Cover from Amazon
Vera Nazarian is a Russian immigrant, now American citizen, presently living in Vermont after leaving Los Angles, which she obviously remembers fondly (or maybe not) considering some of the things which happen in Qualify, the first book of The Atlantis Grail series. Compete is the second book of the series and Ms. Nazarian’s most recent publication. The third in the series, Win, is due out shortly.
She has previously published the Cobweb Bride series, several stand-alone novels, a couple novelette, and a myriad of short stories. Ms. Nazarian runs the small press of Norilana Books.
Bobbing along, minding my own business, trying to find some fictional romance stories based on Hades and Persephone after coming out of my own private six months the dark underworld of Taxes, I discovered the Cobweb Bride and was blown away. The layers of world building, the unique characters, the lyrical language – it’s like Ms. Nazarian is specifically writing for all my “love” buttons.
I had to find more.
Since then, I have gobbled two more short stories and both of the published books of her Atlantis Grail series. All her books contain the wonderful love of language; some readers claim she dips into “purple prose” – but I do not find this to be the case. Purple prose is page after page of description; Ms. Nazarian balances description with action and dialogue. Anytime my inner editor starts speaking up saying “this type of writing – narrative or dialogue – has been going on too long”, the very next sentence switches the mix up.
If you want non-stop action, then she is not the writer for you. But if you rub against books for the texture of the velvet described (right before the knife is slid through the silk doublet), then you will enjoy her writing.
The novels I have read have a lot of characters, casts of dozens to hundreds. Somehow Ms. Nazarian makes each a unique character. Often when you first meet them, it is like in real life; you instantly categorize the person by the environment and situation you meet them in. But as time goes on, and you get to know them, the characters don’t stay in their nice little categories. No one does exactly what you expect, but everyone does what is within their character.
I hope you take a moment to explore this incredible storyteller. She has a few free items available on Amazon.
Her website can be found here: http://www.veranazarian.com/
