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The Third Syzygy
A trip to the art museum takes an unexpected turn, and Laney finds herself in a wilderness with no memory of her past. In a land where little is what it seems, she begins to accept the impossible, and embarks upon a journey to fulfill an ancient prophecy. But when Laney recovers her memory, she discovers that the prophecy was only the beginning.This groundbreaking young-adult fantasy bridges the gaps between dreams and reality, and fear and courage. With adventure and suspense in two worlds and a separate climax in each, this journey to the edge of destiny and back is sure to delight and inspire readers from all walks of life. The Third Syzygy is illustrated by Michael Cheval, an internationally acclaimed artist whose paintings have been exhibited in the USA, Switzerland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Turkmenistan, and Russia.
214 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2019
About the author
Stanford Apseloff
24 books28 followersI grew up with an identical twin, Glen, so from day one, my world was surreal. Perhaps that's why I like Salvador Dali, Michael Cheval, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
My parents were both English professors, and our modest home had books everywhere. We had an old black-and-white TV that competed, but my parents made sure the books won.
Without me realizing it, my parents forced me to become creative. If I wanted to learn magic tricks, I couldn’t buy them from a catalog; I had to figure out how they worked and make them myself. My parents got an old piano from a neighbor who was moving out of state, and in the void created by restricted television, that piano sitting in our living room beaconed me to play. If I wanted to draw, my mother would sketch whatever I wanted—I vividly remember witches on a broomstick—so that I could learn how to do it.
As an adult, I developed a love for nature/wildlife photography and incorporated that into my early writings. Later, via an odd series of events, I discovered the artist Michael Cheval, and we became friends. I wrote two books about his artwork (Michael Cheval’s Dreams and Michael Cheval’s Magic) and a novel, The Third Syzygy, featuring characters from Cheval’s artwork. Michael Cheval illustrated that novel with dozens of drawings.
I find creative projects and I write, not because it’s a discipline I wish to pursue, but because that’s what makes me tick. I’m not happy unless I’m creating something, experiencing the pleasure of watching it take shape. If others enjoy the finished product, that’s a bonus.
My parents were both English professors, and our modest home had books everywhere. We had an old black-and-white TV that competed, but my parents made sure the books won.
Without me realizing it, my parents forced me to become creative. If I wanted to learn magic tricks, I couldn’t buy them from a catalog; I had to figure out how they worked and make them myself. My parents got an old piano from a neighbor who was moving out of state, and in the void created by restricted television, that piano sitting in our living room beaconed me to play. If I wanted to draw, my mother would sketch whatever I wanted—I vividly remember witches on a broomstick—so that I could learn how to do it.
As an adult, I developed a love for nature/wildlife photography and incorporated that into my early writings. Later, via an odd series of events, I discovered the artist Michael Cheval, and we became friends. I wrote two books about his artwork (Michael Cheval’s Dreams and Michael Cheval’s Magic) and a novel, The Third Syzygy, featuring characters from Cheval’s artwork. Michael Cheval illustrated that novel with dozens of drawings.
I find creative projects and I write, not because it’s a discipline I wish to pursue, but because that’s what makes me tick. I’m not happy unless I’m creating something, experiencing the pleasure of watching it take shape. If others enjoy the finished product, that’s a bonus.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 29, 2020
Your basic hero's journey, but with stilted YA fantasy speak, and an ending for which the journey that we went on with Laney did not prepare us.
December 18, 2019
Stanford Apseloff’s “The Third Syzygy” is a brilliant debut fantasy novel that seamlessly combines elements of contemporary fantasy associated with the best Twilight Zone episodes with Tolkienesque high fantasy in a multilayered adventure that moves between modern suburbia and a timeless forest dreamland.
A syzygy is an alignment of three or more astronomical bodies with a solar eclipse a prime dramatic example. “The Third Syzygy’ is a masterful alignment of literary elements in which a seemingly unremarkable teenager from the modern world intersects with fantastic elements from the world of the imagination which include malodorous black fog, murderous wolf packs, wandering paths, an intrepid women Shaka wielding magic arrows, and much more, inhabiting dreamscapes derived from master artist Michael Cheval. The surrealist paintings of Michael Cheval are the engine that drives “The Third Syzygy” appearing first in a museum and then realized outright in the West Woods, a mysterious forestland drawn from the mind of Mr. Apseloff. Moreover, elaborate illustrations from Mr. Cheval adorn the pages of “The Third Syzygy,” as the paintings foreshadow and even direct the unfolding tale of wonder.
The great philosophers have insistentingly asked how do we know when we are awake, or when we are dreaming? In a way, “The Third Syzygy’ consistently asks and answers this question throughout, as what constitutes our conscious waking world is continually redefined. Some scenes appear to occur in dreams within dreams within dreams. No doubt Mr. Cheval would approve as he considers his paintings absurdist, by which he means they contain an inverted reality and reversals of logic that flow directly from the imagination to form a literary plot. As Ryan, the younger brother of teenage girl protagonist Laney knows “dreams are as real as rainbows.”
Laney first appears as an average teenage girl tasked with writing a report about art at a local museum. Discovering a closed gallery filled with paintings of Michael Cheval sets the novel in motion as she soon finds herself inexplicably adrift in a world of imagination or perhaps a real high fantasy land called the West Woods where she meets her colleague, the magical protectress Shaka, a woman of power and wisdom, who is inspired by a Cheval painting. Together they set out to fulfill a prophecy that the Sorceress of the West, who Shaka insists is Laney, will defeat evil wolf packs and a mysterious black fog of decay to restore normalcy to the West Woods on the day of the Third Syzygy since evil had descended on the woods. The tension and reality of the West Woods world is heightened by Laney’s amnesia allowing her to fully participate in Shaka’s world without reference to the modern world. Numerous exciting and well-executed adventures advance the story, as Laney and Shaka meet memorable characters and scenes often drawn from the art of Cheval.
That evil may sometimes exist as a punishment for men’s greed, but is often just inexplicable is implicit. Fortunately, the presence of evil inevitably summons hidden good as Laney acts as a heroic protagonist first in the dream-laden West Woods and then “for real” in a Twilight Zone-like episode in the contemporary world, her life forever changed by the bildungsroman or coming of age effects of her challenging experiences. We expect to hear more from Laney in the future.
“The Third Syzygy” should be required reading for fans of high fantasy and also for more general audiences obsessed with dystopian works like “The Game of Thrones.” It is a wise, vastly entertaining story that might force you, dear reader, to question whether you are dreaming or awake.
A syzygy is an alignment of three or more astronomical bodies with a solar eclipse a prime dramatic example. “The Third Syzygy’ is a masterful alignment of literary elements in which a seemingly unremarkable teenager from the modern world intersects with fantastic elements from the world of the imagination which include malodorous black fog, murderous wolf packs, wandering paths, an intrepid women Shaka wielding magic arrows, and much more, inhabiting dreamscapes derived from master artist Michael Cheval. The surrealist paintings of Michael Cheval are the engine that drives “The Third Syzygy” appearing first in a museum and then realized outright in the West Woods, a mysterious forestland drawn from the mind of Mr. Apseloff. Moreover, elaborate illustrations from Mr. Cheval adorn the pages of “The Third Syzygy,” as the paintings foreshadow and even direct the unfolding tale of wonder.
The great philosophers have insistentingly asked how do we know when we are awake, or when we are dreaming? In a way, “The Third Syzygy’ consistently asks and answers this question throughout, as what constitutes our conscious waking world is continually redefined. Some scenes appear to occur in dreams within dreams within dreams. No doubt Mr. Cheval would approve as he considers his paintings absurdist, by which he means they contain an inverted reality and reversals of logic that flow directly from the imagination to form a literary plot. As Ryan, the younger brother of teenage girl protagonist Laney knows “dreams are as real as rainbows.”
Laney first appears as an average teenage girl tasked with writing a report about art at a local museum. Discovering a closed gallery filled with paintings of Michael Cheval sets the novel in motion as she soon finds herself inexplicably adrift in a world of imagination or perhaps a real high fantasy land called the West Woods where she meets her colleague, the magical protectress Shaka, a woman of power and wisdom, who is inspired by a Cheval painting. Together they set out to fulfill a prophecy that the Sorceress of the West, who Shaka insists is Laney, will defeat evil wolf packs and a mysterious black fog of decay to restore normalcy to the West Woods on the day of the Third Syzygy since evil had descended on the woods. The tension and reality of the West Woods world is heightened by Laney’s amnesia allowing her to fully participate in Shaka’s world without reference to the modern world. Numerous exciting and well-executed adventures advance the story, as Laney and Shaka meet memorable characters and scenes often drawn from the art of Cheval.
That evil may sometimes exist as a punishment for men’s greed, but is often just inexplicable is implicit. Fortunately, the presence of evil inevitably summons hidden good as Laney acts as a heroic protagonist first in the dream-laden West Woods and then “for real” in a Twilight Zone-like episode in the contemporary world, her life forever changed by the bildungsroman or coming of age effects of her challenging experiences. We expect to hear more from Laney in the future.
“The Third Syzygy” should be required reading for fans of high fantasy and also for more general audiences obsessed with dystopian works like “The Game of Thrones.” It is a wise, vastly entertaining story that might force you, dear reader, to question whether you are dreaming or awake.
February 7, 2020
I really enjoyed the first 90% of this book. It was a fun and adventurous read that totally gave me Never Ending Story vibes. The ending "tie-in" really ruined it for me though. It felt like a tacky cheap shot. Really wish the book ended a few chapters early.
January 30, 2020
In this gorgeous and mesmerizing tale we first meet Laney at an art museum, where she is struggling to come up with an 8 page paper for school, when she happens upon a Michael Cheval exhibit entitled "Michael Cheval's Dreams". Although a sign reads that the exhibit is closed Laney goes in anyway to have a look.....a modern tale that feels like a classic, with all the elements of a great fantasy story. I love how this story was told and how it and the artwork compliment each other so well. A wonderful, heart-pumping adventure I struggled to put down. I have to know what happens next!
Thank you so much to Goodreads giveaways and Stanford Apseloff for the signed copy! I (and those who listened to me read the entire thing out loud) absolutely love this book!
Thank you so much to Goodreads giveaways and Stanford Apseloff for the signed copy! I (and those who listened to me read the entire thing out loud) absolutely love this book!
February 5, 2020
I loved this fantasy novel. In the beginning, Laney, the protagonist, is a typical sassy young adult, navigating her way with adults in the real world by pushing boundaries and challenging norms. When she visits an art museum, the next thing she knows she’s in a mystical, mythical world, setting off on an exciting adventure in search of the third syzygy – a prophecy that promises her only hope of returning home. Under the guidance of her new world companion, Shaka, the author created beautiful images of their journey describing each chapter of Laney’s new mythical life with incredible imagination. The Third Syzygy is strikingly talented storytelling. The illustrations add wonderful visual engagements into Laney’s new life in the West Woods aiding in bringing the story alive.
This novel is suspenseful yet magical. It adeptly captures Laney’s deepest fear of the unknown, frustration about her lack of self knowledge, and anxiety as to whether she would ever find her way “home”. The human condition, really. But on this journey, Laney cultivates her natural inclinations for perseverance, strength, resilience, confidence, trust, and belief to conquer uncertainty in the face of adversity.
This book could certainly be a classic. It is a fantastic read for anyone, but especially for young adults, looking for a powerful, imaginative story on wisdom, endurance and survival, combined with a decent amount of escapism and overall wholesome entertainment. The tear-jerking ending left me with wanting to read more. Highly recommend.
This novel is suspenseful yet magical. It adeptly captures Laney’s deepest fear of the unknown, frustration about her lack of self knowledge, and anxiety as to whether she would ever find her way “home”. The human condition, really. But on this journey, Laney cultivates her natural inclinations for perseverance, strength, resilience, confidence, trust, and belief to conquer uncertainty in the face of adversity.
This book could certainly be a classic. It is a fantastic read for anyone, but especially for young adults, looking for a powerful, imaginative story on wisdom, endurance and survival, combined with a decent amount of escapism and overall wholesome entertainment. The tear-jerking ending left me with wanting to read more. Highly recommend.
January 2, 2020
I struggled with what I was going to rate this, not because it was ever bad but because the end really brought it full circle but was it worth four just for an ending? In this case, yes. It feels like it may have been for a young audience most of the time. It was written well but because of the pace and slight lack of in-depth character developments, it just had a writing style that came off geared for a young audience. But it was entertaining and wholesome. The end for me however, touches on something much more real and bumped it up a star to me. It was a creative but dark resolution to an interesting plot. I really think this is an interesting novel and while I do believe it felt a little immature in a lot of ways, it also hits some very real topics and overall has a nice feel-good vibe that I found entertaining.
February 18, 2020
Full of vivid imagery and interesting characters, this novel indulges every daydreamer’s desire to open a door to another world. It is difficult to put down once you pick it up. The ending is just as beautifully written as the rest of the book, unraveling a much deeper, symbolic meaning - one that is universally applicable to all of today’s young adults. If you enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings, you will absolutely love The Third Syzygy. And I commend Stanford Apseloff on his use of strong female leads!
September 20, 2020
Astounding!
As a lover of Cheval and his art, this story gives life to many of my favorite paintings. It makes me want to find any of his exhibits just to see if there is a door nearby.
As a lover of Cheval and his art, this story gives life to many of my favorite paintings. It makes me want to find any of his exhibits just to see if there is a door nearby.
December 9, 2019
I was disappointed as I was expecting more illustrations by Michael Chival
Want to Read
December 24, 2019***goodreads giveaway***
Review coming soon
Review coming soon
September 2, 2020
loved it. its about a girl who has to travel through a magical land and then save her brother from a monster.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2020
*Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story starts with Laney, a teenage girl wandering a museum in search of a topic for her paper. She stumbles across an exhibit of strange paintings that seem to be moving, and some that seem to have props, like a feather. An alarm goes off and she rushes outside into the snow to find herself suddenly in another world...where she has no memory of who she is, but is believed in this world to be a "sorceress from the West." This world is filled with magic, arrows, talismans, crystals, and eccentric characters such as Shaka, the guardian of the Tarzetta trail who takes Laney under her wing as they travel to the Third Syzygy, described as the heavenly alignment or the dance between the sun and the moon. On their perilous journey, they face many dangers and meet an assortment of other people, including creepy old witches Nevanna and Divanna, "wiseman" Zelfore, and others.
A few quotes I liked:
"I need to find out who I am and where I belong."
Dreams are like brushstrokes. Better to start with a blank canvas.
Without giving away any spoilers, I need to say that I very much disliked the ending. I felt like the final few chapters made little sense and seemed to make use of some very tired tropes. On a positive note, the accompanying illustrations were good and I think this would be an appropriate and enjoyable read for middle grade/YA fantasy lovers.
This story starts with Laney, a teenage girl wandering a museum in search of a topic for her paper. She stumbles across an exhibit of strange paintings that seem to be moving, and some that seem to have props, like a feather. An alarm goes off and she rushes outside into the snow to find herself suddenly in another world...where she has no memory of who she is, but is believed in this world to be a "sorceress from the West." This world is filled with magic, arrows, talismans, crystals, and eccentric characters such as Shaka, the guardian of the Tarzetta trail who takes Laney under her wing as they travel to the Third Syzygy, described as the heavenly alignment or the dance between the sun and the moon. On their perilous journey, they face many dangers and meet an assortment of other people, including creepy old witches Nevanna and Divanna, "wiseman" Zelfore, and others.
A few quotes I liked:
"I need to find out who I am and where I belong."
Dreams are like brushstrokes. Better to start with a blank canvas.
Without giving away any spoilers, I need to say that I very much disliked the ending. I felt like the final few chapters made little sense and seemed to make use of some very tired tropes. On a positive note, the accompanying illustrations were good and I think this would be an appropriate and enjoyable read for middle grade/YA fantasy lovers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews