Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"An astonishing, inventive, and addictive book." January Magazine
Review
"An evocative portrayal of the dreamy, drifting rhythms of the Meq's existence, their simultaneous involvement with and detachment from the stream of Time."
SF Site
Review
"A deep and entertaining fantasy that promises to develop into a rewarding series."
BBC
Review
"The dawn of the twentieth century, retold as a mystical picaresque dream of intuition and destiny by a unique new voice.
Alexander C. Irvine,
author of A Scattering of Jades and One King, One Soldier
Review
"Singer-songwriter Cash's first novel displays the author's storytelling talent as well as his original approach to fantasy. A well-crafted tale." Library Journal
Review
"[A] combination of fantasy and historical fiction." KLIATT
Review
"[A] startling premise richly elaborated, and enough derring-do and dastardly schemes to make William Goldman jealous will feel 12 years old all over again." Washington Post
Synopsis
When his parents die suddenly, leaving him alone with only a clue to his true heritage as a member of the non-human Meq race, 12-year-old Zianno begins a search to unravel the mystery of his people, and to stop the evil Meq known as the "Fleur-du-Mal."
Synopsis
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."
Description
This is the first in a fantasy-adventure trilogy spanning continents and centuries. The Meq are a rare and ancient race who originated in the Pyrenees. They can live for hundreds, even thousands of years, yet they retain the physical appearance of 12-year-olds.