The Tenth Muse (Third Verse Trilogy) [Paperback]

Lily G. Stephen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Third Verse Trilogy | Publication Date: September 2001

One reader's comment: "I search for soaring works in fiction that expand our possibilities and offer wisdom in refreshing contexts. I found such a work in The Tenth Muse." In a modern mythological tale that crosses apparent boundaries of reality and illusion, The Tenth Muse portrays the developing years of Opal Courtright, a child of Planet Earth, and Sapphire Deland of Planet Zamora. In their parallel worlds, are they just two girls leading unusual lives? What subtle influences lie behind their gradual arc toward each other's destiny? This, the first volume in The Third Verse Trilogy, employs a symphony of awakening, vision, and fusion as a reminder to look beyond routine conceptualizations into the vivid essence simultaneously present within the gnat and the galaxy. Its themes prompt memories of our greater possibilities. The unfolding events that bring Opal and Sapphire to face the stunning emergence of Planet Lamartine's The Tenth Muse compel the reader to reconsider commonly held concepts of what may appear to perish and what appears to be indestructible. Another reader calls The Tenth Muse "a literary box of truffles one longs to spend the day with." In endings are new beginnings. Watch for the forthcoming second volume in The Third Verse Trilogy: The Eleventh Hour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two beautiful young girls, Opal Courtright and Sapphire Deland, grow up on Earth and Zamora, respectively, unaware of each other's existence or of their cosmic link, in Lily G. Stephen's The Tenth Muse, first in the Third Verse Trilogy. From Lamartine, a planet in a higher dimension, a kindly, beneficent stranger named Branicor has high hopes for the shared fate of the two girls.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...a compelling and emotional novel...myth, legend fuse with reality in this unique, intriguing, complex, well-crafted, highly recommended tale." -- The Midwest Book Review,

I recommend...to those who are eager to unwrap the notions that keep us all tightly held in fear. -- Mount Shasta Magazine, Fall, 2001

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Blooming Rose Pr (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971265909
• ISBN-13: 978-0971265905
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,595,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant Sophistication, November 13, 2001

By 

Eric Albronda (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tenth Muse (Third Verse Trilogy) (Paperback)

The Tenth Muse by Lily G. Stephen is as captivating as any book I have read.
The character development stands out as far as presentation and unique format pulling the reader into the unstated yet multi-level relivence of all human beings.
I was most impressed with the Authors ability to weave into the story line in a simple way the "not so simple" philosophies of the worlds great religions and contemporary spirituality as they contribute to our everyday lives.
The story line allows the reader to rise to whatever level of sophistication is understood or desired, much like "Moby Dick".
I was amazed at my reaction , hours and days after reading , how I kept applying my daily existance to the characters and story line of The Tenth Muse.
Really a delight to read and I am sure will be appreciated by all ages except the very young .
Since a large part of the story line is given to the characters artistic abilities I found myself frustrated at not being able to see (other than made up in my head) the actual works of art described , which is actually one of the strong points of the authors abilities.
The book screams for a following screenplay.

A most enjoyable and thought provoking read!!!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really quite extraordinary, enlightening read, June 17, 2003

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tenth Muse (Third Verse Trilogy) (Paperback)

The Tenth Muse, the first volume in The Third Verse Trilogy, is unlike any book I have ever read. Lily G. Stephen has written a poetic, artistic novel that almost defies classification, combining mythology, romance, art, a touch of fantasy, and an impressive range of spiritual teachings. While this book clearly aims to expand the reader's mind and promote his/her evolution toward a higher consciousness, one in which pain and negativity lose their debilitating effects on the human psyche, it does not have to convince you of its wisdom in order to enthrall you. I don't happen to subscribe to a great deal of the New Age type thinking that lies behind the story, nor has this book drastically changed my approach to life and wisdom, yet I still enjoyed The Tenth Muse a great deal. Lily G. Stephen has to some degree enabled me to see things in an altogether new way and from a unique viewpoint. That in itself is a valuable reward for Stephen's effort. Those who may discover a spiritual concept here that invites their own study and eventually leads them on a more comforting path through life may find much more than thought-provoking pleasure in these pages.

The novel is constructed around the lives of two extraordinary young ladies living largely parallel lives: Opal Courtright on Earth and Sapphire Deland on Zamora. We follow these two young lives, witnessing their exposure to and growing participation in new ways of thinking: aikido, meditation, and a number of other largely Oriental spiritual paths to enlightenment. These are subjects I know almost nothing about, but Stephen carefully explains some of the underlying concepts and beliefs behind them, striving for a unity of vision akin to the unity of mind and soul such teachings help inculcate. As the story progresses, we meet with growing similarities between the two youths. Sapphire, for example, becomes a serious student of spiritual enlightenment, while Opal's increasingly brilliant and insightful paintings (many of them based on dream memories of events in Sapphire's life) lead her almost unconsciously down the same roads of thought. Occasionally, their worlds faintly touch, transferring a memento from one plane to the other. As time goes on, and each young lady has to deal with change, loss, and growth, we find their two worlds rapidly converging. Chapters which had been cycling back and forth from one character to the other suddenly rush together in a cascading climax of suspense and raw emotion, leaving me almost breathless in the process. The book does not end at this point, however; there are greater parallels and lessons the author wishes to impart upon the reader. The later chapters of the book bring a lot of loose ends together and make a final pitch for individuals to begin working toward their own enlightenment. Only here does one sense a real intent on the part of the author to win recruits to her way of thinking, yet she does not allow her own wishes to get in the way of the story or go so far as to push readers away. This final section takes a little something away from the overall effect of the story in my opinion, yet I can see how necessary and important a function it serves for the author.

The Tenth Muse both needs and deserves a reader's full attention. The process of switching back and forth between similar yet different characters on two parallel worlds can cause moments of confusion, especially in terms of the important characters associated with each reality. The sources and means of wisdom and emotional growth that Stephen brings to bear offer the biggest hurdle, however, to those of us unfamiliar with these sometimes ancient concepts. This book takes you far deeper into such concepts as Zen than the prosaic "one hand clapping" paradigm. There are many levels upon which one can connect with the story of Opal and Sapphire, and multiple readings may be required for those wishing to learn all of the complexities of this really quite extraordinary novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elements of myth and legend fuse with reality, July 6, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tenth Muse (Third Verse Trilogy) (Paperback)

The first volume of Lily G. Stephen's "Third Verse Trilogy", The Tenth Muse is a compelling and emotional novel of the diverse childhoods of two girls, each of whom are living in a slightly different parallel world. Elements of myth and legend fuse with reality in this unique, intriguing, complex, well crafted, highly recommended tale.