Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Jumper Cable (Xanth)
Jumper Cable (Xanth) Got the book very quickly.I love the Xanth books & plan to eventually fill my collection with those I've missed.

Perversity from Piers
I've been a big Xanth fan from the beginning. Lately the Xanth series has been going downhill, but I loved them so much that I overlooked quite a bit. Jumper Cable pushed me over the edge. Sorry Piers, I think sex is great and all, but I like a good plot. Xanth books just don't have that any more. I agree with the other reviewer, it seems like Piers Anthony is just turning into a dirty old man. If you like porn more than plot, start reading this series with the later books, it's getting worse with each one.

Awesome Book
I love all the Xanth books and I will continue to read them as Piers Anthony writes them.Funny and fun stuff.

What a Disappointment
Wow, what a disappointment. I've been reading this series since I was 13 years old (I'm now 31), and it's always been my favorite, up to this point. I never thought I'd say this, but I think it's time for Piers Anthony to pack it in.

Instead of feeling like I just took part in a rollicking adventure, I'm left with the impression that Piers Anthony has gone senile and it's manifesting as a desperate obsession with sex. I'm not a prude and wouldn't normally care, but it's not even well done. It's just completely pointless, gratuitous sex that detracts from the story instead adding to it. I noticed this same problem with Under a Velvet Cloak (of the Incarnations of Immortality series), but I thought Xanth was safe. It isn't.

In the Author's Note he lambasts irate mothers (which I am not) and tells those who don't like the series heading in a more "adult" direction basically to take a flying leap. I get that it's never really been a kid's series (although it might as well have been considering all the kids who love it), but I've always liked the more innocent naughtiness rather than this in-your-face, "They had sex, and then this guy had sex with that girl...and then this other girl, and then this one, and then these two had sex all over again, and then..." sex, sex, sex, ad nauseum. I never thought it would happen, but I think I've just been turned off of the series. If you must read it, get it from the library. Don't waste your money.

It's too late for me, having read it, but my advice to you is:

RUN! SAVE YOURSELVES!

fun lighthearted frolic
A narrative hook drops the spider Jumper from one scene into another where meets a woodwife named Wenda (a woman made of wood with no back) who wants to be made flesh.They find a prophecy on Jumper's carapace and decide to go to the Magician Humphrey to find out what it means.The pair also hopes that Humphrey returns Jumper to his scene and makes Wenda flesh and blood.Along the way they meet Maeve the Maenad who is avoiding the stork because she doesn't want an infant.She decides to join them to see if Humphrey can get the stork to stop delivering her package.

Haughty Harpy meets the travelers and tells them that at night she turns into Hottie Harpy.She decides to join them to see if the magician can help her.Two more ladies join the troupe; Phaedra, who can turn into a host who is being stalked by Genghis the ghost and Olive Huie who has no friends; the former wants the stalking stopped and the latter wants a friend.When the group breaches the magician's castle, Humphrey tells them he will give them what they want if they fix the broken cable that connects Mundania's Internet to Xanth's Outernet.They have plenty of enemies who want to stop them for various reasons.

Thirty three punster fantasy quests later, Xanth remains alive as if Chameleon was still seeking a spell.The hero is an innocent spider who learns to play and work with humans as he and the women march across some familiar locales and a several new spots on their misadventures.There is plenty of romance and action even with the typical thin plot as JUMPER CABLE is a fun lighthearted frolic.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description
The eighth book in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. It is the year 500 AD. Kerena, a beautiful young girl living near King Arthur's Camelot, is apprenticed to Morely the Seer. Morely teaches her fantastic magic, but when he mysteriously disappears, Kerena finds herself out on the street and must resort to prostitution to survive. Kerena prospers as a skilled courtesan until she is taken into service by Morgan le Fey, the sorceress sister of King Arthur. Kerena's knowledge of magic grows as she is required to carry out nefarious deeds for the evil Lady Fey. One of her missions is to seduce Sir Gawain, Knight of the Round Table, to prevent him from locating the Holy Grail. But Gawain and Kerena fall in love and she conceives his child, a child she discovers is cursed to die an early death. Using her Seer abilities, Kerena tries to locate the fabled Incarnations of Immortality, seeking their aid in removing the taint from her baby. Rebuffed by all seven major Incarnations, Kerena vows revenge. But revenge against such mighty immortals would require an even greater power... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

It lacks flavor
I love most of Pier Anthony's books, but this one was a challenge. I would classify the book as picking the skeleton of the Incarnation of Imortality clean of its last bit of flesh. I loved the series, but it started getting week with book 7 after all it is difficult to top For the Love of Evil. This book was really little more then brief flashbacks to the other 7 books with various sex scenes as filler material. I read it all, but it really didn't keep my interest. My honest opinion in of how to rate the incarnation series.

1. On a Pale Horse (This is by far my favorite book and I would love to reread if my ex girlfriend hadn't stolen my copy)
2. For the Love of Evil (Very Good)
3. With a tangled Skien (Who doesn't like to follow the story of a pretty lady?)
4. Bearing and Hourglass (I have a soft spot for time travel books)
5. Being a Green Mother (Okay)
6. Weilding a Red Sword (Again okay, but not something to write home about)
7+8. And Eternity + Under a Velvet Cloak (It not that these are bad its just that they overall are boring and seem to only be concerned with keeping the powers in the family.

Hey come on Piers we want to try these powers out! END THE NEPOTISM!! Just kidding, but it would have been nice if one of the incarnations was just a random person with no relationship to any other. Just for fun.

The Porn Remix of Incarnations of Immortality
By way of disclaimer:I am not typically a fantasy fan and have not read any of Anthony's other works, but enjoyed the Incarnations series on initially reading them in the mid 1990's and then again a decade later.This review is specifically of Under a Velvet Cloak and should not be taken to impugn the enjoyability of the series as a whole.Also, if you do decide to go on and read the book, there may be spoilers below.

Under a Velvet Cloak purports to present the development of the Incarnation of Night, Nox, from a downtrodden little sister to a being with almost unlimited power over space, time, and humans.And in fairness, for 2 or 3 chapters near the end of the book we do have the opportunity to see the actions of Incarnations and other important characters throughout the series from the vantage point of Nox.The origin of the Purgatory computer and the quest to restore Gaw-Two are explained in ways that are not even really intimated in the other books of the series.The remaining chapters, however, vacillate between the lurid and the ludicrous.Sexual references and explicit descriptions are everywhere throughout the book.The first several chapters are essentially a paean to pedophilia; even if you agree that the main character's youth and deflowering are important to the story, do we need to know that a minor character whose role is only to serve as Kerena's guard likes eight to ten year old boys?And if you are somehow able to overlook the sexual acts and references on at least every other page, you still have to deal with the (inconsistently applied) convention of someone's name being changed to start with a "V" when they become a vampire.All of this leads up to the ultimate test, where the Incarnations from one timeline agree to allow Nox to challenge her nemesis in a contest which will determine the ultimate fate of the universe.This test consists of seeing which combatant can rape the other according to a color code.

In addition to the plot elements described above, the style is painful.Anthony "advances" his story with a lack of subtlety that is impressive in its intrusiveness.The dialogue appears to be written for people who would have difficulty keeping up with Sesame Street.If not for the graphic content I would swear that this book was written for 3rd graders.For so many reasons, this book falls into the category of those which should not be tossed aside lightly but rather thrown with great force.It is an unworthy successor and conclusion to an otherwise interesting series.

A great follow on.
This book I was not expecting (8th Incarnation) but as a follow on to the previous 7 Incarnation novels it has its place. Piers Anthony does not let you down. There is something happening on every page so it is difficult to put the book down.

A great read!

Not a fitting conclusion
I LOVE the Incarnations of Immortality series. Love it. I read the first seven books over again every other year or so. When I heard about this book I ordered it and was so excited to read it. Then I did. I like the storyline and the character weaving through history, but the over the top sex including the (pardon the pun but it's needed) Climactic Ending, really were a jarring change from the earlier novels. It almost feels like this was a fanfic that started off as a bad porn. I have hopes the series may later include a book of short stories about the minor incarnations, but this entry in the series is one I will never read again.

dirty old man
I could not wait until he wrote another Incarnations.In the last book about God, Piers Anthony was already getting to be a dirty old man.He continued on and was more explicit in his newest book Under A Velvet Cloak. If this was real life instead of fiction, he would be arrested and put on a sex registry list.I can not believe he has daughters and would write a book like this.Females without educations can have many occupations other than being a prostitute.I now hate the word supple because Piers uses this word in almost every incarnation book to describe a woman.If I was his wife I would start questioning his beliefs on the subject of a child with an adult. ... Read more

Product Description
Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled--where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. That is, except for Bink of North Village. He was sure he possessed no magic, and knew that if he didn't find some soon, he would be exiled. According to the Good Magician Humpfrey, the charts said that Bink was as powerful as the King or even the Evil Magician Trent. Unfortunately, no one could determine its form. Meanwhile, Bink was in despair. If he didn't find his magic soon, he would be forced to leave....
Amazon.com Review
Though already developing a successful career in SF with such heady novelsas Chthon and Omnivore, Piers Anthony did not reachbrand-name status until he cooked up some fantasy in 1977. And it wascheerful, humorous fantasy at that, as in his first Xanth seriesnovel, A Spell for Chameleon. The book's young hero, Bink, iswithout magical powers in a world ruled entirely by magic. Worse still, ifhe doesn't discover his own magical talent soon, he will be foreverbanished from his homeland. Naturally, it takes an epic quest for Bink tolearn what his unique talent truly is--and perhaps to win the girl of hisdreams as well. A Spell for Chameleon was the very first ofAnthony's bestselling (and still ongoing) humorous fantasy series.Noteworthy for their outrageous word puns and bizarre characters, the Xanthbooks are a light yet often satisfying brew, especially when compared withthe author's sometimes nihilistic and ultraviolent hard SF. --StanleyWiater ... Read more

Customer Reviews (178)

A magnificent series starter by a gifted writer
Piers Anthony's Xanth series has the humor of a loving father and a dirty old man. His characters are rich and grow and learn. The action is unpredictable and demonstrates someone who is gifted at story telling. A pleasure to read. I call it eye candy. It is age appropriate for young teens, although there are sexual references.

The only reason i didn't...
This book by far belongs in your fantasy book collection. Other than "Ogre, Ogre" My Brother's Keeper which is one of the best fantasy books i've ever read also by Piers Anthony, this book takes you through the complete ride with many unexpected turns. Bink (i hate/love that name) is easily empathetic, and this sets up the Piers Anthony steep sheet as a writer of fantasy would appreciate: have a problem, go see the Good Magician Humphrey, go on an 'expected' quest until it turns out that UNexpected things happen, then enjoy as a happily ever after ending happens, tho not as you thought.

You will enjoy this book, and regret not reading it. Glen Cook, Robert Jordan, george R. R. Martin, Fred Saberhagen, Andre Norton, Terry Goodkind, Raymond E. Feist, Robert E. Howard. Look them up; you'll not be disappointed :-)

My Brother's Keeper

Entertaining, but nothing enchanting
I want to start by saying that this novel is more of a 3.5 star book, a rating that Amazon prohibits me from giving. So in other words, I can recommend this for an entertaining read, but there are too many inconsistencies with the story and writing that leave me wanting more.

On the positive side, Anthony's world of Xanth is extremely refreshing and original. While he does incorporate the usual fictional beasts that everyone else does, he takes it one step further by incorporating scenery, plants, characters, etc that I have never encountered. As with some authors, you never once feel that there is a lack of imagination, i.e., I didn'tstop to think whether any of this had been done before, it's all very refreshing and inventive.

However, what really detracts from this book is the overall lack of cohesiveness. The storyline is compelling, interesting, even occasionally exciting, but it doesn't flow very well. I found many instances where the story would just jump forward in time or jump to another scene without properly setting up a transition. I also found the handling of the character of Sabrina to be less than realistic, even bordering on the absurd. There should definitely have been a better and plausible explanation of why Bink would reject her. Having her engaged to someone else when he returned to the village would have been satisfactory.

This is a fun read, much more so for a younger crowd, but there are too many shortcomings to make me want to wholeheartedly recommend it.

A Spell for Chameleon
THis is my first Piers Anthony book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to continuing Bink's journey...

A perfect book for light hearted readers
This is a fun adventure for the right reader. I hate to narrow it down too much, however I get the feel its prime audience would be young adult men who like puns, silly humor, and a variety of creatures and adventure. It's a slight blend of Monty Python & Benny Hill humor wrapped up into an exciting adventure. Don't buy this is you're looking for a serious epic to dive into and absorb. This is a light-hearted don't-take-me-too-serious story. If this is what you're looking for, then this is one of the best you will find. Enjoy your way past various obstacles as you laugh along the journey. I wouldn't change a thing. Piers Anthony wrote it perfectly for a specific audience in mind. And if that's you, you'll be glad you found this gem. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Juliet sees a car crash and hurries to help a severely injured man. All she can do is call 911 and try to keep him alert until the medics arrive, lest he go into shock and die. Desperate, she puts his hand on her breast, hoping to distract him from the awful pain. This works - but now he’s in love with her. Before it’s done, God Himself intervenes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

From Red Adept's Kindle Book Review Blog
Plot/Storyline/Character Development: 4 3/4 Stars


The storyline was a surreal view of an extremely sheltered teenager who takes on the name "Juliet" to cover up an indiscretion. Although, her boyfriend calls himself "Romeo", this novella is not a recreation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. While there are some similarities, they are pointed out almost jokingly by the characters themselves.

I loved the portion where Juliet met God. Yes, she met an irreverant, yet somehow immensely likeable, version of "God."

Juliet and God were both nicely developed. Juliet's innocence was exaggerated to the point of almost being laughable. As she grew in the story, she retains some of the innocence, yet you can still see the maturity coming out. Romeo could have used a little more work, as he was just a foil for Juliet.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

I love the writing style of Mr. Anthony in this novella. It's a cross between the simplicity of the Xanth Series and the irreverant humor in the Immortals Series. Also, like the Xanth Series, though it appears to be written for a youthful crowd, there are nuances here that are only for adults.

Editing/Formatting: 5 Stars

Both were of professional quality.

Rating: PG-13 for Sexual References
... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Jordan had a talent for recovering from almost any injury if enough of his body could be assembled to grow together, but this time he was dead and his bones were scattered. Could he find enough of them to bring himself back to life? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Super All Time Favorite
Years ago, I saw my grandmother reading this book (we're devour books together) and I asked how it was. She handed it to me and told me to keep it--because I wouldn't want to return it to her and she could get another copy, which she did purchase!

I was enchanted. There is no other word for it. This exceptionally "punny" book is hilarious. My son went as a "baseball bat" for Halloween the year before last, if that says anything! To this day I'm always buying Crewel Lye (though it's not the first in the series, and I had such fun catching up!) for friends and family (well, there's not many readers left without a copy these days.) I must have bought this book at least eight times now, if not more.

I think the Xanth series should be required reading, it really taught me how much I could love the genre. You won't go wrong with Crewel Lye, in fact, you might just end up hooked!

A romance for the ages
Taking a slightly different path, Piers Anthony's Crewel Lye is the story of Jordan the Ghost. Those who read the series, will remember that Jordan plays a key role in "dragon on a pedestal" and this book is his personal story. In Xanth, ghosts are people or things that have unresolved issues at the time of their deaths. Several years after the events of Dragon, Jordan meets Ivy at the magic tapestry and she convinces him to tell her his story.

Four hundread years before, Jordan was a barbarian in search of adventure. For that he leaves his home and his girlfriend. While adventuring, his magical talent comes to bear and he uses it extensively. Jordan's talent is that he heals from every injury in a brief amount of time. That carries forward onto death even - and indeed, Jordan dies during this story! - multiple times!!

Jordan hears that Castle Roogna is where adventures can be found and makes his way there. When he arrives he is given a quest and some magical help, and he is off to the races. As it turns out, his quest is to retrieve the King's daughter and bring her back to the castle to wed one of the magicians. However, this being a Xanth book, there are many twists and turns and puns to get through. The King's daughter, it turns out, is not interested in coming back. Not only that, but the first time she meets Jordan, she poisons him and then throws his body into the Gap Chasm.

No suprise then, that Jordan falls in love with her, captures her, and takes her back to the castle. Many more interesting adventures are in store with lots of puns along the lines of quicksand (which makes you go fast - obviously), and slow sand (the reverse of quicksand). Since there are competing magicians for the King's daughter's favors, some of the magical help is actually a hindrance and lots of strange things happen. This is an opportunity for Anthony to explain his beliefs about how women differ from men and why their relative body shapes and sizes affect their behaviors and attitudes.

The title is Crewel Lye and it is a pun for the whole book. This special kind of Lye is needed to restore the clarity of what the tapestry shows. But, it is also the name of the whole story if spelled "cruel lie" as Jordan finds out - not once, but at least twice!

This was a different book than the other Xanth stories I've read. It was more serious in tone in many respects. Extreme violence and death was a constant theme in this one, whereas it is severely de-emphasized in others. Sex comes into play here in a variety of fashions and it is quite fascinating to see how the author manages to avoid explaining it directly, while giving everyone a very good idea of what is going on.

Overall I rated it a three star book as an OK read. It was not as much fun as Dragon on a Pedestal, but it was not a bad book either.

Disappointing among the Xanth books
I've been rereading the entire Xanth series, and "Crewel Lye" is not up to par.

Piers Anthony rarely has a "light touch", but this time his laying it on too heavily even gets on my nerves... After about the second allusion, the reader already knows the ending, but Anthony keeps on hinting at it - with a sledgehammer (I won't write a spoiler here, though ;-)

The plot is rambling, and character development is nonexistent - for better books on these counts, go to books 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6 (not so much 2 and 7) in the series. The usual puns, which I as a non-native speaker really like (some new ones again!). The usual sexual under(?)tones, which you get used to. The book's not too bad on these counts.

But: I'm definitely not a prude or overly conservative, but the sheer goryness of the book turns me off. Jordan gets dismembered various times, and the descriptions are given in loving detail. This clashes horribly with the usual carefree and light tone of the Xanth series. In addition, the gory parts are not even well written, and if I want blood splattered, I will not turn to an Anthony book.

Overall: a disappointment. I'll keep it mainly to avoid an empty slot on my Xanth shelf.

What were they thinking?
Seriously, I am quite the fantasy reader. However, this piece of dribble should not have ever been published. It is one of the WORST books I have ever read- in any genre. No plot or charecter development, nothing. If you want good fantasy, go read one of the DRAGONLANCE titles.

Very impressive Xanth book
"Crewel Lye" is the eighth book in Piers Anthony's "Xanth" series, and in some ways, it is the most impressive of the first nine.Most of the Xanth books take place in a reasonably well-define timeline that we might call the "present."This actually spans quite a long time, since the main character in Xanth-1, Bink, is 25 years in that book, but around 60 in Xanth-9.But "Crewel Lye" takes place **400** years earlier, so it doesn't have the benefit of a lot of the usual Xanthian touches that prop up other books.(By Xanthian touches, I mean things like finding out how to get into Good Magician Humfrey's castle so as to get an Answer.)

Anyway, in the "present" time, Jordan is a ghost, which means that he died with unresolved issues.When little Princess Ivy asks what happened, he tells her the story of his demise.Thus, most of the book is actually narrated in the first-person, which is different from the other Xanth books, and a nice change of pace.First-person narration forces a writer to be disciplined about observations, thoughts, etc., because only those of one person can be related to the reader.This is important for this book, because the "cruel lie" that does Jordan in actually has a different interpretation, one that Jordan doesn't realize, but the reader can figure out.It makes for a very clever ending, even if it becomes somewhat obvious.

Jordan's story -- he is a barbarian who wants an adventure -- is full of action and violence, some intrigue, some romance (or just plain offscreen sex), and even though I was concerned that I wouldn't get to read about the usual Xanth characters, I was engrossed in it. ... Read more

Product Description
Pornucopia is a picaresque black comedy that transgresses all bounds of everyday good taste. It begins in a near-future world where sex-vending machines and genital transplants are taken for granted.

Prior Gross, the hero and sex object of this wild adventure, thinks his fantasies have all come true when a beautiful young woman seduces him on a public beach. She turns out to be a succubus, beginning his initiation into a realm populated by demons that are not merely horned, but horny. He encounters a perverse cast of characters that includes a satyr, a vampire, and a pair of luscious sisters, one of whom tricks him out of his manhood.

So Prior Gross sets out on a perverse odyssey, taking him to a distant planet where he discovers the key to the return of his property and, ultimately, the origin of the universe itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Not Author's Best - By FAR!
Piers Anthony is capable of much better than this. Even his later Xanth books were more clever than this offering. Don't waste your time or money on this one.

Wow
Like I said in the title, WOW!! This book just totally blows your mind.

It is such a weird, captivating, romantic, awesome, wicked journey they take you through in this book.

You get to travel along with the character though a weird porn filled land where nothing is as it should be.

Totally buy this book, I can't even put into words how amazing it is....trust me!!

It's bad for you...
OK, so its not all bad, in fact its quite good. I would only suggest this book to people with a twisted sense of humor and a imagination to match. I really liked it, but I can't really just go and describe it to the masses without offending some people. If you are looking for a good read thats perverted, funny, disturbing, and just plain weird I say go for it and read this book.

Tongue-in-cheek humor
If you're a veteran of Piers Anthony, you know that he plays fast and loose with the subject of sex. At times, I found it a bit tiresome (like in ...And Eternity), and this book is no exception. Yes, this book is supposed to be ABOUT sex as opposed to other series/books, and don't get me wrong, there were plenty of amusing parts in this book. If you're a prude, you won't like it, but if you find sex humor to be funny, you will like it.

Many of the characters fall flat and come across as cardboard, but given the plot, it kind of makes sense. This is just not a book for everyone. Personally, I enjoyed the Incarnations and Geodyssey books more than this. If you like Piers Anthony and find his odd humor to be funny, pick up this book. For me, it was a enjoyable, laughable read. Not his greatest work, but certainly not bad, either.

Un-sexy.
It has been a long time since I have read any of Piers Anthony's stories - I had enjoyed the Xanth and Incarnations series immensely.When I received the Kindle for Christmas, I immediately browsed past favourite authors, Anthony included.I knew of Pornucopia but had never seen it in print. Imagine my surprise to see it in the Kindle listings!The story is wild and unlikely, just as I remembered Anthony's tales to be.While billed as erotica, it isn't terribly titillating.Instead, the sordid details flow like a clinical instruction manual; it was definitely sex that we're reading, it was just not sexy.For something sexier and harder-hitting emotionally, check out Anthony's Firefly.That is a sordid tale that will leave you drained.I'm glad that I read this, but I'm not sure that I would recommend it.Perhaps to only unconditional fans with curiousity about Anthony's past works. ... Read more

Product Description
The CLUSTER series of SF adventures is set in a future focused on colonization of distant planets.Sphere Sol is about 100 light years in diameter, centered on the Earth’s sun. Surrounding this sphere are other, similar spheres each centered on another star such as Polaris or Canopus. Colonization is accomplished by: instantaneous teleportation, called matter transmission or mattermission (very expensive); “freezer” ships in which colonists are sent in cryonic preservation at very high speeds (much decay and average 50% loss of colonists occurs during the voyages) and lifeships, slower, safer multigenerational vessels with voyages that run to centuries (during which the travelers regress in technical sophistication.) Because of the difficulty of colonization and the smaller population bases, all spheres suffer spherical regression--the greater the distance from source star to colony, the lower the level of technology that survives. Social organizations regress backward to historical periods of the home planet's past. Outworld, Sphere Sol's farthest colony, is populated by paleolithic tribes who hunt with flint spears and make fire. Colonists know about the interstellar empire and the home worlds mattermit government and security personnel to all colony worlds. Every living thing has a Kirlian aura that can be measured. Through transfer, a refinement of mattermission technology, the mind and personality of individuals with high aura can be sent to animate a body physically distant but a hosted aura fades at the rate of about 1 unit per Earth day and higher-Kirlian individuals last longer and thus have more freedom of movement.

The first three novels in the sequence, CLUSTER, CHAINING THE LADY and KIRLIAN QUEST form a linked trilogy. THOUSANDSTAR and VISCOUS CIRCLE came later and take place in the time sequence between the second and third volumes of the original trilogy.

As CLUSTER opens, the alien envoy Pnotl of Sphere Knyfh seeks help from Sphere Sol in a shared galactic-level crisis: Galaxy Andromeda has discovered the secret of energy transfer and intends to use it to steal the basic energy of the Milky Way Galaxy. Knyfh offers the secret of aura transfer on the understanding that Sphere Sol will spread the technology to help create a galactic coalition to find and defeat agents of Andromeda. Sol's highest-Kirlian individual is Flint, a green-skinned native of Outworld, who has a Kirlian aura of 200, an eidetic memory (useful for memorizing the complex equations of Kirlian transfer that he will need to communicate to other spheres). He has extraordinary intelligence, and is highly adaptable. His mission is complicated, however, by the fact that he is pursued everywhere by a very high Kirlian female Andromedan agent and, somehow, the Andromedans are able to detect and trace Kirlian transfers.

Flint embarks upon several missions to bring transfer technology to neighboring spheres, inhabiting various alien forms. His efforts are successful despite attacks and sabotage by the Andromedan agent. Through the conflict, however, the mutual attraction of their two vastly superior auras begins to undermine their individual loyalty to their own Spheres. Flint and a group of other entities recover the information that will allow them to detect and trace transfers and one of the group is revealed as the Andromedan agent. One result is the catastrophic destruction of the local habitat. Flint and his nemesis are transferred into alien Mintakan bodies to survive. Choosing to leave things with parity between their two galaxies, Flint and the Andromedan mate and remain together until their auras fade (which happens rapidly since their physical bodies have been destroyed). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Beware, a poor scan job that hasn't been proofed well
I wish they would have put as much effort in proofing the text as they did in designing new covers for the series.This e-book was evidently a very quickly put-together scan job that wasn't even proofed or spell-checked very well before being submitted to the Kindle book store.The spelling errors due to the poor OCR are numerous and distracting.I wouldn't have purchased this book if there would have been some way to tell how bad the scan of the text was in advance.

Cluster is a Great futureistic book!
The characters in this book are great. I would recomend it to anyone.

Good sci-fi from Piers Anthony
Cluster is the first book in a 5-book sci fi series from Piers Anthony. It is highly recommended for entertainment. Follow the adventures of Flint, a cave-man in a futuristic universe. The alien species created by Mr. Anthonyare very interesting both culturally and anatomically. The commentary oninter-species prejudice is a valuable reflection upon modern society. Thisis a short book, about 300 pages.

A really good book
Cluster is a very in depth book that alows you to imagen about aura's and host bodies.An all around good book. ... Read more

Product Description
Ordered by King Trent to determine the source of Xanth's magic, Bink and his companions were harried by an unseen enemy determined to thwart them. When even their protector turned against them, Blink still managed to reach his goal and carry out the King's orders...but the king did not expect Blink's next act--to destroy utterly the magic of Xanth!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Simplistic yet entertaining
I found this novel enjoyable, but I'm not sure that I can continue with the series. I feel like each book will be more of the same. Go here, run into strange creatures, escape from danger, talk about attractive or irritating females, solve problem, return home. The characters aren't very interesting, and Xanth is no more unique thanit was in the previous novel. These stories would be better with a force of evil or sense of purpose. The puns are amusing at times and irritating at others. Overall, these books are decent light reading, and would serve you well for a brief escape into a different world.

A Source of Good Reading!
The second book in the Xanth series, The Source of Magic, finds the hero of the first book Bink, now married to Chameleon and living in a cottage cheese rind outside Castle Roogna. Chameleon is very pregnant, stuck in her smart/ugly phase and Bink is like many almost fathers' itching to have one last go at adventure before all his youth is gone. Queen Iris decides to throw a costume party, where she herself using her talent of illusion, outfits everyone in attendance. Whoever guesses the most guests proper identity gets an awesome prize; one question from Magician Humphrey, free of the yearly charge!!!
At the party Trent confides in Bink his sorrow at not being able to properly consummate his marriage to Iris because he is still thinking of his dead wife, Bink gives him a great idea and Trent runs with it!. Crombie is complaining that his wife Sabrina is a complete ball and chain and Chester Centaur is wondering if he himself has a talent. After the contest is won, Bink is even more eager to get out into Xanth because of a temptation, I won't spoil what happened!! Trent then sends Bink out into Xanth, with his friends, to find "The Source of Magic", a rather general and difficult quest! Where will they go? Who will join them on the way? Will Crombie finally learn to appreciate women? Will Chester find his talent? Will Bink sow his wild oats enough to go home satisfied? Will they find the Source of Magic? And what will happen when they do!
This is an amazing continuation of the series, and it wont let you down in any way!

Parents beware
The second installment of the Xanth series has Bink searching for the source of the magical land's magic. (A quest he is sent on primarily to give him a break from his 7-8 month pregnant wife, inconveniently in her "ugly/smart" phase.)

This story continues with the sexual themes (though not as blantant as in later books, if I remember correctly) that are geared to entice the adolescent boys who are the target audience.

**Spoiler**

On a further note, if you are someone concerned about the controversies sometimes found around the Harry Potter stories, be warned that the source of magic is, literally in this story, demonic in nature (as in coming from a demon).

Just enjoy it for what it is!
I enjoyed this book. Served as a great book to read while on vacation by the pool sipping a drink! Ok, so I am easily entertained, but so what! I read some of the reviews and there was a lot of griping about how women were put down but I find it interesting that the women who say that don't bring up the fact that there was equal time for men!!! I mean admit it, men so weak they can't resist the call of a siren? Get kinda tired of women crying oh woe is me! Now if any of those characters were not heterosexual men, there would have been no trouble getting past the siren! The siren would have been totally ignored by any gay man unless of course if she had a fabulous gown and matching tiara! Come on people, get a life, this is entertainment and should be appreciated for the entertainment and creativity it is! Just sit back and enjoy the ride!

Flat generic fantasy with a silly premise
Many reviewers note that the Xanth books deteriorate over time, but I can't even endorse the first two. The puns are less clever than those found in, for example, "The Phantom Tollbooth," and the light fantastic elements lack the humor of Robert Asprin's "Myth" series or the grandiosity of the Weiss-Hickman Dragonlance chronicles.

The first two books center around Bink's magic power, which is that he cannot be harmed by magic. But this intriguing notion is very difficult to translate into a compelling story, since the protective power is realized in sometimes-subtle (and always arbitrary) ways. If his power causes an evil magician to, say, slip on a banana peel at the critical time, then why wouldn't it instead prevent the mage from finding Bink in the first place?

That Bink's power manifests as what seems to be tremendously good luck is entertaining at times, but also a little hard to pin down or appreciate. It also kills lots of what would otherwise be very suspenseful encounters.

If the funny parts were funnier, or the creative bits more creative, or the writing more immersive, I would have given this a higher rating, but it's simply outclassed on all counts by others in the field.

All of that criticism aside, this book is readable, which is more than I can say for lots of fantasy books. Anthony is clearly a solid writer who knows how to bang out a cohesive story that is well-paced and digestible.

If you've exhausted your fantasy bookshelf of all of the classics, you might want to give the Xanth universe a try. But if it doesn't appeal to you by the end of the first book, move along. There's nothing to see here.

... Read more

Product Description
In Book Two of the epic adventure that began in SPLIT INFINITY, Stile discovers life on Proton and Phaze is getting more difficult. On Proton he's a serf trying to prove his right to exist by competing in the Great Games. And on Phaze, where only magic worked, he was the Blue Adept trying to master the powers of sorcery. On both worlds, someone was trying to assassinate him. And as if that weren't enough, he has to win the love of Lady Blue, fight a dragon, discover the ultimate weapon, and of course, seek out the all-powerful Citizen who was trying to kill him!
THE APPRENTICE ADEPT SERIES
Book One: SPLIT INFINITY
Book Two: BLUE ADEPT
Book Three: JUXTAPOSITION ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Decent book, bad Kindled version
As a book, well worth it.If you liked Split Infinity, you'll like Blue Adept since it picks up exactly where Split Infinity left off.A bit of the standard Piers Anthony oh-here's-another-not-quite-relevant-to-the-plot-side-adventure dalliancing, but entertaining and full of great sci fi and fantasy constructs.

However, the Kindled version was CLEARLY transcribed via OCR (Optical Character Recognition) from a printed version and not reviewed by a human being for accuracy.There are between 1 and 5 mistranslated words PER PAGE.Blade instead of Black, "kid:" instead of kick, it goes on an on.It becomes distractingly annoying!

I have to recommend the printed version rather than Kindled, which I assume doesn't have these mistakes.

Not Free SF Reader
Not your average bear on the fantasy world either.


When in the fantasy world Stile discovers that he can do the magic thing, and holds the title of the novel, in fact. Opposite of Blue is Red, it seems, and he has an enemy, who he must defeat on Phaze and also in the Tourney via the Game back on Proton, to keep everything cool.

Introductory Course: How to Live in 2 Worlds, Simultaneously
Journey with Stile, in a world of High-Tech--Juxtaposed with a Realm of Fantasy and Magick. Experience a world in-which you are not allowed to wear clothing (unless absolutely necessary), if you are not among the Elite...and a piece of Lingerie is a treasure to be kept safe, like gold or diamonds in our own world. Our hero is a man of Sports and a contender not-only in games and Olympic feats, but of quests in magickal lands... trying to survive assassination on both planes of existence! Even crossing-over is a danger to his life. This is very adventurous reading, with Sci-Fi & Fantasy...Futuristic, High-Tech & Magickal, Low-Tech scenarios...combined in a flowing epic of self-discovery and Mastership. You may have noticed, that I did not review the first book of the series ("SPLIT INFINITY") and opted for "BLUE ADEPT," instead.... Well, the cover of this book attracted me to the series (Glad it hasn't changed :) --So, I went with my...instincts...on this issue.Anyway, all the books are great! Make sure you don't forget "JUXTAPOSITION," or you will be left hangin' until you receive the next purchase. I loved the series and I suggest searching for all of Piers Anthony's novels....This is a guy you can't go wrong with.So, there you have it--Introductory Course: How to Live in 2 Worlds, Simultaneously!

Another frustratingly typical Anthony sequel!
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Piers Anthony books are likecrack. They're everywhere, and once you start, you have to read them all.It's awful. Because everyone I know who's read them has read them all, andI suspect almost everyone who reads them reads them all, and yet at least athird of every one of them is exposition. You can skip whole chunks of anybook that's not the first in a series, and you will miss nothing. It's likeold newspaper serials, where "The Story So Far" would be twice aslong as the new installment. I've been here before. I know these people.Get on with it. And this is not complicated stuff to begin with. This isnot hard to pick up.

Piers Anthony is the Literature Adept!
Piers Anthony is a Literature Adept!It's true. The man is encredible! I read his auto-biography (Bio of an Ogre), and it's great! I can just picture him in his cabin in Florida, writing great works of literature. Thestory of Stile, the next Scott Sethgreen, is magically transported from theworld of Proton, to the world of Phase, is creative, and funny. There is novernacular english spoken in Phase, and Stile suddenly becomes "TheBlue Adept." His best freind is murdered by an unknown villain, who iscoming for Stile next. Together with The Lady Blue, his charge, Sheen, hislovely robot, and the help of a Unicorn or two, magic harmonica in hand,Stile is off to destroy the enemy. ... Read more

Product Description
-From one of the best known names in fictions comes this unique collection of stories about relationships--some intense, some sexual, some mild, some shockers. This collection is intended for mature, thoughtful readers who care more about character and idea than adventure. A must for Anthony fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not for the Kindle
This is not for the kindle at all! I got a sample and it was the worst formatting I have ever seen on my Kindle. I looks like it will be a good read from my favorite author. very disappointed that I will need to get a dead-tree copy to enjoy it.

Good book
I enjoyed the book, but beware of the Kindle edition. It's almost unreadable due to bad formatting.

Relationships
Perfect Piers Anthony. More adult content. Easy to read. Stories are fun and thought provoking. Recommend to fans. ... Read more

Product Description
There is trouble in Xanth again. The Gap Dragon had escaped and was ravaging across the land, the forget-spell was causing mass amnesia, three-year old Ivy was headed right for a hungry dragon. Could things get any worse? Probably....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Very pleased
I am very happy with this seller.Product was as described and shipped promptly. Would definitely do business again!

Xanth rules
Piers Anthony is just super. Another funny tale that holds your attention throughout.Almost couldn't put the book down.

The best of the bunch to date!
It's the seventh book in the Xanth series and I believe that the author has hit his stride. This book is a lot of fun to read and can cause uncontrolled chortling to all who read it. Highly entertaining!

The storyline is only a vehicle towards bombarding and barraging you with puns. Nonetheless, here it is: It is five years since the conclusion of the NextWave war and the marriage of Dor and Irene and they are now blessed with a precocious three year old called Ivy.Dor is now King of Xanth and he is travelling to Castle Zombie to have a council of war to figure out what to do about the marauding Gap Dragon who appears to have come out of the gap. Since everything in Xanth is related to everything else, this is actually a long delayed outcome of that episode where the demon Xanth left for a short while. That caused a reduction in the strength of the forget spell and so on.

While travelling, Irene has a horrible vision of seeing Ivy between two pedestals: One with Mare Imbri on it, and the other is a Dragon (hence the name of the book). At this exact moment in time, it turns out that in addition to the Gap Dragon, little whorls of the forget me spell are spinning out of control and they can wipe your memory clear and cause all kinds of mischief. In our case, Ivy ends up affected and goes wandering off.

Not only that, but the Good Magician Humfrey is also indisposed. It turns out that he likes to take a sip of Fountain of Youth water every so often to maintain himself as a 100 year old. Unfortunately, this time he takes his 8 year old son Hugo with him. When they are at the Fountain, the Gap Dragon finds them. Hugo tries to save the day by splashing the Dragon with the water, but he also manages to splash a quantity on Humfrey. This causes Humfrey to "youthen" to the status of a baby. So, he cannot help the rest of Xanth.

So, now the story is set: We have a lost Ivy, a lost Hugo, and a Gap Dragon who is rampaging the Xanth mainland. Looking for them are Irene, the Gorgon (Hugo's mother), and a whole bunch of helpers. One quest is distracted by another quest and the story rolls along. We encounter the ancient feud between the Harpies and the Goblins as well as some feuds and fights and characters never before seen.

The main message of the book is the inter-relatedness of everything and how peace and love and good feelings can trumpet all the evil that you might encounter - especially when everyone works together towards the common cause. It's hard to believe that such a funny book would have a message, but the author hits you over the head with it enough times that you have no choice but to hear it!

The main thing about Xanth books though is not the plot or the message. It is the play on the puns that make it fun. Therefore the readers encounter those horrible monsters of the Parable, the Talking Yak, and the Hypotenuse. We also meet the 9 muses and the Monster under the bed!

In my mind, the heroine of the whole story though, was Zora the Zombie. She starts out as simply a zombie that is dispatched with Irene to work as a messenger but she becomes much more as the story unfolds. It is no surprise that she get re-animated as we go along, but I was somewhat surprised at the neat way some of the story's threads get pulled together because of her and her magical talent.

Finally, the book must have been written at the same time as the follow-on novel (Crewel Lye), as the book's title is mentioned as are broad hints about its storyline. Since this book was so good, I cannot wait to read Crewel Lye!

Dragon and the Princess
A beautifull addition to the xanth series, and a wonderfull introduction for the little sorceress and the Muses as well.

Disappointing Effort from a Worthwhile Author
I have truly enjoyed all of Anthony's Xanth books up until this one.The books of this series are made memorable and entertaining to me largely due to the incredible imagination of the author.That is, unfortunately, the main missing aspect of this novel.Our young heroine's talent seems to function as a vehicle for making unbelievable polt twists occur rather than as a specific talent that marked the heros and heroines of the other Xanth novels. **SPOILER**Another weak chain of events was the benefit reaped by the Tree of Life.That idea was about as poorly put forth as Ivy's talent of convenience---I was half expecting Irene to find a seed that grew cannons or Volvos.

While most other Xanth novels had the ability to make the reader believe that the fantastical events were possible in Xanth due to the incredible magic of the land and characters, this one just made this reader believe the author ran out of good ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
When life seemed pointless to Norton, he accepted the position as the Incarnation of Time, even though it meant living backward from present to past. The other seemingly all-powerful incantations of Immortality--Death, Fate, War, and Nature--made him welcome. Even Satan greeted him with gifts. But he soon discovered that the gifts were cunning traps and he had become enmeshed in a complex scheme of the Evil One to destroy all that was good....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

Every Dog has his...excrement.
I decided to become a writer after reading the entire Dark Tower series by Stephen King...now, granted, there are not a lot of series that can compare to the universe he created( short of Tolkien's) but when i first picked up On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony, I was fully prepared for another series filled with excellent morals and interesting characters.I ordered this as soon as I finished reading On A Pale Horse; highly anticipating the day when i could delve back into the mind of the author.About thirty pages into the book, i started hating the main character--not only because of the fact that he was almost exactly like the Zane--but because he fell in love almost three times throughout the book.It didn't stick to a single story line--there was a thirty pages of a simulation Satan sent Norton on that had absolutely nothing to do with the story.But I'm glad I read this book; it showed me what horrible writing was.

Not as good as On a Pale Horse
Bearing an Hourglass is the second in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. It tells the story of Norton, who takes on the office of Chronos (Time). The first book of the Incarnations series was "On a Pale Horse", which focussed on the Incarnation of Death.

I'll say from the start that (regretfully) Bearing an Hourglass is weaker than On a Pale Horse. It lacked the depth of emotional impact I got out of the first book, and I never did come to care for Norton's conflict in the same way that I came to care for Zane (Death)'s. Zane's struggle to accept his role as Death as being a necessary and "good" thing was a really driving conflict that had me utterly engrossed in the first book, but in Bearing an Hourglass, Norton never seems to face the same inner conflict as deeply and so his role as Time never became as defined for me as Zane's role as Death did.

There were a few things that hindered my enjoyment of Bearing an Hourglass, but in the end, one of the biggest problems I had with the book was that the nature of Norton's office (Time) was just too complex. Although I managed to grasp the concepts well enough in order to follow what was going on, I didn't really understand them very well. There was plenty of dialogue and exposition dedicated to explaining the various complexities of the plot, but oftentimes I felt the discussion was just too scientific and I found it difficult at times to concentrate on what was going on.

Bearing an Hourglass isn't just a difficult book to read because of its complex plot-it also requires that the reader trust the author to take them on what seem to be almost pointless diversions at times. For example: at one point Satan demonstrates what Norton could have as a reward if Norton cooperated with him by transporting Norton onboard a spaceship, where he then helps a spaceman fight an alien race. At the time, it felt a bit random, drawn out and pointless, only later did it all begin to make much sense.

The story takes its time to get going in the beginning, and seems a little awkward. Sadly, despite the massive attention spent on establishing a setup, once Norton takes on the role of Chronos, it all ends up feeling like the effort was wasted. I felt it could have been handled in a much quicker, simpler way. In contrast, the ending felt rushed. By the end of chapter 12, I felt that the book should end and was a little worried that I had a whole chapter still to go. Chapter 13 introduces another twist which then must be resolved in around 20 or so pages before the book actually ends. Gladly, the ending is satisfying, but it did all feel a little rushed and the resolution wasn't given as much attention as I might have preferred to see.

Overal, Bearing an Hourglass is not a bad book. It certainly hasn't put me off of the series as a whole, though it was certainly a dissapointment compared to On a Pale Horse

Mediocre Story, Interesting Idea
Seriously. I wanted to like this book. The concept was so fun. The incarnation on time living backwards? sweet.

But somehow Piers Anthony managed to make the whole thing boring. Perhaps it was the quasi sci-fi "magic come out of the closet and the Earth it made whole again" setting. Perhaps it was the plodding pace. Perhaps it was the over-long interludes in supposed anti-mater galaxies that (SPOILER) were just illusions. Do I feel bad publishing a spoiler? NO! Because I they didn't feel so much list satanic illusions (per the plot) as weak filler for an underdeveloped plot. Sure, some campy fun that makes laughs of pulp sci-fi and epic fantasy... but for every page of intentionally overwrought "illusion" I would have prefered a single paragraph of well-written storyline.

I finished the book because I like to finish books and I kept hoping it would get better. It didn't.

R.James
The book I've chosen to review is entitled: "Bearing An Hourglass," by Piers Anthony.One major conflict in the story was between the evil lord Satan and Norton, who is the main character of the novel. The way it was settled, was with a battle between good and evil. The conflict started when Norton had angered Satan by using a time spell to make him spin and bob in mid-air. This had angered him greatly, literally causing smoke to bellow from his nostrils. After this event, Satan shot a fireball in an attempt to kill Norton which utterly failed. Next, Norton was able to use a spell in order to finally defeat Satan to call off his minion.

The character I have chosen is the main character of the plotline--Norton, who is in basic terms a hiker who camps out in parks who has nowhere else to be. Also there is the grim reaper named Zane, who like Norton was down on his luck, when he had gone into debt and had become poor which forced him to live in the slums of a city called Kilvarough. They got along quite nicely because after a chain of events Norton met Zane on Gawain's property and was asked by Zane to be the new Chronos so they had to get along as fellow incarnations. They help each other in the story when Satan had sent a minion forward in time to stop Luna from defeating Satan politically. The way Thanatos(Zane) had helped Norton, was by helping to spoil Satan's plot in the previous book in order for Norton to become the new Chronos.

Norton was just a normal hiker in a park until he was visited by a ghost who asked him a favor. The ghost asked him to impregnate his wife when something bad happenned. The baby died and Norton spoke with the grim reaper when he had come to collect its soul. The reaper told him that Satan would win politically, ensuring hell on Earth unless he helped stop him. After that he takes over the newly vacated slot of Chronos the incarnation of time in order to defeat Satan. This novel portrays the events on Nortons journey to stop the lord of lies from achieving Hell on Earth.

The reasons I am recommending this book is: the story has a lot of action, a great plotline, and that it is written by a great author. Piers Anthony has written quite a lot in his career as an author. He has written over forty books and many of which pertain to incarnations. Another thingis that you shouldask this question:"Is it possible?" . The people I would reccomend this book to are people who enjoy fantasy and sci-fi books. I have read the book and I believe that it is very good; and that I am going to continue reading Piers Anthony's books, because each has a sense of individuality, by giving it twists that almost every reader would enjoy.

Uh-oh... Time Paradox!
Out of all the Incarnations, the office of Time seems to be the most baffling one, since Chronos has to live backwards in time. But having power over spacetime (and being able to travel anywhere within) seems to be a more than adequate compensation for having to live backward and seeing everyone move forward. It seems that Mr. Anthony had a LOT of fun writing this book, playing around with the ideas of paradox, time travel, alternate realities, terrene and contraterrene worlds, space travel, and the like. It gets especially heady towards the end, such as the conversation between Chronos and Bemme, or Chronos traveling to the end of time and back and his realization/understanding of time and Satan's lies.

Overall a solid book with a lot of philosophical/scientific ideas with more seriousness than 'On a Pale Horse', this book is definitely one of the better in the series. Two thumbs up! ... Read more

Product Description

The Man Who Would Be Satan

Customer Reviews (54)

Fantastic, simply fantastic
Mr. Anthony always did a great job with the preceding Incarnations as the philosophical questions, suggestions, and revelations of Death, Time, Fate, War, and Nature. A few books were better than others, but ALL of the books were at least 4 stars, and were all excellent reads.

I was blown away by this sixth volume of Incarnations of Immortality and the development of Satan's character. It's a fantstic read, exploring good and evil and tackling some hard questions. The revelation that God simply wasn't listening anymore certainly makes a lot of sense when you think about how the world is today. Just like its five predecessors, this book is entertaining and thought-provoking. You just might get a few new views or ideas on things you believe in, these books are that good.

Now onward to 'And Eternity', after having just finished this book, I am antsy to see what happens next. How exciting!

#1
This is definately the best book in the series. I reaaly enjoyed the full series but this is the best by far. It goes a long way in explaining the twisted tales that is the series.

Who could it be? Maybe Satan...
Go figure, Satan is actually a nice guy. This book is terrific, the equal of On a Pale Horse, in this terrific series. Parry, a sorcerer, passes through many trials and tempatations during the time of the Inquisi tion and eventually assumes the office of Satan. Any Piers Anthony fan should read this immediately.

Stand alone or part of the whole
This is the sixth book in a series of seven. And as with the rest of the series this book can stand alone or be taken and a part of the whole. Piers Anthony has once again written a novel that entraps the reader with the idea of the incarnations as people with faults and the stumblings of life that have followed them. I have been a fan of mister Anthony for some years now and have read the series many times over the years and still I am enchanted each time I read the Incarnations of Immortality. The detail and ideas are ones that can be enjoyed by readers both young and old. The book For Love of Evil puts a new spin on the idea of order of chaos. If you are looking for an adventure then I suggest that you look into the series.

Not Free SF Reader
White magician turned, or, baby, Lilith would SO corrupt you too.


Happily minding their own business, a magical family is attacked by violent chr1stian nuts. His father and wife killed, tortured and killed, respectively, he is easy prety for a demoness.

However, he rebels against Lucifer and saves said woman from the head evil dude's final attack. As a consequence, there is an Incarnation opening and rather than have someone much worse take it up, he agrees to do it.

Bit of a problem with this office, though, or, as The Animals ask: "Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood." ... Read more

Product Description
When the man Niobe loved was shot, she learned that she had been the target, in a devious plot of the Devil's. Hoping for revenge, she discovered, too late, how intricate his scheming was, and that he had managed to trap her son and her granddaughter, Luna. Niobe's only chance to save them was to accept a challenge by the Prince of Deceit--a challenge to be decided in Hell and in a maze of Satan's devising!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Poorly written, badly executed, and laughably sexist.
This is the first Piers Anthony book I've ever read, and I expect it to be the last.I picked it up for two reasons - firstly, because I'm fascinated by Classical myth and particularly the three Fates, one of my favourite mythological trios; and secondly, because I'd been hearing a lot of enthusiastic reviews of Anthony's "Incarnations of Immortality".

The writing itself is unimpressive, but the book does flirt with some interesting concepts.Unfortunately, these are overshadowed both by poor execution and a cast of irritating, one-dimensional characters.Satan, the book's primary villain, reads like a caricature in his interactions with Niobe, which are peppered with pick-up lines and pet names that are equal parts cheese and sleaze and which make it impossible to take him seriously.

The women fare far worse.Anthony embraces the stereotypical portrayal of females as primarily emotional, irrational creatures, prone to crying and throwing tantrums at the drop of the hat, and who need the grounding presence of a stronger male figure in their lives to function properly. (He also, irritatingly, delves into racial stereotyping, seen most blatantly in the portrayal of a strong-willed young Asian woman who falls in love with a samurai only after he defeats her in combat and shows her her place.)Women are rated for their physical appearance - frequent reference is made to the protagonist's "ugliness" as she moves into middle age and loses her youthful freshness - and indeed, beauty is seen as crucial for the Fates, who are expected to whore themselves out to other immortals whenever the need arises.

Most annoying of all is Niobe, the book's protagonist.Supposedly a wily, clever woman capable of outwitting Satan, she is consistently portrayed as anything but, being irrational, whiney and unintelligent, needing the help of her husbands to solve even the simplest of brain teasers.

Throughout the book, Anthony displays a total inability to write female characters, making what may otherwise have been a middling science fiction book laughably bad.

Good books - if you are a 16 year old boy...
I am an avid fantasy fan, and upon recommendations from a few friends, I began to read Piers Anthony's immortal series. While On a Pale Horse was interesting and unique enough to hook me in. The series started to decline as I began to notice a pattern in these books that was quite disturbing.

First, each book is essentially the same plot. Each have a mortal person who is seemingly unremarkable, that person suffers some tragedy - becomes an incarnation, Satan tricks them, they get revenge on Satan. All three books follow this outline in pretty much the same way. I stopped reading after With a Tangled Skein, but I'd be willing to bet a million dollars that the next incarnation books follow that same plot as well.

Next, and what was most surprising to me was the sexism in his books. The first book it went almost unnoticed, but by the second, I started picking up on how Piers enjoys portraying his women. He goes into remarkable detail into describing the women in his books; he intricately talks about their "heaving bosoms",perfect figures, and the way their flesh bounces and jiggles, ect. But nowhere does he ever mention, for example, a man's bulging biceps or hard abs. In fact, he barely describes the male characters at all. This imbalance lead me to having a detailed picture in my mind of the female characters, while the male characters became a sort of grey blob in my mind.

Then I read With a Tangled Skien. Now, I'm not the type of person to scream "sexist!" everywhere I see it. In fact, Ipretty much can't stand femi-natzis. However, when the main character of the book I'm reading is crying every other page for no apparent reason, I start to scratch my head. Is this what Piers Anthony thinks of women? That they cry and fly into emotional rages at the drop of a hat. Not to mention, Niobe, the main character is less intelligent than the characters of the previous books. I got so used to the smart, resourceful male characters of the first two books, that the uselessness of the female leads in the third book was a slap in the face. I don't understand why Piers couldn't have made her just as intelligent as Death or Chronos. She pretty much could not do the simplest brain teasers on her own, she gave up too quickly, determined that she was not intelligent enough to figure it out on her own. Eventually, she had to receive help from her husbands in order to complete the challenges. The last straw was pretty much towards the end of the book when she faced a challenge and thought roughly "I'm not a strong, muscular man; I'm a weak, fleshy woman"
Comon! Really? Not to mention the incarnations are immune to any kind of physical harm - OH wait! except the female ones because they can be raped. Which almost happens at least 4 times in this book.

I wondered why these books were so highly recommended by my two friends (they pretty much described them as the best books ever written), and I realized that they would seem to be the best books ever written - for a teenage male.

Good Incarnations book
While not the best of the Incarnations series, it is still a solid read - but then, the entire Incarnations series (if you don't count book 8) are all great reads. This was actually the second book I read (after Being a Green Mother, both books I read about 10 years ago) so I was a bit confused with some of the events. But now having read books 1 and 2, I can appreciate and understand this book much better.

The idea of three women having to share one body at all times is daunting. I can understand sharing it in the mortal world, but it seems that in the magical world or their home on the web, it seemed more logical to me that they should be able to separate into three bodies to conduct their respective duties more efficiently. Still, this is a great book, and a solid addition to the Incarnations series, with the usual mix of comedy and philosophy/thought-provoking passages (and outsmarting Satan himself).

Woah.
I've read book 1,2, and 3. This book series is great, but I think this book is the best. To those of you that haven't, read it.

Not Free SF Reader
Husband stands in on wife's killing, she becomes part of Fate.


A woman's husband learns that she will die, and arranges that he will instead. She discovers later that this is a plot of that evil Satan bloke.

The Fates are a tripartite entity, and she gives up the first job, and is invited to the next after spending some time as a mortal again. This repeats, as she gets involved with stopping S*tan plots. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

A bit risque for Xanth
This is a fun series and never fails to entertain, but this edition pushes the envelope of the "Adult Conspiracy".This volume is NOT for children!As the series gets longer, the subject mater gets a little more serious and less appropriate for pre-teens and teens.Part of Xanth's appeal is the cover illustrations, so an actual book is best at least until they find a way to publish the artwork with the Kindle edition.

Exceptional escapism
After the first book I read by this author, I went and purchased the complete Xanth series of books, well over 30.I have about five left to read.I am enthralled and entrapped in Xanth and Mr Jacob's (Piers Anthony) mind.My vocabulary has expanded extensively because of the talent of this author to explore subjects of immense complexity and still keep it lighthearted and fun to read.I look forward to exploring his other series.Thank you Mr. Anthony.

Utter Drivel . . .
I've been reading the Xanth books for years and with the exception of Faun and Games I'd always had fun reading them.But this book was utter drivel.I used to enjoy his books greatly because while they were always silly Piers did develop characters and relationships and you were enjoying learning about the magical world of Xanth and its people.In this book though, the characters are barely even two dimensional, and there's no building up of relationships.Instead X and Y meet and they're in love and it's magical and that's the end of it.And A and B are around each other for more than 5 minutes and they're in love, oh and C and D are too just for good measure.

But more than that the plot becomes so complex as Piers goes into ludicrous explanations of how various events could happen.The plot is so contrived, so unbelievable and so non-sensical that I almost could not finish this book.I realize expecting a Xanth book to make sense may be a contradiction in terms, but generally the plots are clever and at least understandable.

With the introduction of Ida's worlds I think the Xanth books have taken a decided downturn where Piers feeling I suppose bored with the wonderful standard Xanth he had created is now compelled in all of his latest books to return yet again to the worlds of Ida's moons to create an increasingly complex and utterly unbelievable, non-contiguous concept of stories, where each book requires extensive explanation as to how the plot might be plausible and doesn't actually (or does it?) contradict what we've learned in previous books.

I will never pay for another Xanth book at this point, but perhaps I'll give another one a try if I find it in the library given how long I've stuck with the series.Don't waste your money too.

Searching For Hugo
Air Apparent (2007) is the thirty-first fantasy novel in the Xanth series, following Stork Naked.In the previous volume, the Sorceress Morgan le Fey was frustrated at every turn.Finally, she disguised herself as Surprise Golem, but Che the Winged Centaur was ready for her.Surprise recovered her baby and returned home.

In this novel, Wira is worried about her husband Hugo.He had gone down to the wine cellar to get a bottle of Rhed Whine about thirty minutes ago.He should have returned after ten minutes.So she goes looking -- in a manner of speaking -- for him.

Wira is blind, so the lightless cellar is no burden for her.She snaps her fingers and locates a body lying on the floor.When she touches it, the body is cold and clammy.But it is not her husband.

She screams and the Gorgon -- Hugo's mother -- was the first to respond.She checks the body and believes it to be not dead, but in suspended animation.The Gorgon goes to wake her husband Humfrey, the Good Magician.

Humfrey finds that the Book of Answers is scrambled.Obviously it cannot be used to solve the mystery, so Humfrey decides to send the next querent out with Wira to recover Hugo.He suggests that they tell people that Wira is looking for a way to regain her sight.

In this story, Debra is the next querent.She is a young Mundane teenager who wants to find out how to remove a curse that she has acquired since arriving in Xanth.She agrees to accompany Wira and the Gorgon gives her a magic potion to transform her into a winged centaur.

Debra is rather embarrassed by her disguise, since Centaurs do not wear clothes.Also, she finds that flying requires some practice.Yet they are soon on their way.

First they fly to the Region of Air to question Cumulo Fracto Nimbus, but he has been missing for the same length of time as Hugo.Happy Bottom -- Fracto's wife -- and their daughter Fray start searching for the missing males in nooks and crannies while Wira and Debra search on the surface.Along the way they collect other searchers.

Meanwhile, Hugo is trapped in an underground room.He supplements the water and black bread with his talent of producing fruits.Then he meets Bathos Bat and exchanges bodies.Hugo flies out to determine the location of his prison and Bathos gorges himself on overripe fruit.

This story starts out as a quest to find Hugo and then Fracto, but soon turns into something else.Hugo is found and is returning to the Good Magician's Castle on Becka the Dragongirl, but disappears in mid-air.Then he changes bodies with the Random Factor, who is able to randomly switch bodies or locations for a few times each day.

This tale is a Xanth novel, so naturally it is jampacked with puns and wordplays.And it has an intriguing layer of mysteries and many twists and turns.Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Anthony fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical talents, puns galore, and a bit of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

My favorite yet!
I fell in love with Pierce and with all fantasy novels as I read my first fist Xanth novel in Junior High.I learned what a pun was from the master and I loved every one!

AIR APPARENT is simply Xanth filled with horrendous puns that readers either make readers groan or laugh at the wild cast. ... Read more

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Militia, a beautiful female serial rapist, sedates and has sex with prominent men, selling the erotic videos for tens of thousands of dollars. But when she rapes Newton Oswald she is a fly entering the spider-s lair. For Oswald is himself a serial rapist, of a more serious nature than she. He and his former captive Maria see Militia coming, as it were.

Customer Reviews (1)

Nothing more than a short thought experiment
I got the distinct impression that this (extremely) short story was whipped out in an afternoon (reading it will certainly take less: about 10 minutes). There is virtually no substance to it, only the "what if?" idea of a female rapist (and her entrapment by a more clever male kidnapper and rapist). It's not sexy, or erotic, or humorous, or fun, particularly. Don't think that just because you like Anthony and enjoyed Pornucopia, that you'll appreciate this story. ... Read more

Product Description
Mym was a dutiful son, but rather than agree to his father's choice for his marriage, he took up the Red Sword, symbol of office of the Incarnation of War, in order to ameliorate some of the suffering caused by Earth's constant petty wars. But Mym discovered that Satan was waiting to trap him, and he must now take desperate measures to outwit the evil genius who aimed to destroy the world....
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Customer Reviews (28)

Good, solid read
Not the best in this series, but still very good at 4/5 stars. Some books in this series were bound to be better than others but it's all good, and this book does not disappoint even if it's a bit repetitive in some parts. However, the philosophical discussions between Mars and Satan are to be considered and thought about, since they raised some excellent points (and I became more appreciative of this book after reading 'For Love of Evil')

The backstory is getting monotonous...
I like the plots of each of the Incarnations of Immortality books, and this one is no exception, but by this point in the series the formulaic nature of each plot is becoming apparent:

1. Protagonist falls in love.
2. Protagonist and love are separated by circumstance (arranged by Satan).
3. Loss of love leads protagonist to become an Incarnation.
4. Protagonist meets second love, forgets about the first.
5. Satan tempts protagonist, gullible protagonist walks right into his trap.
6. Satan sets up an impending disaster on earth.
7. Other Incarnation(s) show the protagonist how to use his/her power.
8. Protagonist uses unique power to make a desperate but successful bid to stop Satan.

Despite this general structure, the details do make for an interesting story, full of intrigue and plot twists. Piers Anthony has a particular talent for character development, and each character's unique background, personality, and talents contribute to that character's role in the story and to the overall movement of the plot. Often details that seem to have no consequence in the beginning of the story come back to hit the characters full in the face later.

Nevertheless, the limited amount of variation between books puts a limit on the length of this series. Will I have the patience to make it through?

Not Free SF Reader
War is necessary, someone has to be in charge.

The fourth Piers Anthony book in the Incarnations series is perhaps a little different in tone, given that wars are not all that fun, so if you are in charge of them and aren't the Evil gloating supervillain Ares type that Wonder Woman and Xena have to deal with and maybe beat up at various intervals throughout their history.

Hoping the next one is a bit better
What if death, time, fate, war, nature, evil and good were not mere concepts but offices held by actual people, like any other occupation?

When Mym, the son of a rajah, grows tired of his father's manipulations in his relationships, he opts out of his life in order to become Mars, the immortal Incarnation of War. In this new position his job is to supervise the significant warlike activities occurring in the world. Although he's morally opposed to such needless violence and suffering and initially hopes to use his office as a means of alleviating and lessening the destruction and misery war causes, Mym reluctantly comes to accept that war is a natural and fluctuating, if unpleasant, state of humanity.

Like the few preceding it, Wielding a Red Sword doesn't quite hold up to On a Pale Horse, the first book in this series. As usual, the characters are painfully two-dimensional.

another great story in the series
I think this book was the most spell bonding of the series so far.Book 1 was great and I still like it the best, but this story just made you want to read it and not put the book down until the end.Hope the remaining ones are as good. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

An oldie...
A very old series from Anthony, back from before he was rich and famous, but it's a very good series, one of the best he's written. I like it so much I've re-read it many times in the time I've owned it.

First of all, a word of warning. This series is very dark and gory, it will make you wince. Since I first read it, I've become old and cynical and all the gore and treachery I read in it is no more than what I've seen in every day life, but it really bothered me when I first read it as a young lad, such as the dismemberments, the rapes and the tortures - there, does it shock you yet?

Having said that, I think the impoverished Anthony poured his heart and soul into the book. What I like about this book and all of Anthony's good books is that he really invests his time in to the main characters, yes, he pours his heart and soul into writing them. They are fully fleshed and in our consciousness when we read them. Thus, I feel for Sos, or Sol of all weapons, or Var the stick. The characters stand out and up. And then Anthony discovered that the public would simply simper over light fantasy, and he poured his heart and soul into that. I don't think Anthony will ever write anything as good and as dark as Battle Circle. He is no longer hungry or impoverished. This series is a chapter in the life of Anthony pre-famous era and it's a gem.

I won't say much about the plot as you can read that above. I will only say that your soul and your mind will be taken into a deep and dark journey into a sadistic post-Apocalyptic future if you choose to read this book, and it's a real treat.

Great adventure, great writing, will leave you tired after your adventure is through.
This is one of those books that is not apealing based on its cover. Once you get into the second chapter you will not be able to put it down.

A Forgotten Classic
Piers Anthony may be best known for his tongue in check Xanth series, and for his Adept and Incarnation books, but he also has written some excellent "serious" sci-fi and fantasy.This is one of there, ranking ver close to his Bio of a Space Tyrant books.

I will not rehash what the other reviewers have covered so well, but let me just ad that this is a standout from my teenage reading days -- it made a big impression.If you are in the mood for a gritty, post-apocalyptic battle world where honor is everything, then this read should not dissappoint.

Bleak future
As adolescent fantasy and post-holocaust stories go, it's pretty good.Be warned, however:the tone of this book (or collection of three books, each with its own protagonist) is almost relentlessly grim and tragic, as befits a setting that arises from a civilization-ending Blast.You can't have what you want - it will always be out of reach, taken from you, or turn out to be not what you wanted after all.Characters are often forced or manipulated into things they don't want to do by their personal honor.One character, who represents innocence and simple enjoyment of the pleasures of the barbarian life, comes to a bad end because of the designs of others; like Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, most of the remaining joy in the story dies with him.

Anthony's usual sexism is present, though arguably appropriate in a barbarian society; most of the women are chattel, to be won or lost in the dueling circle, and don't even have names of their own (instead taking a derivative of the name of the man who's won them, as do the children he fathers).

If you're into watching a succession of men struggle against their fate, in pursuit of goals that turn to ashes in their grasp, read this book.

Talk about taking a sudden stoopud turn...
The first two novellas, dealing with Sos the Rope and Var the Stick, are good reads.The third novella, which tells the story of Neq the Sword, takes the most appallingly stupid plot twist I've ever seen in a novel.Neq loses his hands and has a sword grafted directly to his arm.Kind of grotesque, but I could live with that a as a plot device. Not too many pages later, he has a glockenspiel superglued to the sword and becomes Neq the Glockenspiel.I flung the book across the room in disgust.The book is worth a look for the first two installments, but don't say you haven't been warned about the third. ... Read more

Product Description
An All-New Xanth Adventure
First Paperback Edition!

A fickle flux in the fabric of space has allowed a horrendous hurricane to blast into Xanth, stirring up mischief and madness wherever she goes. Trapped in a preposterous form by a cosmic wager, the DemonX(A/N)thmust join forces with a vexatious vixen named Chlorine to save Xanth from this terrifying and tempestuous threat.

Their companions on this haphazard quest are a hapless human family - Jim and Karen Baldwin and their two teenaged sons, David and Sean -gusted into Xanth from the mundane world beyond.Together they encounters a host of turbulent misadventures as they struggle to keep Xanth from being blown off the map forever.

A brisk and breezy adventure in the grand Xanth tradition, Yon Ill Wind is sure to bring gales of laughter and excitement to Piers Anthony's legion of loyal readers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Love em all!
I love these books I love piers anthony I love Xanth I read 1-22 didn't have the rest and started the series again. Yon Ill Wind is by far one of my favorites I have read it 3 times now! All these people are saying they are tired of the puns tired of the same ole same ole but come on who can get tired of the puns in all their glory and lamesness they are still fun and they still crack a smile on this face I don't think I will ever stop reading or loving xanth!

Loved it!
I have read all of the books in the Xanth series leading up to this book.I then waited for what seemed an eternity for this book to come out in paperback.When I finally bought it I just couldn't get interested - I'm not sure why, but I'm sure it had something to do with my new children keeping me busy.:^)

Anyway now that my kids are a little older and I have more time to read again, I dug this book out to read.I loved every bit of it and couldn't put it down.I read it in two days!The ending was perfect and I immediately searched the internet to see what book came next.I was rather surprised to see the long list of books that had been published since I bought this one!I'm dissapointed though, because the next book 'Faun and Games' doesn't seem to pick up on the Nimby/Chlorine storyline, but is something compelety different.I can't wait to find a copy to read - I just hope it says whats happens to them next!

My only complaint is the puns and sexual reference.The puns really got annoying and old.I guess I liked them though when I started the series in high school.The sexual references seemed uneccesary and I felt like they were being forced on me.I get it - panties freak men out in Xanth!

Despite those two things, I really enjoyed the book and I can't wait to get caught up (again!) on the series.

Great book, dissapointing ending
Out of all the Xanth Novels that have come out, this is undoubtebly one of the most fascinating in recent memory.The Demon X(A/N)th goes to Xanth as a dragon with a donkeys head to try and win a bet with all the other demons.There, he meets Chlorine, a ugly girl with a bad temper.And with that, the two of them head off to adventure.Along the way, they will meet a Mundane familly, fight a hurricane, and help save Xanth.

Its great fun to see the demon X(A/N)th as a central charachter this time around and he has a great personality that eventually becomes really likable.The Mundaine familly are a great read, I really liked how they adjusted to being in Xanth.All the other charachters are likable, although they never really got charachterized.(The pets are likeable though)

As usual, there are many puns in Yon Ill wind and I enjoyed them all, although others may not.Another thing I really liked was the "1 squeak yes, 2 squeak no, 3 squeak off track" thing(It will make sense in the book)

In summary, there is really nothing wrong with the book.It has a good plot, likeable charachters and lots of interesting situations.But the only bad thing about it is it's adrupt ending.I'll try to avoid giving anything away, but certian charachters just vanish in a sentance, where we could say goodbye to them, when they could have been seen doing some more things.The ending to the book is so adrubt, so quick and short, you wonder if Mr. Anthony lost the last few pages on his way to delivering the final manuscript to the publisher, and had to quickly write up a new ending in a minute or so before his deadline.And that ending is quite sad, and depressing.In fact, I'll go so far as to say its the most dissapointing ending I've ever encountered in a book.Its a shame that the ending is dissapointing, but the rest of the book is great.

The good:
Great book
Great charachters
Lots o' puns

The not so good:

Horrible ending
Some charachters are not explored enough

Summary: A great book, but be sure to pick up the next book (Faun and Games) because you will want to read it upon finishing this book.

Not as good as the earlier ones
I am a big Xanth fan, but I hadn't gotten any new episodes for over 10 years, because of becoming a very busy working mother.My brother-in-law got me this one after I had recently re-read all my old ones.The kids having finally gotten interested in Xanth got me going on my re-reading project.

I don't think this one measures up.It doesn't flow like the others and you don't get into the story.Maybe it's because there are too many main characters, so that none of them can be developed very well. They all run off in different directions and it's hard to keep track of what is going on or what the characters are like.

Maybe it's because, while the earlier stories were essentially cheery, this one has an underlying gloominess throughout.

When certain ones of the characters are announced to be in love, it seems like sort of an afterthought.You just don't get inside anyone's head enough to really empathize with them, so there's not enough buildup that would justify the characters' feelings.

The puns don't seem to be as good as they used to be either.

I don't think I'm just becoming jaded, because I was reading the earlier ones again to my kids at the same time I was reading this one and the earlier ones just seem better.

Yon Ill wind
This book was an absolute masterpeice. It had a great plot, good characters, and just an all around good storyline. I have read every Xanth novel twice, and I think this is one of his better ones. The only drawback I think that this novel had was its seemingly unconcluded ending. I read the last sentence of the novel and I feel that the book was uncompleted. I have never known Peirs Anthony to end any of his novels that way. If it would have ended better I would have given it a 5. ... Read more