Customer Reviews

Salt of the Air

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This collection contains the following short stories by Vera Nazarian:
-Rossia Moya
-Beauty and his Beast
-The Young Woman in a House of Old
-Absolute Receptiveness, the Princess, and the Pea
-Bonds of Light
-The Starry King
-The Stone Face, the Giant, and the Paradox
-A Thing of Love
-The Slaying of Winter
-Sun, In Its Copper Season
-Lady of the Castle
-Wound on the Moon
-I Want To Paint The Sky
-Lore of Rainbow
-Swans
-The Story of Love
The only stories original to this collection are Story of Love and Lore of Rainbow, but Salt of the Air collects Vera Nazarian's stories from old Sword and Sorceress anthos and outdated web publishings and other hard-to-find or mildly-expensive-to-collect items. Wound on the Moon was the first story I read by Vera Nazarian, a long time ago in my yet-still-close youth, and I've always remembered it. Marion Zimmer Bradley compared it to early Tanith Lee. It's a vaguely gothic story of a swordswoman looking for her missing lover. A Thing of Love is another decadent tale of a tyrant's executioner and her soul. The Starry King always makes me cry, the story of a woman searching for a myth. These are my favourites, all with elaborate prose and shiny, decadent surroundings. (Okay, Starry King isn't decadent, it's just a very goth sort of story.) There is also one story set in the world of Lords of Rainbow (Lore of Rainbow) and one set in the world of the Compass Rose (The Story of Love). If I remember correctly, Rossia Moya either won an award or was nominated for one. An emigre goes back to Russia for a visit right before it's scheduled to be closed off from the world. It's a very Russian story. Swans is an interesting reworking of the fairy tale of the girl with the swan brothers.

There is one semimajor typographical error in the book, Wound on the Moon is listed as starting on page 185 in the contents but starts on page 197. However, the title headings change to Wound on the Moon on page 187 and only change back to Lady of the Castle on page 193, shortly before the end of the story.

I always feel inadequate looking for words to describe Vera Nazarian's work - she does words so much better than I ever could! (or, arguably, anyone, ever) This is a collection of fairy tales for grown ups - a lot of them take on classical themes, such as "Swans" (probably my favorite) and "Beauty and His Beast" - and they all carry the ethereal sense of wonder, of something eternally fresh and true about them. The stories carry an sensual romantic undertone, and most of them are essentially about love. The language is lyrical and exquisite, akin to opera in its apparent ability to tighten something in my chest and constrict my throat out of the sheer power of the melody. All that aside...

This is a very strong collection of short stories, entertaining, easy to get into, enjoyable reads. Delicious twists on familiar myths with surprise endings. Recommended for about anyone with an interest in fantasy.

The new revised edition includes several additional stories, including "Demon Slayer."

"Moya Rossiya" - opening story, an old woman visits Russia before the final Closing.
"Swans" - a mute woman is sentenced to be burned as a witch (the old tale, short and poignant)
"The Princess, the Pea, and Absolute Receptiveness" - the young royal scion is stricken with lust for the mysterious visitor. Nazarian writes sensuality so well, it's creepy and memorable.
"Beauty and His Beast" - the old tale, with the genders reversed
"Starry King" - a woman with a well of pain in her eyes searches for the legend who can grant her oblivion
"A Young Woman in the House of Old" - probably inspired by Tanith Lee's "Dark Dance," but until I read the latter, it struck me as completely unexpected and delightful.
"Wound on the Moon" - fantastic story, almost a mini-novel (I'd love to read the novel-length version) - a thief is captured by a prince, and the prince falls in love with her, to her curse or blessing
"Demon Slayer" - about a priest sworn to celibacy, tempted by a demon - is the longest and one of the most interesting of the collection.
"A Story of Love" - Nebula-nominated story