Review of The Meridian

[Sbitan Mohammad]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Meridian" by J. L. Bliss.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The Meridian by J. L. Bliss is a sci-fi and fantasy tale with several converging subplots that unite to form an intriguing narrative. The book opens with the character Meelene, who flees from her family because of the humiliation and emotional blackmail she faces daily. She convinces the mysthiro of Apperon to send her to a university in Ganipegue on the condition that she would return to be his son's governess. The mysthiro agrees to this, and around that time, some foreigners from Sanguinae try to sell weapons to him, but he refuses because he doesn't want to start a war. The foreigners see him as a fool for rejecting their offer and going over to other cities like Nathragm, Ganipegue, and others on that continent, successfully coercing them to buy these weapons, giving them a seat in the council, and also forming the union of Kintikade.
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Some years pass, and these foreigners convince the other nations to break their ancestral peace treaty and use force to convince the mysthiro of Apperon or oust him. Enticed by foreign weapons and illusions of grandeur, the other mysthiros go to war with their sister nation, Apperon. Based on early information sent by Lexie, the bold bastard daughter of the mysthiro of Nathragm, Apperon's mysthiro is able to smuggle out his son and sends him off together with Meelene, his governess, and Mogule, his trusted man. A series of destructive events happen, and the trio finds themselves in Kearzie's resurf, a submarine of sorts. Kearzie, a former collector, and his apprentice, Ryeko, had escaped the destruction when they rescued the others. Together, they try to survive the various attacks and evade their enemies. Will they succeed? Kearzie speaks of the meridian being breached and a possible traitor among the collectors; are his words true? What becomes of these other nations and more is detailed in this book.
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The Meridian by J.L. Bliss was a wonderful read; the 529-page book was an intriguing mix of political games, power tussles, daring escapes, and adventurous travel. The author builds up the main plot through a series of converging sub-plots. The book is told from a third-person perspective, giving the audience an overview and possible prediction of future events. I found this particularly interesting, as sometimes I was right and other times shocked by the turnout of events. The character development was solid and made up most of the subplots. The author delivered near-perfect backstories to support each character, ensuring the audience understood the numerous characters in the story. I enjoyed their adventures in the resurf and the detailed explanations of the landscape and the foreign contraptions the other nations used in their attacks. A favorite place of mine was the tavern, as a lot occurred there in terms of news and action.
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In the area of dislikes, I was almost deterred by the number of pages, but seeing how interesting the plot was, I wanted to extend it further. I must commend this author on his beautiful job describing the landmarks and sea travel. This book could even be made into a movie; I'm looking forward to reading its sequel. A character I admire well is Lexie. She had her imperfections, but I enjoyed her outspoken nature. I also liked Ryeko's ingenuity and Anlaf's innocent curiosity. I spotted many minor grammatical errors; hence, I'm rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to audiences interested in sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure tales.

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The Meridian
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[NetMassimo]

A novel with some big themes in the development of many aspects of a fictional world full of intrigue and adventure. Following several subplots isn't easy but it's worth it when there's a great result. Thank you for your great review!

[Anozie Stephanie]

Reading this review, I can say that things have for a reason and Meelene's life is a testament to that.