over before Z reaches a temporary stopping place.
All this makes for a remarkably charming and compelling read, with history and fantasy twining together--there are glimpses of Jesse James, Oscar Wilde, Scott Joplin and the young TS Eliot. The childlike immortals' leisurely attitude to time is imagined with some power. But as the 20th century wears on, they may be dying out...
Many mysteries remain, a hissable villain is still at large, and sequels to The Meq will follow. --David Langford
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. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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First Sentence
For me, that window was May 4, 1881. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
For me, that window was May 4, 1881. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
dreamlike, ambling,
By A. J. Cull (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Meq (Paperback)
The book jacket describes The Meq as fantasy, but this is definitely not your usual fantasy novel, with not a single sword, dragon, orc or vampire in sight. Some of it concerns Zianno's awakening self-awareness (I was going to write "growing up" but this of course doesn't happen) in the rough-and-tumble environment of St Louis in the 1880s. The rest of the novel is taken up with various quests which take Zianno and the others on lengthy rambling journeys across the world. As the story progresses, Zianno and the other Meq characters are revealed by their thoughts and actions to be not quite human. Their lifespans stretch across many centuries, so they can afford to think long-term, also the actions of ancient enemies such as the Phoenicians are still fresh in their collective mind. However, they also curiously inconsistent, one minute acting with great urgency as they attempt unsuccessfully to track down the psychotic killer Fleur du Mal, the next embarking on a long dreamlike trek that may take years and not accomplish very much. Zianno and a companion start a search that takes them all over north Africa, and at one point he suddenly realises that six years have passed with no result! The characters of the Meq are strangely insubstantial, and I would find it difficult to describe the personal attributes of Zianno, Sailor and the others. They tend to drift in and out of the story, and at times I lost track of who was present and who was missing. The Giza (human) characters, such as Solomon the Jewish trader, seemed to be much more vivid, on the whole. Occasionally historical figures such as Scott Joplin or T.S. Eliot appear in the narrative, but generally the Meq are caught up in their own quests and crises, and do not actively involve themselves much in the wider human realm. Even the First World War is but a remote event that takes place offstage in the world of the Giza. Despite its dreamlike, ambling ways, I found the story quite interesting and look forward to reading the next book in the series. As the narrative approaches modern times, I am curious to find out how the Meq will retain their secrets in a world of passports, telephones and computers. Hopefully we will also see young Zianno Zezen developing a stronger and more distinctive personality!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant read,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Meq (Paperback)
Brilliant, rolling tale that was different, facinating and one of the best reads I have had for many, many years. Looking forward to the next installment from Steve Cash
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (32 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,
By R. DiNitto - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Meq (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.,
By Miss Print - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Meq (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!,
By Armchair Interviews - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Meq (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. |
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