Lords of Rainbow
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Synopsis:
Imagine a world without color, illuminated by a gray sun....
Imagine a sudden brilliant flash -- an artificial orb ignites, filled with peculiar impossible light. . . .
The nature of this light bears no description. It lingers in dreams, inciting an unrequited love for a goddess.
A corrupt city is shaped like a perfect wheel, and is ruled by a sister and brother, Regent and Regentrix, by perverse desires, and by a secret. . . .
A loyal warrior woman swears to serve a mysterious lord. At the same time, an epic invasion is precipitated by a being of utter darkness, who is the one absolute source of black in a monochrome silver world.
And amid all this, flickers an ancient memory of a phenomenon called Rainbow and of those who had once filled the world with an impossible thing called color. . . .
"In a world devoid of color, the woman warrior Rahne swears herself to a mysterious nobleman traveling to the exotic city of Tronaelend-Lis, the City of Dreams, where a decadent brother and sister rule as co-regents in the absence of the land's true ruler. When an evil being representing true Darkness threatens the safety of the colorless world, Rahne is drawn into a spiritual journey in search of a legendary phenomenon known as Rainbow in an attempt to find a way to defeat the dark. The author of Dreams of the Compass Rose brings to life a unique fantasy world in which lost colors hold the key to salvation. Nazarian's fluid storytelling and vividly drawn characters make this unusual fantasy a good choice for most libraries."
— Library Journal
"Nazarian creates a unique civilization and populates it with heroic archetypes who stand on their own. Extravagant language reminiscent of Dunsany and even Tolkien adds to the legendary feel.... an innovative premise, consistent world-building, and appealing heroes mark this as the work of an emerging talent... readers may find themselves heralding a new star of fantasy fiction."
— Romantic Times
"Nazarian's world is not a typical fantasy setting -- it's set in a world that didn't know color until the appearance of a strange new sun. Her story is filled with adventure but it also works on a much less physical level, with very strong characterization and an almost poetic feel to the prose. . . I suspect that weeks from now the images that I retain will be from Nazarian's bizarre otherworld."
— Chronicle
"Vividly described in rich prose that entrances like a magic spell, Lords of Rainbow will resonate with readers like the stories of childhood. It is not only prefaced with a lovely and accessible poem, it also reads like poetry. Thus, when taken as fable, there is much in this book to love. For in the end, we find a twisted Cinderella tale where an ugly, common girl can be elevated by noble spirit, and a city can be transformed by magic. "
— Stephanie Dray, Strange Horizons
"The novel therefore works on three levels — it is simultaneously an examination of the nature of faith, of the nature of power, and of the relationship shared between those two things; and in these examinations, with a story set against foreboding conflict, Vera Nazarian finds great potency and great relevance to the world we live in today, despite the unfamiliar, haunting, and ultimately unforgettable locale of her tale."
— Daniel James Wood, The Green Man Review
Book Excerpt:
You!
Yes, you, with the bright eyes. I offer you a mystery in a series of veils. You will lift them up, seemingly without end, until you come to the center.
Lifting the first, outer veil, you see the sun. It is steel and silver. It begins to sink like an old ship through the churning mass of cloud and mist, casting half-light.
There, can you see it?
Yes, that is sunset. Hard to believe, but you must recognize it for what it is.
Molded from that poor light, the sunset methodically smears the sky. Soon, the whole world is drenched in it. Dull and blotched with gray leprosy, the sky is without a frame of reference.
And now, behold black. Ah, how rich it is, how utter and raw, as it begins to pull inward from all the sky-edges.
Soon, black will wrap all of the sky in a parcel.
Beneath the sky, chaos. Rock and tree limbs thread ascetic members into fathomless seething earth. Lesser things emerge past the roots of their greater wood-fleshed kin, and anemic shoots are sent to the sky. There is an unresolved hunger, a clamoring cry without sound.
And now, you must blink. Clear the one illusory veil over your eyes.
Can you see the motion?
Good.
It is the wind. One ghostly presence in a gray dream place.
And there are others. Dark streaks of birds speed through warm milky vapor. Their form is variegated grayscale, and they produce sound. Whistle-notes carry far on the wind, and pierce you. They sail the low mists of the early evening, and sink in the high trees.
All ephemeral. Dusk beginning to settle. Dusk is a web of mist and monochrome silver that erases lines between boundaries of contrast. Predecessor of absolute night.
But you know something is wrong.
Something is lacking. A singular essence.
There is no color.
Well?
Did you think that was all? That I would give it all away before the Phoenix of your imagination had even a chance to lift its eyelids, ruffle its wings, and soar into the winds over this different world?
You were wrong.
So, listen....
. . .Topics/Categories:
a world without color, epic fantasy
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Original Publish Date:
April 1, 2003
Formats and associated ISBNs:
1592248233 1930997884
Formats:
Hardcover Trade Paperback
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