Lords of Rainbow

Imagine a world without color, illuminated by a gray sun . . .

An unrequited love . . .

War . . . mystery . . . exultation . . .

An epic fantasy of unspeakable wonder . . .

Praise for . . .

Lords of Rainbow

“
In a world devoid of color, the woman warrior Ranhé 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, Ranhé 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 Book Club

“
To read Vera Nazarian’s
Lords of Rainbow
is to be immersed in a dream, wandering through a wondrous, shifting landscape where the sun shines silver and the world is rendered in an infinite palette of subtle grays, filled with glimpses of sublime loveliness and glorious
color
.”

—
Jacqueline Carey
, author of
Kushiel’s Dart

“
. . . like all of Vera’s stories—strange, poignant, and exquisite. . . . her novel about a world without color—strange when what she writes is so colorful.”

—
Marion Zimmer Bradley

“
In
Lords of Rainbow
, a current of liquid prosody carries us deep into the heart of an exotic city—and deep into the heart of an extraordinary woman. But every character is a vibrant revelation in this luscious, variegated realm of light and shadow. All emotion rings true in this place, and all truths shine with prismatic complexity. At once brutal and tender, transcendent and visceral, Nazarian’s lush fable enthralls.”

—
Terry McGarry
, author of
Illumination

“
Vera Nazarian’s second novel,
Lords of Rainbow
, is a delight, full of the rich imagery, the humor, lyricism, adventure, insight, and delicious eastern fairy tale flavor that readers first met in
Dreams of the Compass Rose
. Nazarian gives us a tale wove out of color—unpredictable, funny, wise, and always entertaining. She’s a talent to watch.”

—
Sherwood Smith
, author of
Crown Duel

“
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.”

—
Science Fiction
Chronicle

“
I found myself aching to read the book again after I had finished it. The style is new and fresh in the fantasy genre, it breaks fundamental rules with wild abandon and carries it off superbly.”

—
Donna Jones,
SFCrowsnest.com

“
Lords of Rainbow
is an enjoyable read with surprising character twists and vivid, although black and white, description . . . it’s a book that pulls you in and makes you believe in a real monochrome world and a fantasy that grabs you and takes you away.”

—
Shirley Gibson Coleman,
SF Romance Online

“
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

“
But no mere words of mine can convey the experience of reading
Lords of Rainbow
. Just believe me, and read.”

—
John Grant,
Crescent Blues

COPYRIGHT PAGE

This book is a work of fiction. All characters, names, locations, and events portrayed in this book are fictional or used in an imaginary manner to entertain, and any resemblance to any real people, situations, or incidents is purely coincidental.

LORDS OF RAINBOW

Or the Book of Fulfillment

Vera Nazarian

Copyright © 2003 by Vera Nazarian

All Rights Reserved.

Cover Design Copyright © 2011 by Vera Nazarian

Cover Art Details:

“
Madame Hippolyte Flandrin,” by Jean Hippolyte Flandrin, 1846; “Jonathan’s Token to David,” by Lord Frederick Leighton c.1868; “Portrait Of A Young Man With A Dog And A Cat,” by Dosso Dossi (1490-1542); “Main street of Samarkand from the height of the citadel, early morning,” by Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin, 1869-1870; “Sunset, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany” by Dahola, 11-03-2009.

Electronic Edition

October 15, 2011

A Publication of

Norilana Books

P. O. Box 209

Highgate Center, VT 05459-0209

http://www.norilana.com/

United States of America

Lords of Rainbow

Or the Book of Fulfillment

Norilana Books

Fantasy

www.norilana.com

DEDICATION

For Marion Zimmer Bradley,

with love and respect.

In Memoriam

1930-1999

LORDS OF RAINBOW

Or the Book of Fulfillment

Vera Nazarian

First came
Werail
of passion red,

Then
Melixevven
full of joy

That gave the orange tint to things.

The third was radiant
Dersenne

With yellow light of sacrament;

Then
Fiadolmle
, young and free,

Embodying all birth in green;

Koerdis
shone with blue of truth,

And violet love was
Laelith
.

Yet far the greatest of them all

Was bright
Andelas
who ruled white.

For they were all a part of him,

Until the Rainbow fell.

PROLOGUE

Y
ou!

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. . . .

PART I