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Three Names of the Hidden God
What occult mysteries tie together a magical disappearing lake, a courageous young birdcatcher, a hidden god, and the savage politics of an ancient kingdom?
Discover the wonders and wisdom of the Compass Rose in this new fantasy short story by two-time Nebula Award nominated author Vera Nazarian, set in the same mythic universe as her critically acclaimed novel DREAMS OF THE COMPASS ROSE.
Discover the wonders and wisdom of the Compass Rose in this new fantasy short story by two-time Nebula Award nominated author Vera Nazarian, set in the same mythic universe as her critically acclaimed novel DREAMS OF THE COMPASS ROSE.
- GenresFantasyShort Stories
26 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2012
18 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Vera Nazarian
86 books1,032 followersVera Nazarian is a two-time Nebula Award Finalist, award-winning artist, and member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a writer with a penchant for moral fables and stories of intense wonder, true love, and intricacy.
She immigrated to the USA from the former USSR as a kid, sold her first story at the age of 17, and since then has published numerous works in anthologies and magazines, and has seen her fiction translated into eight languages.
She is the author of critically acclaimed novels Dreams of the Compass Rose and Lords of Rainbow , romantic Renaissance epic fantasy trilogy Cobweb Bride , as well as the outrageous parodies Mansfield Park and Mummies and Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons , Pride and Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret in her humorous and surprisingly romantic Supernatural Jane Austen Series , and most recently the bestselling high-octane science fiction series The Atlantis Grail , now optioned for film.
After many years in Los Angeles, Vera lives in a small town in Vermont, and uses her Armenian sense of humor and her Russian sense of suffering to bake conflicted pirozhki and make art.
Take the fun quiz to find out Which of the Lords of Rainbow do You Serve?
She immigrated to the USA from the former USSR as a kid, sold her first story at the age of 17, and since then has published numerous works in anthologies and magazines, and has seen her fiction translated into eight languages.
She is the author of critically acclaimed novels Dreams of the Compass Rose and Lords of Rainbow , romantic Renaissance epic fantasy trilogy Cobweb Bride , as well as the outrageous parodies Mansfield Park and Mummies and Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons , Pride and Platypus: Mr. Darcy's Dreadful Secret in her humorous and surprisingly romantic Supernatural Jane Austen Series , and most recently the bestselling high-octane science fiction series The Atlantis Grail , now optioned for film.
After many years in Los Angeles, Vera lives in a small town in Vermont, and uses her Armenian sense of humor and her Russian sense of suffering to bake conflicted pirozhki and make art.
Take the fun quiz to find out Which of the Lords of Rainbow do You Serve?
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 23, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: anyone who enjoyed Dreams of the Compass Rose or enjoys beautiful stories
Trigger Warnings: Patricide
Disclosure: I picked this up on Smashwords, where it happened to be free, because I enjoyed the novel Dreams of the Compass Rose, in which universe this story is set. No review was requested. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: What occult mysteries tie together a magical disappearing lake, a courageous young birdcatcher, a hidden god, and the savage politics of an ancient kingdom?
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed Dreams of the Compass Rose (review here where formatting allowed), so when I discovered this short story was set in that universe, I just had to read it.
This story fit perfectly into that universe. There is nothing I can really tell you about the story without ruining, but I loved it. It was a brilliant, beautiful, and bright jewel of a story. I am absolutely resolved to pick up any Vera Nazarian books and stories I do not already have, so watch for another Vera Nazarian marathon to come at another time.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: anyone who enjoyed Dreams of the Compass Rose or enjoys beautiful stories
Trigger Warnings: Patricide
Disclosure: I picked this up on Smashwords, where it happened to be free, because I enjoyed the novel Dreams of the Compass Rose, in which universe this story is set. No review was requested. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: What occult mysteries tie together a magical disappearing lake, a courageous young birdcatcher, a hidden god, and the savage politics of an ancient kingdom?
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed Dreams of the Compass Rose (review here where formatting allowed), so when I discovered this short story was set in that universe, I just had to read it.
This story fit perfectly into that universe. There is nothing I can really tell you about the story without ruining, but I loved it. It was a brilliant, beautiful, and bright jewel of a story. I am absolutely resolved to pick up any Vera Nazarian books and stories I do not already have, so watch for another Vera Nazarian marathon to come at another time.
April 30, 2016
Set in Ms. Nazarian's "collage" Dreams of a Compass Rose universe, the stand-alone "Three Names of the Hidden God" reads like a cross between mythology and historian prose.
The initial couple pages were pedestrian, setting the stage for when the character is all grown up. Then things get good, really good. I love the young man constant questioning of the answers of others and his inability to just keep his mouth shut and go along with the crowd. He offers unpolished, unenhanced truth, somehow captured in Ms. Nazarian's lyrical language.
I find this example of her writing very similar to Katherine Kurtz's Deryni Chronicles. Or something recounted by Scheherazade during the One Thousand and One Nights.
Picked up while free on Kindle.
The initial couple pages were pedestrian, setting the stage for when the character is all grown up. Then things get good, really good. I love the young man constant questioning of the answers of others and his inability to just keep his mouth shut and go along with the crowd. He offers unpolished, unenhanced truth, somehow captured in Ms. Nazarian's lyrical language.
I find this example of her writing very similar to Katherine Kurtz's Deryni Chronicles. Or something recounted by Scheherazade during the One Thousand and One Nights.
Picked up while free on Kindle.
August 5, 2019
Three Names of the Hidden God [Kindle Unlimited] — Vera Nazarian (0 chapters) August 4, 2019
Vera Nazarian…what more can I say? I love this author. Every book she authors are well thought-out, even paced and excellent plots. The only reason I haven’t read more of her works is that her stories are series based and not mere “books” but TOMES! Each. And. Every. One! The author is a rarity in that Vera is a profuse writer and literally, there are no extra fluff in her books. I can fall into a Ms. Nazarian book and get literally lost.
But then, this beautiful book popped up. From what list, from where, was it suggested to me on Amazon, I do not know. But WOWZEERS! It was a short story. But beautifully, beautifully written. A story of a young boy who lost, learned, keep an open mind, heart, stayed the course, asked insightful questions and was rewarded in the end for it.
There is a lesson in this story. I have never read a masterfully written short story that had such a profound lesson in it. This one will stay with me for quite awhile.
Thank-you for writing such a story. This was originally published in an anthology in 2007. Vera re-writes that story and expands it. I did not read the original. But this story is perfect.
Five stars.
Vera Nazarian…what more can I say? I love this author. Every book she authors are well thought-out, even paced and excellent plots. The only reason I haven’t read more of her works is that her stories are series based and not mere “books” but TOMES! Each. And. Every. One! The author is a rarity in that Vera is a profuse writer and literally, there are no extra fluff in her books. I can fall into a Ms. Nazarian book and get literally lost.
But then, this beautiful book popped up. From what list, from where, was it suggested to me on Amazon, I do not know. But WOWZEERS! It was a short story. But beautifully, beautifully written. A story of a young boy who lost, learned, keep an open mind, heart, stayed the course, asked insightful questions and was rewarded in the end for it.
There is a lesson in this story. I have never read a masterfully written short story that had such a profound lesson in it. This one will stay with me for quite awhile.
Thank-you for writing such a story. This was originally published in an anthology in 2007. Vera re-writes that story and expands it. I did not read the original. But this story is perfect.
Five stars.
December 5, 2017
I originally read this is a long out of print anthology of stories about young people learning to become heroes. And I find that it works just as well as a stand-alone story, still just as full of mystery and wonder.
It's the story of a land that vaguely resembles a Middle Eastern principality, but with magic. Not the sort that works as an alternate system of technology, but that elusive, numinous sort that works on a sort of dream logic, that comes and goes on a breath of air.
It's the story of a boy who treasured the tiny body of a fledgling bird when everyone told him to throw it away. It's the story of the sudden and mysterious disappearance of a lake to reveal a flooded temple. It's the story of ambitious children seeking to usurp their father's throne. And it's a story of justice coming from an unexpected quarter, through the willingness of a young man to self-sacrifice.
It's the story of a land that vaguely resembles a Middle Eastern principality, but with magic. Not the sort that works as an alternate system of technology, but that elusive, numinous sort that works on a sort of dream logic, that comes and goes on a breath of air.
It's the story of a boy who treasured the tiny body of a fledgling bird when everyone told him to throw it away. It's the story of the sudden and mysterious disappearance of a lake to reveal a flooded temple. It's the story of ambitious children seeking to usurp their father's throne. And it's a story of justice coming from an unexpected quarter, through the willingness of a young man to self-sacrifice.
January 31, 2020
A great little short story.
December 15, 2020
Thought provoking...
Easy, light hearted, simple read that at the same time can be quite thought provoking if you chose to take it that way.
Easy, light hearted, simple read that at the same time can be quite thought provoking if you chose to take it that way.
March 18, 2016
An interesting fairytale feel to this short story.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews