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Arclight #2
Meridian
Marina thought that she had solved all of the Arclight’s mysteries. She had found her own history—that she was one of the Fade, that she never should have been human. She knows that the Fade who surround the Arclight don’t want to be the humans' enemies at all. She knows that the leader of those inside the Arc, Honoria Whit, never told the whole truth. But there is so much more that Marina is just discovering. There are more survivors out there. Only Marina—and her friends, all of whom have connections to the Fade they'd never known about—can lead her people to them. But there are also darker dangers, things that even the Fade fear. And Marina slowly realizes she may never have been “cured,” after all. The sequel to Arclight, Meridian is an intense, action-packed page-turner about the lines we draw between right and wrong, light and dark . . . and the way nothing is ever that black and white.
458 pages, Hardcover
First published April 22, 2014
19 people are currently reading
2279 people want to read
About the author
Josin L. McQuein
12 books243 followersChristian. Texan. Ravenclaw Disney fan. Disappointed she didn't grow up to be the Phoenix, a Jedi, or the Doctor's companion.
Professional pretender and scribe for the voices in her head.
Knower of things, teller of tales, and dreamer of dreams.
Shorter than you think she is.
No, seriously, shorter.
A little shorter than that, too.
Professional pretender and scribe for the voices in her head.
Knower of things, teller of tales, and dreamer of dreams.
Shorter than you think she is.
No, seriously, shorter.
A little shorter than that, too.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
April 17, 2021
1 star
When I read Arclight last year, I enjoyed it immensely. I'll be the first to admit it was one of my favorite debuts of the year. The writing was vivid and beautiful, and the story was unique and haunting. However, almost a year later, my interest in the series has sadly waned. Meridian definitely did not live up to its prequel.
First off, I will say in all fairness that I could hardly remember anything that happened in Arclight. And yes, my memory is not the best, but it was truly a unique case in the extent to which all memory of Arclight had faded. While its story is unique and intricate, it's told in a vague, embellished manner that does not exactly keep its events at the forefront of your memory. Some things that happened I could piece together from clues in the first few chapters of Meridian, but be warned that it would be better to re-read Arclight before attempting Meridian.
So that might have been my fault, but what is not my fault is that right after reaching the end of this book, I could honestly not tell you what happened in it. That's not to say that nothing happened. I just don't get why. what. how. when. HUH?! I tried following along to the best of my ability, but I just didn't get it, and I'm not sure I can aptly explain why. Meridian picks up right after Arclight left off. Marina is now aware of Cherish, her previous Fade self, who is also still residing in her mind, and the Arclight is patching itself back up after the climax of the previous book. Now... from what I can gather, there are two types of Fade. The Fade like Rue are actually not evil, and though they live separately from the humans, they mean them no harm. On the other hand, Meridian introduces another type of Fade that has the good Fade frightened. They call it the Darkness, and it threatens to destroy everything.
At the beginning of this far too long novel, this evil Fade, the "Darkness" has infected a couple of kids from the Arclight. They move to quarantine the infection and try to find out more about the Darkness from the Fade. And then... stuff happens. Which I really don't get. Honoria (who I'm pretty sure was evil in the last book, but okay) decides they need to embark on a mission of some sort, because somehow they find some signal that there might be life at this school building outside of the Arclight. Why couldn't they just leave it be and stay in the safety of the light? Why force yourself into the Darkness which you've now clearly seen is harmful to you? I DON'T FUCKING KNOW.
So they go there. And things happen. And there's some people. And there's a battle. And then darkness attacks them. ... I don't know guys. This book is just a series of events thrown together, and I can't for the life of me seem to connect the dots. It doesn't help that I was under the impression that this was a duology, and that this would then be the conclusion of the series. It's NOT. This is at least a trilogy, so I can also safely say that Meridian suffers heavily from middle book syndrome. Arclight had a clear story arc, which I appreciated, but it did leave a lot of unanswered questions about the world building and such. Meridian just completely ignores all those questions and just serves to confuse you even more. And when you've finally reached the end of the 450 pages, you're met with the kind of ending like, "This is not the end. The war is coming." BUT WHY? HUH? WHAT? WHAT HAPPENED? I DON'T GET IT DUDEWTFBBQ.
And if the plot did not confuse you enough, the storytelling definitely will. Meridian is told from the alternate perspectives of Marina and Tobin. This doesn't help, because they don't have distinctive voices, but the worst part of all is the NAMES. I don't know why, but the author apparently feels like she needs to show a variety in word choice in the names she uses. So one character, within five pages, is referred to as "Dominique", "'Nique", "Anne-Marie's mom", and "Mrs. Johnston". Almost every secondary character has at least 3 names they are referred to by, depending on whether it's from Marina or Tobin's perspective, or just completely at random, because why not. Guys. I already had enough trouble trying to remember who these people were from the first book. This is NOT HELPING.
And the only thing that possibly could have saved this vaguey mess of a novel for me - the romance - was completely insufferable. A love triangle developed in Arclight and the wrong ship set sail. Rue, in this book, is freaking Rue-tastic, the only good part of this entire book, and even though Marina for whatever reason did not choose him, he's a protective, supportive badass. Tobin meanwhile is a whiney whiney bitch, all too insecure about Marina's feelings for Rue, putting Rue down any chance he gets. And Marina tells him a million times not to worry, she chose him. But why? I get absolutely zero feels for this romance. It's boring. It's bland. It's whiney. And there's no hope for the right ship. Tobin can GDIAF.
Summing Up:
I can't even with my disappointment right now. This book was such a mess, and reading it was so confusing, it gave me a headache. I will say that had I given it more time and had I had the time to reread Arclight beforehand, I probably would have felt very differently, but this series has just completely lost my interest. I'll keep an eye out what people think of this one and the next in the series when it's released, and based on that I might try again sometime, but for now... I'm letting this series go.
GIF it to me straight!
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book nor the content of the review.
When I read Arclight last year, I enjoyed it immensely. I'll be the first to admit it was one of my favorite debuts of the year. The writing was vivid and beautiful, and the story was unique and haunting. However, almost a year later, my interest in the series has sadly waned. Meridian definitely did not live up to its prequel.
First off, I will say in all fairness that I could hardly remember anything that happened in Arclight. And yes, my memory is not the best, but it was truly a unique case in the extent to which all memory of Arclight had faded. While its story is unique and intricate, it's told in a vague, embellished manner that does not exactly keep its events at the forefront of your memory. Some things that happened I could piece together from clues in the first few chapters of Meridian, but be warned that it would be better to re-read Arclight before attempting Meridian.
So that might have been my fault, but what is not my fault is that right after reaching the end of this book, I could honestly not tell you what happened in it. That's not to say that nothing happened. I just don't get why. what. how. when. HUH?! I tried following along to the best of my ability, but I just didn't get it, and I'm not sure I can aptly explain why. Meridian picks up right after Arclight left off. Marina is now aware of Cherish, her previous Fade self, who is also still residing in her mind, and the Arclight is patching itself back up after the climax of the previous book. Now... from what I can gather, there are two types of Fade. The Fade like Rue are actually not evil, and though they live separately from the humans, they mean them no harm. On the other hand, Meridian introduces another type of Fade that has the good Fade frightened. They call it the Darkness, and it threatens to destroy everything.
At the beginning of this far too long novel, this evil Fade, the "Darkness" has infected a couple of kids from the Arclight. They move to quarantine the infection and try to find out more about the Darkness from the Fade. And then... stuff happens. Which I really don't get. Honoria (who I'm pretty sure was evil in the last book, but okay) decides they need to embark on a mission of some sort, because somehow they find some signal that there might be life at this school building outside of the Arclight. Why couldn't they just leave it be and stay in the safety of the light? Why force yourself into the Darkness which you've now clearly seen is harmful to you? I DON'T FUCKING KNOW.
So they go there. And things happen. And there's some people. And there's a battle. And then darkness attacks them. ... I don't know guys. This book is just a series of events thrown together, and I can't for the life of me seem to connect the dots. It doesn't help that I was under the impression that this was a duology, and that this would then be the conclusion of the series. It's NOT. This is at least a trilogy, so I can also safely say that Meridian suffers heavily from middle book syndrome. Arclight had a clear story arc, which I appreciated, but it did leave a lot of unanswered questions about the world building and such. Meridian just completely ignores all those questions and just serves to confuse you even more. And when you've finally reached the end of the 450 pages, you're met with the kind of ending like, "This is not the end. The war is coming." BUT WHY? HUH? WHAT? WHAT HAPPENED? I DON'T GET IT DUDEWTFBBQ.
And if the plot did not confuse you enough, the storytelling definitely will. Meridian is told from the alternate perspectives of Marina and Tobin. This doesn't help, because they don't have distinctive voices, but the worst part of all is the NAMES. I don't know why, but the author apparently feels like she needs to show a variety in word choice in the names she uses. So one character, within five pages, is referred to as "Dominique", "'Nique", "Anne-Marie's mom", and "Mrs. Johnston". Almost every secondary character has at least 3 names they are referred to by, depending on whether it's from Marina or Tobin's perspective, or just completely at random, because why not. Guys. I already had enough trouble trying to remember who these people were from the first book. This is NOT HELPING.
And the only thing that possibly could have saved this vaguey mess of a novel for me - the romance - was completely insufferable. A love triangle developed in Arclight and the wrong ship set sail. Rue, in this book, is freaking Rue-tastic, the only good part of this entire book, and even though Marina for whatever reason did not choose him, he's a protective, supportive badass. Tobin meanwhile is a whiney whiney bitch, all too insecure about Marina's feelings for Rue, putting Rue down any chance he gets. And Marina tells him a million times not to worry, she chose him. But why? I get absolutely zero feels for this romance. It's boring. It's bland. It's whiney. And there's no hope for the right ship. Tobin can GDIAF.
Summing Up:
I can't even with my disappointment right now. This book was such a mess, and reading it was so confusing, it gave me a headache. I will say that had I given it more time and had I had the time to reread Arclight beforehand, I probably would have felt very differently, but this series has just completely lost my interest. I'll keep an eye out what people think of this one and the next in the series when it's released, and based on that I might try again sometime, but for now... I'm letting this series go.
GIF it to me straight!
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book nor the content of the review.
October 29, 2014
SO DISAPPOINTED! I loved Arclight and couldn't wait to read this, but it let me down big time. Biggest issue: it wasn't very exciting for me. I don't know if I was just in one of those reading slump moods, or if it was Meridian, but something wasn't working out. Everything moved so slowly and I found myself losing interest as the book went on. Quite a few times, I almost DNF'd just to spare myself, but I was really curious about the ending and if Marina would end up with the guy I shipped her with. NOPE. T_T
May 19, 2014
3.5 stars
Meridian resumes where Arclight left of, with a newly established, fragile peace between humans and Fade and with Marina right in the middle of things as an ambassador of sorts. However, it is a weaker book than its predecessor, somewhat aimless and heavily burdened by the infamous middle book syndrome.
Meridian’s biggest flaw is that it doesn’t have a clear story arc. It’s a series of fast-paced events that can (and often do) become extremely confusing. However, even with all those random, loosely connected events, not much actually happens in this book. There are so many characters to keep track of in this claustrophobic world, and the amount of information we get on each page is quite overwhelming, but the actual story is insubstantial at best.
Splitting the novel between Marina’s and Tobin’s points of view was certainly part of the problem. For one, their voices were far too similar, so much so that I had a hard time telling them apart. What’s more, two perspectives made the narrative seem choppy and disorganized, which certainly didn’t work in McQuein’s favor.
What did work in her favor was the new enemy she introduced. McQuein is surpassingly good at writing extremely creepy scenes. The new enemy of humans and Fade alike is absolutely terrifying.
The romantic situation wasn’t my favorite at all. Marina’s Fade self, Cherish, has strong feelings for the Fade boy Rue, while Marina still feels plenty for Tobin. It’s more than just a love triangle, it’s a torturous mess with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. And yet, the whole thing doesn’t really go anywhere, not in this book at least. It’s an awkward, mostly silent tug of war between Rue and Tobin, with Marina (or Cherish) as the prize.
I was quite ready to hate Rue for the disruption of our “first” romance (which, if you think about it, really wasn’t first at all), but that boy is all sweetness and self-sacrifice, completely impossible to hate. In fact, I find myself far more interested in his story and other good Fade, than Marina and her human friends and enemies.
I’m still hoping for a satisfying conclusion to all this, although I’m not even sure how I want it to end. I suppose I’ll just relax and wait for the next book to come out.
Meridian resumes where Arclight left of, with a newly established, fragile peace between humans and Fade and with Marina right in the middle of things as an ambassador of sorts. However, it is a weaker book than its predecessor, somewhat aimless and heavily burdened by the infamous middle book syndrome.
Meridian’s biggest flaw is that it doesn’t have a clear story arc. It’s a series of fast-paced events that can (and often do) become extremely confusing. However, even with all those random, loosely connected events, not much actually happens in this book. There are so many characters to keep track of in this claustrophobic world, and the amount of information we get on each page is quite overwhelming, but the actual story is insubstantial at best.
Splitting the novel between Marina’s and Tobin’s points of view was certainly part of the problem. For one, their voices were far too similar, so much so that I had a hard time telling them apart. What’s more, two perspectives made the narrative seem choppy and disorganized, which certainly didn’t work in McQuein’s favor.
What did work in her favor was the new enemy she introduced. McQuein is surpassingly good at writing extremely creepy scenes. The new enemy of humans and Fade alike is absolutely terrifying.
The romantic situation wasn’t my favorite at all. Marina’s Fade self, Cherish, has strong feelings for the Fade boy Rue, while Marina still feels plenty for Tobin. It’s more than just a love triangle, it’s a torturous mess with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. And yet, the whole thing doesn’t really go anywhere, not in this book at least. It’s an awkward, mostly silent tug of war between Rue and Tobin, with Marina (or Cherish) as the prize.
I was quite ready to hate Rue for the disruption of our “first” romance (which, if you think about it, really wasn’t first at all), but that boy is all sweetness and self-sacrifice, completely impossible to hate. In fact, I find myself far more interested in his story and other good Fade, than Marina and her human friends and enemies.
I’m still hoping for a satisfying conclusion to all this, although I’m not even sure how I want it to end. I suppose I’ll just relax and wait for the next book to come out.
Want to read
September 11, 2014Yay for a sequel!!! While one of the reasons I loved ARCLIGHT was for being a stand-alone, I'm definitely looking forward to exploring the world more. What else hides in the Dark? *shiver* Can't wait! XD
March 14, 2014
This series is one of the best dystopian/post-apocalytpic series out there, and Meridian did not disappoint whatsoever. Gahh! So good!
Look for my full review in April!
Look for my full review in April!
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Resuming where Arclight left off, Mmeridian is the second in the series and ambles slowly through most of the plot until finally a conflict and then ending. Without resolving much at the end, a lot of the book feels padded in order to draw out the only reveal. It makes for a chore to go through the inert first half and then drawn out battles of the second. Logic/science improbabilities do continue to plague the series and the characters could really use some warmth of spirit/likeability.
Story: Marina is conflicted. Her human self at odds with the Fade Cherish personality deep inside of her. Cherish can still communicate with Rue and the Hive and Marina greatly fears Cherish will take over and her personality lost in the process. But both have bigger problems: there is something else out there in the Fade that is far more dangerous - and it is hungry.
I have to admit, although I had not read Arclight too long ago, I was lost for a good part of the first part of the book. McQuein's writing style of putting the important segueways at the end of paragraphs means that it is easy to get lost if you skim even a little (or are not paying attention close enough). I prefer my topics in the opening sentences of paragraphs as it makes reading easier to follow and less likely to lose the reader. I had to do a lot of rereading in Meridian, taking away from the experience and definitely pulling me out of an immersive read. Combine a slow first half with frustrating trips to reread paragraphs and I end up with a less than enthusiastic read.
The author's choice to use sparate POV's for Tobin and Marina was also distracting. Especially when we jump characters mid-scene. I didn't feel Tobin's POV was necessary at all and would have preferred it stayed fully with Marina. When his POV's came around, I wanted to read faster just to get back to Marina quicker. It also added to the confusion of the story.
The book follows the first in style and plot so those that liked the first will continue to enjoy the second. Admittedly, the logic holes still bother me (e.g., nanites that can only infect through contact yet cover every surface outside of the compound and don't infect anyone). And the inability of any teen in the book to listen to the adults (why do they even bother with locked rooms, anyway?) and just do things to get themselves injured makes it hard to love the characters or root for them. It also makes them less realistic and a bit more cardboard since clearly they don't have any self preservation instincts.
I do like that the characters are not perfect princes or sweet unique snowflakes. Though I wish Marina had at least some redeeming quality or something to make me respect/like her. But I do see character growth in some of the characters.
At this point, I'm not sure if I will continue the series. I like the basic idea of the plot but the flat characters, confusing writing, and logic holes are starting to become obstacles to the reading experience. Missing from the second book is the tension and mystery of the first and I fear we will not see it in the third.
Reviewed from an ARC.
April 27, 2014
**I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Young Adult, Dystopian
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
As the sequel to Arclight, Meridian reveals dark secrets of the past, more information on the Arclight's elders including Honoria, Lutrell, Mr. Pace, Lt. Sykes, and Dr. Wolff, new challenges/darkness for the future to come, and a twisted courtship between two men who are chasing after the same unique girl in Marina who has more than grown up as a character.
Meridian, which takes place 2 months after the end of Arclight, is actually told in the POV's of Tobin and Marina this time around. In my humble opinion, I could have done without Tobin's view point, and hope that McQuein sticks with only Marina/Cherish the next time out. Tobin's POV was more or less unnecessary for the overall enjoyment of the story, and his behavior towards Rue and even Marina, really got my blood boiling. It was like watching a FIVE year old throw a tantrum, over, and over, and over again. His beef with Rue, has gone viral, and I'm not sure if I can take the churlish antagonism without pulling out my hair, and screaming.
For Marina, the former Fade who was taken against her will into the Arclight by Honoria Whit and made human, not only has she made her choice in remaining human, and staying within the Arclight, she has become part of the inner circle of the Arclight. Her connection with Cherish is solid, and definitely something that is unique, and it also protects her from the darkness. I like the fact that even though they are separate personalities, Cherish is part of Marina, and keeps harmful memories away from her, allowing her to access them only when they are in danger. I do wonder how the connection will eventually play itself out. Will one FADE into history, or will they remain connected?
I liked that the story went OUTSIDE the ARC and even the Gray this time around. I like that the Fade and Humans have a working relationship that is still tenuous in nature, but a necessary relationship. I like the fact that there are apparently more survivors, and I hope that we see more of them in the next installment even though they made things difficult for Marina and the Elders.
I liked how the Evil-Fade aka Killers, made their presence felt in a major way with not only Marina, but other characters like Annie, Trey, and Tobin. Needless to say, but I am eager to see who survives, and who doesn't when all is said and done since the ending leaves hints as to where McQuein is going in her next story. I am actually eager to understand the Killers even more than what was revealed in Meridian.
I am hopeful that the twisted relationship that is Marina, Cherish, Tobin, and Rue ends in a positive manner. Although Marina apparently has made her choice in staying human, she still has a connection to Rue, Cherish, and her family and whether or not she remains human, or FADES again, should be very interesting to read about. I still say that Rue has done more to protect Marina, and the other humans than anyone else, and deserves some consideration.
*01/06/2014* Recvd via Edelweiss* Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Greenwillow Books
*Genre* Young Adult, Dystopian
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
As the sequel to Arclight, Meridian reveals dark secrets of the past, more information on the Arclight's elders including Honoria, Lutrell, Mr. Pace, Lt. Sykes, and Dr. Wolff, new challenges/darkness for the future to come, and a twisted courtship between two men who are chasing after the same unique girl in Marina who has more than grown up as a character.
Meridian, which takes place 2 months after the end of Arclight, is actually told in the POV's of Tobin and Marina this time around. In my humble opinion, I could have done without Tobin's view point, and hope that McQuein sticks with only Marina/Cherish the next time out. Tobin's POV was more or less unnecessary for the overall enjoyment of the story, and his behavior towards Rue and even Marina, really got my blood boiling. It was like watching a FIVE year old throw a tantrum, over, and over, and over again. His beef with Rue, has gone viral, and I'm not sure if I can take the churlish antagonism without pulling out my hair, and screaming.
For Marina, the former Fade who was taken against her will into the Arclight by Honoria Whit and made human, not only has she made her choice in remaining human, and staying within the Arclight, she has become part of the inner circle of the Arclight. Her connection with Cherish is solid, and definitely something that is unique, and it also protects her from the darkness. I like the fact that even though they are separate personalities, Cherish is part of Marina, and keeps harmful memories away from her, allowing her to access them only when they are in danger. I do wonder how the connection will eventually play itself out. Will one FADE into history, or will they remain connected?
I liked that the story went OUTSIDE the ARC and even the Gray this time around. I like that the Fade and Humans have a working relationship that is still tenuous in nature, but a necessary relationship. I like the fact that there are apparently more survivors, and I hope that we see more of them in the next installment even though they made things difficult for Marina and the Elders.
I liked how the Evil-Fade aka Killers, made their presence felt in a major way with not only Marina, but other characters like Annie, Trey, and Tobin. Needless to say, but I am eager to see who survives, and who doesn't when all is said and done since the ending leaves hints as to where McQuein is going in her next story. I am actually eager to understand the Killers even more than what was revealed in Meridian.
I am hopeful that the twisted relationship that is Marina, Cherish, Tobin, and Rue ends in a positive manner. Although Marina apparently has made her choice in staying human, she still has a connection to Rue, Cherish, and her family and whether or not she remains human, or FADES again, should be very interesting to read about. I still say that Rue has done more to protect Marina, and the other humans than anyone else, and deserves some consideration.
*01/06/2014* Recvd via Edelweiss* Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Greenwillow Books
May 29, 2014
Meridian was a toss-up for me, from the beginning. I enjoyed Arclight, but its negatives were the kinds of issues that made me wonder how successful a sequel would be. Nevertheless, when I heard that there would be a sequel, and when I saw it up for grabs on Edelweiss, I couldn't stop myself from checking it out.
Unfortunately, Meridian missed the mark for me, on many levels.
- The dual narrative seemed completely unnecessary and was often confusing. This is a case where I couldn't understand why we were switching between POVs, as Tobin's viewpoint added nothing to the story. Aside from that, I had a lot of trouble remembering whose POV I was reading. The only way I could tell was by the few nicknames they had for a couple of the other characters.
- The pace was way too slow. It felt like nothing really happened until I was past the halfway mark, and even then, it seemed as if everything was being stretched out. In fact, it seems like this sequel was supposed to be one book, but they broke it out into two books and then had to stretch this first half out to make it long enough.
- The ending CLEARLY signifies a Book Three, which is disappointing because of my previous bullet point, and also because I'm so bored with the series now that I don't think I want to continue it if there DOES end up being a third book.
But it wasn't ALL bad.
I still think the whole idea and mechanics of the Fade and their nanites is fascinating. The progression of The Fade as a character (and the introduction of The Dark) was welcome and interesting. I was hoping to see a lot more of this than was actually in the book, though.
In the end, I was left pretty dissatisfied, which really bummed me out. I was hoping for an expansion of what I liked about Arclight, but ended up being mostly bored.
Unfortunately, Meridian missed the mark for me, on many levels.
- The dual narrative seemed completely unnecessary and was often confusing. This is a case where I couldn't understand why we were switching between POVs, as Tobin's viewpoint added nothing to the story. Aside from that, I had a lot of trouble remembering whose POV I was reading. The only way I could tell was by the few nicknames they had for a couple of the other characters.
- The pace was way too slow. It felt like nothing really happened until I was past the halfway mark, and even then, it seemed as if everything was being stretched out. In fact, it seems like this sequel was supposed to be one book, but they broke it out into two books and then had to stretch this first half out to make it long enough.
- The ending CLEARLY signifies a Book Three, which is disappointing because of my previous bullet point, and also because I'm so bored with the series now that I don't think I want to continue it if there DOES end up being a third book.
But it wasn't ALL bad.
I still think the whole idea and mechanics of the Fade and their nanites is fascinating. The progression of The Fade as a character (and the introduction of The Dark) was welcome and interesting. I was hoping to see a lot more of this than was actually in the book, though.
In the end, I was left pretty dissatisfied, which really bummed me out. I was hoping for an expansion of what I liked about Arclight, but ended up being mostly bored.
September 3, 2013
A series now? ARCLIGHT was very confusing, hopefully this book is better than the last.
July 13, 2014
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Meridian is the sequel to Arclight and I truly didn't know what to expect from this book by any means. When I had initially read Arclight, I had thought that it was a stand-alone and I was happy to hear that it was the first book in a trilogy. After reading Meridian, I can't help but think that maybe Arclight would've worked better as a stand-alone because Meridian is extremely disappointing. Meridian is way too slow-paced and this book definitely could've been shortened by at least 50 pages.
Marina discovers that Honoria knows more about the Fade than she's letting on and Marina finds out that there's another group of survivors outside the Arclight. The only problem is that danger lurks outside of the Arclight and these creatures are even more dangerous than the Fade themselves.
I had such a hard time getting into Meridian and I definitely think the lack of an Arclight recap hindered my enjoyment of this novel. I read Arclight so long ago and I couldn't remember much what happened in the novel besides a few plot-lines. I was extremely confused for the first 20% or so and slowly I started to remember bits and pieces eventually but the lack of a recap truly was a poor decision.
I think one of the major problems with Meridian is that the summary spoils most of the major plot points of this book which is even more troubling considering those plot points are all that ever seems to occur in this novel. A great deal of this book is spent on Marina attempting to uncover the Fade's secrets and truthfully the "big secrets" aren't all that shocking. The rest of this book covers Marina and her friends attempting to find the group of survivors and that's it. After reading over 450 pages of Meridian, I feel like this book is so extraneous and unnecessary; Meridian feels like it could've been a short story that was unreasonably expanded into a full-length novel. Meridian could easily have been less than 100 pages, but it was filled with so much bland dialogue and character development.
I remember that I used to root for Marina and Tobin's relationship, but in Meridian their relationship quickly went downhill. I can't even fathom why I ever was a fan of the romance in this series because the romance in Meridian is extremely mediocre. Tobin is so irritating and I truly don't think that he deserves to be with Marina anymore.
The Fade are back in Meridian and while they are still frightening, I feel like they have lost their charm. After the incredibly, intense scenes involving the Fade in Arclight, watching the Fade be reduced into unengaging characters in Meridian feels wrong. The Fade aren't the same creatures any more, but I feel as a reader that they aren't appealing to me unless they are scaring the bejeebus out of me. The characters in Meridian are a bit too comfortable with the Fade and for that reason, these creatures seemed to have lost their edge.
Meridian is an extremely weak sequel and it doesn't deliver a thrilling, terrifying adventure like Arclight did. I didn't become interested in the story until I was near the half-way point and this book suffered from pacing problems. While the ending is exciting, by that point I was tired of reading this book and a part of me just wanted it to be over. Those who enjoyed Arclight will likely be irritated with the turn that this series has taken with Meridian.
Meridian is the sequel to Arclight and I truly didn't know what to expect from this book by any means. When I had initially read Arclight, I had thought that it was a stand-alone and I was happy to hear that it was the first book in a trilogy. After reading Meridian, I can't help but think that maybe Arclight would've worked better as a stand-alone because Meridian is extremely disappointing. Meridian is way too slow-paced and this book definitely could've been shortened by at least 50 pages.
Marina discovers that Honoria knows more about the Fade than she's letting on and Marina finds out that there's another group of survivors outside the Arclight. The only problem is that danger lurks outside of the Arclight and these creatures are even more dangerous than the Fade themselves.
I had such a hard time getting into Meridian and I definitely think the lack of an Arclight recap hindered my enjoyment of this novel. I read Arclight so long ago and I couldn't remember much what happened in the novel besides a few plot-lines. I was extremely confused for the first 20% or so and slowly I started to remember bits and pieces eventually but the lack of a recap truly was a poor decision.
I think one of the major problems with Meridian is that the summary spoils most of the major plot points of this book which is even more troubling considering those plot points are all that ever seems to occur in this novel. A great deal of this book is spent on Marina attempting to uncover the Fade's secrets and truthfully the "big secrets" aren't all that shocking. The rest of this book covers Marina and her friends attempting to find the group of survivors and that's it. After reading over 450 pages of Meridian, I feel like this book is so extraneous and unnecessary; Meridian feels like it could've been a short story that was unreasonably expanded into a full-length novel. Meridian could easily have been less than 100 pages, but it was filled with so much bland dialogue and character development.
I remember that I used to root for Marina and Tobin's relationship, but in Meridian their relationship quickly went downhill. I can't even fathom why I ever was a fan of the romance in this series because the romance in Meridian is extremely mediocre. Tobin is so irritating and I truly don't think that he deserves to be with Marina anymore.
The Fade are back in Meridian and while they are still frightening, I feel like they have lost their charm. After the incredibly, intense scenes involving the Fade in Arclight, watching the Fade be reduced into unengaging characters in Meridian feels wrong. The Fade aren't the same creatures any more, but I feel as a reader that they aren't appealing to me unless they are scaring the bejeebus out of me. The characters in Meridian are a bit too comfortable with the Fade and for that reason, these creatures seemed to have lost their edge.
Meridian is an extremely weak sequel and it doesn't deliver a thrilling, terrifying adventure like Arclight did. I didn't become interested in the story until I was near the half-way point and this book suffered from pacing problems. While the ending is exciting, by that point I was tired of reading this book and a part of me just wanted it to be over. Those who enjoyed Arclight will likely be irritated with the turn that this series has taken with Meridian.
December 9, 2014
Meridian is the sequel to Arclight and it takes off a few months after the events in Arclight. The story is told from two point of views Tobin and Marina's.
The love trainable between Marina, Tobin, and Rue is ridiculous. There is no connection between any of them. There are small moments between Tobin and Marina where they will kiss or say or do something sweet, but these moments are very rare. Rue is only around Marina because Cherish is still a part of her. Rue felt more like a good friend than a love interest. Marina doesn't even seem to have a direct interest for Tobin or Rue. The romance in the book really failed and was really unnecessary.
The plot of the story is okay, but it felt more like a sequence of events just thrown together. I didn't really get why they had to go out of the arclight. And the whole there are two different types of Fade wasn't really that interesting. I feel like the author could've put more thought into the plot.
Overall I liked Meridian, but it was lacking in some aspects. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
July 28, 2014
Overall, I've enjoyed the Arclight book series immensely. I love the concepts of the struggle between the light and dark, and the world lost after the Fade took over. I thought that McQuien did a great job with Marina's inner struggles of trying to figure out who she was inside. The struggles with having to choose between Tobin and Rue along with unraveling the secrets of the world outside the light. In my opinion, the ending left something to be desired, it seemed like the final conflict between The Dark, the Fade and Humans was resolved too quickly. After some sacrifice, (No Spoilers) it seems like all the trouble just rolls over and dies and everything goes back to normal. I am definitely expecting another book, because there were plenty of unanswered questions, and I also think the series still has potential for another great saga. As a reader, I would like to know about the world before Arclight, the origins of Sykes, Honoria, Lutrell, Pace, and Wolff. I would recommend these books to anyone who likes post-apocalyptic sci-fi or anyone who enjoys a story with plenty of mystery and adventure.
July 6, 2014
This series! It is so creepy and so awesome! I loved how the world in Median has expanded and we get to go outside of the Grey, outside of the Dark, and even farther! We get a better idea of the history of how everything happened and are taken on an awesome (and scary!) adventure.
I have to say, I love Marina and who she is as a character. I am NOT a fan of reading about Marina and Tobin from dual narratives. I guess in general I must not like them, because it was a point of the book that I simply didn't enjoy. I wanted to read about Marina's thoughts only. I found it a bit confusing at times (though there were headings on each chapter telling me who the narrator was.)
The Arclight series is absolutely one of my favorites- it is so completely different to everything else out there. I hands down recommend it to anyone and I can't wait for the next book- if it is a good as this one, I expect many nightmares and many lamps on in my house!
I have to say, I love Marina and who she is as a character. I am NOT a fan of reading about Marina and Tobin from dual narratives. I guess in general I must not like them, because it was a point of the book that I simply didn't enjoy. I wanted to read about Marina's thoughts only. I found it a bit confusing at times (though there were headings on each chapter telling me who the narrator was.)
The Arclight series is absolutely one of my favorites- it is so completely different to everything else out there. I hands down recommend it to anyone and I can't wait for the next book- if it is a good as this one, I expect many nightmares and many lamps on in my house!
February 20, 2014
Eh.
Somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars.
Second book syndrome. Plus other issues. I'm quite disappointed right now.
Review to come.
Somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars.
Second book syndrome. Plus other issues. I'm quite disappointed right now.
Review to come.
April 15, 2015
The story about Marina continues...
Again, I am fascinated by Josin's vision of a nano-society...Like Arclight, I liked this one, too.
Again, I am fascinated by Josin's vision of a nano-society...Like Arclight, I liked this one, too.
Read
November 4, 2013No, just no. It was a chore getting through the first one.BORING, just totally detached. Maybe the author stepped it up in this one.
June 23, 2014
I liked it. I hope there is another book in this series.
January 9, 2015
To much switch between the two main characters, they are both in first person, and in the same place at the same time, so the switching back and forth is way too confusing.
November 23, 2016
the first one was better.
December 26, 2019
***
Although Marina and her friends took down the Arclight, nothing much has changed. Yes the people who were out in the dark have been allowed back in. However everyone is still completely terrified of the Fade. They still lock the Arclight up each and every night. They still have little to no contact with the Fade. People are still scared.
Then the unthinkable happens. A teenage boy seems to be infected by the Fade. He seems to be changing. But both Rue and Cherish try to explain that the Fade infecting them isn't their Fade.
They also discover there may be another group of survivors out there and they might be able to save the turning teen. Anoriea decide they have to go out and find them.
This was a great second book and terrible one all at the same time. There were many things the book for right and did a great job on. However there were some things that honestly shouldn't have happened at all.
Likes
I love that people don't just all of the sudden stop being prejudice of the Fade because Marina says they are not going to try to infect them. It is completely illogical to think that people will change over night like that.
The wild Fade are super cool. They are so different from Rue's Fade they are scary. They seem to almost rip their host apart as they assimilate them.
The monsters in this book are even more terrifying than the ones in the first book. They are more foreign from us. They sound like chaos. They create huge best like things, horses, wolves, and other indescribable monsters.
Finally, I love the extra details that we are finding out about the Fade and several people of the Archlight. Fade that are born as a Fade instead of being a fade that have a host are very different. Born Fade have completely assimilated their nanites. They can unmake themselves and do not have to consume food the same way we do. They are also more powerful than Fades with hosts. Not to mention the Fade pods. How seriously cool are those!!
Dislikes
As many things as this book did right, it did several serious things stupidly wrong. First of all, an introduction of a new point of view. Tobin's POV was completely unnecessary and only contributes to show how terrified of the Fade humans are. His POV could have and should have been left out. The entire book would benefit greatly. In fact the entire ending of the book lacks his POV at all, showing it was completely unnecessary.
Second, Anoreia finds out that there could be another settlement of humans. They decide that they are going to go see if that other settlement can help with the child that is being turned. That is all good. I mean I totally get all of that. What I don't get is why they go in the middle of the day with night coming. Then they go completely half caulked. They don't have enough portable lights or gas. They take a super old truck that has some serious repair issues. Anoriea knows how dangerous it is out there but she doesn't take good enough precautions to protect themselves. I thought it was completely uncharacteristic of Anoreia.
The other part that bugged me was the different survivors that they met. They were just not that smart. They didn't understand how the nanites transfered or that they will take over the host or if you kill them off inside a host to quickly they poison the host. These are things they should already know. Even though they are from a different group, these are key things to survival. Yet they fail to understand even simple things about the nanites. How has the other group even survived this long??
While this book does have a lot of action, it is definitely one of those middle books in a series. Nothing very important happens. The whole book just sets up the finally book in the series. That was a little disappointing.
Finally the book ends on a massive cliff hanger. I don't like it when books do that. But this book almost had to or it would have concluded the series. Yet now it leaves me wondering, what is left for the next book??
PG - 13 - Several different people are intentionally burned. People are stabbed, cut, and shot at. Dreams of suffocating. Very scary nightmares and monsters straight out of nightmares.
Although Marina and her friends took down the Arclight, nothing much has changed. Yes the people who were out in the dark have been allowed back in. However everyone is still completely terrified of the Fade. They still lock the Arclight up each and every night. They still have little to no contact with the Fade. People are still scared.
Then the unthinkable happens. A teenage boy seems to be infected by the Fade. He seems to be changing. But both Rue and Cherish try to explain that the Fade infecting them isn't their Fade.
They also discover there may be another group of survivors out there and they might be able to save the turning teen. Anoriea decide they have to go out and find them.
This was a great second book and terrible one all at the same time. There were many things the book for right and did a great job on. However there were some things that honestly shouldn't have happened at all.
Likes
I love that people don't just all of the sudden stop being prejudice of the Fade because Marina says they are not going to try to infect them. It is completely illogical to think that people will change over night like that.
The wild Fade are super cool. They are so different from Rue's Fade they are scary. They seem to almost rip their host apart as they assimilate them.
The monsters in this book are even more terrifying than the ones in the first book. They are more foreign from us. They sound like chaos. They create huge best like things, horses, wolves, and other indescribable monsters.
Finally, I love the extra details that we are finding out about the Fade and several people of the Archlight. Fade that are born as a Fade instead of being a fade that have a host are very different. Born Fade have completely assimilated their nanites. They can unmake themselves and do not have to consume food the same way we do. They are also more powerful than Fades with hosts. Not to mention the Fade pods. How seriously cool are those!!
Dislikes
As many things as this book did right, it did several serious things stupidly wrong. First of all, an introduction of a new point of view. Tobin's POV was completely unnecessary and only contributes to show how terrified of the Fade humans are. His POV could have and should have been left out. The entire book would benefit greatly. In fact the entire ending of the book lacks his POV at all, showing it was completely unnecessary.
Second, Anoreia finds out that there could be another settlement of humans. They decide that they are going to go see if that other settlement can help with the child that is being turned. That is all good. I mean I totally get all of that. What I don't get is why they go in the middle of the day with night coming. Then they go completely half caulked. They don't have enough portable lights or gas. They take a super old truck that has some serious repair issues. Anoriea knows how dangerous it is out there but she doesn't take good enough precautions to protect themselves. I thought it was completely uncharacteristic of Anoreia.
The other part that bugged me was the different survivors that they met. They were just not that smart. They didn't understand how the nanites transfered or that they will take over the host or if you kill them off inside a host to quickly they poison the host. These are things they should already know. Even though they are from a different group, these are key things to survival. Yet they fail to understand even simple things about the nanites. How has the other group even survived this long??
While this book does have a lot of action, it is definitely one of those middle books in a series. Nothing very important happens. The whole book just sets up the finally book in the series. That was a little disappointing.
Finally the book ends on a massive cliff hanger. I don't like it when books do that. But this book almost had to or it would have concluded the series. Yet now it leaves me wondering, what is left for the next book??
PG - 13 - Several different people are intentionally burned. People are stabbed, cut, and shot at. Dreams of suffocating. Very scary nightmares and monsters straight out of nightmares.
May 13, 2014
An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
I'm just going to be upfront and say that if it's been awhile since you read Arclight , you're going to want to re-read it prior to picking up this sequel. Or listen to the audio like I did. Tara Sands is a solid narrator, and I enjoyed my re-listen as much as I enjoyed reading the novel the first time. Also, I feel like I should mention that this is now a series. When I read Arclight, I was under the impression that it was a stand-alone, and that's part of the reason I enjoyed it so immensely. I was impressed that the author could tell her science fiction tale in one book and leave it at that. I'm not upset that there's a sequel by any means because I definitely thought there was more story to tell at the end of the first book, but I do feel slightly disillusioned by it all. Especially after reading Meridian, thinking that at most this was a duology, only to come to that ending and realize that there has to be another book coming. I haven't seen anything official, and I'm not really complaining about this fact; I just believe it's always better to know what you're getting into when embarking on a story like this.
As I've said, I loved Arclight. I loved Marina and the Fade and discovering what importance each held to each other, as well as to the world after the fall of civilization. In Meridian, the tide has turned. The Fade are no longer the enemy the humans of the Arclight feared them to be. Instead, a far more destructive enemy lurks in the Dark, and it means to assimilate all who cross its path. With the Arclight down for that short period, it's decided its next target.
The Fade were creepy to me in the beginning, what with that click-clack Rue's claws made as he ghosted along the wall, but knowing what they are now makes them less so. Not true of this new presence. But it didn't affect me in the same way; it wasn't horror movie scary. It was simply the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it, run-for-your-life kind of terror. There were lulls in the story for sure, but whenever these things were around, I couldn't turn the page fast enough, if only to get to the next scene so that they wouldn't be there.
So...new enemy...check. There were some other new characters, too, but they matter little in the scheme of things, so I'm just going to pretend like they never existed. What does matter in the long-run is the sheer volume of information we get regarding the days before, which we're privy to by way of none other than Honoria Jean Whit's journal. By providing the info this way, the author avoids one massive info dump, and it also serves to humanize Honoria when we all know she's done some pretty monstrous things along the way. I hated her character before, and I don't hate her any less now, but I do have a massive amount of respect for her.
Rue has also proven to be more than just a foil for Tobin's character. He is completely self-sacrificing, at least when it comes to Marina and what she wants. Which means he takes the safety of those in the Arclight very seriously, much to the chagrin of Tobin who just wants him to accept the loss of Cherish and accept that Marina is his. I'm okay with this love triangle. It feels legitimate, since Marina wasn't Marina when she was Rue's mate, and she wasn't Cherish when she fell for Tobin. And now, that dividing line isn't so divisive. Marina is Cherish and Cherish is Marina, and each feels pulled in a different direction, toward a different boy. I have to admit, I do lean more toward Rue as the better choice, especially after certain developments in this book. Rue and Tobin continually snipe at each other throughout this book, but Tobin is so worried about Marina returning to Rue, and he comes off as whiney a lot.
This is probably where I should mention that this novel is told from both Marina and Tobin's perspectives. And if the author's purpose in providing us with Tobin's point-of-view was to make us like him less, it worked for me. It's not that he's a bad guy. It's just that Rue makes so much more sense. Then again, I didn't get his perspective, so I only know what he broadcast, not what's going on with him internally. Still, actions speak louder than words, and considering Rue doesn't like human speech all that much, he takes a lot of action. I wished this book had only been told through Marina's eyes again like the first book. For one, I just didn't find each voice distinctive enough. For another, I just think it would have made for more cohesive story-telling, had we been left with the original narrator.
Especially since I really liked the direction the author took with Marina's character. She's really grown as a character, a much-needed change from who she was when we met her in the first book, when she barely knew herself, let alone anyone else. I love her tenacity, her willingness to go to bat for the Fade, and I love how now she could choose to live her life on either side of the Arclight because of who and what she is.
This sequel isn't perfect, but it held much of the same allure for me as the first book did. I found it nearly impossible to quit reading each night, desperate to know what would become of these former enemies, allied together in the face of a common foe. I also enjoyed how often morality was called into question, how nothing is ever as black and white as it seems, which is saying a lot when everyone thinks the shadows are out to get them. Like I said, so far this is only listed as a two-book series, but there is definitely room for more story. Meridian ends on the right note, a resounding call to arms, as the enemy is surely not done with the humans of the Arclight yet.
GIF it to me straight:
Creepy and somewhat terrifying at times, but so totally worth the nightmares. =)
This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
I'm just going to be upfront and say that if it's been awhile since you read Arclight , you're going to want to re-read it prior to picking up this sequel. Or listen to the audio like I did. Tara Sands is a solid narrator, and I enjoyed my re-listen as much as I enjoyed reading the novel the first time. Also, I feel like I should mention that this is now a series. When I read Arclight, I was under the impression that it was a stand-alone, and that's part of the reason I enjoyed it so immensely. I was impressed that the author could tell her science fiction tale in one book and leave it at that. I'm not upset that there's a sequel by any means because I definitely thought there was more story to tell at the end of the first book, but I do feel slightly disillusioned by it all. Especially after reading Meridian, thinking that at most this was a duology, only to come to that ending and realize that there has to be another book coming. I haven't seen anything official, and I'm not really complaining about this fact; I just believe it's always better to know what you're getting into when embarking on a story like this.
As I've said, I loved Arclight. I loved Marina and the Fade and discovering what importance each held to each other, as well as to the world after the fall of civilization. In Meridian, the tide has turned. The Fade are no longer the enemy the humans of the Arclight feared them to be. Instead, a far more destructive enemy lurks in the Dark, and it means to assimilate all who cross its path. With the Arclight down for that short period, it's decided its next target.
The Fade were creepy to me in the beginning, what with that click-clack Rue's claws made as he ghosted along the wall, but knowing what they are now makes them less so. Not true of this new presence. But it didn't affect me in the same way; it wasn't horror movie scary. It was simply the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it, run-for-your-life kind of terror. There were lulls in the story for sure, but whenever these things were around, I couldn't turn the page fast enough, if only to get to the next scene so that they wouldn't be there.
So...new enemy...check. There were some other new characters, too, but they matter little in the scheme of things, so I'm just going to pretend like they never existed. What does matter in the long-run is the sheer volume of information we get regarding the days before, which we're privy to by way of none other than Honoria Jean Whit's journal. By providing the info this way, the author avoids one massive info dump, and it also serves to humanize Honoria when we all know she's done some pretty monstrous things along the way. I hated her character before, and I don't hate her any less now, but I do have a massive amount of respect for her.
Rue has also proven to be more than just a foil for Tobin's character. He is completely self-sacrificing, at least when it comes to Marina and what she wants. Which means he takes the safety of those in the Arclight very seriously, much to the chagrin of Tobin who just wants him to accept the loss of Cherish and accept that Marina is his. I'm okay with this love triangle. It feels legitimate, since Marina wasn't Marina when she was Rue's mate, and she wasn't Cherish when she fell for Tobin. And now, that dividing line isn't so divisive. Marina is Cherish and Cherish is Marina, and each feels pulled in a different direction, toward a different boy. I have to admit, I do lean more toward Rue as the better choice, especially after certain developments in this book. Rue and Tobin continually snipe at each other throughout this book, but Tobin is so worried about Marina returning to Rue, and he comes off as whiney a lot.
This is probably where I should mention that this novel is told from both Marina and Tobin's perspectives. And if the author's purpose in providing us with Tobin's point-of-view was to make us like him less, it worked for me. It's not that he's a bad guy. It's just that Rue makes so much more sense. Then again, I didn't get his perspective, so I only know what he broadcast, not what's going on with him internally. Still, actions speak louder than words, and considering Rue doesn't like human speech all that much, he takes a lot of action. I wished this book had only been told through Marina's eyes again like the first book. For one, I just didn't find each voice distinctive enough. For another, I just think it would have made for more cohesive story-telling, had we been left with the original narrator.
Especially since I really liked the direction the author took with Marina's character. She's really grown as a character, a much-needed change from who she was when we met her in the first book, when she barely knew herself, let alone anyone else. I love her tenacity, her willingness to go to bat for the Fade, and I love how now she could choose to live her life on either side of the Arclight because of who and what she is.
This sequel isn't perfect, but it held much of the same allure for me as the first book did. I found it nearly impossible to quit reading each night, desperate to know what would become of these former enemies, allied together in the face of a common foe. I also enjoyed how often morality was called into question, how nothing is ever as black and white as it seems, which is saying a lot when everyone thinks the shadows are out to get them. Like I said, so far this is only listed as a two-book series, but there is definitely room for more story. Meridian ends on the right note, a resounding call to arms, as the enemy is surely not done with the humans of the Arclight yet.
GIF it to me straight:
Creepy and somewhat terrifying at times, but so totally worth the nightmares. =)
August 13, 2017
I had been reading Meridan by Josin L. McQuein since pretty much the time I finished the first book in the duology, Arclight, which I reviewed in May, and it took me until the end of July to finish. I loved Arclight, which is about a girl, Marina, who can't remember her past but lives in the Arclight, having been rescued from the Dark and is now surrounded by bright lights to keep out the Fade--who were trying to get her back. I won't share the plot of Merdian to avoid spoilers, but I will tell you that, I did not love this sequel.
I was really just disappointed by Merdian, which was not nearly as exciting as Arclight, and while there was more adventure, it just felt really slow and the world-building, so fantastic in Arclight, felt clunky and uninteresting. I also found the whole thing quite confusing at time, and often had to switch from the audiobook just to reread and figure out what was going on. There's also another point-of-view which I just didn't care about, but that may have been because I had a hard time caring about the whole book. Seriously, just read Arclight and then forget a sequel ever existed.
I was really just disappointed by Merdian, which was not nearly as exciting as Arclight, and while there was more adventure, it just felt really slow and the world-building, so fantastic in Arclight, felt clunky and uninteresting. I also found the whole thing quite confusing at time, and often had to switch from the audiobook just to reread and figure out what was going on. There's also another point-of-view which I just didn't care about, but that may have been because I had a hard time caring about the whole book. Seriously, just read Arclight and then forget a sequel ever existed.
February 24, 2022
I’m in chapter 40 of 47…I can’t take another word without venting.
I noticed in the first book a disturbing self hatred in Marina, but she was brain washed into hating her true nature and tortured in the process, so I thought she would grow.
But I’m in the second book and the racism I noticed in the first book is still disturbing.
Don’t even get me started on Toby he is such a whiny boy that hurls insults at his rival, what Marina sees in him I never understood. He claims to love her but literally hates her species?? Not possible.
The little friend I think her name was Anne was sweet but she has serious emotional issues and it was handled insensitively.
The thought that Marina would abandon an entire family and society that loves her for the people that kidnapped her was sick. She kept saying “my choice”….no not her choice…she was tortured and murdered.
This book is Stockholm syndrome at its worst!
I noticed in the first book a disturbing self hatred in Marina, but she was brain washed into hating her true nature and tortured in the process, so I thought she would grow.
But I’m in the second book and the racism I noticed in the first book is still disturbing.
Don’t even get me started on Toby he is such a whiny boy that hurls insults at his rival, what Marina sees in him I never understood. He claims to love her but literally hates her species?? Not possible.
The little friend I think her name was Anne was sweet but she has serious emotional issues and it was handled insensitively.
The thought that Marina would abandon an entire family and society that loves her for the people that kidnapped her was sick. She kept saying “my choice”….no not her choice…she was tortured and murdered.
This book is Stockholm syndrome at its worst!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2016
Reviewed for Memoirs of Midnight, a YA book review site.
www.hayleyjones88.wix.com/memoirsofmi...
This book had much the same strengths and weaknesses as its predecessor. McQuein writes the Fade really well and even the big, bad new enemy; the Darkness, comes across haunting and creepy BUT the action sequences are confusing as hell and I find the whole story hard to follow.
The book starts where Arclight left off, with Marina desperately convincing herself that she made the right choice; staying with the humans rather than with Rue and her Fade family. This part I get and I like; Marina still doesn't remember being Cherish (who she was before Honoria 'cured' her of her Fade-self) and she has internalised this 'other-self' as a different being in her consciousness, one who can internally disagree with Marina, give information or advice, and unknowingly communicate with her Fade family. Marina is afraid to go back to the Fade for fear that Cherish will take control of their physical body, once in her own surroundings, and Marina will be a prisoner in her own mind. I liked this part of the story, the psychological battle of Marina and Cerish, much in the same way as I liked the communication between Marina and the Fade in the first book. Which makes it all the more frustrating that Marina is pig-headedly sticking with the humans and constantly defending the Fade. The best parts of the story are Marina's interaction with Rue and the Fade and so you get a taste of how great it is when suddenly it's snatched away and denied to you, it's frustrating as hell.
The absolute worst thing about this book was the dual narrator. Some chapters are from Marina's perspective, as we are used to from Arclight, and others are from Tobin's. I have three major issues with this which are as follows:
1. The writing in Tobin and Marina's chapters are so similar that you never know who you are following. I was constantly flipping back to the first page of the chapter to learn who it was I was reading from. Which is jarring enough without the disjointed and confusing action sequences which unfortunately continue in Meridian.
2. There seemed little to no point of splitting the narration. There wasn't really a great deal that Tobin and Marina did separately and when there was the reader is subjected to the boring parts of the narrative (eg. the conversation about doing something) and missed out on the actual events, I really didn't see the point at all. And so for the most part you were just getting two different perspectives of the same action which brings me to...
3. Tobin. He is an awful romantic lead. It makes me want to growl how frustrating this book is. I found Tobin to be whiny and petty, especially toward Rue, so when I was subjected to his chapters I wanted to put the book down. The only information you get from Tobin's chapters are his feelings for dad, Marina and Rue which are painfully obvious anyway from Marina's chapters. We didn't need Tobin's chapters and I certainly didn't want them.
Another huge issue I have with this book is something that follows on from Arclight; I can't follow it! Things happen to people and I have no idea what to feel; worry, sorrow, anger? I haven't a clue because I don't have the information I need to know what's happening. There are still characters from this book who, even after finishing it, I have no idea whether they are fine, dying, turning fade or turning evil Fade! When you have no emotional reaction to big events there has to be something wrong with a book, we should know when to laugh and when to cry. It kind of makes it all null and void, because there is no point in events if the reader doesn't (or more appropriately can't) react to them.
I'm so frustrated by this book, it seems like McQuein had two choices in front of her and chose the complete opposite to her strengths. The Fade are great, Marina's interaction with the Fade are great and the humans make a great enemy for a change. Rue is written to be so stoic and caring, forever putting aside his own desires for Marina's sake but she goes and chooses the bratty, petty little boy who just doesn't understand her. The amount of times that Tobin says something to hurt her feelings and she tries to brush it under the carpet, while Rue silently sits to the side, ever the gentleman, because he knows she feels torn and it hurts her all the more to see them at each other's throats. ARGH! Why is Marina with the wrong man? It's like one of your girlfriends who is with a pig of a man and can't see it and you just want to shake her!
The fresh and interesting thing would have been for Marina to go to the Fade (who she spends most of her time pining for anyway) and get the occasional interaction with the humans who are pretty much the enemy all through the first book. Then this book would have been about Marina knowing that something terrible is coming (the Darkness) and her inner battle as to whether she informs her enemies, the humans who experimented on her and killed her nanites but who also took her in as one of their own. Might just be me but I'd be way more interested in that story. Perhaps McQuein has a long term plan and this is all just preamble to what we all really want (Marina with the Fade) but I just don't know if I could stick with the series to find out!
If you read Arclight and enjoyed it then go ahead and read Meridian, afterall it may just be suffering from middle book syndrome! Perhaps the third instalment will blow us out of the water (for that I think Marina would have to go full on Fade). I will read the next book when it available so by all means wait and see!
www.hayleyjones88.wix.com/memoirsofmi...
www.hayleyjones88.wix.com/memoirsofmi...
This book had much the same strengths and weaknesses as its predecessor. McQuein writes the Fade really well and even the big, bad new enemy; the Darkness, comes across haunting and creepy BUT the action sequences are confusing as hell and I find the whole story hard to follow.
The book starts where Arclight left off, with Marina desperately convincing herself that she made the right choice; staying with the humans rather than with Rue and her Fade family. This part I get and I like; Marina still doesn't remember being Cherish (who she was before Honoria 'cured' her of her Fade-self) and she has internalised this 'other-self' as a different being in her consciousness, one who can internally disagree with Marina, give information or advice, and unknowingly communicate with her Fade family. Marina is afraid to go back to the Fade for fear that Cherish will take control of their physical body, once in her own surroundings, and Marina will be a prisoner in her own mind. I liked this part of the story, the psychological battle of Marina and Cerish, much in the same way as I liked the communication between Marina and the Fade in the first book. Which makes it all the more frustrating that Marina is pig-headedly sticking with the humans and constantly defending the Fade. The best parts of the story are Marina's interaction with Rue and the Fade and so you get a taste of how great it is when suddenly it's snatched away and denied to you, it's frustrating as hell.
The absolute worst thing about this book was the dual narrator. Some chapters are from Marina's perspective, as we are used to from Arclight, and others are from Tobin's. I have three major issues with this which are as follows:
1. The writing in Tobin and Marina's chapters are so similar that you never know who you are following. I was constantly flipping back to the first page of the chapter to learn who it was I was reading from. Which is jarring enough without the disjointed and confusing action sequences which unfortunately continue in Meridian.
2. There seemed little to no point of splitting the narration. There wasn't really a great deal that Tobin and Marina did separately and when there was the reader is subjected to the boring parts of the narrative (eg. the conversation about doing something) and missed out on the actual events, I really didn't see the point at all. And so for the most part you were just getting two different perspectives of the same action which brings me to...
3. Tobin. He is an awful romantic lead. It makes me want to growl how frustrating this book is. I found Tobin to be whiny and petty, especially toward Rue, so when I was subjected to his chapters I wanted to put the book down. The only information you get from Tobin's chapters are his feelings for dad, Marina and Rue which are painfully obvious anyway from Marina's chapters. We didn't need Tobin's chapters and I certainly didn't want them.
Another huge issue I have with this book is something that follows on from Arclight; I can't follow it! Things happen to people and I have no idea what to feel; worry, sorrow, anger? I haven't a clue because I don't have the information I need to know what's happening. There are still characters from this book who, even after finishing it, I have no idea whether they are fine, dying, turning fade or turning evil Fade! When you have no emotional reaction to big events there has to be something wrong with a book, we should know when to laugh and when to cry. It kind of makes it all null and void, because there is no point in events if the reader doesn't (or more appropriately can't) react to them.
I'm so frustrated by this book, it seems like McQuein had two choices in front of her and chose the complete opposite to her strengths. The Fade are great, Marina's interaction with the Fade are great and the humans make a great enemy for a change. Rue is written to be so stoic and caring, forever putting aside his own desires for Marina's sake but she goes and chooses the bratty, petty little boy who just doesn't understand her. The amount of times that Tobin says something to hurt her feelings and she tries to brush it under the carpet, while Rue silently sits to the side, ever the gentleman, because he knows she feels torn and it hurts her all the more to see them at each other's throats. ARGH! Why is Marina with the wrong man? It's like one of your girlfriends who is with a pig of a man and can't see it and you just want to shake her!
The fresh and interesting thing would have been for Marina to go to the Fade (who she spends most of her time pining for anyway) and get the occasional interaction with the humans who are pretty much the enemy all through the first book. Then this book would have been about Marina knowing that something terrible is coming (the Darkness) and her inner battle as to whether she informs her enemies, the humans who experimented on her and killed her nanites but who also took her in as one of their own. Might just be me but I'd be way more interested in that story. Perhaps McQuein has a long term plan and this is all just preamble to what we all really want (Marina with the Fade) but I just don't know if I could stick with the series to find out!
If you read Arclight and enjoyed it then go ahead and read Meridian, afterall it may just be suffering from middle book syndrome! Perhaps the third instalment will blow us out of the water (for that I think Marina would have to go full on Fade). I will read the next book when it available so by all means wait and see!
www.hayleyjones88.wix.com/memoirsofmi...
August 15, 2019
I really wanted to like the book but I can’t... I’m happy there is not a third book because I couldn’t stand to read it. I didn’t love the first book, but it was decent.. This book (the second) just devolved into so many people making emotional and illogical decisions that I no longer cared about the characters; to the point that I hoped some of them would die just already so maybe they would have some reason for all the drama. Anyway this just skip this book, enjoy the first as is, yeah there’s some interesting backstory that helps fill in holes in the first book but not worth the read.
July 17, 2022
Meridian has the same issue as many middle novels in a trilogy -- it's setting up for the big showdown, but doesn't actually get there because that's in the last book. So long as you go in knowing you'll have to read the final book to get to the grand finale, it's a solid world-expanding element in the series.
Like the other books, the characters are what really have me coming back to it, and you get to see more of them (Tobin gets to narrate chapters sometimes!).
Is it bad that if I lived in that universe, I'd ask to be Included by the Fade? >_>
Like the other books, the characters are what really have me coming back to it, and you get to see more of them (Tobin gets to narrate chapters sometimes!).
Is it bad that if I lived in that universe, I'd ask to be Included by the Fade? >_>
September 8, 2022
Love triangles stink but I'm so engrossed in the action of this story that I don't care. There is a lot of blood, and not because of combat per se but this fixation on spilled blood and it being red or black is a lot, not gonna lie. And every big reaction to something seems super dramatic and I know it's supposed to be how the Fade perceives things but I'm literally like: why they always sick and have a headache? Is this really that big of a deal?
Either way, I still enjoy the story and I'm curious how the author finishes this one out.
Either way, I still enjoy the story and I'm curious how the author finishes this one out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2023
Much like the last book, this is empty, empty to the point where I refuse to read the finale of the trilogy. Events just happen with little rhyme or reason, and whatever themes there may be are too weak to carry anything.
The climax is pretty good, I didn't realize this series was a trilogy though, and the thought of going through more of this, even if it's to get a kernel of enjoyment out of the few positives here, makes me tired. 2 stars since it's not actively terrible, you should all still avoid it though.
The climax is pretty good, I didn't realize this series was a trilogy though, and the thought of going through more of this, even if it's to get a kernel of enjoyment out of the few positives here, makes me tired. 2 stars since it's not actively terrible, you should all still avoid it though.
June 24, 2017
The concept, plot, and characters were all exceptional. I didn't realize it was a sequel, so I will definitely go back and read the first book, but I still thought it was very good. I absolutely loved getting to know the characters, but many of the intense scenes weren't as gripping as I had hoped. Overall, though, it was an entertaining, fun read.
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