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Review: Dreams of the Compass Rose by Vera Nazarian

© Debbie Ledesma

Have you ever had a vivid dream where it stays in your memory for a long time? Many Fantasy books have been inspired by author's dreams that have become good works. Dreams of the Compass Rose by Vera Nazarian was inspired by a dream. This book is a collection of short stories set in the Fantasy world of the Compass Rose, an exotic place of deserts and other landscapes where the gods interact with mortal humans. Ms. Nazarian presents each story as a dream. Nearly every story is a memorable tale filled with interesting characters and powerful themes.

"Sailing the Eye of Sun" is the story of a ship captain and a young man with great powers. Lero is the captain of an unsinkable ship. She has sailed the sea for many years with a loyal crew, but is considered insane because she is married to her ship. One day, she takes on the transport of a passenger. He is a young man with great magical power going to a school to be trained before he loses control. The loss of control could destroy the world. A conflict of wills ensues in this remarkable story. It is highly memorable with masterful scenes of the sea voyage told in vivid words.

The author explores the theme of how a goddess might be born through human tragedy in the story "Goddessday." Ailsan is the queen of Risei. Only she and her son are the last survivors of their people after a large battle. The people have been slaughtered by the conqueror Cireive who desires to rule the entire world. He is obsessed with having the beautiful Ailsan yield to him. Obsession and tragedy leads to a strong tale of mythic themes. Characters play off each other in a delicate dance of death. Ms. Nazarian's descriptions are colorful and alive through her talented skill, bringing this bittersweet tale to a wonderful conclusion.

Nadir is a young boy who walks out of the desert with a mangy pack beast and a cup that keeps filling with water. At the oasis, he sees a beautiful horse that is a trapped god and longs to be free. "Tale of Nadir" tells the story of Nadir as he is tricked by villainous men and learns valuable lessons when he gets trapped into being a playmate to the vicious princess Egiras. This story begins a cycle of stories about the character Nadir at various points in his life serving Egiras. Ms. Nazarian continues providing an interesting story with her descriptive talent.