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Topaz: The Truth Portal The Color Mayhem
Under the rule of the terrible Murx, where Mirthlings show false kindness out of duty and live out terrifically absurd pre-ordained callings in permanent joylessness, our ill-fitting heroine Topaz trades her stifling life for the strangest of portals, orbiglass worlds and fantastic friends, discovering her true origins and inherent powers on her path to attain the silver-peaked mountain where she believes happiness awaits her. There and back again, Topaz battles with herself as she faces the challenges of friendship, deceit and loss, until with a little magic and a lot of heart she comes to love the Mirthlings she once despised, inadvertently emerging as the one destined to return balance to all the worlds. With new freedom comes mayhem, and Topaz must save the Mirthlings from themselves before defeating the Murx once and for all. But how much will she sacrifice for peace? A colorful, poetic adventure about growth, authenticity and seeing things to the end.
ebook
Published November 2, 2017
17 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Tremblay
7 books31 followersRachel Tremblay is a Canadian artist, musician and writer. After an adolescence filled with drawing, guitar, and poetry, she studied Fine Arts in Quebec and British Columbia. She wrote her first music album upon returning to Quebec, married, and had her first child. The next decade was spent working as a contemporary realist painter and graphic designer, all while writing music for her second album, gigging, and giving life to a second child. Amidst art and homeschooling, she embarked on her book-writing journey.
Rachel lives in Montreal with her husband and two grown children. Lavender Spike is her fifth novel.
Rachel lives in Montreal with her husband and two grown children. Lavender Spike is her fifth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 9, 2020
Delightfully strange and quirky, I feel like this book could make a great movie - the descriptions are so well done and this is such a unique world!
July 7, 2018
Topaz: The Truth Portal & The Color Mayhem is a fantastical tale of coming to age in the imaginary world of Mirth, blending old-fashioned fairytale-telling with a dystopian world of socialist repression. In the colorless landscape of Mirth – yes it is wordplay – Topaz gazes at the silver-lined top of a far-away mountain and feels drawn to something more, a calling to rid herself and the world of the joyless, shackled tedium of their lives – a Resistance, as it were. Empty and hopeless, she reaches inside and quite literally finds the world she believes to be true inside herself. This world is a stunning prism of color, unlike anything Topaz has ever seen, where the possible futures of entire universes reside in snowglobe-like orbiglass, watched after by children of the world of color.
Topaz returns to the dreary world of Mirth with a plan. Together with Token – a walking stick companion embellished with straw and bits of objects tied on by an adoring collective – Topaz aims for the mountain peak and begins a journey across the land. Flipping between worlds, her objective will eventually become one of freeing her colorless world from the color-stealing dictator, Murx, who rules it.
Most impressive is the unique and delightful language the author has created, and thank goodness for the glossary – which is a wonderful read in and of itself. This is a world filled with imaginary animals like the impurzel, the ayp, the flaptoot byrd. One grows accustomed to Mirthling expressions, such as Glad Sun (Good Day!), and moonloop (a loop of the moons around Mirth), and starlap (equivalent to 10 moonloops).
Topaz: The Truth Portal & The Color Mayhem is an interesting blend of childhood fantasy and the much more mature world view of an adult. It is a unique and compelling journey of the ages in a highly imaginative setting, where the simple lessons of life unify the imagination of the writer with the imagination of the reader: search inside yourself, you’ll find everything you need.
Topaz returns to the dreary world of Mirth with a plan. Together with Token – a walking stick companion embellished with straw and bits of objects tied on by an adoring collective – Topaz aims for the mountain peak and begins a journey across the land. Flipping between worlds, her objective will eventually become one of freeing her colorless world from the color-stealing dictator, Murx, who rules it.
Most impressive is the unique and delightful language the author has created, and thank goodness for the glossary – which is a wonderful read in and of itself. This is a world filled with imaginary animals like the impurzel, the ayp, the flaptoot byrd. One grows accustomed to Mirthling expressions, such as Glad Sun (Good Day!), and moonloop (a loop of the moons around Mirth), and starlap (equivalent to 10 moonloops).
Topaz: The Truth Portal & The Color Mayhem is an interesting blend of childhood fantasy and the much more mature world view of an adult. It is a unique and compelling journey of the ages in a highly imaginative setting, where the simple lessons of life unify the imagination of the writer with the imagination of the reader: search inside yourself, you’ll find everything you need.
April 11, 2018
*I did receive a copy of this book from the author, but all opinions are my own!*
Topaz was a clever and unique story that really pinpoints the issues within society today. I totally enjoyed learning about the world of Mirth, although I will admit it is an overwhelming and spectacular world. I found that the I was immediately sucked into this story and fascinated by the characters, especially Topaz. In terms of character development, I definitely felt that our main character was well fleshed out and throughout her journey there is noticeable character development. I will note that parts in the middle were a little slow, but because of the world building necessary to really understand the world of Mirth it is totally understandable.
Overall, I loved the concept and fantastical ride through this well crafted story and I rate this a solid 4/5! So pick this up and be wowed by Tremblay's whimsical writing style, well crafted characters, and interesting world.
Topaz was a clever and unique story that really pinpoints the issues within society today. I totally enjoyed learning about the world of Mirth, although I will admit it is an overwhelming and spectacular world. I found that the I was immediately sucked into this story and fascinated by the characters, especially Topaz. In terms of character development, I definitely felt that our main character was well fleshed out and throughout her journey there is noticeable character development. I will note that parts in the middle were a little slow, but because of the world building necessary to really understand the world of Mirth it is totally understandable.
Overall, I loved the concept and fantastical ride through this well crafted story and I rate this a solid 4/5! So pick this up and be wowed by Tremblay's whimsical writing style, well crafted characters, and interesting world.
November 27, 2018
***SPOILERS***
1. This was a completely unique fantasy/dystopian book because Rachel made up every creature in the book which I love.
2. I very much appreciated the glossary in the back to help me get a better understanding of all of those creatures. The things she came up with are adorable and funny.
3. I NEED a character guide! I want to see what these creatures actually look like.
4. Books/things this reminded me of and why:
-Lord of the Rings because Slatfood reminded me of a dystopian Shire.
-The Wizard of Oz with the green places she went reminding me of The Emerald City. She was once without color and then went to Oz where there was color.
-City of Ember and The Giver because everyone was assigned a job. The Giver also because of the non-color to color.
-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with all the creatures she meets.
-Holes because of the mountain and trying to reach it.
-Chronicles of Narnia because of going into different worlds.
-Hunger Games because the Colors reminded me of The Capitol.
-Labyrinth because of the creatures along the way that help her.
-Dungeons and Dragons because of description.
-Spyro video game because of the orbs.
-A Wrinkle in Time because of description.
5. Words I learned:
-Saccharine meaning sweet.
-Soliloquy meaning an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.
-Zephyr meaning a soft gentle breeze.
-Prodigious meaning remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree.
-Lianas are what we call grapevines in Missouri. I was glad to have a name for it.
-Velutinous meaning covered with short, dense, silky, upright hairs; soft and velvety.
-Quiescent meaning in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy.
-Asceticism meaning severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
-Coterie meaning a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people.
-Ebullient meaning cheerful and full of energy.
-Phantasmagoria meaning a sequence of real or imaginary images like those seen in a dream.
6. Quotes I loved:
-“Seraphine taught me to demonstrate the goodness that I would want to see in the world, regardless of whether I would witness it in return.”
-”Tears of love are rich, in truth, the richest. They are bittersweet, but they give ineffable courage.”
7. I feel like the colors could be symbolized two ways. In the beginning the white symbolized the unhappiness with their lives/blind to the truth. Later, the colors could represent enlightenment/prejudice. I think it’s also purposeful that she saw green at the beginning because it was hopes of a new life.
8. I think the mountain symbolized hope, struggle, and the feeling of belonging.
9. Token. What to say about him/her?? First of all I picture a mix between Groot, Drax, and Star-Lord. Then I’m like I love him and I cried when he was burned. Wait. He’s being a douche. He needs to get his act together. Wait he’s just a part of Topaz?? She then turns into a tree?? Then a part of the universe?? Sort of confused but I think I have it. Basically she just needed to recognize her strength and charisma.
10. I liked the short chapters because there was so much to digest each chapter with new terms/creatures to learn.
11. “I licked the tears from [Uniz’s] cheek.” SAY WHAT?! Topaz, you awkward little Mirthling. I mean this gave her the courage though, right?
12. I WANT A STROG.
13. I feel like Rachel can make this into two books. I would love even more explanation so that it could be a series. More action and dialog, BOOM two book deal.
14. I want to know more about marriage and babies and how the town works.
15. If the children are clairvoyant, wouldn't Topaz be?
16. Outside of Mirth, is there anything else? Are the orbiworlds just past, present, and future towns in Mirth, or beyond that?
17. What is Topaz going to do now? Since she’s like air or something.
18. TOPAZ, LISTEN TO UNIZ AND STOP BEING A WHINY BABY.
19. Even though the Colors didn’t get along I bet the town was really pretty with all the bright colors against the white.
20. I would like more detail about the colors and their factions.
21. Do the made of creatures/words have Greek or Latin roots? Just curious.
1. This was a completely unique fantasy/dystopian book because Rachel made up every creature in the book which I love.
2. I very much appreciated the glossary in the back to help me get a better understanding of all of those creatures. The things she came up with are adorable and funny.
3. I NEED a character guide! I want to see what these creatures actually look like.
4. Books/things this reminded me of and why:
-Lord of the Rings because Slatfood reminded me of a dystopian Shire.
-The Wizard of Oz with the green places she went reminding me of The Emerald City. She was once without color and then went to Oz where there was color.
-City of Ember and The Giver because everyone was assigned a job. The Giver also because of the non-color to color.
-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with all the creatures she meets.
-Holes because of the mountain and trying to reach it.
-Chronicles of Narnia because of going into different worlds.
-Hunger Games because the Colors reminded me of The Capitol.
-Labyrinth because of the creatures along the way that help her.
-Dungeons and Dragons because of description.
-Spyro video game because of the orbs.
-A Wrinkle in Time because of description.
5. Words I learned:
-Saccharine meaning sweet.
-Soliloquy meaning an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.
-Zephyr meaning a soft gentle breeze.
-Prodigious meaning remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree.
-Lianas are what we call grapevines in Missouri. I was glad to have a name for it.
-Velutinous meaning covered with short, dense, silky, upright hairs; soft and velvety.
-Quiescent meaning in a state or period of inactivity or dormancy.
-Asceticism meaning severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
-Coterie meaning a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people.
-Ebullient meaning cheerful and full of energy.
-Phantasmagoria meaning a sequence of real or imaginary images like those seen in a dream.
6. Quotes I loved:
-“Seraphine taught me to demonstrate the goodness that I would want to see in the world, regardless of whether I would witness it in return.”
-”Tears of love are rich, in truth, the richest. They are bittersweet, but they give ineffable courage.”
7. I feel like the colors could be symbolized two ways. In the beginning the white symbolized the unhappiness with their lives/blind to the truth. Later, the colors could represent enlightenment/prejudice. I think it’s also purposeful that she saw green at the beginning because it was hopes of a new life.
8. I think the mountain symbolized hope, struggle, and the feeling of belonging.
9. Token. What to say about him/her?? First of all I picture a mix between Groot, Drax, and Star-Lord. Then I’m like I love him and I cried when he was burned. Wait. He’s being a douche. He needs to get his act together. Wait he’s just a part of Topaz?? She then turns into a tree?? Then a part of the universe?? Sort of confused but I think I have it. Basically she just needed to recognize her strength and charisma.
10. I liked the short chapters because there was so much to digest each chapter with new terms/creatures to learn.
11. “I licked the tears from [Uniz’s] cheek.” SAY WHAT?! Topaz, you awkward little Mirthling. I mean this gave her the courage though, right?
12. I WANT A STROG.
13. I feel like Rachel can make this into two books. I would love even more explanation so that it could be a series. More action and dialog, BOOM two book deal.
14. I want to know more about marriage and babies and how the town works.
15. If the children are clairvoyant, wouldn't Topaz be?
16. Outside of Mirth, is there anything else? Are the orbiworlds just past, present, and future towns in Mirth, or beyond that?
17. What is Topaz going to do now? Since she’s like air or something.
18. TOPAZ, LISTEN TO UNIZ AND STOP BEING A WHINY BABY.
19. Even though the Colors didn’t get along I bet the town was really pretty with all the bright colors against the white.
20. I would like more detail about the colors and their factions.
21. Do the made of creatures/words have Greek or Latin roots? Just curious.
December 7, 2017
What a beautiful tale. I loved going on Topaz’s adventure and of learning and finding answers of who she is and what her purpose is.
I loved the use of the Romance mode of literature. Also if low and high memetic.
I felt with Topaz, for Topaz. She’s strong-willed. She’s amazing.
I loved the use of the Romance mode of literature. Also if low and high memetic.
I felt with Topaz, for Topaz. She’s strong-willed. She’s amazing.
February 16, 2018
I must say that I greatly enjoyed reading this book! The author has a very unique way with words that made the whole story that much more fun to read. Topaz seems like she could hop right out of the book and sit with you on the couch and chat without it feeling at all awkward. Even though she is a fantasy heroine, Topaz is a very real and quite relatable character. This is not only a wonderfully entertaining story, but a professionally crafted and thought provoking one as well.
January 7, 2018
The story of Topaz could be considered an adventure, a journey, an odyssey, a mission... I'll admit I experienced a little bit of a culture shock at the beginning, overwhelmed and a little lost at the sheer magnitude of strangeness of the land of Mirth. However, as I read on, the world described took a backdrop to the journey Topaz takes, one which brings her to new physical, emotional, spiritual and even metaphorical places. It was fascinating to see how the transformation that happens to her as she evolves throughout the book impacts the world around her. However, the story takes place in two distinct parts which demonstrate that new opportunities don't bring about positive changes without a good deal of adaptation and, ultimately, by the wisdom and guidance of someone who genuinely cares. By the time I finished the book, I saw echoes of the plights of society and humanity as a whole, as well as reflections of the ills of our world and the root of the cure for it. This poignant book combines an interesting combination of whimsy and depth, clever writing and metaphor, humour and heartache. It's quite a ride!
December 7, 2020
The story was full of scenic adventures, moving awakenings, and honest moments of self-discovery. Without giving away the beautiful plot, the stunning colors, the artistic imagery, the twists, the turns, the art, the gorgeous creatures, and the magic of the novel… I will say that I wish my dreams were as imaginative and brilliant as the vibrant, mysterious, and mind-blowing worlds in the high-fantasy universe that Rachel has presented and gifted us all with.
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I read this novel hoping it would provide me with a fantastical escape from my day-to-day, but I ended up gaining so much more. I was swept away each time I opened up the novel. I’ve stayed up reading it far past my bedtime, I’ve woken up far too early in the morning to pick it up again, and I’ve missed train stops on my way home from work trying to squeeze in a few more pages.
.
Topaz is a gem that I am honored to have enliven and enrich my treasury of books. And I cannot wait to experience what else Rachel Tremblay has to offer us!
.
I read this novel hoping it would provide me with a fantastical escape from my day-to-day, but I ended up gaining so much more. I was swept away each time I opened up the novel. I’ve stayed up reading it far past my bedtime, I’ve woken up far too early in the morning to pick it up again, and I’ve missed train stops on my way home from work trying to squeeze in a few more pages.
.
Topaz is a gem that I am honored to have enliven and enrich my treasury of books. And I cannot wait to experience what else Rachel Tremblay has to offer us!
October 6, 2018
I got a review copy from the author still back in January, but didn’t manage to read the book until now. I apologise about that, but I’m grateful for the copy that I got in exchange for my honest review. According to the book description, I expected an exciting book about fantasy world. My (lately) favourite kind.
The summary you can read above.
There were some good things about the book: glossary at the end and rather deep thoughts included, which could make the reader think.
However, there were more things I didn't like about the book, unfortunately.
Those and some more insights you can read on my blog here: http://www.notesofabookdragon.com/201...
The summary you can read above.
There were some good things about the book: glossary at the end and rather deep thoughts included, which could make the reader think.
However, there were more things I didn't like about the book, unfortunately.
Those and some more insights you can read on my blog here: http://www.notesofabookdragon.com/201...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews