Rating: Summary: With the exception of the ending. . . Review: . . .this is a much stronger effort in the "Incarnations of Immortality" series than "Bearing an Hourglass".While the first volume of this series involved Death, and the second Time, this volume turns to Fate -- in all three of her traditional aspects. Like the previous volume, the stage is set rather well in the opening chapters. Unlike the previous volume, the novel continues well! Of particular note: the relationship of the three women who share the single body of Fate; the recognized voluntary "temporariness" of their several assignments; the role that Fate has to play with relation to Free-Will (a concept Anthony seems to accept); and (on a rather humorous note) the visit of Fate and Nature to a temporary "hell" constructed for the sole purpose of convincing humanity that hell is, after all, a pretty nifty place. (The women were not fooled!) The greatest weakness? The final battle between Fate and Satan. Totally unconvincing, even for fantasy. Nevertheless, like "On a Pale Horse", this novel should be read by seminary students to give them fresh perspectives on the difficult questions which people ask in times of crisis. An outstanding read.
Rating: Summary: With the exception of the ending. . . Review: . . .this is a much stronger effort in the "Incarnations of Immortality" series than "Bearing an Hourglass". While the first volume of this series involved Death, and the second Time, this volume turns to Fate -- in all three of her traditional aspects. Like the previous volume, the stage is set rather well in the opening chapters. Unlike the previous volume, the novel continues well! Of particular note: the relationship of the three women who share the single body of Fate; the recognized voluntary "temporariness" of their several assignments; the role that Fate has to play with relation to Free-Will (a concept Anthony seems to accept); and (on a rather humorous note) the visit of Fate and Nature to a temporary "hell" constructed for the sole purpose of convincing humanity that hell is, after all, a pretty nifty place. (The women were not fooled!) The greatest weakness? The final battle between Fate and Satan. Totally unconvincing, even for fantasy. Nevertheless, like "On a Pale Horse", this novel should be read by seminary students to give them fresh perspectives on the difficult questions which people ask in times of crisis. An outstanding read.
Rating: Summary: Very Good But a Bit Light Review: I have no complaints about this book, that I have read three times. The writing is fast-paced and flawless, the characters are well-developed, the plot is intricate but coherent, and the magical version of Earth woven by Piers Anthony is fascinating. This is a continuation of the "Incarnations of Immortality" series, in which the author explores various aspects of reality - death, time, fate, war, nature, good, and evil - by hypothesizing that those aspects are each run by a formerly mortal ordinary person who took a job, got stuck with the job, or fell into the job of being in charge of it. Here, fate is explored by having Fate be an amalgam of three former mortals who now shape our lives by spinning, weaving, and cutting the threads of life. The three reside in the same immortal and shape-shifting form. The only reason I did not give the book five stars was that the topic just didn't grab me like death in "On a Pale Horse" or war in "Wielding a Red Sword". "With a Tangled Skein" remains good, fun, fantasy reading.
Rating: Summary: Very Good But a Bit Light Review: I have no complaints about this book, that I have read three times. The writing is fast-paced and flawless, the characters are well-developed, the plot is intricate but coherent, and the magical version of Earth woven by Piers Anthony is fascinating. This is a continuation of the "Incarnations of Immortality" series, in which the author explores various aspects of reality - death, time, fate, war, nature, good, and evil - by hypothesizing that those aspects are each run by a formerly mortal ordinary person who took a job, got stuck with the job, or fell into the job of being in charge of it. Here, fate is explored by having Fate be an amalgam of three former mortals who now shape our lives by spinning, weaving, and cutting the threads of life. The three reside in the same immortal and shape-shifting form. The only reason I did not give the book five stars was that the topic just didn't grab me like death in "On a Pale Horse" or war in "Wielding a Red Sword". "With a Tangled Skein" remains good, fun, fantasy reading.
Rating: Summary: The Incarnations of Immortality Review: I have read all of the books in this series and have loved each one. They each stand on their own as individual reads, so it is not necessary to read them in any particular order, with the possible exception of the last one. The author does a wonderful job of interlocking the storylines of each book. The result is that you get a view of each book's central character from the perspective of the other central characters. I particularly enjoyed Satan's view of himself and his role as opposed to the opinions held by the other 'offices'.
Rating: Summary: The Incarnations of Immortality Review: I have read all of the books in this series and have loved each one. They each stand on their own as individual reads, so it is not necessary to read them in any particular order, with the possible exception of the last one. The author does a wonderful job of interlocking the storylines of each book. The result is that you get a view of each book's central character from the perspective of the other central characters. I particularly enjoyed Satan's view of himself and his role as opposed to the opinions held by the other 'offices'.
Rating: Summary: This is a great book! Review: I have read the first 4 books in the series, and they have quickly become my favorite books. I love the way all of the books intertwine, in a way. The events in one book relate to the events in the next. Of the first four, this book has to be my favorite. I am eagerly awaiting "Being a Green Mother", and I already have "For Love of Evil". I can't wait to finish the series!! These books are GREAT!!!
Rating: Summary: The IOI series just got really good!!! Review: I loved the first book, wasn't too wild about the second one, but could not put this third book down. It was WONDERFUL, a great addition to the Incarnations of Immortality series. It is nice to see the big story really start to develop. I had started loosing hope on the second book (I would suggest skipping it) but am really committed to the story now that I've finished the third one. Niobe is a character and her life is a real joy to read. It is great to see how her hand in the great game that Satan has bestowed upon the Incarnations. The story never lets up and never gets boring. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Rating: Summary: The IOI series just got really good!!! Review: I loved the first book, wasn't too wild about the second one, but could not put this third book down. It was WONDERFUL, a great addition to the Incarnations of Immortality series. It is nice to see the big story really start to develop. I had started loosing hope on the second book (I would suggest skipping it) but am really committed to the story now that I've finished the third one. Niobe is a character and her life is a real joy to read. It is great to see how her hand in the great game that Satan has bestowed upon the Incarnations. The story never lets up and never gets boring. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Rating: Summary: Worst. Ending. Ever. Review: I was totally hooked right up until the last page. A great read but an utterly unsatisfying ending, it felt like he just decided to stop writing and tacked on a "happily ever after" to make it done.
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