Orpheus Rising
Orpheus Rising
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PRECIS: Orpheus Rising is a sparkling adventure of great beauty, danger, and the unexpected, with a climax that will move anyone to a sense of joy. A daring retelling of the Orpheus legend in modern guise, Sam and his father, John, set off to rescue Sam's lost mother, Madelyn, from "The Far Land of Fear" and "Dread City," a startling, imaginative view of the afterlife. A fantasy set in terms of Sam's 10 going on 11 imagination, they are joined by Lepanto, a very wise Elephant dressed in Edwardian elegance who likes to dance. Against all odds and with an unexpected sacrifice they reach a happy ending to their quest.

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Adventure
  • Fantasy

Age Level: 

  • 8 - 12
Profile Picture

Sam is an imaginative young boy who likes to make inventions. He lives on an isolated family farm with his father John who is a writer. Sam is not sure why his mother isn't in the picture or even why his father doesn't like to mention her, although curiosity does get the best of him and he wonders about her from time to time. 

Although it seems as though the father and son have nothing in common, they do share one thing: their dreams!

Somehow, someway, they both are able to see and even switch dreams with one another! 

     Lance Lee’s Orpheus Rising is a suspenseful fantasy that is based on the Greek myth about Orpheus losing his wife Euridice to a snake bite and his attempt to rescue her from Hades. In Mr. Lee’s modern story, Sam and his father John live alone, study for school, and do chores day after day. At night, they keep having strange dreams neither one understands. They also have a quirky newspaper delivery man who taunts them about having no mother in the house.

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