Shades of Grey. 1, The Road to High SaffronShades of Grey. 1, The Road to High Saffron

Eddie Russett lives in a world where fortune, career and ultimate destiny are rigidly dictated by the colours you can see, with Violet at the top, and Red at the bottom. Below the Colours are the Grey underclass who can only see tones of black and white. It is also a world of rules and regulations - a place of merits and demerits, prefects, bullies, snitches, sports days and over-boiled cabbage. Eddie is pretty happy - he thinks he can see over 70% Red, so will be able to marry up-spectrum. But then he meets Jane, a Grey: alluring, exciting - and dangerous. But she's not his only preoccupation. Eddie is awarded so many demerits his dowry is wiped out, and the only way to turn things around is to take a trip to High Saffron, an expedition from which no one has ever returned ...