The Tenth Muse
 Lily G. Stephen
 (Reviewer - Kate Holmes)
 2002 Blooming Rose Press
  ISBN: 0971265909
Amazon's price is: $14.95

A modern poetic mythological tale in which Opal Courtright, an Earth child, & Sapphire Deland, a child of Planet Zamora, live parallel lives.

Associate Reviewer Kate Holmes writes:

In this New Age spiritually charged offering, Lily Stephen makes an ambitious attempt to broaden the Reader's viewpoint, while telling a multi-layered tale. Having some knowledge of ancient myth, I realize that the author is using a base of mythology in the telling of The Tenth Muse. On page 28 she also quotes the Dalai Lama in one of his more mystical talks.

As their stories unfold, Opal is not a popular girl among her peers, & tries to paint her frustrations onto canvas. A world away, Sapphire studies Zen Buddhism on a quiet beach with her mentor, a girl about her own age.

We follow each girl through her childhood to adolescence, examine her family & her relationships.

Added to the mix is a character called Branicor, a “higher being” in Lamartine, a world where the physical body is no longer a requirement, & existence is on some metaphysical plane. The apparent result of reincarnation, Sappho, the ancient poet of the Isle of Lesbo, also makes an appearance.

Lily Stephen definitely has an extensive knowledge of all things New Age, & a lyrical way with words, although I found myself bogged down in the extensive narrative imagery, & was, quite frankly, confused. A bit deep for my tastes, although I'm sure women with an appetite for the “transcendental” will relish this read.

The Tenth Muse is the first book of The Third Verse Trilogy. Lily Stephen is hard at work on the soon-to-be-published The Eleventh Hour. The Twelfth Age will be the third & final volume, where I hope the mystery of what the Third Verse is, will be revealed.
(11/10/02)

Kate Holmes
2002©Kate Holmes
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio
She is a Canadian wife, mother, grandmother, & avid reader. She has hungered for knowledge her whole life which has led her to haunt her local library & used book stores, looking for “old friends.” She has several bookshelves over which presides a print of Amergin, an ancient wizard from Celtic myth.

A welcome addition to her study, Della, her computer (named for its maker), has become a large part of her world. For some time Kate Holmes reviewed for another ezine, & as a means of giving herself a more varied reading experience, has joined RebeccasReads as a Associate Reviewer.